Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2022 Lexus RX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The Q5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 and RX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 RX’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 Q5 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 RX 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5. But it costs extra on the RX.

Both the Q5 and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Q5	RX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	33.2%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	305
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	40.1%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	267 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	70 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	403/457 lbs.

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

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 Audi Q5 is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Q5	RX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	110 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	275
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	685 lbs.

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Q5’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the RX’s (12 vs. 6 years).

There are over 25 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q5’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the RX’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Q5 has more powerful engines than the RX:

	Horsepower	Torque
Q5 45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	261 HP	273 lbs.-ft.
Q5 55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	362 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
RX 350 3.5 DOHC V6	295 HP	268 lbs.-ft.
RX 450h 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid	308 HP

As tested in Car and Driver the Q5 55 TFSI e is faster than the RX 350 3.5 DOHC V6:

	Q5	RX
Zero to 60 MPH	4.5 sec	6.7 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.2 sec	17.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.9 sec	7.1 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3 sec	3.5 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.9 sec	5 sec
Quarter Mile	13.2 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	104 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the RX:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
RX
			MPG
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 V6 Hybrid	31 city/28 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the RX:

			MPG
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/27 hwy
		40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/29 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
RX
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The RX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regardless of its engine, the Q5’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RX 450h, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Q5 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 RX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5’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 RX doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RX:

	Q5 45 TFSI	Q5 55 TFSI e	RX
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13.8 inches	12.9 inches

The Q5 stops much shorter than the RX:

	Q5	RX
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Q5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 65 series tires. The Q5’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the RX’s optional 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q5 55 TFSI e has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The RX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q5’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the RX (111 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

The Q5 55 TFSI e Premium Plus handles at .83 G’s, while the RX 350 F Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Q5 is 8.2 inches shorter than the RX, making the Q5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Q5 has .2 inches more front headroom and .2 inches more rear headroom than the RX.

Cargo Capacity

The Q5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (25.8 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Q5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (54 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (4400 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the RX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The RX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the RX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The RX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q5 Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 is less expensive to operate than the RX because typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 than the RX, including $443 less for a water pump, $1243 less for a timing belt/chain and $1663 less for a power steering pump.

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