Motor Trend: Mid-Size Sedan Showdown! Audi A6 vs. BMW 535i vs. Infiniti M37S vs. Lexus GS350 F Sport!

lexus fanboys: since you have absolutely no regard for what automotive mags have to say (because a bmw wins most of these comparisons), you can't say how right they are now.

thinking people: sounds like lexus has much improved on the mediocre last gen GS. if only this car had the looks to match the improved mechanicals, it might be selling more than half the volume of the 5-series and be able to charge a similar price.

actually, i'm frustrated with the lack of steering feedback on my F10 5-series. it simply does not compare to that on my 3 previous BMWs. however, i do think it's great looking, powerful, has phenomenal seats/interior/sound system and is a pleasure to drive. my next car will either be an M5 (thank god it has traditional BMW hydraulic steering or a panamera GTS....but it's still a year till my current lease expires.

There's no electric steering system with feel, which is the main reason I didn't get Z4 while staying with G35. BMW knows it, which is why they retains hydraulic setup for M5, not typical 5 series.

Let's pray some smart engineer will improve efficiency of hydraulic steering system.

@dln. Youre an idiot. Servotronic steering is standard on all Z4's. Clearly you dont know anything about cars.

Well GS does not likes me, But numbers says that is the clear winner..and now the Germans Will have to rise the bar again...and about security "Lexus GS Named IIHS Top Safety Pick"..this will be a very interesting year.

I'll paraphrase the comparison:

Lexus built an E60 BMW and came in first, BMW built a Benz and came in second, Audi built an Audi and came in third, Infiniti built a Buick and came in fourth, and Benz chose not to be included because they knew they'd come in last.

Thumps up to Lexus, this is very good news. I would love to change my Infinity for the GS350 F Sport.

Quite harsh comment for M, but Nissan should know better not to over extend life of VQ engine. Time for a new design, and go FI!

Oh and don't forget suspension setup too!

As the owner of three 5 series, I can honestly say I would like a softer ride. But will Lexus "older" age buyers like a firmer setup. Maybe IS buyers will trade up for more space, but do not see ES owners doing this.

Very very close to general consensus. my ranking would've been A6, GS, and 5 series - GS being second because it is not made in Germany. Much as I love the BMWs, I really hate to see that they got rid of bangle and brought in Joe the Stumpy to design a car that weighs as much as a tank. My sentiment exactly that Lexus is turning into a BMW and BMW is turning into a glorified Lexus. What an irony. On a side note, much as I hate to admit, A6 has surpassed and exceeded 5series in every aspect. 5 series turn out to be a major disappointment.

like whichever you want, but if you read the vehicle specs in the article you'll notice the Audi was actually the heaviest car in the test. The BMW weighed 4007lbs, 52lbs less than the Audi at 4059lbs. At 3953lbs the Infiniti was 54lbs less than the BMW and 106lbs less than the Audi. The only "lightweight" in the group was the Lexus at 3840lbs, which was 113-219lbs less than the other three.

I'm all for cars losing weight, including the 5-Series, and I imagine the next 5-Series will once BMW starts using more carbon fiber and other lightweight materials (the new X5, for example, is supposedly going to weigh 700lbs less than the current model). The 5-Series may not be light but it's in line with the other cars, and the article did call the 535 the quietest, smoothest, most solid, most comfortable, etc., which frankly are attributes most people buying in this class will value more than "most skidpad grip", "highest slalom speed", etc. All the cars are "sporty". The majority of 535, A6, GS, M37, and E350 buyers are going to spend 99% of their time cruising highways and eating miles. Finding the right balance of sport, luxury, comfort, etc. is what actual buyers want, even if it may not win magazine comparisons (though it was enough to come in second, over the faster Audi).

I'm aware the Audi is AWD, thank you. I was referring to the vehicles in this test, not vehicles that were not tested. I was pointing out the irony of calling the 535 heavy when it's 50lbs lighter than the A6 and only 50lbs heavier than the M37. My point being that other than the Lexus, all the cars weigh about the same. Is that more clear for you now?

When you see one in person it looks alot better. The styling also grows on you the more you look at it.....

so you DO work for lexus! nobody could possibly have that info otherwise. you're drinking the kool aid.

so why are sales only half that of the 18-month old 5-series despite the GS costing thousands less?

enthusiastx11 your penis is looking smaller by the second...
Keep trying to justify why and who you are but we all see the ugliness that is YOU~

Well that doesn't happen very often now does it? Congrats to Lexus for making a good car.

"Don't get cocky, kid" Hans Solo

BD: they've always made great cars? define great please.

"Lexus" doesn't make a car. They don't make anything actually.

Maybe MT should have used the previous generation 5 series.


"It's no secret that we haven't exactly turned cartwheels over this latest generation of 5 Series. Two years ago, when the so-called F10 debuted, it didn't even make it to Round 2 of our Car of the Year competition. And that was a year after the last iteration of the previous-gen E60 won an eight-car comparison test. Talk about following in the footsteps of greatness -- and stumbling."

It still came in second.

Ordered my Gray F Sport!

Upcoming IS will be even sportier(more focus on sport compare to luxury than new GS) confirmed by Karl Schlicht, Lexus Europe.

"We want to give you amazing design, amazing interiors and amazing leaps in driving pleasure, just like what we’ve done with the GS (the next IS will be even better, I can personally confirm this)."

http://lexusenthusiast.com/2012/04/10/insights-from-a-lexus-insider-karl-schlicht-goes-to-europe/

So LFA, LF-LC Concept, GS F-sport, RX F-sport and new promise that IS will be even sportier than GS shows that Lexus is on the right path and many great driving machines from Lexus are on their way. Lexus is determined to change their image and wants to be seen as maker of best in class sporty driving and fuel efficient cars.

The A6 is garbage. The interior feels so cheap and the dash looks and feels like cheap plastic rubber. I know a lot of people who rushed out to get the A6 and immediately went back to BMW. Ya, their sales are up, but the trendy pick of the Audi will fall right back down.

With the weight being the same between the Audi and BMW, I am even more surprised that A6 feels nimbler and more agile overall. For those who criticize A6's interior, my question is if you had ever been in an A6 recently...
Audi and GS have the best interior - hands down! Go to your Audi dealership and ask them to give you an A6 on loan for the weekend, I bet you will be sold instantly. In terms of active steering, Porsche and Audi have the best electronic steering, while BMW's active steering feels so "abrupt" in comparison - well, that is the only word I can find to describe the active steering. Again, as I had said that I really like BMW, it just seems to me that the company does not road-tune and -engineer their cars anymore. Prototyping their cars on Nurburgring is just for show. Just my two cents.

Nimbleness at the expense of ride quality, comfort, smoothness, fuel economy, and noisyness, all of which the 535 was best in test at, and all of which will matter more to actual buyers of large-ish $60k luxury cars than pulling that extra mph in the slalom or hundredth of a g on the skidpad.

Agility and nimbleness used to be what BMW did best and now lost in this new wave of tech-equipped soul-less vehicles. Start up any new 5 series, did you hear anything? Exhaust note is barely noticeable. Cruising down the freeway at 80mph, you'll immediately notice all the Lexus attributes (e.g., quiet cabin and floaty handling even with M sport package and active stabilization). Do a full throttle passing, you'll notice that engine is so muffled that it barely purrs - especially in 550 which sounds like an Lexus LS 460 imitator. If comfortable ride quality (rather than sporty ride), smoothness, quietness, and fuel economy are what the majority of BMW buyers want. Why buy a BMW when you can buy a Lexus that does all these better. "Ultimate Driving Machine" is earned, not bought.

Funny thing is the Lexus fans keep hating on Motor Trend and other magazines when their Lexus doesn't finish top. Now that a Lexus has won this comparison all of a sudden Motor Trend is a "credible magazine" to them.

Hilarious.

Personally I wouldn't touch any car here if I wanted something sporty. They're all to heavy and overweight and not as nimble as a lighter and smaller car. A 3er or C class will always handle better than a 5er or E class due to less weight and a shorter wheelbase (and possibly a sportier setup).

Oh, and I don't need a magazine to tell me which car is "the best" because it's all subjective. From this group I find the A6 with AWD the most appealing if I had to pick a car here.

I would take the 5 series, its the most balanced. It still puts up good performance numbers ( this class is NOT about all out performance, and im sure a majority of customers who buy these cars agree), it also rides the best, and is the most efficient. This is where the Audi falls short, they focus to much on performnace numbers but forget its a luxury car...it should be somewhat fun to drive. Instead the A6 is as fun as a buick, with a harsh ride, the car just does not make sence. Lexus made a good car, and got a well deserved win.