Compare the2022 Audi A7VS 2021 Lexus LS Series

Both the A7 and LS Series have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A7 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 LS Series’ 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A7. But it costs extra on the LS Series.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the A7 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 LS Series doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the A7 and the LS Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 A7 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The LS Series has not been tested, yet.

The A7’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LS Series’ (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 A7’s warranty.

The A7’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 350) than the LS 500h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi A7 55 TFSI is faster than the Lexus LS Series:

On the EPA test cycle the A7 running on electricity gets better mileage than the LS Series:

On the EPA test cycle the A7 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the LS Series:

The A7 55 TFSI e’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 26 miles, about 43 times as far as the LS 500h’s .6 mile range.

Both the A7 and the LS Series Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All A7s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The A7 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The LS Series doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi A7 higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Lexus LS Series (3 to 7). This means the A7 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the LS Series every 15,000 miles.

The A7 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The LS Series doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A7’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The LS Series doesn’t offer launch control.

The A7 stops much shorter than the LS Series:

For better traction, the A7 has larger tires than the LS Series (255/40R20 vs. 245/50R19). The A7’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LS Series (255/40R20 vs. 245/45R20).

The A7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LS Series’ standard 50 series tires. The A7 55 TFSI Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the LS Series 500 F Sport’s 45 series front and 40 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A7 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the LS Series. The A7 55 TFSI Prestige’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the LS Series.

The A7 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the LS Series; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The A7 55 TFSI Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the LS 500h AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A7 55 TFSI Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the LS 500h AWD (26 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

The Audi A7 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Lexus LS Series.

The A7 is 10.5 inches shorter than the LS Series, making the A7 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A7’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LS Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

The A7 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The LS Series has no towing capacity.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi A7 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The LS Series doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Audi A7 55 TFSI Prestige higher than the Lexus LS Series 500 F Sport.