Compare the2023 Audi e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Lexus RZ

The 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 RZ doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the e-tron Sportback and RZ have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The 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 RZ’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 e-tron Sportback’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The RZ doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the e-tron Sportback helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The RZ doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the e-tron Sportback and the RZ 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, all wheel drive, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Audi e-tron Sportback weighs 1135 to 1190 pounds more than the Lexus RZ. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RZ has not been tested, yet.

The e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the RZ’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 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 94 more horsepower (402 vs. 308) and 169 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 321) than the RZ’s electric motors. The e-tron Sportback S’ standard electric motors produces 188 more horsepower (496 vs. 308) and 396 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 321) than the RZ’s electric motors.

The e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the RZ on a full charge:

The e-tron Sportback’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 RZ doesn’t offer launch control.

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

For better traction, the e-tron Sportback has larger standard tires than the RZ (255/50R20 vs. 235/60R18). The e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RZ (265/45R21 vs. 235/60R18).

The e-tron Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RZ’s standard 60 series front and 55 series rear tires. The e-tron Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RZ’s optional 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RZ. The e-tron Sportback’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the RZ.

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the RZ, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The RZ’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The e-tron Sportback’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 RZ doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the RZ (115 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron Sportback is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the RZ.

The e-tron Sportback has 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the RZ.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the e-tron Sportback’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RZ doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the e-tron Sportback. The RZ doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The e-tron Sportback offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity. The RZ has no towing capacity.

The e-tron Sportback uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The RZ 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.

A Service Interval Display is standard on the e-tron Sportback to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for vehicle inspections, vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Lexus doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the RZ.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the RZ, the e-tron Sportback Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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

If the windows are left open on the e-tron Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the RZ can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the e-tron Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The RZ doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the e-tron Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The RZ doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the e-tron Sportback’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The RZ doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The e-tron Sportback offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RZ.