I have deposits down on both cars and am having a very difficult time deciding which to get and it's crunch time--1-2 weeks to decide. I love the looks/fit and finish of the Lex, but the power of the A3 3.2 blows it away. I need AWD so the IS350 is not an option. People with A3 3.2's please weigh in if you have a few seconds.

 

Obviously, the opinions you get from this forum will be biased but almost every A3 owner I've met is really happy about their car. I've never owned a Lexus but have owned a couple Toyotas and I'm really glad I made the switch to an Audi. The German's seem to design more driver oriented cars, meaning less gadgets like cup holders and such so that you're more focused on the driving experience. The Lexus will probably run forever with a few problems while the Audi will be more finicky and require a bit more care to keep it tip-top. The fit and finish on the A3 isn't as good the A4 or A6 so you might want to consider the A4 3.2 quattro if you want a fair comparison.

It all depends on what you're looking for. If you want a status symbol car to cruise around in the Lexus might be the way to go (not that the A3 is a Toyota Corolla). If you want a German pocket rocket that can haul a small dresser, the A3 is the way to go.

 

I'm sure everyone here would recomend the Audi and everyone on the Lexus forum would recomend their choice. So the answer should be obvious,get the car YOU want.

 

Given that I need to tote folks around in my back seat on a farily regular basis, the decision between these two is easy. I can easily sit in the rear seat of the A3 (which I maintain has more legroom than an A4), however, not only can I not get into the rear of an IS, my eleven-year old daughter isn't even comfortable back there. Game, set, match; I'd get the A3 any day.

 

Get the Lexus.
Why - no reason. But, at least people will not say that everyone on this forum is overly biased toward Audis.

 

LOL, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssse!!!!! !!!!!!!



Cheers!

 

I found the Lexus extremely boring to drive. That's why I picked the A3

 

test drive both and get the car you prefer. the cars you are comparing are in different classes. the a4 2.0T or 3.2 is same class as IS. personally I think the a3/a4 is a more involving driving experience imo.

 

I also testdrove both cars and loved the A3 ALOT more. It just was a lot more fun to drive and just seemed like an all round better car. I also got the 2.0 and never test drove the 3.2 so I can't imagine how much more fun the 3.2 is

 

I agree on the legroom! I keep hearing about "the bigger A4" but that is not true for the interior. I could not comfortably sit behind myself in the A4, and the Lexus IS would be impossible, whereas I can fit pretty nicely in the A3.

I had the choice between a usedIS300 Sportcross and a CPO A3 2.0T last summer, so pretty comparable 5-door sporting cars (except for the interior space issue). Even the salesman for the IS300 (a close family friend) agreed that the A3 is far beyond the Lexus as a driver's car.