[ItsHectic]

My dad had a sports luxury is250 convertible, it got a lot of attention for what it was but the brakes felt the same, and same computer system.

I checked the review of the new IS and I'm surprised it still uses the control stick, there is a reason merc and audi copied bmw, I think Lexus missed the memo.

[yamazaho]

nice read, good to see people have more positive reviews on them.

Thinking switching out wife's X5 for a IS350, hummmm wish these IS can be turbocharged!!!!

[derryck]

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

I guess I am alone then.
The reason I do not consider it as prestigious and because I believe Audi/BMW/Merc and ofc Porsche are more prestigious (and it used to be in that order) is because they all go beyond the call of building a good car.

Lexus while still prestigious to a degree do prioritize different aspects, I noticed it is not as refined but they use more expensive materials at least such as leather and paint. Lexus is also not as technologically advanced as shown by the LS vs the S class suspension. Their is not as much attention to detail in a Lexus for example the feel of pressing the buttons in the car is not as good.

But those are not the reasons I think they are not a replacement for Audi/BMW/Merc, and its also not a badge thing or markup price.
I just found it more difficult to live with a Lexus, I guess you could say it was attention to detail but things that bothered me:
Brake pedal goes by travel not just pressure.
The beep.
Must turn off ignition to lock the car.
Too many buttons and feels unintuitive compared to BMW.

Prestigious cars deserve to be nitpicked.

Lexus is not as technologically advanced??? Really...you should probably do some reading as their halo car (Lexus LFA) is possibly the most technically advanced car on the planet. Just because you can make something more complex doesn't mean you should. I recently drove a new IS350 F Sport and the interior is light years ahead of anything from BMW or Mercedes in my opinion but they're not quite there on driving dynamics yet but the gap has narrowed from the last gen IS.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by derryck

Lexus is not as technologically advanced??? Really...you should probably do some reading as their halo car (Lexus LFA) is possibly the most technically advanced car on the planet. Just because you can make something more complex doesn't mean you should. I recently drove a new IS350 F Sport and the interior is light years ahead of anything from BMW or Mercedes in my opinion but they're not quite there on driving dynamics yet but the gap has narrowed from the last gen IS.

The current IS350 F-Sport drives better then then F30, I think. It's got some 'oomph' too, all while using a Naturally Aspirated engine.

[NemesisX]

Yeah I lol'd a little bit at "Lexus is not technologically advanced"

[NemesisX]

The bottom line with Lexus for me is this. In the past there were always concerns because Lexus was such a new company. Now, they have 25 years under their belt and their reputation as an established company will only grow. Are they as established in the luxury sport game as BMW, Mercedes, or Audi? Absolutely not. Not even close (in terms of offerings), but that will likely improve over time.

At the end of the day you just have to drive the car and see if you like it. I don't like justifying my personal preferences of cars with nebulous terms like "refinement." Saying "car X just feels more refined than car Y" is just a euphemism for "I like car X more" for a number of reasons I may or may not be able to explicitly identify.

[derryck]

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

The current IS350 F-Sport drives better then then F30, I think. It's got some 'oomph' too, all while using a Naturally Aspirated engine.

I pulled up in a well modified E92 335 that has been tailored to my tastes so the Lexus felt a bit sluggish and generally less in every measurable performance category but the interior felt like it was made for me and was gorgeous. I'm a fan of that motor but coming from a modified 335 it certainly feels like it could use some help.

[majin ssj eric]

Well your modded 335i probably has a lot more power than 306HP which is what the stock IS350 has. Not really fair to compare modded with stock anyway though...

[derryck]

I wasn't really comparing it to my tuned N54...it was just for frame of reference. I really like the motor in the IS350 especially in the F Sport with the 8 speed automatic. It offers very good performance but there's no real gains to be had short of forced induction and knowing that there is a turbo 4 variant on the horizon from Lexus I would be inclined to wait.

[The Automotive Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by derryck

I wasn't really comparing it to my tuned N54...it was just for frame of reference. I really like the motor in the IS350 especially in the F Sport with the 8 speed automatic. It offers very good performance but there's no real gains to be had short of forced induction and knowing that there is a turbo 4 variant on the horizon from Lexus I would be inclined to wait.

Some people don't want gains, honestly. I didn't purchase my M3 for gains, I purchased it because it was a naturally aspirated motor that revved to hell and back, with immaculate throttle response, and very well balanced. I don't care for Forced Induction. All it needed was an exhaust to make the growl louder, and a Dinan Cold Air Intake to give the growl a deeper tone. I'll happily take the IS350 F Sport naturally engine and get spanked by tuned 335i's all day. No turbo lag, better balance, better throttle response and for me, that's what matters. I don't race on the streets anyway. Keep your eye on the W205 C-Class. That's going to be a contender as well.

[NemesisX]

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

The current IS350 F-Sport drives better then then F30, I think. It's got some 'oomph' too, all while using a Naturally Aspirated engine.

I've driven the modern day IS350 F sport and it is a very good car, but it's a little anemic compared to the 335i in the acceptable "daily driving" range of speed limits.

Actually, the previous generation IS350 feels a hell of a lot stronger than the current generation. Why? Because they tinkered with the gearing for the 2014 IS350.

The second generation IS350 had a final drive ratio of 4.08. The current generation has a final drive ratio of 3.13. The difference is pretty palpable.

The 2nd generation IS350 easily rivaled a stock 335i in terms of low end straight line acceleration, but the 3rd generation IS350 took 5 steps forward in the handling department and 2 steps back when it comes to low end straight line acceleration.

What advantage does the lower final drive ratio afford the 2014 IS350? Well, if a 2014 IS350 raced a 2nd generation IS350 from 100 MPH to 140 MPH, the 2014 IS350 would win I like to think of altering final drive ratios (provided that the engine and horsepower are the same) as putting one's "eggs" in different baskets. The 2nd generation IS350 sacrificed top end acceleration to boost lower end acceleration. The 3rd generation is more balanced across all ranges, but in my mind it took "eggs" out of a very useful basket (low end acceleration) and put it into a very useless basket (high end acceleration that no one will routinely touch for daily driving).

[ItsHectic]

Originally Posted by derryck

Lexus is not as technologically advanced??? Really...you should probably do some reading as their halo car (Lexus LFA) is possibly the most technically advanced car on the planet.

I did not think of the LFA, but I always see Mercedes inventing things now, I never hear of Lexus, and I saw that the suspension in the S class is ahead of the one in the Lexus equivalant. I cant find anything on the LFA.

[ToothDoc]

Just got a loaner ES300H. Can't believe it's only a 4 cylinder. It's SUPER quiet and comfy and sporty enough for people who aren't looking for a sports sedan. It's cheap, high residual, and uses little gas.

I'm actually tempted to buy one... for my folks.

[ItsHectic]

I just convinced my dad to sell his Lexus and buy an A200 lol.

[derryck]

Originally Posted by NemesisX

I've driven the modern day IS350 F sport and it is a very good car, but it's a little anemic compared to the 335i in the acceptable "daily driving" range of speed limits.

Actually, the previous generation IS350 feels a hell of a lot stronger than the current generation. Why? Because they tinkered with the gearing for the 2014 IS350.

The second generation IS350 had a final drive ratio of 4.08. The current generation has a final drive ratio of 3.13. The difference is pretty palpable.

The 2nd generation IS350 easily rivaled a stock 335i in terms of low end straight line acceleration, but the 3rd generation IS350 took 5 steps forward in the handling department and 2 steps back when it comes to low end straight line acceleration.

What advantage does the lower final drive ratio afford the 2014 IS350? Well, if a 2014 IS350 raced a 2nd generation IS350 from 100 MPH to 140 MPH, the 2014 IS350 would win I like to think of altering final drive ratios (provided that the engine and horsepower are the same) as putting one's "eggs" in different baskets. The 2nd generation IS350 sacrificed top end acceleration to boost lower end acceleration. The 3rd generation is more balanced across all ranges, but in my mind it took "eggs" out of a very useful basket (low end acceleration) and put it into a very useless basket (high end acceleration that no one will routinely touch for daily driving).

The new IS350 F sport feels noticeably quicker than the previous gen IS350 mostly due to the 8 speed automatic they grabbed out of the ISF. This tranny is only available in the IS350 F sport....none of the rest of the IS lineup gets the 8 speed.

[secretsquirrel]

Originally Posted by ToothDoc

Just got a loaner ES300H. Can't believe it's only a 4 cylinder. It's SUPER quiet and comfy and sporty enough for people who aren't looking for a sports sedan. It's cheap, high residual, and uses little gas.

I'm actually tempted to buy one... for my folks.

Their 4 cylinder is pretty awesome. My sister test drove an IS350 and IS250 back to back. I sat in in the back while she drove. I was very impressed with the responsiveness of the 250.

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

To those who have driven a recent model Lexus, what are your thoughts?
Do you think they can compare to Audi/BMW/Merc as a prestige car?

Personally I do not like them, I disliked many things about the car, too many buttons, weird brake feel, ugly sounding beep it makes when you lock the car. I think they are good cars but for a prestige car they need to sort out a few things.

I ask this because on whirlpool forums whenever someone mentions BMW a lot of people say to get a Lexus instead because its cheaper to maintain, so I feel alone on my view.

Here's my answer...

Yes. I've owned a Lexus. But that was back in the day before they began watering down the performance and weighing them down to make them quiet as a coffin. These days, they are not so appealing to me. My 98' GS400 (which I modified with all sorts of goodies) to this day was one of my favorite cars ever (and I've owned many). It looked like nothing else and was tops of it's class: besting the A6 and E500 all around. I had it for nearly 4yrs and not once did it have ANY issues! Prior to the L-Finese design used now, they were VERY generic looking and again soft as whipped cream cheese.
The upcoming RC-F is the liveliest car they've produced since the ubber $$$ LF-A.
Here's my GS...

[derryck]

Originally Posted by secretsquirrel

Their 4 cylinder is pretty awesome. My sister test drove an IS350 and IS250 back to back. I sat in in the back while she drove. I was very impressed with the responsiveness of the 250.

The IS250 is also a 6 cylinder...just anemic by comparison.

[secretsquirrel]

Originally Posted by derryck

The IS250 is also a 6 cylinder...just anemic by comparison.

Ah hah. Thanks for the info.