Compare the2022 Lexus UXVS 2022 Audi A4 Allroad

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the UX deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The UX’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The A4 Allroad’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The UX offers optional Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The UX has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the UX has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A4 Allroad.

The UX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the UX and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus UX is safer than the Audi A4 Allroad:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the UX the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A4 Allroad has not been fully tested, yet.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the UX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the UX first among small premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The A4 Allroad isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 96 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 46 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Audi is ranked 14th.

On the EPA test cycle the UX gets better mileage than the A4 Allroad:

Regenerative brakes improve the UX Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus UX higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the UX produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

The UX has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a CVT.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the UX can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better maneuverability, the UX’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (34.2 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Lexus UX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Audi A4 Allroad.

The UX is 10.5 inches shorter than the A4 Allroad, making the UX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 33% lower rating, Audi is ranked 12th.

The UX has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The UX’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the UX has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The A4 Allroad’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The UX’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The UX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus UX and the Audi A4 Allroad, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus UX outsold the Audi A4/S4 by 578 units during the 2021 model year.