Whitigir

I am torn between these two. I want my next car to serve these purposes

-Luxury (Not too Noisy)
-Sedan 4 doors (to haul kids, 2-3)
-Sport Appearance
-AWD (Winter fighter)
-Reliable
-Cheap maintenances
-Mods friendly (if needed)


Please provide me some inputs. I am Bias-ed toward Lexus of course. The only thing I am thinking about now is

-Price wise
-AWD Lexus isn't as good as WRX
-WRX has Turbo and more Power
-Lexus has Adaptive Suspension = Better to Haul Family in it

bagwell

my .02...


-Luxury (Not too Noisy) LEXUS IS, easily
-Sedan 4 doors (to haul kids, 2-3) IS back seat is tight, not sure about WRX
-Sport Appearance WRX , easy
-AWD (Winter fighter) both have AWD, tie
-Reliable tie, IMO
-Cheap maintenances WRX way cheaper
-Mods friendly (if needed) WRX, easy



-Price wise WRX is cheaper
-AWD Lexus isn't as good as WRX IDK
-WRX has Turbo and more Power uhhh...WRX 265hp, IS 305hp
-Lexus has Adaptive Suspension = Better to Haul Family in it it does????


now if you're referring to the WRX STI.....equal HP but manual tranny only, waaay sportier, price still a little cheaper than a AWD 350.

anthrax144

Good luck finding an AWD IS350. As it is, the 350 was only about 10% of the total IS production and then the AWD 350 was about 5% of that so about 1 in 200 IS's is an AWD 350. Getting to your list though:

Luxury: IS by a landslide
4-door: both vehicles have limited backseats but the advantage may go to the WRX
Sport appearance: subjective
AWD: advantage WRX considering you will likely only find a 250 in AWD
Reliable: advantage Lexus
Cheap maintenance: toss up
Mod friendly: WRX by a mile

Price wise the Lexus will be higher but not by a whole lot and I feel you get more for your money with the Lexus based off the higher quality materials - the WRX feels cheap to me. While the WRX might have higher power numbers (assuming you're referring to the STI), they are neck-and-neck vehicles stock vs stock. The STI has a ton more options for upgrading performance vs the Lexus. I don't know where you are getting the adaptive suspension on an IS - it doesn't exist (maybe for the '14 model?). Either way, the Lexus will ride better than the WRX if you are talking about family hauling. The WRX will handle better in corners but feel stiffer on most roads. To me it came down to the IS being a more civilized car vs the college kid feel of the WRX. But to each their own.

Whitigir

The adaptive suspension is on the 2014 IS.

Yeah i was referring to STI. My bad.

Thanks for your input so far. Keep it coming please, as i am sure some one else would be in the same boat.

bagwell

I don't know if you do your own oil changes, if not, just call the dealers and ask how much for an oil change. I can't remember how much Lexus charges (owned an IS250 and 350).

TangoRed

I'm disqualifying the WRX based on the luxury factor alone. The interior is cheap and rattly on the best of days, and it's quite loud inside. Subaru doesn't do sound deadening.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Given the choice between these two, IS350 hands down. WRX is way too plebeian and or spartan for my taste. I need a little leather and luxury features in my life. As the IS350 AWD started in 2011+ you'll have access to better tech such as bluetooth audio ect.. as far as I'm concerned these are two different cars in two different classes

spwolf

new car? IS350 is just a lot more luxurious so it wins every time for family car. Still aggressive looking and pretty fast... just not brutal like STi.

Whitigir

How well is the IS awd ? Is it comparable to STI ?

2002GGPIS3

I love Lexus, but if you need AWD, why not a Audi ?

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

RWD with snow tires can be more effective than AWD with inferior tires

wolverine

iTrader: (9)

both suck as family cars.small trunk and back seats.

SB2013RX

This only my opinion :-/
WRX five door if you need the extra grip and stability.

The IS if u are looking for style (not that the WRX is not good lookin).

Both are good choices.
Maybe rent one for a week and rent the other and see which one fits your needs and wants.

gengar

Do check if the rear seat room will be sufficient. This is one of the most lacking areas of the IS. When I looked at the Evo X MR vs the IS F, the Evo had way more rear seat room.

Completely agree. I think going for AWD just because of snow is a waste. Much better off using the cost difference for a set of snow wheels+tires. You'll have to swap tires twice a year, but you'll also have a much more effective and rewarding ride in the snow than with AWD and all-season tires. This also allows for high-performance tires the rest of the year which will also make for a more rewarding drive. I haven't driven the IS350 AWD, but I have to assume the rwd 350 will give a better driving experience, and be lighter too.

I've mentioned many times that I daily drove my IS F year-round in a place with 70"+ of annual snowfall. With good snow tires, it's just no problem.

GQD_GS4

gotta disagree here, i had blizzaks on my GS400 back in the day, but my impreza, even with worn tires, are more confidence-inspiring in the snow any day. no need to feather the gas pedal in an AWD vehicle, ever.