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Lexus IS 250 AWD vs. Audi A4 2.0 quattro

30 messages,  Last post on Sep 01, 2008 at 12:23 PM

You are in the Audi A4 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Lexus IS 250, Audi A4, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 4 of 4

#27 of 30 by ajfinoak

Aug 29, 2008 (9:14 am)

I have an '08 IS 250 after having to return an '06 BMW 325i under the CA lemon Law. I was too frustrated with BMW to get another one and test drove an A4 twice while shopping. Many of the A4 auto trans have a very annoying vibration when idling in gear that you could feel in the seat and steering wheel. Consumer Reports noted the same problem- not acceptable to me. Before the BMW I had a 97 Lexus ES 300 for 10 years with minimal problems. My nephew had a TT coupe and loved it but numerous problems. The IS is more of a sporty luxury car than a luxury sports car in my opinion than BMW and Audi is a little sportier but not worth the potential reliability issues after warranty.

#28 of 30 Re: [ajfinoak] by hauschild

Aug 31, 2008 (6:58 pm)

Replying to: ajfinoak (Aug 29, 2008 9:14 am)
So, an "annoying vibration" and you completely black-list the A4, which is leaps and bounds a better sport/luxury sedan than the IS250? That doesn't make any sense to me because it has absolutely nothing to do with the driving dynamics and overall performance of a car.
 
I mean, I have an A4, but by no means am I blindly loyal. The IS250 looks sleek from the outside, but that's where its greatness ends. The interior is far too cramped, the sound system sounds nowhere near as good, there's an annoying lump on the floorboard right behind the foot you use to press the accelerator. The engine is smooth, but lacks adequate power for that price range. The seating position is excellent, but there are more blind spots than my A4, increasing the clausterphobic feeling inside the cabin.
 
Basically, I guess the IS250 offers reliabitliy and that's where it smokes the A4. However, if that is the case, then there are oodles of "reliable" sedans out yonder that perform on par with the IS250 and while maybe not as refined and sleek and appointed, are significantly less expensive. If I were an IS250 shopper, I'd opt for a loaded Ford Fusion for about 18k and laugh hall the way to the bank.

#29 of 30 IS250 by jzalkin

Sep 01, 2008 (9:24 am)

Replying to: hauschild (Aug 31, 2008 6:58 pm)
I had an '04 Audi A4 Convertible and now have an '06 Lexus IS 250 (both bought new).
 
Here are some pros for the Lexus (since there are a lot of anti Lexus people (i.e. hauschild):
- Better quality:
Not talking about interior look (that is personal preference). Feel the interior lining of the A pillar and you will know what I mean. Lexus is about details. It has held up better in the two years that I owned each. Every oil change I had with the Audi I had a list of small niggles to be taken care of (replace this peeling switch, or this loose that...), but rarely have anything to have the Lexus dealership to deal with. I had 53,000 miles on the Audi when sold and 41,000 on the IS250.
 
- Better ride:
I live in south Florida where there are no hills and no curves. The Lexus is better suited for this type of driving and the V6 is smoother than the 1.8t was. No turbo charger will ever be better for smoothness than a naturally aspirated engine. It also gets great gas mileage.
 
- Better value:
Paid $32,500 for my car and got Navigation, Ventilated Seats, etc and the equivalent Audi was more. Audi seems to have given up on the value card and has priced to go head to head with BMW and Mercedes. Not sure that is a good move on Audi's part. Not to mention the Lexus IS250 is showing great resale value.
 
Once I got out of warranty; I was on the hook to pay to keep the Audi looking/feeling new and that would be costly. After owning two years of both cars; I am more confident in owning the Lexus out of warranty than I was the Audi.
 
Just my thoughts having owned both brands.

#30 of 30 by hauschild

Sep 01, 2008 (12:23 pm)

I guess I must have missed quite a bt during my test drive of the IS250.
 
I will agree that an Audi needs to be "coddled" a bit more than, say a Lexus, but what people forget is that a Lexus is still a piece of machinery that has parts that will need to be replaced at some point.
 
Years ago, my Mom bought into the Japanese hype too and she had to get a Suburu. It had a dog of an engine, but it ran like a champ until it hit about 80k in miles and then it was ridiculously expensive to maintain.
 
In my humble and limited opinion, there's still a significant difference in performance between a German and Japanese luxury sports sedan that isn't difficult to detect with an open mind.

Messages Page 4 of 4

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