[Robert]

Pretty good cars but no manual.

You can register for the event:

http://tasteoflexus.com/performance/registration.asp

[mistermojorizin]

i testdrove an is350 b4 buying the 135, the transmission was the dealbreaker. but i think i could be seduced by the is-f because i love honda/toyota for awsome reliability and it finally has a worthy engine. but its out of my price range. if i could get it for 40K, i would get it. they came around to the engine, maybe they'll come around to manuals in a few years. i mean they have the stickshift in the is250, why not throw one in the is-f?

[Robert]

The IS350 with F accessories (suspension, exhaust, brake upgrade) make it a different animal. The car corners sharper with less drama and the exhaust is LOUD. Very different. People were amazed with the power delivery, how fast it is. I just nodded and thought.. wait till you drive the BMW ttI6

[BMW Dreamer]

I was considering the IS350 but the automatic turned me off. After doing alot of research on the car I found way too many buyers complaining about very poor interior build. MANY MANY having several rattles. I mean a ton of people, not a few and many web sites. I have also heard Toyota is having alot of quality issues compared to Honda. Some people are so upset with their IS 350's they are ready to get rid of them. Some dealers are telling them they can't do anything about the rattles, that its in the cars design. I wonder how the ISF interior is??? Being firmer I guess Lexus might have taken alot more time on the interior for a high price. The ISF I saw last sunday at the dealer was $69k. That would be alot of cash on a rattle trap. TOO bad, I think the IS350 would be great to own with a manual as long as they fixed the rattle problems. But many also say the handling isn't very good and the cars rides quite harsh. WOW, hard to believe its a Lexus......

[Jack in Jax]

One thing I find interesting about the Is250/360 models - and perhaps this applies across the entire Lexus line - is how much higher is the dealer mark-up vs. the BMW products. Or put another way, for how much less Lexus can build a comparable car and deliver it stateside than can BMW.

As one example, retail pricing of the Is250 line is ~ 20% above invoice, which would suggest some productive negotiation is possible. As we know, 128i wholesale pricing is ~ 10% above invoice, leaving a lot less wiggle room.

Jack

[wu2x]

My dad has a 2006 IS350. From personal experience, it feels much more upscale than the 1er's interior, but to confirm with Jeff, it also has its share of issues (loose pieces on the front passenger side). The deal breaker for me was definitely the lack of manual transmission.

[Robert]

Sign up for the event if its around your area. The 2 hour event is free, free food, free to beat up the car on Lexus dime, both in autox and track condition. Regardless if you like Lexus or not. The Is350F is a complete different beast

[dclee1]

I did the Lexus event, too. There's a 5 hour invite-only event (but it's not free) that's a little more extensive than the 2 hour version. I was fortunate enough to get invited by a friend. Events include:

- intro buffet and welcome
- Classroom session: professional drivers teaching basic racing mechanics
- Follow the leader: 3 ISFs (1 person each) behind one pro driver following his lines around the track
- Relay race: two teams complete in a relay race around a track, each driver gets one lap and stops at the starting area, then runs and tags the next guy to go
- Autocross: each person gets three timed runs on an autocross course
- Hot laps: each person sits shotgun in an ISF while a race pro drives around the track

It's definitely a day that gets your adrenaline going and worth a trip. You get to thrash brand new cars for a day. As for the ISF - it's very fast and has a great growl (apparently a second intake opens up at 3600 RPM), but feels mushy around the track at its limits. A good effort by Lexus, but not worth the 60K IMHO.

[Heinzftw]

Looks to be invitation only. Where are the events held at, and where can I get an invitation?

[Spook]

Dealbreakers on the IS350:
- No manual
- Too isolating
- The stereo upgrade to a Mark Levinson could only be had by bundling with $7K worth of other stuff I didn't want.

[BMW Dreamer]

They get very expensive too easily.

[Robert]

The event was great. Never felt more alive sliding through a corner at 80+ during the hot lap. I need to sign up for BMWCCA and pick up some new skills.