{"id":26652,"date":"2021-01-14T13:09:25","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T17:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26652"},"modified":"2021-01-14T13:09:25","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T17:09:25","slug":"payne-electric-or-gas-audi-e-tron-vs-audi-sq5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/payne-electric-or-gas-audi-e-tron-vs-audi-sq5","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Electric or gas? Audi e-tron vs. Audi SQ5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cadillac Lyriq. Ford Mustang Mach E. Polestar 2. New, premium electric cars are coming and they will inevitably be compared to Tesla, the baseline for battery-powered success. But to sell in volume, these challengers must also outperform the gas siblings across the showroom floor.<\/p>\n

Take the electric Audi e-tron Fastback and Audi SQ5 SUVs I just drove to Hell and back.<\/p>\n

Hell, Michigan, that is. My favorite southeast\u00a0Michigan drive route, the 120-mile journey tests a vehicle\u2019s tech, handling\u00a0and range. The gas-powered, $45,000\u00a0Audi Q5 is the brand\u2019s best-selling vehicle, and its SQ5 performance version is the e-tron Sportback\u2019s peer in power, looks\u00a0and handling.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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Price them with similar features and an SQ5 costs $63,490 compared to my $79,390 e-Tron. For that premium you also get worse range, longer fuel stops\u00a0and higher refueling prices. Oh.<\/p>\n

I took off for Hell\u00a0in the SQ5 without a moment\u2019s thought. The e-tron, well … not so much. Drive an EV \u2014 especially a non-Tesla EV \u2014 outside its metro comfort zone and the trip conforms to your car, not the other way \u2019round.<\/p>\n

I started my e-Tron with 174 miles of charge, and …\u00a0but Payne, I thought the advertised range for e-Tron is 218?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, but the first rule of battery-powered cars is you only charge to 100% when needed. Repeated, full charges compromise battery durability. E-tron\u2019s 174 miles is shy of the Tesla Model Y\u2019s 260 miles (80% of 326-mile full range) \u2014 and well short of the gas-powered SQ5\u2019s 425-mile range (full tank, no 80% calculations needed).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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The dreaded, range anxiety questions crawled into my head. Driving to Hell and back is 108 miles. But I also wanted to detour to Ann Arbor to pick up a Reuben sandwich from my favorite Zingerman\u2019s Deli.<\/p>\n

How many miles does that add? Will cold December weather sap my range? Can I make it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Gah, I hate those questions. Tesla answers them with its proprietary Supercharger network. Not e-tron, which is dependent on third-party chargers.<\/p>\n

The SQ5? No worries,\u00a0even starting on a quarter of a tank. There are gas stations everywhere.<\/p>\n

I asked the e-tron nav system to show chargers on my path. \u201cNo destinations were found,\u201d came the reply. But I knew from experience that Ann Arbor has chargers in the vicinity, so I pushed the voices to the back of my head and shoved off.<\/p>\n

But for its sporty, coupe-like roof, the e-tron looks similar to the SQ5. Silver vs. black grilles. Sculpted, 20-inch wheels. Hatchback.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The drive experience, however, is very different.<\/p>\n

Stomp the 355-horse e-tron\u2019s gas pedal entering I-96 west and a wave of smooth, electric torque vaulted me into traffic. The 349-horsepower SQ5\u2019s turbo-6 growls like a poked beast, but its automatic 8-speed tranny feels like a bucking bronco compared to the e-lightning bolt. The joys of electric driving, however, are often interrupted by the range-anxiety gremlin.<\/p>\n

Payne, enough with the lead foot. Do you want to drain the battery?<\/em><\/p>\n

Thoughts of trips north in my Tesla Model 3 \u2014 with serious range degradation over 75 mph \u2014 creeped in. Fun time was over. I set adaptive cruise control to 75 mph in \u201cEfficiency\u201d mode and sailed west.<\/p>\n

Contrary to Tesla\u2019s (and Mach E and Polestar) radical interior, Audi wants EVs to feel familiar. At first blush the e-tron and SQ5 interiors are similar: lush 12.5-inch digital cluster behind the steering wheel, nav route displayed in Google Earth, same steering wheel controls. Closer inspection reveals the e-tron gains a richer console with two touchscreens and deeper storage.<\/p>\n

The Audis are no match for Tesla or Ford EVs in the tech department. Voice commands lag (\u201cTake me to Zingerman\u2019s Deli, Ann Arbor\u201d was translated as \u201cDelhi, Michigan\u201d), and it won\u2019t tempt you to self-drive on interstates.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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I reached Hell in e-tron after 55 miles \u2014 with 66 miles taken off the battery. Remaining range: 109 miles.<\/p>\n

Tipping the scales at 5,819 pounds, e-tron is a hefty 1,400 pounds heavier than SQ5 despite their similar dimensions. But with all that battery weight in its belly, the EV was surprisingly stable around Hell\u2019s writhing roads \u2014 matching the lighter SQ5.<\/p>\n

My Zingerman\u2019s detour left me with 76 miles of battery to travel 40 miles home to Oakland County. The range anxiety gremlins were back again. Not because I couldn\u2019t make it \u2014 but because I don\u2019t have a non-Tesla compatible charger in my garage.<\/p>\n

I need to top up at a fast charger so I\u2019d have reserve charge when I got home.<\/em><\/p>\n

Audi\u2019s nav system does not prioritize Electrify America fast chargers (the only 150 kW-plus network comparable to Tesla). I searched Ann Arbor \u2014 a Shell station, EV Go station \u2014 but their limited stalls and slow, 50 kW charging rate could take hours. Deep in the list, I found a Walmart charger \u2014 synonymous with Electrify America \u2014 20 miles away in Novi, a short detour off my I-275 trip home.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
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This sort of thing drives Mrs. Payne crazy. She hates when the car dictates the trip. Not to mention the 25- to 40-minute charging time compared to a five-minute gas stop. Happily for her, she was not along this day.<\/p>\n

I arrived at the Novi Walmart to find four state-of-the-art, 150 kWh EA chargers. Assuming the stalls are working.<\/p>\n

Which mine wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

A call to EA confirmed my stall was down, but the others were OK. E-tron filled from 42 miles of battery range\u00a0(20%) to 158 miles (80%-ish) in 25 minutes. Cost? $22.36 at 43 cents-per kWh. I didn\u2019t need to fill the SQ5 on the trip back, but the equivalent mileage on $2.50 Premium gas would cost $16.10. Oh.<\/p>\n

So much for cheap electricity. Happily for buyers, Audi knows it \u2014 and is offering free charging up to 1,000 hours.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

I pulled on the charger to decouple it from the e-tron, and … it wouldn\u2019t let go. Yank. Stuck. Yank. Still stuck. A call to EA confirmed it was an Audi issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry pressing UNLOCK on the key fob at the same time you press the charging door UNLOCK button,\u201d said my EA guide helpfully. It worked. I arrived home \u2014 30 minutes later than the same trip in SQ5 \u2014 with 144 miles of battery charge left. The SQ5 had 225 miles left on the tank.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know EVs are coming with all the global governments enacting their EV regulations,\u201d an Audi spokesman said this fall. The question is whether customers will be driving SQ5s instead.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

2020 Audi e-tron Sportback<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: All-wheel drive, four-door, electric SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $70,095, including $995 destination charge ($79,390 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 95 kWh lithium-ion battery driving twin electric motors<\/p>\n

Power: 355 horsepower, 414 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: Single-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 125 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 5,754\u00a0pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA est. range, 218 miles<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: Smooth performance; luxurious interior<\/p>\n

Lows: Low range compared to competitive set; hopscotch charging network<\/p>\n

Overall: 3\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

2021 Audi SQ5<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vehicle type: All-wheel drive, four-door SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $53,995, including $1,095 destination charge ($71,790 Prestige with S Sport package as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6<\/p>\n

Power: 349\u00a0horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 155 mph<\/p>\n

Weight: 4,321 pounds<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA est. 18 mpg city\/23 mpg highway\/20 mpg combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs: All-around performer; long range<\/p>\n

Lows: Tranny feels rough compared to EV; poor console space<\/p>\n

Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cadillac Lyriq. Ford Mustang Mach E. Polestar 2. New, premium electric cars are coming and they will inevitably be compared to Tesla, the baseline for battery-powered success. But to sell in volume, these challengers must also outperform the gas siblings across the showroom floor. Take the electric Audi e-tron Fastback and Audi SQ5 SUVs I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26652"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26652"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26653,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26652\/revisions\/26653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}