Just curious if anyone here owns both Audi and Lexus.....and would comment on comparison of just ride quality and noise (wind, road, tires)----at this point not looking to compare power, acceleration, repair frequency..etc.
Just wondering about a first hand relatively unbiased opinion.
Thanks Mike

 

I am a long term owner of Lexus. I think I bought a total of 18 of them, over the past 23 years.
Therefore, I might or might not be unbiased.. Depends..
I don't own the A8 but have owned two A4s, c300 and now I have two 2008 LS 600HLs and one Jaguar xf (for my son).

Over the years, I enjoyed the soft and refined ride of the Lexus. the RX, ES and particularly even more, the LS - they have a very beautiful ride. The word I use is "beautiful" not "fun"..

Its like riding on the cloud. If you have not owned an LS in the past, certainly, the LS is an enjoyable experience.. Personally, I think I am tired of the LS ride. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, of course.. It is still perfect.. Until about 6 to 8 years ago (give or take a few years, depending on the brand), the LS's refinement was unmatched by others. By others, I mean the S, A8, XJ and the 7.

In addition, the Lexus ownership experience was superior, in the 90's. In 2000, I found the mercedes service dept to be arrogant.. But now, I find that things have changed.. Audi, BMW, Mercedes.. all seem to offer an experience similar to the "friendly customer service experience", pioneered by Lexus in 1989. Until Lexus, the german elite treated us like " you are lucky to be driving our car. Are you actually smart enough to appreciate it? And you want to complain about it? Do you know anything about our company?". I kid you not! But now, they all learnt a lesson - from Lexus..

Starting with the current generation S class, Mercedes has become an equal to the LS and in some respects, an even better driver experience. I had owned a 2000 model S class for 3 years (leased new) and at the same time also had an LS. The S class was impressive but a bit sluggish at start. The mercedes seems to have a bit of "sluggishness" at start (including the C300 as compared to the Audi 2.0 turbo A4). For those 3 years, the S was very reliable. Audi A4s were certainly more fun than the mercedes 300.. The turbuo is fun.. Audi has come up with a great compromise between ride softness and performance handling. Same goes for A8 (test drive).
Anyway, the bottom line is that I believe that the superiority of the LS's refined engine/transmission/ride is no more. The S class, the 750 and the A8 are all equally good and some (including me) prefer them, as opposed to the LS.. I think they are all equal.. except for a few idiosyncracies of each.. I would assume that the LS is more reliable on the longer term.. Most of my cars have been 3 year leases and all brands were equally reliable.. A friend said that his 7 series was troublesome..

I drove the Jaguar XF on a 1000 mile trip and it is absolutely a fun car to drive (5 liter engine).. The jaguars - the XF and XJ are like luxury sedans on steroids.. the XF gas mileage is bad (some times even 12 to 14 in city).. but the fun factor is HUGE! The interior of the Jaguar is very nice.. For example, the LS 600 has better interior than the LS 460 - Less plastic and more leather on LS 600 (including the dash).. In case of Jaguar, even the smaller jaguar- the xf, has the same class of leather interior as my LS 600. Jag has leather dash.. usually seen only in the Mercedes S650 etc.. I appreciate the tru luxury appointments of Jaguar interior.

I like Audi's GPS nav with google maps.. Lexus LS maps are a pain! Updates are slow (years behind!).


Bottom line - I think I would prefer the Jaguar XJL awd but I would only lease it for 3 years. I would not trust its reliability beyond warranty.. If your plan is to keep your car for 100,000+ miles, you are probably better off with the Lexus LS...

I made the mistake of buying my two LS 600s. I am forced to keep them, because they are worth a whole lot more to me than they would fetch in the used market. So.. for now, no Jaguar XJL for me.. although its quite tempting.. Only because we all enjoy new toys.. The LS 600 is an amazing car!

 

I have an '08 LS460L and a '12 A7. The Audi is more of a driver's car, while the LS is just a cruiser. More tech in the Audi, but the powerband with that supercharged V6 is too thin. The LS' V8 has more depth, but the torque specs for both vehicles are nearly identical.

The Lexus rides a bit quieter - more engine noise evident in the Audi.

Holler if there's some specific you're curious about.

cheers

 

@Lexus600hL- good feedback and nice sig pic too.

@iceburg- Which one do you find yourself driving more?

 

I have enjoyed my 460 the last 5 years but am leaning toward the new S8 with its under rated 520 HP (Motor Trend). Although I have not driven one I think it would be a more complete and satisfying driving experience for myself.

 

.............
Thanks....I have owned a bunch of audis......but no current luxury models. I enjoy my LS460 (first Lexus) a lot, but miss the Audi involvement. If the current Audi's are close to Lexus in NVH...I would consider looking at them again. I had no more reliability or repair issues with the audis vs the Lexus.
Lexus is a fine car and very smooth ,comfortable and quiet....but could do more to make me feel engaged as a driver.
It is always beneficial to get opinions from folks who own both and can compare them in real life over varied conditions.
Probably cannot go wrong with either.

 

I have owned or leased Mercedes, BMW, several Audi's and even drove the Porsche Panamera. For me, It was an agonizing decision deciding between the LS460 and the A8. However, one major decision influenced me, the ride and acceleration of the base V6 A8 is somewhat lacking, and the optional V8 A8 is needed. Drove the old 4.2 liter 8 and that motor was also underpowered. The suspension settings and ride are quite similar to the LS460 F-sport. The price differential was quite enlightening -- 87K for the Lexus versus 105K for a similarly equipped Audi A8.

 

Had an A6 for many years. Loved the car. It was by far a better a car for driving with an enthusiastic foot on a curvy road. It was louder by good margin than my LS 460. Way more tire and engine noise. But it handled like a dream and had the driving refinement that you expected in a world class German car. Loved its look. Classy. At 90 MPH it was in heaven. I would own one again if they could make it more reliable.
I could look past the numerous little things breaking, like cup holders, trim, and buttons, but I couldn't look past the huge repair bills for control modules, screens, electronics, and suspension parts. Sadly, those occurred regularly. After about $5K in warranty repairs and $8K in non-warranty repairs, I couldn’t justify the ownership any longer. I would own one again if it was under warranty. I loved it that much. But after about 80,000 miles it was a money pit.

As a side note, I am in a class action lawsuit with Audi over a design flaw that allowed rain water to enter the car and flood the floor board, thus running the computer control module. It was a design flaw in the sill of the car near the pollen filter. $1500 dollars for repair.

https://wateringresssettlement.com/default.aspx

 

I drive the LS to work because I have a 30-mile commute of which 20 miles is bumper to bumper. Nice to have a quiet cruiser that minimizes road rage.

I take the Audi out at night and on weekends when I want to rip around and do some damage. Nice balance between the two.

 

Sounds like a great set-up !

 

I tested it. It is like seat on wood table, there is no any cloud, clear sky completely. After that I bought Buick Enclave. Not perfect soft but very good.

 

Enjoy your Buick.

 

I like the way Audi's drive, they handle well and the power is right where it needs to be. I'd say the A4 isn't all that great, but it's the lower end model, so that's expected. And the A4's engine sounds like a cement mixer.

The A8 is a nice car, but it's an Audi, things are going to break and when they do, it's going to cost you a fortune. The LS is just a better engineered car, with better long term reliability. I wouldn't feel confident driving an Audi product long term - the interiors don't hold up and the electronics break. Take a look at the ***** and buttons on an Audi interior after five years, they're worn out, they're missing, or they're broken.

 

I realize this is an old thread, but I drove an A6 and an LS460 today back to back. Its not an A7, but they are very similar. I can't speak to the A8, I have not driven one, but the LS460 and the A6/A7 could not be more different. The A6/A7 is sportier, still very smooth and quiet but the LS is on another level entirely.

Not to say its better than the A6/A7, its just different. A better comparison to that car is my GS.

 

A friend of mine just got a RS7. Really impressive for a full size sedan.