Volkswagen Touareg vs Lexus RX

The Volkswagen Touareg starts from $86,790 before on-road costs, while the Lexus RX opens at $90,350. That makes the Volkswagen Touareg the more affordable entry point by $3,560.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $95,469 and $99,385 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Lexus RX by roughly $2,710 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Volkswagen Touareg features a 15-inch touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch digital dash, while the Lexus RX gets a 14-inch display and 12.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Lexus RX counters with head-up display, panoramic roof, heated front seats, ventilated seats, Lexus Premium Sound audio and ambient lighting that the Volkswagen Touareg does not offer. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

Interior trim differs: the Volkswagen Touareg gets leather upholstery while the Lexus RX offers synthetic leather. Climate control is 2-zone in the Volkswagen Touareg and 3-zone in the Lexus RX.

The Volkswagen Touareg uses a Diesel producing 170kW and 500Nm of torque, sent through a auto to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 8 seconds.

The Lexus RX responds with a Hybrid making 184kW and 239Nm, paired to a automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds.

The Lexus RX has the clear power advantage at 184kW vs 170kW. In the real-world sprint, the Lexus RX is 0.3s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Volkswagen Touareg measures 4,889mm long on a 2,894mm wheelbase, 1mm shorter than the Lexus RX at 4,890mm (2,850mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Volkswagen Touareg generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 810L in the Volkswagen Touareg and 612L in the Lexus RX, giving the Volkswagen Touareg a 198L advantage.

For towing, the Volkswagen Touareg leads with a 3,500kg braked capacity vs 1,500kg. That 2,000kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,081/year for the Volkswagen Touareg and $1,539/year for the Lexus RX. That is a $542 annual difference in favour of the Lexus RX.

Estimated annual total: $2,081 (Volkswagen Touareg) vs $1,539 (Lexus RX). The Lexus RX saves you roughly $542 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (Volkswagen Touareg) vs 4 years / 100,000km (Lexus RX). The Volkswagen Touareg has longer coverage. Capped-price servicing: —4yr (Lexus RX).