Audi e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan: A Head-to-Head Guide
Buying an electric car doesn’t have to mean giving up the comforts and performance of a luxury vehicle. There are plenty of luxury electric cars to choose from — and leasing instead of buying can make them a more affordable option.
The 2022 Audi e-tron GT and 2022 Porsche Taycan are two of the top contenders when it comes to luxury EVs. They both offer high-performance electric motors and a battery pack that provides over 200 miles of range.
While that’s not nearly as impressive as the Tesla Model S, which gets over 400 miles of range, these EVs are great for Porsche and Audi aficionados who want to stick with their favorite brand while upgrading to a more fuel-efficient vehicle.
Let’s take a look at how Audi e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan compare based on price, specs, and performance.
Audi e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan: Pricing and Specs
The good news about buying a luxury sports car like an Audi or Porsche is that you’ll have endless options for customization. Both automakers offer several performance packages that you can choose as optional upgrades.
The downside to this is that no two e-trons or Taycans are alike — so if you’re buying used, you’ll want to do some research to find out what you’re getting.
If you’re buying new, it’s a little easier, but it can still be a little tricky to pinpoint the differences between each model and all of your upgrade options.
To start with, here’s an overview of each car’s specs along with the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for each trim.
Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan is available in multiple trims, including Sedan, Sport Turismo, Cross Turismo, and Turbo. You can tell the difference just by looking at the exterior: the base model looks like a typical sedan, while the Tourismo trims look more like a sports car.
All of the trims come with an electric powertrain, which means you’ll need to plug your Taycan in to recharge it. If you were hoping to fill up at a gas station instead of installing a home charger, you’ll want to look into a hybrid car instead.
Here’s what you need to know about each of the Taycan’s trim levels:
Porsche Taycan Sedan
Starting at $82,700, the Porsche Taycan Sedan is the entry-level trim and is available with two different battery packs: 79.2 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or 93.4 kWh. The standard battery has an EPA-estimated range of 225 miles, while the Performance Battery Plus promises a more extensive range of 282 miles.
As for speed, the base model gets up to 402 horsepower and can reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, with a top speed of 143 mph.
MSRP: $82,700
Range: 225 miles
Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo
The GTS Sport Turismo doesn’t yet have an EPA-estimated driving range, but it has a more powerful motor and GTS drivetrain that can provide up to 590 hp. You’ll also get the GT Multifunction Sport Steering wheel included as part of the Porsche Advanced Cockpit for comfortable, high-performance driving.
MSRP: $133,300
Range: TBD
Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo
The Porshe Taycan 4 Cross Turismo adds a bit of extra horsepower, with an electric motor capable of 469 hp and an EPA-estimated driving range of 215 miles. With a wheelbase of 114.2 inches and 0.78 inches more ground clearance than the sedan, the Taycan Cross Tourismo is nearly identical in height to the Audi e-tron.
Upgrades include a panoramic fixed glass roof, a rear-mounted bike carrier, and an off-road design package that adds an additional .39 inches of ground clearance.
MSRP: $93,700
Range: 215 miles
Porsche Taycan Turbo
The Porsche Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S are the most expensive options, offering 670 horsepower and 750 horsepower respectively. The Turbo has a starting price of $150,900, while the Turbo S costs at least $185,000, making this model less suitable for the casual buyer.
MSRP: $150,900
Range: 212 miles
Upgrades and Personalization
Porsche offers plenty of upgrades and personalization options to help you make the car your own. You can expect to pay extra for these options on top of the MSRP.
Basic upgrade packages include:
Premium package: $7,310
Performance Battery Plus: $5,780
Audi e-tron GT
The Audi e-tron GT rivals the Taycan in terms of battery capacity and performance, with a maximum of 637 horsepower and a range of up to 238 miles. All three trims come with the e-tron GT quattro engine offering automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
If you’re comparing the Audi e-tron GT vs. Porche Taycan in terms of comfort, the e-tron comes out ahead, with even the base model offering 14-way power front seats.
Here are a few other features to make note of:
Audi e-tron Premium Plus
The most affordable trim is the Premium Plus, which features a flat-bottom steering wheel, LED headlights, and front cross traffic assist. It also offers 20-inch titanium wheels with multiple design configurations.
MSRP: $102,400
Range: 238 miles
Audi e-tron Prestige
For a more comfortable interior, you can choose the e-tron Prestige, which comes with heated rear seats, contour lighting, and a surround sound system. You’ll also get active lane assist, traffic jam assist, head-up display, and other driver assistance features.
MSRP: $109,600
Range: 238 miles
Audi e-tron GT
The Audi e-tron GT ups the ante with a carbon fiber roof, surface coated disk brakes, and e-torque vectoring plus. With a top speed of 155 mph, this is the most powerful option, but also costs the most, with a starting price of $142,400.
MSRP: $142,400
Range: 232 miles
Upgrades and Personalization
Each trim has different packages available, so you can mix and match features. For example, you can add the performance package to the base trim to get some of the features that come standard with the e-tron GT.
Even the most expensive trim has additional upgrades available, such as the carbon performance package, full leather interior package, and driver assistance package.
Performance package: $6,000
Full leather interior: $4,000
Driver assistance package: $2,250
Audi e-tron GT vs Porsche Taycan: Which is Best?
When it comes to choosing between Audi e-tron GT vs Porche Taycan, you can’t really go wrong: Both offer luxury stylings in a high-performance vehicle. The Audi has more range, but that may not be the most important difference for you, since both cars can go from 5-80% charge in just over 20 minutes on DC power.
Other things to consider are passenger volume and cargo space. The Audi e-tron has slightly more interior room, but most of its measurements differ by just a few inches from the Taycan. For example, the e-tron’s touchscreen is 10.1 inches, while the Taycan’s infotainment screen is 10.9 inches.
In fact, it’s remarkable how similar these two EVs are. The Audi has a higher starting price, but once you factor in upgrades, even that may even out.
Of course, Audi and Porsche aren’t your only options. Other higher-end EVs include the Polestar 2, the Mercedes-Benz EQS, and the BMW iX. And if you want something more budget-friendly, you can’t go wrong by choosing a Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai IONIQ 5, or Kia EV6 with all of the available upgrades.
Choose the Right Luxury EV for You
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Buying a luxury electric car is going to cost you more than buying a more budget-friendly EV.
Still, that doesn’t mean driving around in a high-end EV is out of the question. By buying a used EV instead of a new car, leasing instead of buying, and seeking out tax credits and other incentives, you can lower the sticker price significantly.
Plus, you’ll save money on fuel and maintenance costs, since electric cars have lower lifetime ownership costs than gas-powered vehicles.
Check out our electric car guides to learn more about electric vehicle ownership, then use this tool to search for deals on used electric cars near you.
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