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Used test: Audi Q7 vs Lexus RX: costs
Buy used and you can have either of these luxury SUVs for around half what they cost new, but should you choose the seven-seat Audi Q7 or the hybrid Lexus RX?...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety
New, in 2016, the Audi Q7's list price was £47,755, but our Target Price team said you could have bought one for just £43,970. The Lexus RX cost £49,995 on the road, but our deals team said you could have picked one up for £46,058. Both cars will cost you around £25,000 to buy at six years old.
In our original 2016 test, we had three-year predicted running cost figures of £903 for insurance and £1322 for servicing on the Q7. The RX came in at £1015 for insurance and £1647 for servicing.
The official figures give the RX a slight edge in fuel economy, with an official average figure of 51.4mpg to the Q7's 48.7mpg. In our real-world test, the RX retained its edge, returning 38.7mpg to the Q7’s 37.9mpg. The RX is cheaper to tax, at £120 per year, with the Q7 attracting a charge of £220 per year.
Both cars are lavishly equipped, as you’d rightly expect given their lofty prices from new. Heated leather seats, climate control, keyless entry and front and rear parking sensors are standard, while the RX adds adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera and ventilated front seats to keep you feeling fresh in hot weather. The RX also gets LED headlights, while the Q7 makes do with less sophisticated xenon units.
Automatic emergency braking systems that can spot pedestrians, as well as other vehicles, are standard on both cars. In addition, the RX adds lane-keeping assistance, which was an option on the Q7. However, Euro NCAP found the Q7 to be better at protecting adult and child occupants if their car is involved in a crash, although the RX did fare better in the pedestrian safety test.
In the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, the Q7 came second out of eight models in the luxury SUV class – a confidence-inspiring result. The RX didn't feature, but considering that Lexus ranked first out of 30 manufacturers in the brand league table, we have no concerns on the dependability front. Audi came 18th.
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