Did you consider any other electrics cars over the Q4?

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YorkshireTea
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Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:12 pm

Post by YorkshireTea »

Wondering if you looked at any others, the likes of the ID.4 or a Tesla even before opting for the Audi Q4?

Wicksy
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Post by Wicksy »

Thought about a Jaguar i Pace but just a touch too pricey. I think the Q4 is also the better looking of the two
Ribena
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Post by Ribena »

Wicksy wrote:
Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:19 pm
Thought about a Jaguar i Pace but just a touch too pricey. I think the Q4 is also the better looking of the two
I-Pace is unlikely to be renewed from what I understand, plus a s**t load of issues with them!
Ribena
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Post by Ribena »

Enyaq is something I’m looking at too. Really smart looking car and better than the ID.4 IMO.
Lee
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Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:19 pm

Post by Lee »

It was between this and the Tesla Model 3 or BMW 330e for me but ultimately I went for this car because I think with two young kids the practicality of this car fits what I needed better as an overall package. Also im getting as a company car, which meant almost £200 less a month than the hybrid BMW 330e in BIK tax not to mention lower monthly charging costs (elec less than petrol). I very almost went for the Model 3 as it has lots of a standard equipment, however I actually prefer the interior of the Q4 and wasnt so bothered about the 0 - 60 times, similarly I had heard rumours that the Tesla Super Charger network was opening to all brands. I also looked at ID3 Tour which looked fully loaded, however the big put off with this car was it only has 2 seats in the back and I regularly take my kids friends around, similarly im not actually that impressed with the interior of the ID3 too be honest it looks much worse than the new Golf.
Deleted User 197

Post by Deleted User 197 »

Yes I have considered several: Id.3, Tesla 3, I-pace, Hyundai Ioniq 5. Would have ordered Q4 right from the offset had I been able to get a light interior, but not available in the UK. I actually ordered the jaguar, but cancelled after a month when I was told lead time was extended from 6 months to a year! Then investigated Ioniq 5, which was a lovely drive (if a tiny bit cheap feeling inside). But cancelled that after dealer told me the paint protection could be applied to the Matt Gravity Gold finish, only to find out from GardX that it must not be applied to that! Like the Tesla Model 3 a lot, especially as lead times are pretty good, but really want a HUD and not enamoured with the colours. So I've gone back to the Q4 Vorsprung, GeyserBlue and just hope I have the willpower to wait!
SQ8Vorsprung
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Post by SQ8Vorsprung »

I also looked at the Polestar2 as an alternative. It may still end up being one of those with the order delays...
ICDP_EV
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Post by ICDP_EV »

I used the internet to research and make a list of cars for me to go test drive. My final list was the ID.4, Q4, Mach-E, EV6, iX3 and Ioniq 5 and I got some testing done. I ruled out Tesla because I do not like their minimalist and boring interiors.
  • ID.4 was nice to drive but the interior was too much hard plastic. Far lower in quality to all the cars listed here
  • I got to sit in an EV6 and it was nice but the prices through work lease were quite high for some reason. Considerably more expensive than a Q4 and the interior of the EV6 was a bit low in places (wobbly floating center console). If it were the same price spec for spec against the Q4 I would have considered one.
  • Q4 was much better interior than the ID.4 and a lot less use of plastics. The Q4 also drove better in my opinion.
  • The Mach-E looked great in the metal and had some very nice performance and very sporty suspension. It was very nice but that suspension would have been too much on poor roads. It was less practical as well but the real deal breaker for me was the very flimsy door cards. You could press them and they would warp with very little pressure.
  • The Ioniq 5 (RWD) I tested was very floaty and wallowy and I found it bland to drive. The lane keep assist was also very aggressive on my test drive but I am sure can be adjusted. It did have some suspect use of materials such as hard plastics and a cheapish feeling steering wheel. Ultimately though I just hate the styling inside and out. It is trying too hard and I don't think it will age well.
  • BMW did not have an iX3 for me to test but when I saw the size of the BMW X3 I immediately ruled it out because it was so big compared to the ID.4 or Q4 but had less interior space. The ICE chassis is hurting it here. I will say that the interior was way higher quality and premium than every other car listed, including the Q4.
Ultimately I chose the Q4 because I thought it did so much well but nothing badly. There are some dodgy cheap plastics around, especially in the back but it did still feel premium(ish). The car I tested had adaptive suspension so it could be set for sporty, or comfort unlike Ioniq 5, EV6 and the Mach-E. So you get the best of both worlds depending upon your mood. One area of criticism of the Q4 is that the quality and premium feel is not as good as it used to be. So either Audi are dropping standards, other manufacturers are increasing theirs, or it's a bit of both. Either way the feel of materials the Korean cars and the Ford was much closer in quality to the Q4 and in some cases better. The BMW iX3 does not suffer from this problem and you can instantly tell it is on a higher level than even a Q4. It should also be noted that the Q4 comes with a fair bit less tech than the others I tested. Every one of the cars other than the Q4 had reversing cameras as standard, 360 degree views and a bigger list of driver assist features.

Pretty much everything above the very basic base model is an expensive extra. Want the paddle shift hexagonal steering wheel, it's extra. Want a reversing camera, it's extra. Want a proper boot floor that has a flat loading area when the rear seats are folded, it's extra. Want blind spot assist, it's extra. Want electric seats, you need to go for Edition 1 or Vorsprung trim.

I currently own an E-Tron 50 Technik and the drop in quality of the Q4 is noticeable but still just about enough to say it's a bit premium. It's just that compared to similarly or cheaper priced rivals it is not the Audi of old. Don't even get me started on the very cheap feel in the ID.4, though it did at least have the solid feel of a VW.

Where the Q4 did win was on the build quality as it felt a bit more solid than the Ioniq 5, Mach-E and EV6 and ID.4. Thought it was certainly not night and day in most areas. Honestly, styling preference aside, no matter what one of these EVs I picked I know it would have been a very good car. Ultimately I got a good deal through work leasing as even a Q4 50 Sportback Vosrprung was cheaper than the equivalent EV6 and Mach-E. The Ioniq 5, ID.4 and iX3 were cheaper to lease but I ruled them out on styling (Ioniq 5) and exterior size (iX3). So the Q4 won by default rather than being objectively better in all areas.

On a closing note I think a lot of people and reviewers confuse quality of materials and build quality. So when someone tells me the Mach-E, Ioniq 5, or EV6 has better build quality than a Q4, I know they mean materials. On first and cursory inspection a Mach-E door feels more plush than the one on a Q4 but the fact it warps under mild pressure is indicative of build quality, not materials. When the center console of an EV6 moves ~ 2cm side to side with a mildly firm push, then it doesn't matter if it has "plush" materials. I did get some dirty looks from the Ford dealer when I started feeling all the materials and push/pulling at the trim.
Tony
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Location: London

Post by Tony »

I thought about the Polestar 2 but liked the higher stance of the Q4/SUV. Volvo XC40 was an option, but it's more of an adapted EV as opposed to a true EV so skipped that one.
fobong
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Post by fobong »

I thought about the iX3 and I-pace (too expensive), the XC40 (less range) and the Mach-E (just didn't feel right). Would have gotten the XC40 I think if it had a slightly higher range. Sat in an ID4 but didn't like the interior. Enyaq's small instrument panel put me off.
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