Audi e-tron GT vs Tesla Model X

What's the difference?

Anyone lamenting the demise of V8 and V10-powered internal combustion sports cars will change their mind after driving the Audi e-tron GT.

It is a phenomenal car and you can feel the engineering expertise that’s gone into making it. 

The e-tron GT feels at home on German roads and autobahns, but a drive on Australian roads could well reveal some flaws. We will wait and see.

Until then, the e-tron GT is one of the most deeply impressive cars I have ever driven. And if you’re fortunate enough to be able to afford a car like this, perhaps it’s your next (very fast) family car?

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

After nearly 700km of testing with both cars, it’s fair to say that the Tesla is indeed a capable tow vehicle, provided you keep the distances relatively short and plan around charge station locations.

Overall average - Penrith to Bathurst to Penrith

Fuel and energy consumption will always depend on the driving conditions, which is why we chose different routes for each leg of our testing.

Averaged across the two legs, towing the caravan with the Model X used 101 per cent more energy than without, or halved its driving range, which sounds a bit scary.

The LandCruiser by comparison added 63 per cent on average, which is still a big difference, but matters less in the real world when its big fuel tanks would still give you about 760km of driving range, which can be refilled quickly at any diesel-stocked servo.

So you could do a weekend trip with the caravan from Penrith with one supercharge in Bathurst, but it would’ve been highly unlikely to manage the extra 55km if you were leaving from Sydney CBD.

The bottom line is that there’s plenty of things - like smaller camper trailers - lighter than our caravan that will help the Tesla to do the towing job better right now.

Compared to the ‘Cruiser, the Tesla is a lesson in the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and road-focused handling.

As always, bigger batteries and more recharge points will go a long way to rectifying the Tesla’s towing shortcomings, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

But no matter what, its acceleration performance under load is simply excellent.

Thanks to our friends at Avida for making this test possible with the use of the 17-foot Avida Wave Tourer Electric Pop-Top single-axle caravan. They can also be reached on 1300 428 432.

Having the air suspension increase the ride height to get into the e-tron GT is useful, given how low to the ground it is. Once you’re in, you’ll nestle into the sports seats and feel a real connection with the road.

Audi’s generated EV noise sounds like the low, deep growl of a V8, but dialled down. It’s very cool.

The new RS e-tron GT is quick but it delivers acceleration in a smooth, linear manner. There’s no neck-snapping ‘Ludicrous’ moment here. Just straight line performance that will elicit the word ‘wow’ multiple times.

Picking up pace at speed is a breeze - as we discovered on Germany’s autobahns - thanks in part to a ‘push to pass’ button on the steering wheel that adds 70kW of power for 10 seconds, when you need to overtake quickly.

The steering is sharp, but almost a little too sensitive in the RS, to the point where you need to be conscious of your steering inputs. You don’t want to overdo it, but if you do, the onboard electricals should keep things in check. That beautiful steering wheel adds to the engagement.

Audi’s engineers deserve plaudits because they’ve somehow made a five-metre long, 2.3-tonne electric sports sedan feel light and nimble. 

It is dead flat in corners without a hint of lean or body roll and navigates tight bends with a surefootedness that is astounding. 

Accelerating out of a corner is executed without fuss and will bring a smile to your dial, helped in part to the optional rear-axle steering.

The technical wizardry that is active suspension - it uses cameras and radars to analyse the road surface ahead and moderate the dampers and the like accordingly - is impressive.

The ride quality of this heavy car with 21-inch rims is a surprise. You’ll notice road joins and bigger corrugations but overall it's quite composed.

And that’s part of the beauty of the e-tron GT. Its Porsche Taycan cousin is a more focused sports car. Whereas the Audi e-tron GT is a Grand Tourer or Gran Turismo if you will.

Yes, it’s incredibly powerful and is blisteringly fast, but it’s also a comfortable cruiser, and something you could easily live with every day.

The S e-tron GT could be all the Audi you need. It’s still incredibly quick, but not as powerful as the RS. It is the more subtly styled model which will appeal to an understated buyer.

A brief stint on a makeshift track in the e-tron GT performance grade highlighted how the active suspension, rear-axle steering and other tech gubbins help it hold the road so well.

It’s an extraordinary car to drive and taking a different approach to Porsche has served Audi very well indeed.

The advanced safety gear is well calibrated and not intrusive. While the speed limit alert can be annoying, the speed sign recognition is spot on. Let’s see how it goes with Australian speed signs next year.

Energy consumption is just one element of a tow vehicle though, with stability, braking and acceleration performance being the most important details.

The big ‘Cruiser is always a safe bet for towing heavy loads, but it's fair to say its off-road ability, tall body and short wheelbase mean it could be better on the road, and the Tesla goes some way to proving that.

With all those batteries mounted nice and low, the Tesla is significantly more stable with 1.7 tonnes on the back than the LandCruiser, in all conditions. It’s also helped by that longer wheelbase.

The Tesla’s airbag suspension is another surprise advantage, and while it can be a bit choppy around town over minor bumps, bigger bumps on the highway are soaked up really nicely and it all settles quicker than with the LandCruiser - even with the caravan on the back.

Tesla is famous for instant acceleration at any speed, and this effect remains when towing. The LandCruiser’s twin-turbo V8 (with max torque available from 1600-2600rpm) has long been a benchmark for tow vehicles, but the Model X makes it feel sluggish by comparison.

You know how caravan vehicles are usually the slow ones up hills? This time, we were the ones doing the overtaking, even up the steep bends heading out of Lithgow. To overtake, it just takes the slightest flex of your right foot.

Clearly there’s a big caveat though when it comes to how much energy it’s consuming while you’re enjoying that performance, and it’s deceptive because it doesn’t make any more noise like a conventional engine when you’re pushing it. 

You’d also think the weight of the van would overcome the engine-braking effect of the regenerative brakes, but they are still very effective at conserving your brakes downhill and preventing the car from running away from you, and no doubt giving the batteries a bigger boost at the same time.

On that note, the LandCruiser’s cruise control also does a great job of witholding speed on downhill runs, proactively dropping gears to engine brake enough to keep the Avida Wave in check.