Compare the2023 Lexus GXVS 2023 Audi Q7

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Audi Q7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the GX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lexus GX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q7 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GX has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q7 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GX’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 Q7 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GX and the Q7 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.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the GX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the GX’s reliability 55 points higher than the Q7.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GX second among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Q7 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in initial quality. With 82 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

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 overall reliability. Audi is ranked 14th.

The GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8 produces 40 more horsepower (301 vs. 261) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (329 vs. 273) than the Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The GX stops shorter than the Q7:

For better traction, the GX has larger tires than the Q7 (265/60R18 vs. 255/55R19).

The Lexus GX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The GX has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Q7; 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. Some tire options on the Q7 don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

The GX has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Q7 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The GX 460 Luxury has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q7 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GX is 7.2 inches shorter than the Q7, making the GX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GX has 1.6 inches more rear headroom, .1 inches more third row legroom and 5.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GX’s middle seats and third row seats (except Base/Black Line Edition) recline. The Q7’s third row seats don’t recline.

The GX’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q7.

The GX has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Q7 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The GX’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Q7’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The GX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q7’s (6500 vs. 4400 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the GX uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 32% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the GX has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the GX’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GX offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q7 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The GX has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the GX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GX will cost $3385 to $5140 less than the Q7 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GX is less expensive to operate than the Q7 because it costs $264 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the GX than the Q7, including $248 less for a muffler, $136 less for front brake pads, $262 less for a starter, $347 less for fuel injection, $614 less for front struts and $184 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Lexus GX will be $1586 to $7054 less than for the Audi Q7.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus GX and the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus GX outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by 9% during the 2021 model year.