Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Lexus UX

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

Safety

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The Q3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The UX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and UX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q3 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 UX’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 Q3. But it costs extra on the UX.

The Q3 Premium Plus has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The UX only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Q3 and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	Q3	UX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	343 lbs.	371 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	235/363 lbs.	376/433 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	36%
Neck Compression	83 lbs.	94 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	345/566 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 Q3 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	Q3	UX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	149 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	632 lbs.	633 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	485 lbs.	919 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the UX’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 Q3’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the UX’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (228 vs. 181) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi Q3 is faster than the Lexus UX:

	Q3	UX
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Q3 and UX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Q3 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Q3 has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (15.9 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the UX:

	Q3	UX
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.1 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	12.2 inches

The Q3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the UX are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops much shorter than the UX:

	Q3	UX
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the UX (235/55R18 vs. 225/50R18). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (255/45R19 vs. 225/50R18).

The Q3’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the UX’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The UX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Q3 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 UX; 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.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q3’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the UX (105.5 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q3 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than on the UX.

Passenger Space

The Q3 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The UX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (23.7 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

Towing

The Q3 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The UX has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The UX uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Q3 and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The UX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Q3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The UX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q3 will cost $215 less than the UX over a five-year period.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Lexus UX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q3 outsold the Lexus UX by over two to one during 2022.