allcarseveryday: 2019 Lexus RX vs 2019 Acura MDX vs 2019 Audi Q5 vs 2019 Cadillac XT5--Comparison

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For the 2019 model year, I will be evaluating the 2019 Lexus RX350, the 2019 Acura MDX, the 2019 Audi Q5 Premium Plus, and the 2019 Cadillac XT5 Luxury. Though the tiny SUV segment is the fastest growing segment in America, these 4 luxury bruisers are still selling like hotcakes. Before I start the comparison, however, note that I use a numerical points value system at the end of the article for the final evaluation of every vehicle. With that being said, let’s get started with our first area of competition: value. The 2019 Lexus RX350 is the sales champion of the four vehicles we are comparing. The Lexus with the Luxury Package starts at $47,650. A pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control that can adjust speed to the car ahead of you, and lane keeping assistance are standard. The Lexus also has an 8-inch color infotainment system above the center console. Rain sensing wipers, heated outside mirrors and push-button start round off the standard features on every RX model. With the Luxury Package, the RX350 adds leather seats, wood interior trim, a memory function for the mirrors, steering wheel and seats, and the outside mirrors gain a power-folding feature and automatic dimming. The steering wheel is heated, and LEDs dot the interior as well as illuminate the doorsills. However, the biggest upgrade is the 20-inch chrome wheels. Next is the 2019 Acura MDX, to which I have added the technology package. All in, the MDX costs $48,600. Standard features include a power tailgate, moonroof and heated mirrors. Additionally, the MDX also has heated seats and a lot of technology advancements relative to the RX. An 8-inch touch screen in the dash comes in every MDX. Among notable features for the MDX are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability as well as Sirius XM. All MDXs come with a wide array of safety features such as lane keeping assist, collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control and road departure warning. The package also brings an upgraded sound system, remote engine start, a blind spot information system, a rear cross traffic monitor, 20-inch chrome wheels, and a navigation system. That isn’t all, however: the mirrors also gain a power folding feature, the wipers can tell if rain is falling, and the MDX gains rear door smart entry. Compared to the RX350, the Acura is loaded for only about $1000 more. Let’s see how that lines up against the Audi Q5 Premium Plus, which starts at a conservative $45,500. The Audi comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, a similar audio set-up to the MDX, Android Auto and Apple Car Play and Sirius XM. It has keyless entry and a hands-free tailgate, as well as rain-sensing wipers. It has a park assist system, and side exit assistance which is where the car warns you before you open your car door into a cyclist or passing car. It has rear cross traffic alert but is missing a very advanced cruise control system and other safety systems. It has heated leather seats with a driver-side memory function. It has wood inlays in the interior, and a panoramic sunroof. The outside mirrors are power-folding, auto-dimming, and heated, as well. The Audi is optioned better than the RX but not as good as the MDX is. However, it manages to retain 80% of the Acura’s features for over $3,000 less. Our final contender, the XT5, is the surprise sales success from Cadillac, only being bested in sales by the ever-popular RX. The XT5 Luxury starts at $47,590. It has rear-cross traffic alert, parking assist, a power sunroof, a power liftgate, and keyless entry and push-button start. A heated steering wheel is also included. Sirius XM is available through the Cadillac’s 8-inch touchscreen. Notably missing from the XT5 are standard safety features like adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation braking. They are optional but stick out like a sore thumb relative to the RX and MDX. Next let’s evaluate safety. All four of these small luxury SUVs score very well in all tests, earning ‘Good’ ratings in every category save headlights. However, with the trim specced in these models, even the headlight rating should be good. Every vehicle is a top safety pick except for the Cadillac XT5, probably because it gets an ‘Acceptable’ rating for the child seat anchors, where the other vehicles score better. Overall, pretty similar, though as mentioned before, the MDX and RX have more active safety features than the others. Moving on to fuel economy, the Lexus RX350 front wheel drive model achieves 20 miles per gallon in the city and 27 miles per gallon in the highway. The MDX is similar at 19 in the city and 27 on the highway. The Audi gets a solid 23 in the city but can only muster 25 on the highway, while the XT5 splits the difference at 19 and 26, respectively. As for styling, this is of course a subjective category. The RX is polarizing, to say the least. Whether or not you like the design is up to you, but personally, I like the MDX the best, exterior wise. The Audi is kind of plain, and the XT5 isn’t bad looking. The interiors are also a very close race, with the RX350 being my favorite, followed by the Lexus and MDX. The Cadillac is clean but I don’t find it as much to my taste. The next category in which these SUVs will compete is performance. The Lexus comes with a 3.5 L V6 with 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet, routing power via an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Test numbers indicate that the RX350 can get to 60 miles per hour in 7.5 seconds, running through the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds at 91.1 miles per hour. The Cadillac has 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque from its 3.6 L V6. The XT5 is similarly equipped with an 8-speed auto with paddle shifters. The Caddy makes do with its power advantage, with a solid 6.3 second 0-60 and a 14.7 quarter mile. The Acura MDX has a 290 horsepower, 267 pound-feet 3.5 L V6, mated to a new 9-speed automatic with paddles. The Acura is quick, at 5.7 seconds to 60 and 14.5 seconds in the quarter mile. The Audi is the odd one out in terms of powertrain, coming with a 2.0 L turbocharged four-cylinder. The engine is capable of 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet. It is connected to a 7-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. The Audi is the only vehicle here with AWD, as it comes standard on every Q5. With this set-up, the Q5 can blitz 60 in 5.8 seconds, tearing through the quarter in 14.5, nearly matching the Acura perfectly. Reliability is always something families are concerned about, and seeing as families are the primary demographic for these vehicles, I have compiled the statistics from Consumer Report’s most recent 2018 buyers guide. The 2019 Acura MDX’s predicted reliability is rated at average, as is the Cadillac’s. The Audi and RX350 managed to score better than average. Well, that about wraps it up for this year’s 2019 showdown. Here are the results from each category the SUV's were evaluated in on a scale from one to ten. The Audi won by a small margin, not the outcome I was expecting. Turns out it is a jack of all trades and a master of none, which was enough to give it the upper hand versus its competition.