SW17LS

A Lexus has never been a "bells and whistles" car. They have always been behind in number of features.

To me substance is way more important than looks or gizmos I'll use for a month and never touch again. What makes me the most happy about my GS is the quality, and the way it rides, handles, and how refined it feels on the road. You don't get that in something like an Optima, and it just doesn't occur to me that it doesn't have power folding mirrors or a power trunk.

The Optima is good looking, but to say ot gets you "excited"...I just don't get that. I mean, if I were looking at a Camry I'd seriously look at one...but comparing one to an IS or a GS is just silly IMHO. Its like saying you want to eat at McDonalds instead of Mortons because it has a playplace. Yeah...Mortons doesn't have a playplace...but if you appreciate quality food thats more important.

ntocamping

Quality is not only found in BMW, Lexus, Mercedes etc. In fact many say Mercedes is not a quality product any longer. There are a ton of fun to drive cars out there. Subaru wrx sti? i think brand image is most important in your car buying decision . Nothing wrong with that but there are many fun cars to drive. Everything else on the road is not a Buick like ride. Now, if driving a premium brand helps bring the whole package together for ya then that is okay. When you park next to an Optima and its mirrors are folded in and yours gets busted off by a careless @sshole then maybe you will appreciate some features like this in a car fully loaded for less than 1/2 the cost of a GS

SW17LS

Actually its not about brand at all. There is a quality level with a Lexus, or BMW, or Audi, or Mercedes that you don't have in something like a Kia Optima. Theres a refinement to the way everything is made, everything operates, and the way the car drives down the road that is just not the same, I know I've driven the Optima. The "brand" is not the only difference. Now, if you're talking about a Hyundai Genesis or Equus you have an argument there, but not when you're talking about an Optima, Sonata or Azera. The difference in refinement, material quality, precision engineering of components and parts, switchgear, suspension damping, and road noise is immediately apparent. As it is compared to a Camry, Accord, etc.

If all I cared about was brand I would have a BMW or Mercedes, not a Lexus.

A WRX STi is a completely different sort of car, its not comparable, and it isn't the sort of car I would have any interest in driving. I'm just not into that boy racer type of thing, talk about a car that really sacrifices the 99% of your driving for the 1%.

But I would still have a Kia Optima that rides more actively, doesn't handle as well, is louder, less refined, has lower quality interior materials, cheaper feeling switchgear, is less comfortable inside, and is far less prestigious. I'm just not interested in making those tradeoffs to have power folding mirrors...in all my years of driving I have never had a mirror "taken off" or even scratched while a car was parked.

Not to mention, if you buy a Kia Optima and sell it in 2 years, or buy a Lexus IS or GS and sell it in 2 years, you won't have saved as much as you think choosing the Kia due to their terrible resale value.

dseag2

The Kia Optima is a great-looking car, designed by one of the ex-designers from Audi. I haven't driven one, but I understand it also has a really nice interior. If that is what makes you happy go for it!

LexFather

Really? What about all the features the GS offers over the Optima, its not even close. The Optima does not offer semi-analine leather, it does not offer red leather, it does not offer Heads up Display, it is not RWD, it does not offer Radar Cruise, it does not offer Dynamic rear steer, it does not offer a 13" screen, it does not offer Lexus enform where we can call an operator to do anything short of getting us some weed, it does not offer a 339hp hybrid that gets 30 MPG, it does not offer the handling of the GS, it does not offer the Driver Mode Select like the GS, it does not offer a color changing screen like the GS, LED full headlights, 19" staggered wheels, 14" 2 piece BBK on the F-sport etc etc etc

I mean really don't go there, power folding mirrors and rear heated seats don't make a luxury car. This is not a slight of the Optima it is great for its class, anyone thinking its somehow a value vs a real luxury car is only fooling themselves.

mordecai

Seriously, even a thread like this is not immune to Hyundai/Kia shills. I see SO many car threads on internet forums being derailed by them.

SW17LS

Absolutely. Its only a value vs a real luxury car to someone who does not understand what makes a luxury car worth the additional money, or to someone to whom those attributes are not important. Seiko makes watches that look a whole lot like a Rolex...as an example...but they are not a replacement for the quality and precision of a Rolex, and someone who understands and appreciates quality can immediately feel the difference.

ntocamping

And many that buy a Rolex do it for status not because they know anything about the watch itself just llike many buy a luxury car for the same reasons. Quality exisits in many cars today. Granted luxury cars have things that are clearly higher quality but you pay a lot to get to point a to point b for that, My point to all this is IMO spending $60k does not excite me as much as it used to. Call it changing priorities. Call it an awakening. We all make personal decisions for oiurselves. I never said the Optima was a better car than the IS I said it offered a lot for a lot less and looked great to boot.

SW17LS

Thats fine, but that is a statement about changes to what is important to you not about the IS itself.

This is true, but do not insinuate that I am one of these people (before you say you didn't, you flat out said that brand was the most important thing to me when buying a car and thats BS)...and do not try to sell us on the idea that your "awakening" somehow means that we are all mindless brand snobs...whether you intended it to or not your posts absolutely have come across that way. If you want to talk about your awakening and the Kia Optima product...go to a Kia forum instead of trolling our forum:

http://www.optimaforums.com

Plenty of people there who will discuss how foolish we are with you.

TimboIS

I don't get it. You're saying $30K excites you, or $300K excites you?? I can only speak on the latter.

dojoman

iTrader: (5)

I would say this thread has run its course. Comparing Lexus to Kia?

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

mmm Mclaren

LexFather

Yeah I'm not buying a Kia, we all know this lol.