seansmith

Hi everyone,

I've owned may Japanese cars and I'm trying to get away from my now 6 model year old benz and move back into Japanese reliability. Also I'm not happy with the way I'm treated at MB, it's as if they are doing me a big favour helping me. So far Lexus has treated me well and a co-worker raves about the service experience on his RX.

I'm torn btw these two cars and I'm trading in my 2008 MB C350 4-Matic for a white 2012 IS-F w/8000KMs or an Atomic Silver w/red interior 2014 IS350 AWD F-Sport. (sorry I had to include the colours...that Atomic silver looks incredible, the paint looks dripping wet on the car, what a colour!)

I'm sure many of you hate compromises and I'm no different. What I want is the 416HP v8 in the new chassis IS, but that doesn't exist. So I'm stuck with choosing between the *****-out performance of the IS-F and the 1 second-fast-than-my-c-350 IS350. I've got two tall teens that occasionally ride in the back and while the IS-F will just about cut it, the new IS I think is closer to the size of my C-class for rear leg room.

I'm in Canada and we still get bit of snow so I'm a little concerned with the rear wheel drive-only IS-F. I test drove it in the rain and hammered it in a straight line and it broke loose and fishtailed a little which kind of surprised me. I thought the electronics would have kicked in and toned things down a little. I tried keeping my cool as my wife was sitting beside me looking at me like "what the hell are you driving like that for..." so I was more careful applying the throttle on subsequent bursts.
One thing though is I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face. That IS-F is an amazing sounding car, and the acceleration is really impressive. What a sweet engine and transmission.

Then i drove the 306HP IS350, same conditions in the pouring rain, down the same roads, hammered in and it just went. No hassle or fanfare, just good acceleration forward or around the ramps. This is the more practical choice.

Here's my thoughts in a nutshell:

-this might be my last chance to by a powerful V8 in a sedan
-if 2015 brings a new IS-F in the new chassis I think I'll be kicking myself
-is the current IS350 that much different to my graphite benz w/nav and AWD that I'll really appreciate it? I only drive 5000-8000KMs a year and have 60,000 on my C350, it's almost new condition.
-will weekend drives in the winter be a white-knuckle experience I'll be regretting for 4 months of the year?
-should I just wait until next year and see what Lexus brings out? Or just get an IS350 F-Sport and call it a day?
-I'm worried something expensive will go on my just out of warranty German car. Parts are a fortune for it
-the money is about the same for the two cars so it's a tough choice

Any thoughts?

Thanks very much,

Sean

I8ABMR

I live in AZ so I would be all over the ISF. I think in your best interest the newer, safer option would be the 2014. The acceleration is solid, its safe for dry fun or the winters that will always have.

SNiiP3R

iTrader: (3)

Next year Lexus will release the RC-F, a V8 coupe. If you're not into coupes, then the next V8 sedan will be the GS-F. They will probably release the car in 2015, but no one knows how much it will cost yet.

There won't be another IS-F.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

I thought about this decision for myself even. Its going to boil down to the V8, suspension vs redesigned interior, new features and tech. I basically decided I would rather have all the new stuff than the V8. Then again Im coming from an IS350 already not a C350

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

IS-F ftw!

seansmith

thanks for the responses so far...

I think the 2012 IS-F and the 2014 IS350 F-Sport are pretty well matched for technology aren't they? The IS350 does have support for RES+ (remote start etc) but I don't think the IS-F gives up anything to it, does it? Both cars have ML audio, BT streaming, sms support, push button start, all that good stuff. The sound of the V8 is intoxicating, but damn, after owning 3 AWD cars in a row (STi, Legacy Spec B, now the C350) I've gotten used to the surefootedness of AWD. My wife reminds me we can always take her SUV on bad days, but it's older and not a lot of fun to drive. I'm leaning towards the IS350, thinking I don't drive like I used to when I was 20.

mmarshall

Welcome to CL as a brand-new poster. Glad to have you.

Whatever model IS you choose, if you know you are going to be driving in snow or ice, my advice is definitely get the AWD. I had a 1Gen RWD IS300, and even with the all-season tires, snow-mode transmission output, and traction control, it was a real handful on really slick surfaces, though OK in rain or slush. Even with AWD, you may (?) still have to get all-season or winter tires for the winter months if the stock F-Sport tires don't cut it on really slick roads....as is sometimes the case with high-performance summer-tires.

Whether you are 20, 50, or 90 makes no difference....the car and the laws of physics don't care. All else equal, on snow and ice, regardless of your age, the car is going to have the same safety-limitations, and you must remain in those limitations to drive safely and avoid an accident.

SW17LS

I'd get the 2014 if I were you. I'm not a used car person, so I'm always going to choose the new car, but even beyond that if you're going to drive it in the winter the IS-F would be absolutely useless in the snow. All that power and RWD on those big wide tires, going to be a no-go.

LexFather

I think I would go with the IS F though I would miss the updated styling. The 2012 model drives really well with the updated suspension. Good luck with your choice!

bagwell

I remember seeing soccer moms in their AWD subaru's in denver snow hauling azz ....then nearly crashing when they tried to take a turn LOL


....but YES AWD does give you better traction.

gengar

I don't even know why this is a question especially at the same price point. The IS-F will deliver a far more rewarding driving experience and makes for an excellent daily driver (especially 2011+ with the revised steering ECU and suspension).

Granted, I did drive the new IS350 F-Sport (non-AWD) at NOLA Motorsports Park (I mentioned it briefly in post 16 of the LFA forum thread on it here) and feel its driving characteristics are vastly improved over the last-gen. But obviously, it still doesn't compare to the IS-F.

As far as snow, I don't know why people get so worked up about it. When I had my '08 IS-F, I lived in a place that got 70"+ average annual snowfall and I had no problems. Just put Blizzaks on it and it drives great. With a dedicated second set of snow tires / wheels, you'll have much greater confidence and therefore a much more enjoyable driving experience. The only thing I would worry about is if you have to drive a lot in areas where they don't plow the roads frequently or at all, as packed snow/ice is annoying no matter what tires you have, and clearance could become an issue (4.7" in the IS F, compared to 5.7" in the base last-gen IS350 - not sure about the 2014 or the F-Sport).

Finally, there are no plans currently for a 2015 IS-F, as it will be replaced by the RC-F. Obviously this can change in the future, but this is the current information directly from Lexus corporate.

VtotheJ

iTrader: (2)

I've owned my 2008 F for 2.5 years now, so I can answer some Q's regarding driveability. Here are some of my responses:

-this might be my last chance to by a powerful V8 in a sedan
You are right. I believe the 2014 ISF is the last model year run, but you never know.

-if 2015 brings a new IS-F in the new chassis I think I'll be kicking myself
At this point Lexus has not indicated they will be making a new chassis ISF. Even dealers don't know about this info until Lexus corporate publicizes it.

-is the current IS350 that much different to my graphite benz w/nav and AWD that I'll really appreciate it? I only drive 5000-8000KMs a year and have 60,000 on my C350, it's almost new condition.
Haven't driven the 2014 IS350, but did drive the 2012 IS350 AWD as a loaner

-will weekend drives in the winter be a white-knuckle experience I'll be regretting for 4 months of the year?
With the ISF you will need dedicated snow tires to drive in snow, nothing less. Many ISF owners do this, although I couldn't fathom exposing mine to snow/ice/salt. With summer tires winter driving is possible but only in DRY conditions, and you need to have a light foot. In rain the ISF is dangerous to drive if you're flooring it, the back end will definitely wiggle (for lack of a better term, haha). But when driven normally it is a great car even in rain.

-should I just wait until next year and see what Lexus brings out? Or just get an IS350 F-Sport and call it a day?
You could wait but prices won't really drop that much on 2012 ISF's. They are holding their value very well since they are considered a somewhat limited production car. The car has been out nearly 6 years and I still have only seen 4 or 5 randomly (besides the ISF's I know) in all this time. You could get the ISF now and still sell it for a great price in a few years.

-I'm worried something expensive will go on my just out of warranty German car. Parts are a fortune for it
Parts and service for the ISF will cost more than the 2014 IS. Maintenance items as well. Tires will run you upwards of $800, oil changes cost ~$100-150 (depending on dealer), brake pads $100-300, rotors $200-400. If you like to do stuff yourself, you can save on labor.

-the money is about the same for the two cars so it's a tough choice
This is true, but the ISF will definitely depreciate a lot less than the 2014 IS. I have already seen more new IS's than ISF's, not that it's a bad thing, but the limited production numbers of the ISF definitely helps its resale value.

Hope this helps.

mmarshall

AWD will usually give you better start-up and low-speed traction and keep you from getting stuck, but, as you saw, it is is not an excuse to drive on slick roads like they were simply dry pavement. It won't necessarily help you corner or stop any better. Even with the best AWD systems like Subaru's, you still have to use common sense and drive carefully.

VtotheJ

iTrader: (2)

Also OP, I'd suggest posting this topic both in the 3IS section and IS-F section to get some insight from both sides. Let us know your decision!

hypervish

AWD may help you get going, but it isn't going to help you stop! You need to get snow tires.

I'd suggest the IS-F and a set of Blizzaks.