Compare the2024 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2024 Lexus IS

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4 Series Gran Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The IS doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The IS doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The IS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the IS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the IS’ (12 vs. 6 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4 Series Gran Coupe for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the IS (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 43 percent more BMW dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the IS’ camshafts. If the IS’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has more powerful engines than the IS:

On the EPA test cycle the 4 Series Gran Coupe gets better mileage than the IS:

Regenerative brakes improve the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The IS doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The IS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Lexus IS is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The IS doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the IS:

For better traction, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has larger standard tires than the IS (245/45R18 vs. 235/45R18). The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the IS (245/40R19 vs. 235/40R19).

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the IS F Sport’s 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers optional 20-inch wheels. The IS’ largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The IS doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The IS base model’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the IS (112.4 inches vs. 110.2 inches).

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.8% to 50.2%) than the IS’ (54% to 46%). This gives the 4 Series Gran Coupe more stable handling and braking.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has .4 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The IS doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The IS doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the IS have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the 4 Series Gran Coupe is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The IS prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Access standard on the IS doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The IS’ cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The IS’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Laser headlights, optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the IS’ LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the IS offer optional heated front seats. The 4 Series Gran Coupe also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the IS.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW 4 Series offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The IS doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The IS doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The BMW 4 Series comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Lexus IS isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the Lexus IS by over two to one during 2023.