Audi Q4 e-tron vs Lexus RZ

As of 2026 the two line up almost exactly at the entry point. The rear-drive Audi Q4 45 e-tron lists at $84,900 and the Lexus RZ 500e Luxury at $84,500, both before on-road costs, so the badge rather than the budget decides the base car. Both entry grades slip under the electric-vehicle luxury car tax threshold, which also makes them eligible for the fringe benefits tax break on a novated lease. From there the ranges fan out: the Lexus climbs to the $91,000 500e Sports Luxury and the $105,000 550e F Sport, while the Audi offers the dual-motor 55 quattro above the 45.

The Audi Q4 e-tron leads on paper. The rear-drive 45 claims 524km on the WLTP cycle from its 82kWh battery, the longest figure across either range, while the Lexus RZ 500e claims 460km from a 74.7kWh pack. Step up and both give a little back: the Audi 55 quattro drops to 488km, and the RZ 550e F Sport to 437km. Neither is a long-distance champion against the newest 800-volt rivals, and real-world figures land below the lab numbers, but if maximum range between charges is the priority the Q4 is the clearer pick.

This one splits. On a DC fast charger the Audi Q4 e-tron peaks at 175kW to the Lexus RZ's 150kW, so it is the better bet on a road trip or at a public charger. On AC the Lexus turns the tables, accepting 22kW to the Audi's 11kW, which halves the time to refill from a three-phase home or destination charger. Both take about 28 minutes for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up on DC. If most of your charging happens at home on three-phase, the RZ's advantage is the one you will feel most often.

The Audi Q4 e-tron asks for the workshop far less often: every 30,000km or 24 months, against the Lexus RZ's 15,000km or 12 months. Over a few years that is half as many scheduled visits, which upends the usual assumption about which prestige badge is cheaper to keep. Both back the car with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty, and both include five years of roadside assistance. A full five-year dollar comparison of servicing, insurance and depreciation sits outside what we can verify today, so treat the service interval as the clear, concrete ownership edge.

Both hold five-star ANCAP ratings with the full active-safety suite standard. That covers autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera. The difference is in the detail and the date. The Lexus RZ, rated in 2023, leads vulnerable-road-user protection at 84 per cent to the Audi's 66, and safety assist at 84 per cent to 71. The Audi Q4 e-tron, rated earlier in 2021, counters with a higher 93 per cent for adult occupant protection to the Lexus's 87. Child occupant protection is level at 89 per cent. On balance the RZ's newer, broader result edges it.

Here the Lexus has the simpler answer. Every RZ, from the 500e Luxury up, is dual-motor all-wheel drive. The Audi Q4 e-tron entry 45 is rear-wheel drive, and you only get quattro all-wheel drive by stepping up to the dual-motor 55. For buyers in wet or loose conditions who want all-wheel traction without paying for a flagship, the RZ delivers it from the floor of the range, while the Audi makes it a paid upgrade over the long-range 45. If all-wheel drive is non-negotiable, the Lexus answers it for less.

For a salary-packaged lease the Audi Q4 45 e-tron is usually the sharper sum. It matches the Lexus on FBT-exempt entry price, then adds more range and half as many service visits, both of which keep the whole-of-lease cost down. The Lexus RZ 500e Luxury is the counter if you want dual-motor all-wheel drive baked in from the entry grade, or value the quieter cabin and the stronger safety scores. Both qualify for the fringe benefits tax exemption at their entry grades, so the choice comes down to whether range and service cadence or traction and cabin lead your brief.

It is close, and the two lead in different ways. The Audi Q4 e-tron runs tri-zone climate control to the Lexus's dual-zone, plus a usable 1,490-litre boot with the rear seats folded. The Lexus RZ is the longer car at 4,805mm on a 2,850mm wheelbase, so it feels more generous in the second row and edges the seats-up boot at 522 litres. Both seat five and carry the full safety suite. Families who prioritise the extra climate zone lean Audi; those who want the roomiest-feeling cabin and the stronger pedestrian safety scores lean Lexus.

For distance driving the Audi Q4 e-tron is the better tool of the two. Its entry 45 claims 524km WLTP to the Lexus RZ 500e's 460km, and it fast-charges quicker on DC at 175kW against 150kW, so both the gaps between stops and the stops themselves are shorter. Both still trail the newest 800-volt rivals on outright charging pace, and a loaded, high-speed highway run will pull real range well below the lab figures on either car. Set against each other, though, the Q4 is the one that makes an interstate drive less of a planning exercise.