Goals from Steven MacLean and Paul Parry gave Cardiff a 2-0 victory at Loftus Road, on a frustrating afternoon for the hosts.
The Bluebirds made the most of a below-par performance from the R's to leave W12 with maximum points.
MacLean opened the scoring on 29 minutes, when he capitalised on hesitancy in the Rangers penalty area to smash the ball past Lee Camp from close range.
Rangers started the second period encouragingly, but just as it did seven days earlier, the woodwork thwarted their efforts.
Stefan Moore's shot bounced back off the post, before Danny Nardiello was denied at point-blank range by Ross Turnbull.
The all-important second Bluebirds goal arrived moments after Nardiello's chance, as Parry headed home from the edge of the six-yard box to all but clinch the result.
Both sides made one change from their opening day fixtures in the Coca Cola Championship.
R's boss John Gregory handed Hogan Ephraim his full debut in place of Stefan Bailey, while Parry replaced Warren Feeney for the Bluebirds.
There was no place in the Cardiff 16 for either Robbie Fowler or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
The R's link up play in the opening exchanges was impressive.
The lively Nardiello was the first to test Bluebirds custodian Ross Turnbull, when he took one touch to control Dexter Blackstock's knockdown before firing a half-volley wide in the sixth minute.
Moments later, Parry forced Camp to shepherd the ball wide of his left hand post, when he let fly from 22-yards.
Rangers had vocal appeals for a spot-kick turned down midway through the half.
Nardiello and Blackstock combined effectively yet again and when the former curled an effort on target from the edge of the penalty box, the ball clearly struck Glenn Loovens' hand, only for referee Mr Joslin to wave away the appeals.
Adam Bolder's late tackle on Parry resulted in the first yellow card of the game and from Tony Capaldi's resultant free-kick, Camp was forced to tip the ball round.
Former R's great Trevor Sinclair, on his return to W12, was next to test Camp, volleying straight at the R's number one on 28 minutes.
Seconds later, MacLean opened the scoring, when he made the most of some hesitant defending in the Rangers rearguard, to smash the ball past an exposed Camp from close range, after the unmarked Parry flicked on Sinclair's corner.
Galvanised by their lead, MacLean should have doubled his tally for the afternoon on 35 minutes, but he inexplicably headed wide from six-yards with the goal at his mercy.
The Bluebirds were forced into a change seven minutes before the break, when Kevin McNaughton appeared to tweak a hamstring and was replaced by Chris Gunter.
Rangers were struggling to find the fluency that graced their impressive performance at Ashton Gate seven days earlier - and they very nearly paid the ultimate price on 41 minutes.
MacLean and Sinclair were gifted the freedom of the 18-yard box and when the latter reacted quickest to meet Capaldi's searching cross, Camp was grateful to see the ball fade less than a yard wide of his right hand post.
Four minutes of added time to a stop-start first period failed to produce any further chances, leaving Rangers with it all to do in the remaining 45 minutes.
Buoyed by Gregory's half-time team talk, the R's were on the front foot straight from the kick-off.
Rowlands fed an inviting through ball into the path of the roaming Moore, who took one touch to set before thrashing a fearsome drive off the outside of Ross Turnbull's right hand post.
The bustling nature of Rangers' play clearly worried the visitors, with Joe Ledley and Sinclair each picking up bookings for mistimed tackles in a rip-roaring start to the second period.
The R's should have been level on 56 minutes, when Danny Nardiello nipped in behind the sleeping Loovens, only to see Turnbull parry the ball to safety from point-blank range.
But they were left wondering what might have been seconds later, when fantastic wide play from Stephen McPhail saw him send in an enticing cross, which the unmarked Parry headed home with ease from six-yards.
Rangers continued to force the initiative, but when substitute Nicky Ward squandered a golden opportunity from eight yards seven minutes from time, you knew it wasn't their day.
QPR: Camp, Stewart, Mancienne, Bolder, Nardiello (Nygaard 63), Blackstock, Rowlands, Moore (Ward 63), Curtis, Ephraim, Rehman.
Subs: Cole, Bignot, Cullip.
Bookings: Bolder 26, Rehman 44
Cardiff City: Turnbull, McNaughton (Gunter 38), Capaldi (Whittingham 48), Rae, Loovens, MacLean (Feeney 91), McPhail, Parry, Johnson, Ledley, Sinclair.
Subs: Oakes, Purse.
Scorers: MacLean 29, Parry 58
Bookings: Ledley 51, Sinclair 52
Referee: Mr P J Joslin
Attendance: 12,596 (1,384)
