Edmunds Comparison: Lexus IS-F vs. Audi RS4
Edmunds has pitted the Lexus IS-F against the Audi RS4, and in what might be the first published IS-F comparison test.
The results, unfortunately, were not pretty, as this is a fairly one-sided affair, with the RS4 pulling far ahead of the IS-F in every category. Their conclusion really says it all:
The 2009 Lexus IS-F is the kind of car that really benefits from switching off the stability control, as it’ll do some really wicked powerslides. And the IS-F handles really nicely and precisely. It’s just too much for us, though. Too much to look at, too intricate to fully appreciate and too hard-core for the street.
The all-wheel-drive 2007 Audi RS4 just plain hauls ass. It doesn’t rotate around an apex like a rear-driver. It’s less the rapier than it is the broadsword. But it’s devastatingly effective as a street machine, so it wins.
The IS-F is shaping up to be quite confounding, it seems as though its marketing slogan, “F is everything you thought we weren’t”, is profoundly dead-on.
(There’s a great video accompanying this comparo, be sure to watch it.)
Similar Stories:
Comments
To enable your avatar, please sign up with the Gravatar service.
Please keep your comments relevant to this news story. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.
Debate is welcome and encouraged, but no personal attacks will be allowed. Failure to respect all participants on this website could result in removal and blocked access.
Interesting comparison, and it was VERY close in the end, 85.7% to 84.3%...1.4% difference. If there’s a similar price gap…?
However I do take slight umbrage at the ‘Toyota fanboy’ remark and the continued criticism of the exterior looks, plus the complaint that the exhausts are cosmetic and impossible to like. It’s highly subjective, the looks…and lo and behold I like the exhausts. IMO a fair visual comparison is between the A4/RS4, with slight differences between Audi models, and a basic IS design with F badges, which is what an IS 500 might have looked like. I feel that the basic IS look beats the A4/RS4 hands down, but that’s just my opinion. With the IS-F, I also think the contours of the original IS design continue to be more dynamic and visually appealing than the Audi design.
However in the end the judgment (in the video) that the IS-F is “too hardcore” is something I’d never expect for a Lexus review. And, although there seems to be this ‘1989 again’ claim, I haven’t seen that reference made by Lexus publicity materials. It’s a stretch IMO to say that because they used the F badge, relating to the original F1 project, that must mean that the IS-F is a 1989 “all over again scenario.” Unlike 1989, the IS-F is testing the waters, and designed by a small skunk works team. The 1989 LS 400 was designed by a full company effort. If Lexus wanted to do 1989 all over again with the F-line, they would have invested a similar massive effort, extensive testing, and spoken accordingly (as they have done with subsequent LS generations, and seem to be doing for the LF-A).
Lastly it seems that these reviewers expect a new entrant into this performance arena to adhere by the same rules as the past vehicles have. Understated styling enhancements and the like. That the IS-F dares to be different is criticized, but I wonder if it would have been criticized as ‘just a more expensive IS’ if it followed the traditional German route and was less ‘hardcore’ in styling and performance execution.
Of course, in the end the scoring was closer than the prose would indicate.
I have to admit, I missed the actual scoring page, and based this post only on the writeup and video.
It’s safe to say that mechanically, the IS-F is everything it should be, competing head-on with all of its class competitors. However, the criticism of the exterior design and the ride quality is only going to get more and more rampant as this car is put up against the RS4/M3/C63.
I find it so curious that Lexus went so far out of their comfort zone with the IS-F, and this goes back to a statement you made previously, Lexus seems to be greatly affected by criticism. It’s almost as though the IS-F was built for the express purpose of showing Lexus design can be controversial and that Lexus performance can keep up with its German competitors. Problem is, it looks like they went too far in that regard, at the expense of the tried-and-true Lexus qualities. I think this, more than anything, is the result of the skunkworks development.
Yeah, that’s a good point. They often tend to overdo some things, in this case they went all out to prove they could make a track car, and show that a real Sporty Lexus was not an oxymoron. And yes, the IS-F is much more outrageously styled, at least in pictures, than its competitors…although the C63 is pretty ostentatious itself. As for whether it’s a good thing or not, whether the IS-F is the correct approach or not, different reviews have different opinions. However I am of the opinion they wanted to banish the idea that Lexus could not compete in this arena. If they had done a lesser job, much of the criticism would be “still too Lexus luxury biased” or something.
For sure, there was no way Lexus was going to come into this super-competitive class without taking a beating, whether it was by being too luxurious or too sporty.
Funny, looking at it from a longterm perspective, this over-the-top performance model might be for the best, as the next F iterations, say the GS-F, won’t have to sacrifice so much to prove the pedigree. A thought, at least…
It’s possible, although I personally hope they give a similar big do-over to the GS-F to add to the ‘mean’ or ‘bad boy’ quality.
If any Lexus would look good with the IS-F’s styling, it’s the GS. I think it could absorb the more dramatic elements easily.