Top Gear UK Tests the Audi E-Tron!

Ollie Kew of Top Gear spends the day with a dual-motor, large battery, standard Audi E-Tron. This is the only powertrain that is offered in the US, he mentions two other versions (three-motored S model, and small battery dual motor), but only briefly. His review is largely positive, the main sticking points are the cameras instead of outside mirrors, which we don’t get in the US, and the range. While I tend to agree that more range is always better, one thing he neglects to mention is how quickly the E-Tron can DC fast charge. On a road trip, you’ll be back up to 80% state of charge by the time you use the restroom and buy a drink. I envy how quickly this car charges, it is 2.5x faster than my Chevrolet Bolt. Another selling point for the Audi is its tow rating. It can pull 4,000 pounds. This slots it neatly between the Tesla Model Y and Model X for towing ability, but, both of those cars can seat two more passengers.

After driving an Audi E-Tron back in 2019, I was instantly smitten. The interior is a lovely place to be, the massaging seats would be phenomenal on a road trip, and it has all-wheel drive for those nasty Michigan winters. Also, I have been seeing a lot more of them on the road lately, so they must be catching on. In various casual conversations, I have discovered that I am not the only person that prefers the standard shape to that of its Sportback brother, after all, what’s the point of a big SUV if you don’t have space for all of your stuff?