The Audi E-Tron GT is one of the best-kept electric-vehicle secrets. Rarely seen or marketed, the slick sedan is a mechanical twin to the hair-raising Porsche Taycan.
But with softer ride quality, a lovely cabin and, to my eye, a better design, the E-Tron GT is the better option for all but the most hardcore driving enthusiasts. And now that I know how cheap they are used, I think they might be some of the best bargains anywhere on the car market.
Search a site like AutoTrader or CarGurus and you’ll find dozens of E-Tron GTs for under $40,000. Considering a new model starts at around $128,000, that’s a nearly $90,000 discount after just three years and 20,000 to 50,000 miles.
I’ve seen used E-Tron GTs for as little as $33,000, but you can find them for $37,000 all day long.
Photo by: InsideEVs
They may not be the fire-breathing RS E-Tron GT models, but even a base E-Tron GT is a natural-born athlete. Car and Driver recorded a 3.6-second zero-to-60 sprint in the base car, thanks to a dual-motor powertrain that makes 522 horsepower. With 472 pound-feet of torque kicking you in the ass from a dead stop, I promise you won’t be wishing for a faster car. Find one with the Performance Pack and you’ll even get torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, which moves power to the outside wheels in corners to increase agility.
I drove a Performance Pack car back in 2023, when I was writing for Road & Track, and came away charmed. Though I noted that it’s a slightly duller drive than the Porsche Taycan—which is by far and away the best-driving EV on sale—I still loved driving it hard:
The result is an Audi EV that handles like a proper Porsche sports sedan, albeit one with plenty of weight to haul. The E-Tron GT is capable of absurd cornering speeds, although—more than the Taycan—requires a little delicacy on turn-in. Because of the 5060-lb curb weight, it’s very sensitive to weight transfer. Hucking it into a corner will trigger minor but abrupt body roll, unloading the outer wheels and rocking the chassis as it settles back down.
Steering is laser-cutter precise, even if it’s not quite as feelsome as I expected. Smooth inputs are rewarded with smooth behavior, though, and the torque vectoring all-wheel drives means you can get on the power early. This system mitigates any of traditional Audi pushiness toward the limit, and on light throttle the Audi uses this tech to help you keep the nose tight to the apex.
Forgive the Road & Track performance jargon, but you get the picture. This is a more precise and well-resolved chassis than you’ll find on just about any competitive EV. At the time I said the extra $6,000 to get into a Taycan was probably worth, given the six-figure prices, but these days the numbers land more in the Audis favor.
Taycans still cost about $6,000 more than the equivalent Audi, but when we’re talking $37,000 versus $43,000, that’s a more notable delta than $110,000 compared to $116,000 back then.
Gallery: 2022 Audi E-Tron GT: Review
I also noted in that review that I thought the Audi looked worse, and would age worse. Time proved me wrong yet again. Maybe it’s because Southern California swarms with so many Taycans as to dull their appeal, but I find the Audi far more captivating. The genesis for this article, in fact, was a moment where I was standing on the roadside with a friend who only loosely follows the car industry.
A white-and-black Audi E-Tron GT rolled by and his head nearly snapped. “What is thaaaat?” he asked, in love. I told him, and that, last time I checked, you could find a used one for under fifty grand. “Damn, I might have to get me one of those,” he said. When I got home and saw what they actually cost used, I knew I needed to shout it from the rooftops.
Because these aren’t just good cars. They’re great EVs. Don’t let the paltry 238-mile EPA range fool you; Car and Driver recorded 240 miles of range at 70 miles per hour. Most cars don’t come close to their EPA figures on the highway, since the EPA figure represents a 55% city, 45% highway drive cycle. My car, a Blazer EV with a 278-mile EPA rating, managed just 210 miles on the same test. So 240 miles at 70 mph is at least average.
The worst thing about the E-Tron GT is that Audi customers are boring, and nobody ordered them in cool colors. If you can find one in this blue, I’d say that’s the hero color.
When you get to a charger, the experience will be anything but average. The Taycan and E-Tron GT were some of the first 800-volt EVs in the U.S., and they have the charging performance to prove it. It can pull 270 kilowatts of power, charging from 10 to 80% in as little as 18 minutes.
That makes it a brilliant road trip car. Its dynamics make it an incredible canyon car. And its price makes it an incredible bargain. If you can deal with its cramped rear seats and low-slung ride height, I’d say it’s the best used EV deal on the market.
Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com.
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