Used Audi e-tron Review (2019-2024)

The Audi e-tron is a used car bargain, with some caveats.

It’s a true luxury car with a supremely comfortable ride, and it’s a relaxing car to drive and to be in. The technology is top-drawer Audi, all borrowed from the presidential-spec A8 limousine. And its size makes it practical inside while telling passers-by that you’ve got an expensive car.

Except, you probably haven’t. You can buy a used e-tron for the same price as a Volkswagen Golf that's a similar age so, if you’re after an electric SUV, you could well consider the e-tron alongside some much less premium options.

The e-tron will cost a lot less to charge up than a petrol or diesel premium SUV – like the standard Audi Q8 – but it’s still a luxury car and that comes with unseen luxury car running costs. Parts and servicing for the e-tron are expensive, and you’ll need to set aside money for insurance because it sits in one of the highest groups.

We’d also save some money for an extended warranty. The e-tron only came with a three-year warranty – cheap cars are well outside this window now – and the sheer amount of technology means there’s a lot to potentially go wrong.

For its size and positioning, the range is sub-par. It was just about competitive with rivals when the e-tron was launched but far short of what we'd expect now. The smaller battery only promises a maximum range of 197 miles – and that’s in perfect conditions with perfect battery health. In cold conditions and with a lot of motorway driving, that could be nearer 100 miles – at which point range anxiety overcomes the relaxing feeling that the car gives.

The rarer and more expensive bigger-battery version ups the quoted estimate to around 250 miles, which is a bit easier to live with.

For the last two years of its lifespan, the e-tron was renamed the Q8 e-tron (pictured above in grey) to highlight its position as the flagship SUV. At this point, the batteries were replaced with bigger ones, which manage 280 and 330 miles respectively. Unsurprisingly, these cars are much more expensive on the used market because they’re much more usable for more people.

The e-tron’s interior is a really special place to be. It combines high-quality materials with superb build quality. This comes from before Audi’s obsession with gloss black plastic – instead, all the materials feel posh, with choices like brushed aluminium and lots of leather.

Mind you, there’s a lot of the interior covered by screens. Audi’s impressive Virtual Cockpit digital dials are standard – and they still pass the grade here, even though you can get them in an A1.

The digi-dials are joined by a large and intuitive infotainment system, along with a second touchscreen beneath it. This controls the air conditioning functions and reacts to your touches with a little buzz of haptic feedback.

It seems a little strange that the e-tron was offered with a base-spec Technik trim – especially because there’s nothing entry-level about it. You get all the big screens plus 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and powered front seats, all-round parking sensors with a reversing camera, push-button start and adaptive air suspension.

Sport trim includes wireless phone charging, sports seats and rear controls for the touchscreen. S Line brings the usual assortment of body kit and interior tweaks, plus Matrix LED headlights with auto high-beam assist, tinted rear windows and slightly firmer suspension for sportier handling. Black Edition does what it says on the tin with glossy black trim inside and out.

Top-level Vorsprung is rare, but it should be called the ‘kitchen sink edition’. There’s a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, a premium sound system, additional driver assistance tech and cameras in place of door mirrors. Most of the kit was optional on other trim levels, but actually we reckon some of it should’ve been fitted as standard.

Avoid the digital mirrors – the minimal efficiency benefit they bring is outweighed by simply not being as easy to use or adjustable as proper mirrors. It’s a little unfortunate that cars with proper mirrors get little plastic blanking plates where the camera feed screens would be.

Every e-tron gets an electric bootlid, so you just need to press the release button and it’ll rise up gracefully. That opens to a whopping 660 litres of boot space, which is more than any of its nearest rivals – and most estate cars. There's an additional bit of storage space under the bonnet, which'll be useful for charging cables or things that are too muddy or smelly for the main cabin.

It’s not entirely clear why the updated Q8 e-tron drops its measurement to 569 litres, although this is still a generous figure that’s plenty for a family holiday or for far too much flatpack furniture.

Even though it’s nearly five metres long, the e-tron isn’t available with seven seats. Instead, you get five luxuriously spacious chairs giving everyone room to stretch out.

That also means there’s plenty of room for bulky child seats if you need to use the easily findable Isofix points.

In the e-tron, performance is good – range is less so.

The basic ‘50’ model comes with a hearty 313hp and four-wheel drive, getting the e-tron from 0-62mph in just 6.8 seconds – despite the car weighing north of 2.5 tonnes.

And that sheer mass means efficiency suffers. Even on the optimistic WLTP efficiency test, the e-tron manages only 2.6 miles per kWh. Let’s call it 2mi/kWh in real driving, which means the 71kWh battery will return around 140 miles to a full charge.

Because a bigger battery is needed to overcome the car’s portly weight, it’ll cost more to charge and it’ll spend longer plugged in than a car that can manage 140 miles from a 50kWh battery. From a home charger on a EV-focused tariff, you won’t be able to do a full charge within the windows of cheap electricity that your provider offers – it'll be best to top up little and often if you can.

So, while the e-tron is cheap to run compared with an Audi Q7 or Q8, it’ll be expensive compared to other EVs.

The e-tron ‘55’ comes with a 95kWh battery for an increase in quoted range to 253 miles, with the same 2.6mi/kWh efficiency estimate. Again, if you get 2mi/kWh, you’ll still not see 200 real-world miles between charges.

With 408hp, the 55 gets from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, or there’s the rare e-tron S with almost 500hp and a 4.5-second 0-62mph time if you’re a speed freak. Although, if straight-line speed is particularly important, the Tesla Model Y Performance cracks the same metric in 3.5 seconds.

When the e-tron became the Q8 e-tron, the battery capacities increased for both models. Now, 50 versions come with an 89kWh battery for around 280 miles of quoted range, and newer 55s get a massive 114kWh pack for 330 miles of range. As before, you’ll see less in colder weather.

If you can put aside your love of the Audi rings, a more mainstream option like the Renault Scenic E-Tech manages a quoted 379 miles from an 87kWh battery. Or, if a premium German car is important, go check the BMW iX. Yes, it’s not a looker, but it achieves 370 miles from a 111kWh battery.

It’s some achievement that the e-tron rides as well as it does when it weighs as much as a cargo ship.

The ride comfort is sumptuous – the air suspension deftly soaks up or deflects horrible jolting impacts. It feels like you’re gliding above the road surface. Turn up the dial and you can have a firmer setup, if you wish.

Overall refinement is top-notch, with very little ambient noise getting through to the cabin. The e-tron is a quiet and calm motorway cruiser, which makes it all the more disappointing that you can’t cross continents without having to stop to charge every hour or two.

The e-tron feels like a big car from behind the wheel. In fact, with a commanding seating position, the expansive feel of the interior and a wide, flat bonnet ahead of you, you almost feel like you’re on the bridge of an aircraft carrier. Makes you feel important.

If you’re after a luxury SUV that also acquits itself in corners, you’ll be better off in the iX or the Jaguar I-Pace, which is about a third of a tonne lighter than the e-tron. Or there’s the curveball Lotus Eletre, with its breathtaking performance.