Compare the2024 Audi Q8VS 2024 Lexus LX

The Q8’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The LX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q8 and LX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 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 LX’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.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Q8 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The LX doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The LX doesn’t offer a night vision system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Q8 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Q8 and the LX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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.

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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q8 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The LX has not been tested, yet.

The Q8’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the LX’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 Q8’s warranty.

On the EPA test cycle the Q8 gets better fuel mileage than the LX 600 (17 city/23 hwy vs. 17 city/22 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Q8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The LX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Q8 has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the LX (22.5 vs. 21.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Q8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the LX:

For better traction, the Q8 has larger tires than the LX (285/45R21 vs. 265/55R20).

The Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX Premium/Luxury’s 65 series tires. The Q8’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the LX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the LX Premium/Luxury.

For superior ride and handling, the Audi Q8 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Q8 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Q8 flat and controlled during cornering. The LX base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the LX (117.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The Audi Q8 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 900 pounds less than the Lexus LX.

The Q8 is 3.6 inches shorter than the LX, making the Q8 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q8 is 7 inches shorter in height than the LX, making the Q8 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Q8’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Q8 has a much larger cargo volume than the LX with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 11 cubic feet).

The Q8’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LX Ultra Luxury doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The LX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, standard on the Q8 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the LX’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

A manual rear sunshade is optional in the Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q8 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The LX doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q8 Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the LX.

The Q8 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The LX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Q8 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q8 will cost $1850 less than the LX over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q8 will be $7996 to $29010 less than for the Lexus LX.

The Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 outsold the Lexus LX by almost two to one during 2023.