Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2022 Lexus RX

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’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 Q4 e-tron Sportback and RX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q4 e-tron Sportback 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback. But it costs extra on the RX.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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.

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’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 Q4 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 71 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 268) than the RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the RX:

The Q4 50 e-tron Sportback can travel with zero emissions for 242 miles. The RX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback higher (10 out of 10) than the Lexus RX (5 to 7). This means the Q4 e-tron Sportback produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RX every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RX:

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger rear tires than the RX (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 65 series tires. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s tires are lower profile than the RX’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RX.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the RX’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 11.8 inches shorter than the RX, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback amounts to more than styling. The Q4 e-tron Sportback has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the RX (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q4 e-tron Sportback get better fuel mileage.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (2646 vs. 0 pounds).

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback’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 Q4 e-tron Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The RX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the RX.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/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.