Compare the2023 Lexus UXVS 2023 Audi Q5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 UX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lexus UX 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 Q5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Q5’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The UX has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Front Seatbacks, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Front Seatbacks system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the UX and the Q5 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and 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 Q5:

	UX	Q5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	52	60
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	96	185
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	633 lbs.	817 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	15 inches

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the UX is 2.4% less likely to roll over than the Q5.

Warranty

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the UX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the UX second among small premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Q5 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.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
UX
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/41 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/38 hwy
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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lexus UX uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus UX higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi Q5 (5 to 7). This means the UX produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q5 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 Q5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The UX stops shorter than the Q5:

	UX	Q5
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The UX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q5’s standard 60 series tires.

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 Q5 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Q5 45 TFSI Prestige pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the UX’s turning circle is 4.5 feet tighter than the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s (34.2 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The UX’s turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the Q5 55 TFSI e’s (34.2 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The Lexus UX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1000 pounds less than the Audi Q5.

The UX is 7.3 inches shorter than the Q5, making the UX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Lexus UX amounts to more than styling. The UX has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Q5 (.33 to .34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the UX get better fuel mileage.

Servicing Ease

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.

Ergonomics

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 Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting 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 Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the UX’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the UX offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q5 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The UX F Sport also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Model Availability

The UX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the UX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the UX will cost $330 to $3430 less than the Q5 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Lexus UX will be $15727 to $22287 less than for the Audi Q5.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus UX and the Audi Q5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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