Compare the2026 Audi Q3VS 2026 Lexus UX

The Q3’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 Q3 and UX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q3 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.

The Q3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The UX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the UX.

The Q3 offers an optional 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.

The Audi Q3 offers an optional Top View Camera System and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Lexus UX doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q3 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist with Automatic Brake Activation, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the UX.

Both the Q3 and the UX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the UX’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q3 for 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the UX (3/30,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 25 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q3’s warranty.

The Audi Q3’s engine uses 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.

The Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 59 more horsepower (255 vs. 196) and 121 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 152) than the UX’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Both the Q3 and UX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Q3 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Q3 has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX (16.4 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Q3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the UX:

The Q3’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.

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the UX (235/55R18 vs. 225/50R18). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the UX (255/45R19 vs. 225/50R18).

The Q3’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 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 Q3 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The UX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Q3 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q3’s wheelbase is 1.7 inches longer than on the UX (105.6 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q3 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than on the UX.

The front grille of the Q3 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The UX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Q3 has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 3 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The UX’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (25 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Q3 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The UX has no towing capacity.

The Q3 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 power windows standard on both the Q3 and the UX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 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 Q3’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Access standard on the UX doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Q3’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.

The Audi Q3 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the UX F Sport Handling.

The Audi Q3 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Lexus charges extra for Homelink® on the UX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the UX.

The Q3’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. 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 UX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Audi Q3 outsold the Lexus UX by almost three to one during 2025.