Lexus has high hopes for its brand new 2013 GS sedan in the highly competitive executive segment, or at least it does in the North American market because Europe is a different story.

While one would consider the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the BMW 5-Series or the Audi A6 more direct opponents for the GS, Road & Track magazine chose a different adversary in the form of the Audi A7 Sportback.

Audi’s A7 may split the difference between a traditional saloon and a hatchback offering an in-between body style, but it in essence, it remains an executive model, so R&T’s test is not too far off.

The Audi A7 is more expensive than the GS, but not as much as you’d expect. Not including a destination and handling fee, the base A7 with a 310hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6 starts at $59,250, while the Lexus GS 350 with a 306hp 3.5-liter V6 costs $46,900 plus $5,690 for the base F Sport package, which brings the total to $52,590.

You can watch the comparison in detail in the video that follows after the break.

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