Compare the2024 Audi A4VS 2024 Lexus ES

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

Safety

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The A4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ES doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A4 and ES have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A4 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 ES’ 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 A4 has a standard Audi Backguard System, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Audi Backguard System moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The ES doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A4. But it costs extra on the ES.

Both the A4 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors 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 A4 is safer than the Lexus ES:

	A4	ES
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	236	319
Neck Injury Risk	25%	33%
Neck Stress	119 lbs.	159 lbs.
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	62 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	324/341 lbs.	473/518 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 A4 is safer than the Lexus ES:

	A4	ES
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	277	300
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches

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

Warranty

The A4’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the ES’ (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 A4’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi A4’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the ES’ engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The A4 has more powerful engines than the ES:

	Torque
A4 40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	236 lbs.-ft.
A4 45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	273 lbs.-ft.
ES 250 AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	184 lbs.-ft.
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	267 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the A4 gets better mileage than the ES:

			MPG
A4
	AWD	40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/35 hwy
ES
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the A4’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The A4 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The A4 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The ES doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A4’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 ES doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the A4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

	A4 40 TFSI	A4 45 TFSI	ES
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	13.3 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	13 inches	11.1 inches

The A4’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

The A4 stops much shorter than the ES:

	A4	ES
60 to 0 MPH	105 feet	140 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A4 has larger standard tires than the ES (225/50R17 vs. 215/55R17). The A4’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (245/40R18 vs. 235/45R18).

The A4’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 ES’ standard 55 series tires. The A4’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the ES F Sport’s 40 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The A4 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

The A4’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the ES’ (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the A4 more stable handling and braking.

The A4 Premium Plus handles at .92 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A4 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.1 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (25.3 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Audi A4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The A4 is 8.4 inches shorter than the ES, making the A4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The A4’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Towing

The A4 has a 3968 lbs. towing capacity. The ES has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the A4 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The A4’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 ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The ES doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A4 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The ES doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A4 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. The A4 Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES.

The A4 Prestige’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The ES doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the A4 is less expensive to operate than the ES because typical repairs cost much less on the A4 than the ES, including $70 less for fuel injection, $803 less for a timing belt/chain and $837 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A4 and the Lexus ES, based on reliability, safety and performance.