Lexus LX vs Audi RS Q3

What's the difference?

The Lexus LX500d is a genuine seven-seater with impressive levels of refinement, comfort and even off-road capability.

The interior borders on being chintzy and it’s price-tag is the wrong side of bloody expensive, but there's no denying this Lexus is packed with stuff.

It’s more city than country, more bling than bush tourer – it’s like a tarted-up 300 Series – but that’s absolutely fine for the people who buy these.

I wouldn’t blame anyone for cross-shopping a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series with this – and then opting for the 300 Series! For one thing, you’ll save a stack of cash.

The Audi RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years is dynamically brilliant, beautifully finished and surprisingly civilised on day-to-day duty. A polished compact performance package that even in this special 'get-it-while-you-can' guise offers compelling value relative to its direct competitors.

In firmly keeping with its target market, the LX500d is a premium-looking SUV.

This is a big unit and everything is slick and in-your-face impressive. Inside and out this Lexus looks a lot like a tarted-up LandCruiser 300 Series that’s been on a recent cycle of steroids. 

The optional 22-inch alloy wheels (part of the $5500 Enhancement Pack, as mentioned above) add to the overall look. 

The interior is a tasteful blend of woodgrain, leather accents, soft-touch surfaces, plush seating, and even comfortable arm-rests.

There's a lot going on with the RS Q3's exterior design; a mix of jagged lights, hard character lines, broad haunches and multiple vents surrounding the brand's signature, six-sided grille up front.

The big 21-inch rims fill the arches nicely and the rear features a deep diffuser with fat exhaust finishers poking out either side.

It's a purposeful, macho look and the Sportback edition 10 years is defined by a black package which adds gloss black to the side window trim, front spoiler blade, side blades, rear diffuser and exterior mirrors.

The limited edition is available in two colours, 'Chronos Grey metallic', which is unique to this model and 'Dew Silver matte' which will now be added to the broader RS Q3 colour palette.

Premium performance feels like the dominant theme inside with a typically Audi tech-focused approach including high-quality brushed metal elements, matt carbon inserts and quilted leather trim on the heavily bolstered front seats.

A meticulous attention to detail is obvious and the bottom line is it's all about the driver. A grippy, flat-bottom, leather-trimmed steering wheel looks as good as it feels, sleek screens enhance the racy vibe and the mix of physical and digital controls is sensible.

Everyone is well catered for inside this Lexus, in terms of, well, everything.

The tech is easy to use – it was simple enough to get Apple CarPlay working – and the screens are big: the horizontal 12.3-inch multimedia unit upfront, an 8.0-inch screen (to monitor air-con, air-suspension height, the four-wheel-drive system, and other vehicle information), a head-up display, plus a 7.0-inch touchscreen for rear passengers.

Heating and cooling are via the 'climate concierge' and everyone can keep themselves as comfortably hot or cold as they like with separate controls.

Storage is plentiful with the usual array of door pockets, cupholders, big glove box etc, but there’s also a cavernous centre console (with multiple ways to open the lids) as well as map pockets for the second row, cup-holders in the centre fold-down armrest and even cupholders for the third row.

The Lexus has a Qi wireless charger as well as front and rear USB-C charging ports – one upfront, two in the second row, and two in the third row – so that should keep any whinging about devices to a minimum – but, knowing kids, it probably won’t. 

There’s also a 12V DC socket (front and rear) and a 220V socket in the rear cargo area.

Power-adjustable seats upfront make life easy for the driver and front passenger and these pews are as good as what I’d imagine a massage chair is like. Even the second row is on the right side of plush, but the third row is not quite there.

Second-row passengers have their own air con and entertainment controls, and there’s also an HDMI port.

The moon roof – an Enhancement Pack inclusion – is power-adjustable and allows plenty of welcome natural light in through the top.

In terms of packability, the Lexus LX500d has a claimed 174L (VDA) of cargo space when seven seats are in use; 982L when five seats are being used (that’s with the power-folding third row stowed flat at the push of a button); and 1871L when all seats are stowed away (the 60:40 folding second-row seats tumble-fold forward), except for the driver and front passenger. 

The boot has a 220V power outlet.

Snug but spacious enough, the RS Q3 Sportback's driver and front passenger are provided with plenty of breathing room without upsetting the intimate, performance car feel. Just be prepared for a bit of head-ducking physical origami when folding yourself into either of the heavily bolstered front seats.

Storage includes door bins with room for bottles, two generous cupholders in the centre console, a lidded tray in front of the gearshift (which doubles as the wireless device charging bay), a storage compartment and owners manual holder under the front seats, a modest glove box and an adjustable front centre armrest with storage compartment.

Given this car measures just over 4.5m end-to-end, a close to 2.7m wheelbase is significant  and rear room is generous given the Q3's overall footprint. Plenty of head and legroom (for me at 183cm) with enough width for three adults on short journeys. A trio of up to teenage kids will be fine.

The back seat is able to slide for extra legroom (and slightly less boot space), while backrest angle is also adjustable.

Storage runs to small bins in the doors, a fold-down centre armrest (with two pop-up cupholders) and storage nets on the back of the front seats. Directional and temperature control in the rear for the ventilation system is a big plus.

Power and connectivity options run to a 12V outlet and two USB sockets in the front (Type A and C), another two Type C sockets in the back and a second 12-volt jack in the boot.

Speaking of which, cargo volume with all seats up is a handy 530 litres, enough to swallow CarsGuide's three-piece luggage set or large pram (the latter with room to spare) and 1400 litres with the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

The loading lip is low, a stainless steel sill protector helps minimise scuffs and scratches and the hands-free power tailgate is welcome.

If you're keen to hook up the boat or horse float the RS Q3 is able to tow a braked trailer up to 1900kg (750kg unbraked), but don't bother looking for a spare of any description, a repair/inflator kit is your only option. Boo...

The Audi RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years is priced at $102,900, before on-road costs, which is a $3800 premium over the standard issue version.

For those extra dollars the car is upgraded with specific 21-inch black alloy rims, black badging and brake calipers as well as (three-stage heated) 'RS' Nappa leather-trimmed sports front seats with contrast 'Copper Honeycomb' stitching.

The fancy stitching extends to the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel and gear lever, the RS floor mats also feature copper highlights and the door downlighting projects a unique rhombus design.

At that money the RS Q3 lines up against BMW's firecracker X3 M40i ($126,800), the ferocious Mercedes-AMG GLA45 S ($121,900) with the Jaguar E-Pace 300 Sport AWD ($84,500) the only other similarly pitched compact performance SUV within $20K of the Audi.

And as well as the performance and safety tech covered later in the review, the RS Q3's standard features list includes, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, Nappa leather trim, ambient lighting (with 30 colour choices), an RS sport contour leather-trimmed steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch multimedia display (with text and voice control), (wired) Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, sat nav and wireless device charging.

There's also a Bang & Olufsen '3D Sound System' (15-speaker with 680-watt, 16-channel amp), digital radio, 21-inch alloys, electronically-controlled adaptive dampers, auto Matrix LED headlights (with RS-specific darkened trim) and a hands-free power tailgate. And it's worth noting metallic and pearl effect paint finishes are offered at no extra cost.

Pretty impressive. Especially when you consider even this special edition RS Q3 is $20,000 cheaper than its primary BMW and Merc-AMG rivals.

The Lexus LX500d has a 3.3L V6 twin turbo-diesel engine, producing 227kW at 4000rpm and 700Nm between 1600-2600rpm.

It has a 10-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, a full-time all-wheel-drive system, low-range transfer case and locking diffs. 

The V6 is impressive and this is a smooth-shifting beast, but there’s a real lazy – not lively – feel to how the engine and auto work.

It’s pretty hefty as well – with a listed 2690kg kerb weight – so the Lexus takes a bit of a wind-up to get going off the mark and during overtaking moves.

The RS Q3 Sportback is powered by a 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder intercooled turbo-petrol engine sending drive to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system based on an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch pack.

Featuring a cast iron block, alloy head, direct-injection as well as variable intake and exhaust cam adjustment, the (EA855) engine features a special firing order (1-2-4-5-3), the odd number of cylinders producing a signature engine sound and exhaust note reminiscent of the 1980s 'Ur' Quattro.

Peak power is 294kW from 5850-7000rpm and maximum torque is 480Nm delivered across a broad plateau from 1950-5850rpm.

The Lexus LX500d seven-seater has a listed fuel consumption of 8.9L/100km on a combined cycle.

Our actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 13.2L/100km. Note: our test included a lot of low-range 4WDing. 

The LX500d has an 80-litre fuel tank – so, going by that on-test fuel consumption figure, you should be able to get a driving range of about 606km or so. Take off a 30km safe-distance buffer and you have 576km.

Audi's official fuel economy number for the RS Q3 on the combined cycle is 8.9L/100km, the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol five-cylinder engine emitting 204g/km of CO2 in the process. Stop-start is standard.

We covered city, suburban and some freeway running on test, returning an (indicated) average of 9.6L/100km. And that's pretty good, given we pushed on enthusiastically on a reasonably regular basis.

The fuel tank requires 63 litres of 98 RON premium unleaded to fill it which translates to a theoretical range of just over 700km, shrinking to around 650km based on our real-world number.

The Lexus is a refined and comfortable vehicle on sealed surfaces.

It’s 5100mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1990mm wide (with a 1675mm wheel track, front and back), 1895mm high, and it has a 2690kg kerb weight.

The woodgrain steering wheel feels nice in the hands but even though the Lexus feels tighter and more controlled than the previous-gen – its body-on-frame structure has shed some kegs – this is a hefty rig so it’s no real surprise that body roll remains pronounced – it always tends to wallow even at optimal ride height. 

The suspension set-up – adjustable dampers, double wishbones at the front, a four-linkage rigid axle at the rear, stabiliser bars front and rear – is aimed at keeping things under control, and it certainly irons out any major issues, but it’s not perfect, even ably supported by adaptive variable suspension.

The brake pedals feel spongy, taking some time to ‘bite’, but the ventilated disc brakes front and rear did pull the Lexus to a controlled stop when I did a “watch out for that roo!” emergency-braking move.

And while, by its very nature, it may not be a very dynamic SUV to drive, its low-key composure makes up for that.

The gutsy V6 and auto work well, if lazily, together, and while that transmission is enough of a smooth shifter, 10 gear ratios seems like overkill to me.

Driving modes include normal, eco, sport and each adjusts throttle response, engine outputs, and gearshifts to suit the driver and the driving conditions.

It’s quiet inside – very quiet – and there’s no issues with vibration or harshness levels either.

Among its many tech-based attractions, the digital rear-view mirror is a handy touch.

This is a great open-road touring vehicle but with some flaws when it comes to adventuring off-road.

Our test vehicle is shod with Dunlop Grandtrek 265/50R22 112V tyres and these all-season tyres are fine for sealed surfaces, but they’re not up to low-range 4WDing in tough conditions, even more so on these 22-inch rims, as we found out during a few hours at our 4WD testing ground.

The Lexus has Cruiser-like off-road-capable underpinnings with top-layer dirt-focussed tech as well. 

There’s plenty of glass around so visibility is fine, steering generally feels light but takes on a clinical precision during low-speed, low-range 4WDing.

And ‘clinical’ is how the Lexus feels off-road – not always in a good way either. Like many contemporary tech-heavy off-roaders nowadays, it’s almost so good that you’re in danger of feeling entirely removed from the actual process of driving.

With multi-terrain select driving modes offering auto, dirt, sand, mud, deep snow, and rock options; with a multi-terrain monitor and panoramic view helping you ‘see’ everywhere that you usually wouldn’t be able to see on the track; with active height control helping you to lift the vehicle’s body in order to improve off-road angles at the push of a button; and the list goes on. 

That’s not forgetting downhill assist control, hill-start assist, crawl control, and off-road traction control.

Don’t get me wrong: high-tech is great because anything that helps maintain safe forward progress out bush or while beach driving is awesome but, Great Odin’s raven, it’d be great if the tech onslaught stops now. As if that’s going to happen.

If you’re looking to tow with your Lexus, listen up: unbraked towing capacity is 750kg, braked towing capacity is 3500kg. It has a gross vehicle mass of 3280kg and a gross combination mass of 6780kg. There you go.

It has a full-size spare tyre and that’s mounted under the rear cargo area.

It still seems counterintuitive when a high-riding SUV is tuned to perform and handle like a low-slung sports car but here we are. And Audi executes this mystifying transformation as expertly as any carmaker in the automotive world.

Audi says the RS Q3 Sportback will blast from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Anything under 5.0 seconds is properly fast, and there's nothing quite like the deep-throated bellow of a VW Group in-line five to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

The RS Q3's sport exhaust system is a dual-branch set-up with exhaust flap control, and people of a certain age will instantly imagine themselves matching it with Ari Vatanen, Walter Röhrl and Michèle Mouton on a suburban special stage behind the wheel of a 1980s Group B Sport Quattro rally car (actually, the school drop off at an infinitely more sensible pace).

The car weighs in at a not insubstantial 1775kg, but 480Nm, available all the way from 1950rpm to 5850rpm, means a near instant surge of fierce acceleration is always lurking under your right foot.

And the VW Group is on the pace when it comes to dual-clutch auto transmissions, from Porsche's 'PDK' and VW's 'DSG' to Lambo's 'DCT' and Audi's 'S tronic'.

The RS Q3's seven-speed unit is quick and positive, the wheel-mounted paddles ramping up the engagement factor.

The variable ratio, electrically-assisted steering is capital G Great. Well weighted and precise with reassuring road feel and the Alcantara trimmed wheel is a nice way to access it all.

Suspension is by struts at the front and multi-links (four) at the rear with adaptive dampers on-board.

Despite running on 21-inch rims, shod with high-performance 255/35 Continental PremiumContact 6 rubber, ride comfort is surprisingly good.

Dial in 'Comfort' mode via the 'Drive Select' system and the impact of even substantial bumps is softened off appreciably.

An ideal set-up would be the first 'RS1' short-cut Drive Select button set for Comfort suspension, with throttle, steering and transmission set to maximum attack and the second 'RS2' mode tweaking the suspension to track-day level, too.

Push on through your favourite set of bends and you can feel the electronic wheel-selective torque control system keeping everything under control. This car puts its power down through sweeping sections with fuss-free authority.

The RS-specific menu in the digital instrument cluster provides extra instrumentation in the shape of a power/torque display, G meter and lap timer. Fun!

The brakes are professional grade with big ventilated rotors all around and aluminium fixed calipers at the front.

But beware, the flip side of the RS Q3's quick steering response is a sizeable 11.8m turning circle. Take your time when parking.

Although the Audi Q3 received a maximum five-star ANCAP score in 2019, the RS Q3 was specifically excluded from the assessment, so it's officially untested.

But the car boasts an extensive active (crash-avoidance) safety suite including, auto emergency braking (AEB) (5.0km/h to 85km/h for pedestrians and cyclists and up to 250km/h for vehicles), adaptive cruise control (with stop-go function and active lane assist), lane change warning and lane departure warning (with lane keeping assist).

There's also 'Attention Assist' (warning tone and visual signal if the system determines the driver's attention may be lapsing), front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera with 360-degree view, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, 'Hill hold assist' and hill descent control.

If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags on-board (front and side for the driver and front passenger as well as full-length curtains). The RS Q3's showing its (10-year) age here because additional rear side and front centre bags are close to the norm now.

Nice to see a first aid kit and warning triangle included and there are three top tethers and two ISOFIX anchor points for securing baby capsules and child seats across the second row.

The Lexus LX500d has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Capped-price servicing applies for three years. Servicing is set at six month/10,000km intervals with each appointment costing $595 over that period.

Lexus Encore Platinum benefits – including valet parking and on-demand vehicle loans – are standard for new Lexus owners.

Audi Australia covers all the models it sells with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance included for the duration. Pretty much cost-of-entry in this part of the market.

Paintwork defects are also covered for five years, and the body is warranted against corrosion (to the point of perforation) for no less than 12 years. Nice.

Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km and capped-price servicing is available, a five-year/75,000km plan for the RS Q3 costing $3580, an annual average of $770. Fairly steep.

An 'Audi Advantage' package is also available, adding an extra two years' worth of warranty, scheduled servicing and roadside assistance (to the end of any existing term) for $3800.