Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2023 Lexus UX

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

Safety

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The Q5’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 Q5 and UX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 Q5. But it costs extra on the UX.

The Q5 Premium Plus/Prestige 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 Q5 and the UX 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 and rear cross-path warning.

The Audi Q5 weighs 474 to 1136 pounds more than the Lexus UX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q5 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	Q5	UX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	33%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	371 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	376/433 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	290
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	36%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	163 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	94 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 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 Q5 is safer than the Lexus UX:

	Q5	UX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	149 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	323 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	292
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	919 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Q5’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 Q5’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engines use 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 Q5 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (201 vs. 181) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Q5 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (261 vs. 181) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Q5 55 TFSI e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 181 more horsepower (362 vs. 181) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the UX:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
UX
			MPG
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	43 city/41 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/38 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The UX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Both the Q5 and UX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Q5 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Q5 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (14.3 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 7.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (18.5 vs. 10.6 gallons).

Transmission

The Q5’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 UX doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the UX:

	Q5 45 TFSI	Q5 55 TFSI e	UX
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13 inches	11.1 inches

The Q5’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 Q5 stops shorter than the UX:

	Q5	UX
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5 has larger standard tires than the UX (235/60R18 vs. 225/50R18). The Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (255/45R20 vs. 225/50R18).

The Q5’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 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 Q5 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The UX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Q5 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

The Q5 offers an available 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 UX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q5 55 TFSI e has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q5’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 UX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q5’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the UX (111 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q5 is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the UX.

The Q5 45 TFSI Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the UX 250h F Sport Handling AWD (27.2 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Q5 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear headroom, 4.9 inches more rear legroom and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q5’s rear seats recline. The UX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Q5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (25.8 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Q5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The UX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Q5 has a 4400 lbs. towing capacity. The UX has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Q5 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.

The engine in the Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the UX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Q5 and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q5 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 Q5’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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The UX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The UX doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Q5 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the UX. The Q5 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the UX.

The Q5 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 UX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

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

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the Lexus UX by over six to one during 2022.

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