BMW iX vs Audi e-tron Sportback: safety and reliability
Neither manufacturer has covered itself in glory in customer surveys, but electric drivetrains in general promise less chance of problems
With cars at this price point, buyers have every right to expect perfect reliability and the highest standards of aftersales service, but based on customer feedback, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Audi or BMW.
In the 2021 Driver Power survey, the former finished 21st and the latter 23rd in the manufacturers’ category, out of 29 that were ranked. BMW’s dealers fared a little better, achieving an 11th-place finish out of 21, but here Audi disappointed again, taking 18th overall.
On the safety front, there’s better news: the iX passed Euro NCAP’s stringent independent crash tests with flying colours, returning impressive individual scores of 91%, 87% and 81% in the adult protection, child protection and safety assistance categories respectively. It’s the same story for the e-tron, which in 2019 was awarded the same five-star rating as the BMW, with scores of 91%, 85% and 76% in the adult, child and assistance categories.
The standard warranty packages on these two models are very similar. Both are offered with three years’ cover from new, although BMW allows for an unlimited mileage, while Audi’s protection is capped at 60,000 miles. Both brands also include an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty specifically for the battery.
