TLDR: We are on our third e-tron in six years. Each one has handled beautifully and kept us safe when it mattered most. Software bugs are frustrating, but when you need a two ton machine to protect your family, the e-trons are top of their class.
Let me tell you about a car that gets a ton of derision for its software quirks, while people completely ignore the fact that Audi engineers some of the safest cabins on the road. We recently got T-boned in a major accident that spun our Q6 right through a storefront. I can safely say this car saved our lives, but let's not get ahead of ourselves...
Our first EVs was an e-tron 55 Technik. Coming from an SQ5, it was a massive paradigm shift. My other half was battling constant range anxiety, and the car felt wider than most of the local roads, but it turned heads everywhere. For a beast of that size and weight, it was incredibly nimble. It was loaded with all the convinces of a top trim car (the built in air freshener, 'massage' ventilated seats), and the Antigua Blue finish with silver trim is probably the flashiest finish we will ever own.
In November of '24, just three weeks before we were to hand back the lease, a distracted driver turned left at the wrong time and clipped the front end. The damage didn't look severe to the naked eye, but she clipped the frame and part of the battery casing. The repairs were too costly, and it got written off. First major lesson learned: always get replacement cost insurance.
That loss forced us into a rental Tesla Model 3 for three months while we waited for our preordered '25 Q6 S-Line. Nothing makes you appreciate Audi engineering quite like driving a rental Tesla through the winter. Our salesperson was incredible during that gap, expediting the delivery of our Q6 in Plasma Blue with the black optics package.
The Q6 was a different animal. It was more responsive and significantly more efficient than the 55. I didn't love the move to the little rocker shifter, the capacitive steering wheel buttons, or having the climate controls trapped behind a touchscreen. But like all new tech, I adjusted, and it became a joy to drive.
Then, about a month ago, I was driving my spouse to work. A delivery driver blew a red light and T-boned us hard. The acceleration and the exact point of impact sent us spinning through a glass storefront.
People love to complain about driver assistance warnings popping up on the dash. Don't let a screen notification distract you from the reality that this car is built like an absolute tank (TBH, never use the drive assist functions so I never notice the messages). We felt the violent spin, but we were completely secure in our seats. The airbags didn't even deploy. The glass didn't break. The frame and the battery took the absolute brunt of the puncture. The police actually had to contact me after we left the scene just to confirm where the other car hit us, because the Audi absorbed the force that incredibly well. We walked away from a crash we really shouldn't have. If you are frustrated by OTA updates, let this be a ringing endorsement for what happens when you need the car to just be a car.
Another lesson learned the hard way: your driving isn't the issue, it is every other distracted driver on the road. Our insurance provider and VW Credit Canada went to bat for us again because of the total loss insurance. In lease cases, Audi gets the check, but they write you a check for any difference. Thanks to them and our dealer, we are VWAG for life.
Which brings us to e-tron number three.
The '25 run was limited and there was no '26 batch, leaving us with very few replacement options. We put a deposit down on an exact '27 Q6 S-Line replacement. A week later, our salesperson called about an incoming CPO. It was a Magnet Grey SQ6 on 21 inch rims. An older gentleman was facing health issues and needed to downsize to a Q3, so it came to us with only 2500 KM on the odometer.
We decided to finance this one instead of leasing. We appreciate the electric line enough to keep this one for over five years. The payments are slightly higher, but we avoided the worst year of depreciation, scored a true performance upgrade over a standard replacement, and came out the other side more whole than when we entered.
The most surprising lesson on the SQ6? The range is actually better. I am getting 18 to 20 KwH/100km compared to the 20 to 22 KwH/100km I was getting in the Q6, even with the bigger tires.
Let me know your range in the comments so I can compare. Please share any other times your Audi has kept you and your family safe!
edit: model year '25