both games seem pretty similar to me - the post-apocalyptic setting, a relatively open world, vehicular combat etc. i wonder which one came up with the idea first.
who else is excited about this new post-apocalyptic wave of games? (fallout 3, rage, borderlands, gears 2, fuel...)

they both seem really cool, just gotta decide which to go with!

Rage was confirmed to be the first. As for racing, its not only mini-game-racing, its your transportation throughout a huge world.

Gears 2 is hardly 'post apocalyptic' , not in the way the other games you named are. Fallout of course really started the trend in games for this kind of thing, but out of Rage and Borderlands, they are still far different games besides the setting, one being a 4 player co-op FPS/RPG and the other from ID, so it will probably end with fighting through hell!(sarcasm, I actually love ID)

I didn't look into Rage much just because Borderlands has co-op and a ton of guns.

When I read the article in Game Informer it immediately reminded me of Fallout 3. I'm sure that there's some differences, but this type of open-world, post-apocalyptic, rpg seems to be getting pretty common.

I prefer Rage as I have come to love the atmosphere and engines ID uses. 
 
however I am really excited to play Borderlands with some close friends.

I don't like borderlands graphic. it looks like animation or something. of course, somebody says that is why cool. I say no more crap. people compare with fallout 3 or vegas, borderlands, I don't think that Rage is in the same environment even though it claimed post post apocalyptic world. I see that Rage is way better than two games. don't get me wrong. I just don't like fallout 3, vegas, borderlands. especially, fallout 3 & vegas just make me lost.

I think Rage is going to be much better than Borderlands.. I tried to get into Borderlands but the story seemed so stupid and the quests were so boring and grindy it seemed so I stopped playing.

Different games, both good in their own ways, but neither of them invented the MadMax-ish setting. So there's really no point in arguing about this.