fred1

Hi I am going back and forth between the s4 and is 350. I was wondering if anyone else considered the s4 and why they choose the lexus.

Thanks

Swacer

Are you saying buy or lease?

S4 will cost you more in order to get the same car (option for option).

Lexus is the highest ranked luxury company for reliablity, while Audi, like must of the german companies, laugh at the word reliable.

fred1

I am looking to buy it in full.

Swacer

Your initial quality is going to be there in both cars. However, don't expect it to stay that way.

The Audi, I would look into an extended warranty plan. Probably for 6+ yrs, or as long as you plan on keeping the car. Plus, overall maintenance is more expensive. Lexus is the cheapest per hour labor company of the luxury brands.

nabizzy

Lexus will be more comfortable, and IMO it looks cleaner stock

S4 is more tunable and more customizable, and will probbaly have more "street cred"


I personally love both brands, I have an RS7 and an IS350, the 350 is an AMAZING daily driver, and the Audi is IMO the best 4 door on the market. Both have been pleasures to deal with, and you will get good treatment from both brands.

nova123

The A4 range is quite late in it's gen, replaced in a year probably so I personally wouldn't get it unless you get a really good deal lol

Didn't test drive the S4 but I can only assume the supercharged V6 would feel a lot more urgent than the IS350!


Nice - I love the RS7 but it goes for like $250K AUD here lol... It must feel a lot slower for you when you drive the lexus

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...s4-2014-a.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...tige-plus.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-prestige.html

CJW

iTrader: (1)

If I had a do over, I've be all over the S4.

kamauxx

I cross shopped the two, along with the A5 and a few different BMW models. After reading the horror stories about German reliability I just knew Lexus would be the way to go.

If you go with the Audi you'd better get an extended warranty if you're planning on keeping it longer than 4/50,000.

salvadorik

iTrader: (1)

As many said here if you purchase S4 do consider getting an extended warranty up to the max mileage that is permitted (e.g. 7Y/125K miles). It will cost you around $3.5-$4K for this kinda warranty but it may save you tons of money in the future.

Now since A4/S4 are at the end of their cycle I would assume that most of the bugs have been eliminated by now. S4 should be a reliable vehicle. One thing I know for sure is that power train (especially engine and quattro system) of an S4 is rock solid. Supercharged 3L V6 is an awesome engine and it is really reliable. I am not sure about the dual clutch transmission though. Some owners complained about its reliability in the past although it should have been improved by now I would imagine. Quattro AWD system is top notch and is very reliable. The things that generally go wrong with Audis are thermostat, water pump, and some small electrical issues such as back up camera etc.

As far as the 3IS is concerned I can't say that it is a faultless car. If you read CL you will notice a lot of people complain about weak battery, buggy nav and poor gas mileage. Also my biggest gripe about 3IS is the center console design, prone to squeaks and rattles. Other than that 3IS is a great value for the money you spend. It is superbly balanced with great chassis and adequate power. I love the exterior styling of 3IS also.

As far as the maintenance service cost is concerned I would argue that Audi is actually cheaper to maintain up 85K miles. Audi sells Audi care (up to 45K miles) for $830 and Audi care plus for around $1200 (55K, 65K and 75K) with total cost of around $2K for maintenance. Lexus charges more than 2K for maintenance package up to 50K. These are the actual prices that I know of. I think the notion that German cars are a lot more expensive to maintain than Lexus is more of stereotypical opinion rather than the true reflection of reality (lol I hope it makes sense what I said here). Lexus charges a lot as well.

There are also other factors such as how they drive, how they look, and how much they cost. Audi S4 costs a lot more, $15K more than a comparable 3IS but you get a better car for more money here. In my opinion S4 is more fun to drive and it has a better infotainment (MMI) and stereo systems (B&O vs ML) than those in 3IS. A lot of people would say that S4 understeers a lot and makes it cumbersome to drive. I would say 3IS has equal amount of understeer as well. But I personally don't think understeer in both cars is an issue. 99% of time you won't take your car to their limits. In fact understeer makes it safer to drive. The big difference between these two cars is engine. It really makes a huge difference no matter how good the suspension is. S4 and 3IS have great dialed in suspension. Drive both of them, preferably within the same day and this will give you a rough idea as what suites you better.

In a short:
- if price is not an issue and you wanna a fast car that does a lot of things right go with S4
- if you need a good reliable compact luxury car that is reasonably fast which is also a great value I don't think you will find anything better than 3IS here. Just my two cents.

Thunderwuf

Never had an Audi, but I've heard plenty of horror stories about german car repairs, BMW, Audi, etc... As far as the driving experience and power, S4 should be better. Although you're buying, I think it should still depend on how long you want to keep the car and whether you're the kind of person who don't mind the outgoing looks of a car. IMO, 3IS has more refined interior. Again, I'd suggest looking at how long you will keep the car. Only 3-5 years and you want quick power, S4 is for you. Otherwise, go with the 3IS.

Akrkwk

If you have money and are leasing
Go for S4
S4 is simply a better car in almost of all segment
Is350 is affordable and reliable
I have driven s4 in track from one of the un4gettable driving event held by bmw It sounds awesome. Interior is well built and is unique Only reason i would get is350 over s4 would be if i was purchasing but then i think i would still choose s4 over is350 cant forget that awesome exhaust note still

tea

never been a fan of Audi. I'd go with BMW or MB if i was to go German again

dagobert

I did consider it but the choice was easy:

I didn't fit in the Audi.
I fit in the Lexus

Problem solved.

Swacer

That worries me about the size of the Audi. My wife's IS is cramped for me at 6ft tall, 210lbs.