Our 2019 Audi e-tron Prestige has now been with us nearly 3 months and almost 2,000 miles. Overall mileage hasn’t been as high during Covid, like many people, but we’ve still been able to put it through some daily life paces and adjust to life with our first electric vehicle. No dealer visits or problems to fix so far. **knock on wood**
Likes:
Smooth – The acceleration and drive experience is ultimately butter smooth. There are no stepped gears like a traditional transmission, but also none of the engine whine or groan that is associated with continuously variable transmissions like the ones typically found in hybrids. The e-tron also comes standard with an air suspension, which helps quell the ride, despite our vehicle having massive 21″ wheels.
Quiet – This is a bit of an extension from the above, as there’s no combustion engine to create a racket. But our e-tron has the Prestige package, which adds more laminated glass for the side windows. Minimal noise inside as even trucks pass by on the sides.
Massage – Yes!! We first had massaging seats on our BMW X5 and it has quickly become a family favorite feature. Yes, we’re a bit spoiled. The massage in the e-tron seems to have a higher intensity than the system in the X5 with more specific pressure points that inflate/deflate. Although, the e-tron massage elements are only on the seat back, and not in the seat bottom cushions as they were in the BMW.
Wireless CarPlay – Yes, our BMW had this as well, but the system in the e-tron has been much more responsive and stable in terms of connecting and maintaining the connection with the phone. And once you have a car with wireless connectivity, it makes it harder to going back to plugging in your lightning/USB cable each time you get in the car. No wireless connection for Android users (same as the BMW). Wireless connectivity is rapidly spreading throughout the industry, even the new Chevrolet Trailblazer offers it!
Range – Yes, a lot of people point to the e-tron and it’s “only” 204 miles of electric range as a nail in the coffin of the Audi EV. And yes, it’s a far cry from the ~300 – 400 by some other EV’s out there. But, in our usage, and with our ability to level 2 charge at home and potentially top off every night, the range is absolutely not an issue. Even with mini weekend treks further out for a winery or hike/park, we haven’t encountered any true range anxiety. We can essentially start each day with the full 200+ miles of range if we choose to. Unless we need to drive 100 miles somewhere and turn around and come right back, this level of electric range is perfectly suited for urban living. Also helpful is that the estimated range remaining seems to be pretty accurate/slightly conservative with the distance driven, even with highways stints.
Dislikes:
Roll-Back: This isn’t a Walmart pricing point, but the e-tron can roll backwards when on an incline. Audi elected to not give the e-tron a “creep” function, which, in a normal gas vehicle is when the car will creep forward as soon as you let your foot off the brake. In the e-tron, you need to physically get on the accelerator for the car to move forward. There is a brake hold function that can hold the vehicle in place, but if you were to say coast to a stop without touching the brakes on an uphill (think rolling stop), the car can roll backwards. Now, the car will beep at you, kick on the backup cameras, and try to mitigate the roll-back, but it can still be a bit disconcerting the first time. So, be aware, turn the brake hold function on, and be sure to use the brake pedal to engage the system when needed.
No Auto Parking: The e-tron has a good surround view parking camera and parking sensors front and rear, but for all the tech and convenience items it does have, it doesn’t offer up automated parking assist. This is a fairly common feature in lots of cars today, including a Ford Escape. Luckily the parking cameras do nearly make up for it. There are nearly limitless views to choose from to help align your parking job.
No Tonneau Cover: While the Sportback version does come with a cargo shade element built in, the non-Sportback e-tron lacks a standard cargo cover/tonneau cover. Audi does sell one as an accessory (for $330) through the dealer, but it seems a bit nickel and dime’y for a $70,000+ vehicle. Would be nice to have a way to hide away cargo from prying eyes.
Tiny Frunk: Now, part of the above issue might be addressed by stashing precious cargo in the front trunk, or frunk, which is increasingly seen as a unique EV feature. Unfortunately the e-tron has a pretty minimal frunk, shallow and small, nothing like what is seen on the Teslas or even the new Ford Mach-E. Frunk is also only openable via the pull lever from near the driver’s feet anyways, so it’s not like it’s readily accessible. Can’t open it via the key fob or app.
No Specific Tire Pressure Readout: It seems like just about every car on the road today now offers detailed tire pressure monitoring, that can provide the specific air pressure of each tire on the car. The e-tron leaves this out, allowing only for a warning if it determines there’s a change from a set baseline of tire pressures. I don’t believe it can tell you which tire has an issue when one does drop or become low.
Overall, we are still quite pleased with our e-tronning at this point. Pretty much sold that we’ll continue to have an electric vehicle in the garage from here on out. It’s smooth, well-built, comfortable and offers us nearly everything you could want in a modern luxury vehicle. We haven’t tried any long distance driving yet due to Covid, but will try to comment on public charging and long distance when we do get to. We’ll check back in next milestone/quarter. If there’s anything we’ve missed or you’d like us to go into more detail on, let us know!