[E90F30er]

When the 1st gen came out in 1999 it was flattery for BMW because Lexus basically made a carbon copy of the E36/E46 - rear wheel drive, straight six, BMW orange light dash; at the time the Press thought it was something different from everything else - it stood out (sports style watch speedo) and reviews said BMW had matured the 3 series with the E46 and the IS was how the E36 used to be. And the kit you got as standard was "highway robbery" according to theAA.com review. Then there was the Lexus lights craze even BMW copied them on their E46 Compact.

With the 2nd gen Lexus went their own way away from a sporty look (except the IS-F/F-Sport) with refinement etc.

The 3rd gen just out looks well either you love it or you hate it but the Chief Designer said that we drove the C-Class and the F30 as the benchmark and we've surpassed it with the new model.

I don't know if you have driven any of the models but can you tell me what you think? Customer satisfaction surveys always rate Lexus / the IS near the very top if not at the top.

Apologies for rambling on if you think Lexus are rubbish!

[sixpot]

Smooth 6 cylinder petrol in the first generation IS200. A lot smoother/quieter than anything BMW had at the time.

[buckethead]

1st gen is200 great handling...but so slow

[AlwynMike]

A friend has a 2nd Gen IS as a company car. Came from an E90.
Says the Lexus ticks all the boxes, but is thirstier and utterly bland and soul-less.

[Guvernator]

I've always had an interest in Lexus IS due to the fact that they are usually very generously equipped and their customer service is apparently second to none according to lots of surveys. However whenever I'd done a direct comparison to a BMW 3 or Merc C of the same generation they always seem to fall behind on performance, fuel\mpg or driver involvement.

The latest IS-F looks too boring for something which has a V8 in it and is thirstier then the M3, they also have no 335i/d alternative either so I think the engine range is sorely lacking. They also don't offer any of their performance models like the IS-F with a manual or even DCT option and auto's in this kind of car are just boring. In short they are very close but no cigar which is why I always have a look and then pass them by for the usual German offerings. Shame with a little more effort I reckon they could steal a lot more sales.

[Stevese90]

A rebranded toyota wouldn't pay over the odds for one not my cup of tea I'm afraid I'm sure the chassis will be from Toyota avensis but not hundred % sure I no that the new ct200h and the toyota auris is the exact same car with Lexus branding

[Guvernator]

Originally Posted by Stevese90

A rebranded toyota wouldn't pay over the odds for one not my cup of tea I'm afraid I'm sure the chassis will be from Toyota avensis but not hundred % sure I no that the new ct200h and the toyota auris is the exact same car with Lexus branding

All the reports in both magazines and actual owner feedback seems to indicate they are very well built both in terms of materials\buils and at least on a par with the German rivals. This certainly also seemed to be the case at the ones I've looked at so I wouldn't get too hung up on the "It's only a Toyota underneath" mentality.

If they offered a slightly better looking performance model with a proper gearbox I'd be all over it badge snobbery or no.

[Stevese90]

Actual owners will always say that their car is great but if I was looking for a new car I would definetly go for a f30 all day long In m sport spec regardless of engine

[TAM11M]

I own an e90 and my sister has had an is200 for a few years now, great cars honestly, the first gen drive great and build solid! taken care off and you have a car build to the best of the jap, my opinion the first gen is still the best looking one they have made.

yes the e90 is a better newer car, but between them there isn't much difference, just the is200 is sadly very slow and the fuel eco around town isn't great, other than that its not a bad car at all, compared to the e46 I would say as a 4 door, much rather have the is200 than that,

[DR-JEKL]

I had a is300 for years and the service support was fantastic, and i never had one thing go wrong with it. I had optioned mine with trd suspension components and a set of tein flex coilovers and wow it handled great (jumping out of that into the 335i was a tad disappointing in terms of feedback through teh tiller, but ultimately the 335i has more grip and a stiffer chassis)

When i got my bmw i was a tad disappointed with the service dept, and the quality of these cars in comparison is nowhere near as good! (fuel pump failure, injector failures etc etc)

Having said that my 335i gets around the same fuel consumption as the IS but with much more HP, and there is no way i would go back to my is300 even though i have spent a bomb on maintenance (and i have a oil leak from the valve cover and i need to do a walnut blast) as the bmw's have character and such a fantastic engine note.

At the end of the day if you value reliability/great service as a priority grab a lexus, if you value performance & charm grab the bmw.

[Stevese90]

The newer toyotas and Lexus are no way as reliable compared to 20 years back them things where bullet proof the newer cars have a whole list of problems my uncle is a taxi driver he had toyotas for years and the last few years he has problems after problems with his latest shape avensis so he's bought a honda accord which he says is a lot better to drive and has not had a single problem with it.