Final Report: Wash and brush up
After almost two months of muck and grime, the sight of the Kemora Grey metallic paint almost going opaque, was enough to make me think it needed a clean. I’m pleased to say everything aligned, as it wasn’t raining, and I gave the E-Tron GT a well-deserved wash.
With the man from Audi close to coming and taking the keys away, I’m pleased to report, that as you would expect, the E-Tron GT almost looks as good after its wash, as the day it was dropped off in late September last year. I say almost, because if you’re picky, I spotted there’s a couple of small stone chips on the front of this Audi. More noticeable oddly, are the chips on the rear alloys, which I can only put down to stones being kicked up by the front tyres. Not bad, but two rear wheel refurbs would make them perfect. But I’m a big fan of the added touches, such as the little ‘RS’ logos next to the valves.
Even though this Audi has been on sale for three years, the E-Tron GT still attracts attention and I’ve had many positive comments during the six months I’ve been lucky to call it ours. In my opinion, it’s the best-looking current Audi on sale.
Inside, while the design might not be as sharp as the exterior, there’s no denying the quality. Apart from some creasing of the upholstery, there’s no other evidence of the 3000+ miles we’ve added to this Audi. The polished piano black trim continually annoys because of its tendency to attract dust, then there are the interior handles that you can catch your fingers in. But I have no complaints about any of the seats, the driving position or infotainment. My only wish was that it had looked and felt more special inside – if you didn’t know, you could be in a top-spec Audi A5.
Elsewhere, the rear boot has an adequate 405 litres, but with its compromised fastback opening, it is harder to load.
On top of the looks, another of the E-Tron’s key attractions was the way it drove. Make no mistake this is a very fast EV, but the performance is only a part of this car. Even the shortest drives were an event, but long trips were where this Audi shone, earning its ‘GT’ badge. Despite the 20in wheels, with low-profile tyres, and standard suspension, I was continually surprised at how generally comfortable and composed it was. The only problem I experienced with the drive, was its low stance over speed humps. Despite all being tackled almost at walking speed, it seemed there was nothing I could do to stop this Audi scraping its nose every now and again. Talking to colleagues, I’m not alone, and have been told the sister Porsche does not do the same!
While this E-Tron’s GT credentials are not in doubt, the less-than-GT-like range is. The 93.4kWh battery is big enough, but the longest range we’ve seen is 255 miles, a bit down on the official range of up to 305 miles. Still, the range was trustworthy, and apart from the coldest point in mid-January where it dropped to 180 miles, this proved to be more than enough for our needs. On the longest trip to Humberside, I marvelled at the sense of having a separate CCS charging port on the offside of the car. More of a problem in this colder weather was charging times on my 7kW charger!
The only other surprise was that despite the Audi badge, the E-Tron GT was the highest depreciator in a recent ‘Best-in Class‘ set (December 23) which included sister car, the Porsche Taycan. So, if I had the chance, would I choose the E-Tron GT – even when compared to the Porsche? I think I would, the Audi is rarer, and its GT credentials make it easier to live with – it will be missed.
5th Report: Feeling the cold
I was pleased when reader Glen Foster responded to a report post via X (formerly Twitter) recently. He’s just taken delivery of an E-Tron GT, and after my moan about the rear camera, told me there is in fact a camera washer, that can be operated in the reverse view, by pressing the three dots symbol in the left-hand corner.
After pressing this, out spurted enough screen wash to clean the previously milky lens – more importantly, it saves me having to wipe the lens every trip. I should have known it would, as last year’s Cupra Born long-termer had a similar set-up. I should have checked the owner’s manual in the first place! Then again, I’m sure this would have been covered in a proper Audi handover.
Another thing I should have done as soon as the E-Tron GT was delivered, was to hook up the Audi app. After setting it up before my long trip north last month, I noticed a lot of the E-Tron GT’s equipment had annoyingly reset itself. They were generally only little things so far, like the wing mirrors folding in and out when the car is unlocked and locked, and stopping the radio from broadcasting every travel bulletin. However, odder, was when it took the decision to only charge to 90% – although this was quickly changed in the app, and we’re back to 100% charges.
A good thing too, as despite the efficiency improving to 2.5 miles/kWh, two weeks of freezing conditions have hit the E-Tron’s range hard. Previously solid at 240 miles, this dropped as low as 180 miles when we went past freezing, and have only recovered slightly to 200 miles, now temperatures are in the positive.
One niggle that has resulted thanks to this reduced range, is that I’ve run this Audi’s battery lower than I’d like. The result is that the E-Tron GT takes much longer to charge on my 7kW charger – almost 12-and-a-half hours to be precise! This has almost caught me out, as despite starting the charging at 11pm when my cheaper electricity rate kicks in, when I checked the app first thing the following morning, it was telling me the Audi needed at least another three hours to get to 100%! I had to get to Milton Keynes for a launch that day, but thankfully, the 180-mile range it did have, was more than enough for the trip. If it hadn’t been, I would have faced having to find a charger en route.
Cold weather is a good test to see how a car performs, and apart from the drop in range, the E-Tron GT gave me no real issues. In fact, via the Audi app, I was able to set the heating inside, so when I came to take my son to school, all the windows were defrosted and all I had to do was click on the heated seats to warm us up. There was no issue, but then you must remind yourself this is an expensive car and it’s expected!
Something that hasn’t stopped, despite the cold weather, is how much fun this Audi is to drive. There have been some small grip issues with the low-profile Pirelli rubber when cold, but other than that, the E-Tron GT has been driven no differently to any other long-termer. Every trip is an event, even within the national speed limit.
I can’t quite believe that the next March issue will include the last report on this car. I feel like we’ve been on a bit of a journey with E-Tron GT ownership. Starting with admiration of what it is and what it can do. Then the reality of whether this Audi can really be used every day. Now I’ve enjoyed long drives, where its GT credentials have excelled, it must go back to Audi, and I will be sad.
4th Report: Piling on the miles
The E-Tron GT was well-used over the Christmas and New Year period. Starting just before, with an anniversary trip to an expensive hotel and restaurant, where my wife told me she thought ‘I’d brought the right car for the trip,’ in the Audi. It certainly fitted in with the various other expensive cars in the car park. Then, there was the familiar Boxing Day visit to my mother-in-law and a pre-New Year family bowling contest. More recently, early in the New Year, an urgent family trip to North Lincolnshire, saw me undertaking the longest journey in this Audi.
Probably the biggest highlight of the Audi E-Tron GT is the way it steers, yet I must admit until just before Christmas I hadn’t really had a memorable drive in it. Then, on the way back from dropping my wife off to visit friends near Cambridge, it happened! With plenty of heat in the low-profile rubber, first thing to impress on a twisty B-Road section was the jaw-dropping balance and composure of this Audi’s handling. This combined with the E-Tron GT’s excellent Matrix LED headlights and searing acceleration, meant I had to keep a close eye on the Audi’s speed – as I was able to cover ground far quicker than I thought I would. It made me look forward to the return journey.
The Boxing Day trip showed up an issue that I’d not noticed before with the boot. At 405 litres, it’s a respectable size. Although, this is compromised by the shape of this boot’s opening. As such, I had to strategically place the presents and party food, just so I could just get the power boot to shut!
The cold and recent floods, made for less-than-ideal driving conditions for the E-Tron GT’s trip North. It certainly proved the worth of the Audi app, where from home I was able to check the range to a full charge inside, without going outside into minus temperatures outside (down to 220 miles). The app then plans a route, taking in the charging the car believes it needs, then you can usefully send it to the car.
Overall, I think this could be the most perfect road trip since I’ve been driving EVs. The Audi App suggested an E-Tron charging station near my destination for charging, but after 80 easy miles, my stomach diverted me to McDonald’s just off the A1 for breakfast. With a bank of Instavolt chargers in the car park, and time to spare, it seemed foolish not to top up. Again, the Audi impressed, with its separate CCS charging port on the offside of the car. It quickly connected and 50 minutes later, I had a full belly as did the E-Tron GT!
As a result, there was no range anxiety as we homed in on our destination. In fact, the only issue was closed roads after we cut across country – thanks to the river Trent flooding. Still, we made it safely. After even getting my 92-year-old uncle into the Audi’s front seat, thanks to a carefully placed cushion, and running him around – it was time to make our way home.
The Audi App worked out we’d need to charge around Peterborough, but after such a positive charging experience on our way up the A1, we decided to try and aim for the same Instavolt chargers in that McDonald’s car park around Grantham. The site was a lot busier in the evening, but again, the charging to 90% was flawless in 40 minutes – even if the range was suffering due to the cold (now 185 miles) and my waistline was suffering due to the amount of fast food consumed on the day!
To sum up, the E-Tron GT is a great car, on long trips showing off its GT credentials at their best. However, our car is now badly in need of a wash thanks to more than 600 miles of salt and muck.
3rd Report: Useable every day?
One of the biggest questions I was keen to answer when taking on the Audi E-Tron GT, was whether you could really use a car like this on a daily basis. Three months in, I’m beginning to get my answer.
I’ve already remarked about this Audi’s disappointing rear vision. Yes, you do get a rear camera, but as the weather has deteriorated and the roads have got muckier, one of my daily rituals before driving is going round to the rear of the E-Tron GT and wiping the camera before setting off. Why? Well, it gets dirty very quickly and I need all the help I can get reversing – even off my drive!
I think this, and the fact that the tapering rear roofline stops you seeing much of this Audi’s rear corners, means I have become more careful about where and how I park this big EV. It has been in a couple of airport car parks, but tight entrances and exits have been taken at walking speeds because of the worry of curbing those attractive 20in alloy wheels. However, that’s not the end of the stress as ramps seem remarkably tight compared with the SUV proportions of my old long-termer, the BMW iX1. Then, when you find a spot, it’s a case of going in nose-first and being mindful of how that could be caught on low curbs. Or chancing reversing in, keeping a close eye on the wing mirrors and rear screen. Weirdly, I tend to see a lot of the E-Tron’s sister car, the Porsche Taycan, in many car parks – but rarely an E-Tron GT. Maybe the Porsche has better all-round vision, or maybe the Audi isn’t such a popular choice. I shall have to have a closer look at their alloys!
It is not just car parks where the E-Tron GT feels big, I recently met an industry colleague for lunch at a country pub. No issue I thought, as the Audi is a fun companion when the roads open out. Again it demonstrated its excellent performance and handling. It was less fun when the roads went to single track, and I met a large van coming the other way. Thankfully, I was going very slowly, so it wasn’t too much of a surprise, and I managed to reverse the Audi into a passing place. Although, it was full of deep mud. The van got past, but the front of the E-Tron felt like it was sitting on the mud, and I was concerned I would not have enough grip to get out. I did get out, but the front wheels were spinning, throwing mud up the side of my freshly cleaned car – typical! I’m pleased to say when checking the car, apart from some mud, the underside was undamaged.
I love the E-Tron GT’s low-slung design, which is pure sportscar, attracting many positive comments wherever I go. Passengers – especially my wife – are less convinced about the compromised entry and exit of this Audi.
Whilst the efficiency might have dropped to 2.1 miles/kWh (although this does improve to 2.5 miles/kWh on longer runs), even in the coldest temperatures we’ve experienced over the past month, the E-Tron’s range has held steady at around 240 miles – although I think this is more down to the size of the battery than the efficiency. I’m going to see if changing driving modes and altering the regen makes any difference over the coming winter months. Still, I’ve been pleased with how quickly the windows defrost, and how quickly the seats warm up even in the coldest weather.
Talking about the E-Tron GT’s interior, while it’s not as interesting as the Taycan’s – perhaps relying on the switchgear of lesser Audi models too much, there’s no doubting how well everything works and the quality feel that it has. All of it so far is shrugging off any wear, just needing a simple wipe with a wet cloth bringing everything back to its best.
2nd Report: Stuck in traffic
Month two with the E-Tron GT has seen the Audi stretching its wheels again with trips to Malmesbury, Leatherhead, and Farnborough for meetings – and our thoughts remain mostly positive.
Said trip to Malmesbury for this Audi started the night before, with a full overnight charge. After the previous weekend’s heatwave, it was back to more October-like weather for my early start – with a cool feel and light rain dampening me as I unhooked the charge cable, just as it was getting light. Considering the weather, I was pleased with the 238-mile range registering on the Audi’s display. Just enough to get me to and from north Wiltshire, but I had already planned a top-up at the event, just in case.
Despite spending most of the time on the M25, I’m pleased to say I wasn’t bored, with the optional Bang & Olufsen impressing with its punchy 3D sound. Then, there’s the surprisingly comfortable and composed ride on the standard 20in wheels – even more surprising, is that since my first report, I’ve found out I don’t have the trick air-suspension fitted after all. That’s standard on the range-topping Vorsprung, or an option as part of the Technology Pack Pro, that our car doesn’t have. This is combined with mostly comfortable front seats. I say ‘mostly,’ as on the way home, which took a similar time in M25 traffic, I did develop a lower leg ache, but it hasn’t happened since, so I’m hoping it’s just a one-off.
When the road did open, there was the chance to enjoy the precise steering and keen handling. Then eventually, when I did arrive, I was directed to another 7kW charger in a farmyard for a charge. It didn’t want to connect at first but did on the third go and spent most of the day getting back to an almost full charge.
One of the parts of E-Tron GT ownership I like the most, is that even though it’s a 522hp, 155mph Gran Tourer, it can be charged up anywhere with a point! Then, when it was time to head home, and although feeling very tired, the GT shortened a long trip again with the amazing sound system and comfort.
The trip to Leatherhead went largely the same, but even though it was a shorter distance, I still spent most of the way there and back in solid traffic on the M25. Again, the Audi’s comfort and technology shone through, although I was pleased again to get some charge at my destination, equalling another worry-free trip home.
KY23PFV has certainly got to know the M25 very well this month, and the next time was a trip to Farnborough. Despite an early start, I was forced to use some of the Audi’s impressive performance, as about 10 miles in, I found the keys to a press car that was going back that day. I then had to go all the way back home to drop off this key! Having tried the ‘Dynamic’ there and the ‘Comfort’ mode since, using ‘Efficiency’ mode only adds a few miles extra range interestingly. Again, I was offered a charge at this event, and I thought all was well until I got in the E-tron GT for the way home, and found it still had the same range as when I had got there! Still, I’m pleased to say the range I had was more than sufficient to get home – perhaps I shouldn’t worry about the range of this car so much.
This Audi’s rear vision doesn’t get any better, and as the weather deteriorates, the rear camera struggles. Dirt seem to collect on the back of the E-Tron GT and as a result, the rear camera and window seems to get mucky very quickly – making the view misty. It is a shame there’s no spray operated when reverse is engaged to clean the camera lens. I’m being picky here, as the e-Tron GT continues to impress with its overall ability.
First Report: GT by name, GT by nature
Running a long-termer with a value over £90,000 doesn’t sound very fleety in the first instance, but there is method in what seems like madness – let me explain. Despite the fact it can accelerate to 62mph in just over 4 seconds, and on to a top speed of 165mph, because this Audi is an EV, you’ll pay just 2% BIK.
As such, since life has started to get back to normal, we’ve heard a lot of stories of e-tron GTs and sister car, the Porsche Taycan, being offered on company sal-sac schemes, rather than pay increases to top employees. We don’t think this situation will change considering the recent news of the rollback of the ICE engine ban to 2035, either. Now it’s our turn to see what it’s like to live with one of the most-expensive EVs available.
Outside, with its curvy, fastback styling, the unusual pixel LED headlights, aggressive front and rear air dams, large side air ducts to cool the brakes and a pop-up rear spoiler, the E-Tron GT must be the sportiest and best-looking Audi this side of the R8 supercar. The fact it’s built in the same Neckarsulm factory surely can’t be a coincidence.
Inside, the E-Tron GT probably isn’t as flamboyant as the exterior, but the quality levels are as high as the rest of the range. Plus, the fact that the infotainment, switchgear, and multi-function steering wheel are shared with lesser models, means it’s easy and not at all intimidating to drive. Move to the back, and rear space is adequate and there’s even a 405-litre boot that can be extended by folding the rear seats.
I didn’t choose the Kemora Grey metallic paint, a £950 option, but thank the person who did spec this car, as it goes well with the standard 20in 5-twin-spoke alloys. While inside, we’ve got standard Twin leather in black.
The E-Tron GT has only been with me for a couple of weeks, but the first drive was a Friday early evening slog to see a friend. I say slog, as due to an accident on the A1, it took me an hour longer, as I was forced to take an alternative cross-country route in a heavy rainstorm. Yet, due to the standard-fit air suspension and damping, the ride remained comfortable and composed – just as you’d expect a good GT car to be despite the large wheels. With Quattro four-wheel drive thanks to the twin electric motors, the drive felt grippy and sure-footed too.
Next, it was the weekend, so I put the E-Tron GT to work on our usual Saturday deliveries and collections of my children. The good news is that the Audi can seat all of us in comfort, also considering its size and compromised rear visibility, it’s not difficult to park. However, a couple of near misses with speed bumps at the front, thanks to the lower stance of ‘Efficiency’ mode, has made me approach them with more caution.
Apart from these small issues, the only other bigger one, is the less than GT-like range of this Audi. So far, 240 miles seems to be the maximum, which although good for an EV, is it sufficient to make the most of all the comfort and performance that this Audi has to offer? It was more than enough range to get me from my home to Oxfordshire (the longest trip I’ve completed so far!) for an event. In fact, I’m sure it would have been enough to get me home, too. However, I didn’t turn down the offer of some free charge to be sure. As the temperatures drop in the winter months, it will be interesting to see how the range is affected by the colder weather. Thankfully, this Audi does benefit from a standard heat pump. Otherwise, the trip was comfortable and undemanding, giving me the opportunity to make the most of the excellent optional punchy Bang & Olufsen sound. I’m looking forward to the next few months with this special EV.
