  Comparison Test: 2013 Audi S4 vs 2014 Lexus IS 350. Click image to enlarge |
Power
Here is the first big gap between our competitors, and one that simply cannot be erased through upgrades or options packages.
The Audi S4 is powered by their new sweetheart, the 3.0T. As noted in our long-term test of the S4 and elsewhere, that “T” stands for “supercharger”, and 3.0 the displacement in litres of Audi’s new signature V6. Horsepower is rated at 333, peaking from 5,500 to 6,500 rpm, but the near constant stream of 325 lb-ft of torque is available from 2,900 to 5,300 rpm, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this engine was underrated considering how it feels; as Jeff Wilson said: “Those extra 30 or so horses over the Lexus must be winged Clydesdales.”
The rush of in-gear acceleration in the S4 is addictive and satisfying in every way, especially when undiluted by torque converters or controlled by dual clutch auto-manuals – this car is blessed with a manual transmission. The always-on boost of the supercharger propels this 1,750-kg (3,858 lb) car up to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds according to Audi estimates, and as low as 4.4 seconds to 96 km/h (60 mph) in Motor Trend testing.
The 2014 Lexus IS 350 returns with the same 3.5L V6 engine in the previous generation IS (not to mention a host of other Lexus and Toyota products). Its 306 hp at 6,400 and 277 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm might seem like quite the disadvantage on paper, but the RWD IS 350’s weight is only 1,630 kg (3,593 lb), and the eight forward gears in its automatic transmission (available only on RWD IS 350s) help it reach 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, according to Lexus.
 Comparison Test: 2013 Audi S4 vs 2014 Lexus IS 350. Click image to enlarge |
Out on the road, the Audi launches like a catapult down low in its rev band, but it is accompanied by a thrum and bass that might or might not suit your tastes. The Lexus, on the other hand, builds more slowly, but reaches a crescendo in both power and a racy whine of the naturally breathing V6, very similar to Cadillac’s 3.6 in the ATS. Jeff took a different view: “The normally aspirated V6 in the Lexus is buttery smooth, but whispers much too quietly for a sport sedan. There should be some visceral passion in the way a true sporting machine goes about its business and the Audi’s baritone voice resonates better with me.”
While the numbers alone give the S4 a clear win in the power department, it’s not as wide a gap as you’d imagine on the road, and the Lexus, too, is capable of fierce acceleration, and the seemingly infinite number of gears and paddle shifters mean you can keep it where it delivers.
For anyone out there concerned about fuel consumption, however, the Audi actually returns better fuel consumption in our experience, managing 11.5 L/100 km, while the Lexus showed 11.8 for the one tank we burned through in its week with us. US EPA estimates predict 10.7 L/100 km combined (22 mpg) for the RWD IS 350, and the S4 at 11.8 (20 mpg), so perhaps the Lexus’s low mileage meant it wasn’t yet operating at peak efficiency yet. Both require premium gasoline.
