Compare the2022 Audi Q8VS 2021 Lexus LX 570

Both the Q8 and LX 570 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The LX 570’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Q8 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX 570 uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Q8 and the LX 570 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q8 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The LX 570 has not been tested, yet.

The Q8’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LX 570’s (12 vs. 6 years).

There are over 24 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q8’s warranty.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q8 is faster than the Lexus LX 570:

On the EPA test cycle the Q8 gets better fuel mileage than the LX 570 (18 city/23 hwy vs. 12 city/16 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Q8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Q8’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The LX 570 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

For better stopping power the Q8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the LX 570:

For better traction, the Q8 has larger tires than the LX 570 (285/45R21 vs. 275/50R21).

The Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX 570’s standard 50 series tires. The Q8 Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the LX 570’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the LX 570. The Q8 Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the LX 570.

For superior ride and handling, the Audi Q8 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX 570 has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the LX 570 (117.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q8 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the LX 570.

The Q8 Prestige handles at .83 G’s, while the LX 570 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the LX 570 (26.9 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Audi Q8 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1000 pounds less than the Lexus LX 570.

The Q8 is 3.4 inches shorter than the LX 570, making the Q8 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q8 is 8 inches shorter in height than the LX 570, making the Q8 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Q8’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX 570 uses body-on-frame design instead.

The rear step up height for the Q8 is 4.2 inches lower than the LX 570 (19.8” vs. 24”).

The Q8 has a much larger cargo volume than the LX 570 with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 16.3 cubic feet).

The Q8’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The LX 570’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q8’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its tailgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Q8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the LX 570’s (7700 vs. 7000 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the Q8 and the LX 570 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q8 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The LX 570 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Q8 (except Premium) offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The LX 570 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A manual rear sunshade is optional in the Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q8 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The Q8’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The LX 570’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The Q8 Prestige offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the LX 570.

The Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 outsold the Lexus LX 570 by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.