Compare the2025 Lexus RXVS 2025 Audi Q8

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the RX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q8 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lexus RX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q8 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Lexus RX is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q8, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	RX	Q8
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-36 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.5 sec	2 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-32 MPH	-31 MPH

Both the RX and the Q8 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, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus RX is safer than the Audi Q8:

	RX	Q8
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	165	296
Neck Injury Risk	29.8%	30%

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 Lexus RX is safer than the Audi Q8:

	RX	Q8
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	58	60
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	99 lbs.	128 lbs.
Hip Force	206 lbs.	260 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	63	141
Hip Force	640 lbs.	684 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	49 G’s

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

Warranty

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q8. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q8 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the RX has a standard 603-amp battery. The Q8’s 380-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Lexus RX Hybrid’s reliability 23 points higher than the Q8.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RX second among midsize premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Q8 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 68 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 140 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 29th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 7th.

Engine

The RX 500h F Sport Performance’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 31 more horsepower (366 vs. 335) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 369) than the Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the RX 450h+ Luxury 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Audi Q8:

	RX	Q8
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	5.9 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the RX 450h+ running on electricity gets better mileage than the Q8 (91 city/75 hwy MPGe vs. 17 city/23 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the RX running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Q8:

			MPG
RX
	FWD	350 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	350h 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/34 hwy
		450h+ 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/33 hwy
		500h 2.4 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	27 city/28 hwy
		350 2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Q8
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	17 city/23 hwy

The RX 450h+ can travel with zero emissions for 37 miles. The Q8 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus RX higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q8 (4). This means the RX produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q8 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The RX offers an available continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q8 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the RX 500h’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Q8:

	RX 500h	Q8
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	14.8 inches

The RX stops much shorter than the Q8:

	RX	Q8
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	141 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the RX 500h F Sport Performance’s turning circle is 8.2 feet tighter than the Q8’s (35.4 feet vs. 43.6 feet). The RX’s turning circle is 4.8 feet tighter than the Q8’s (38.8 feet vs. 43.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RX 350 has a 2.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 (8.1 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the RX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The RX 350h’s minimum ground clearance is 2.4 inches higher than on the Q8 (8.2 vs. 5.8 inches).

Chassis

The Lexus RX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 900 pounds less than the Audi Q8.

The RX is 4.1 inches shorter than the Q8, making the RX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Lexus RX amounts to more than styling. The RX has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .35 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Q8 (.39). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the RX get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The RX has 2.4 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Q8.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the RX easier. The RX’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31 inches, while the Q8’s liftover is 33.7 inches.

The RX’s cargo area is larger than the Q8’s in almost every dimension:

	RX	Q8
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/76.2”	41.1”/75.4”
Max Width	55.5”	54”
Min Width	42”	39.8”
Height	30”	29”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the RX’s optional rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Q8 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the RX uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 30% lower rating, Audi is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The RX’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q8 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the RX has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q8 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Q8’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The RX’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The RX Premium/Luxury/F Sport has standard front air conditioned seats and the RX offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q8 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The RX 300h/450h+/500h offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The RX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus RX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RX first among midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q8 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Lexus RX outsold the Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 by almost 12 to one during 2024.

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