Xanadu350

I remember when news came of the 2006 IS and how the forum reacted, the excitement played out in the forums. It was super busy so many posts about how people wanted this car. I remember feeling the excitement.

Now that info about the 2014 IS has been released, car show, official videos, reviews of some having driven it, is there a different feeling from the Lexus community?

I know the economy is different today then it was back in 2006 and I know this design is more drastic than previous model IS but are these the reasons? We have many members here with the previous IS, t thought the board would be much more active.

No poll here I'm interested in hearing from previous IS owners of their thoughts in words.

omgitsjoe

I remember those times way back in the Fall of 2005 !! I had a Mazda 6 and was really loving the new IS !! I think there was a huge difference between the 1IS and 2IS thus it generated more excitement. The changes from the 2IS to 3IS is nice but one can see the previous cars lines in the new one ...... and of course the economy has an impact on the excitement as well !

Ramon

I know I'd be talking about the 3IS a lot more if Lexus gave it a power bump to around 330-350

kensteele

Purchased the 2006 IS350 in November 2005 so was one of the first ones. I remember as well. That car was probably one of the finest cars you could buy for that amount of money. Had no problem buying at MSRP and even tried to track our vehicles overseas to U.S. ports. After receipt, the horsepower was second to none and we basically thought we had the finest Lexus in the line-up.

2014? Not so much. It's nice but I think I'll wait for the 2015 model.

Fizzboy7

Excellent post and topic. Predicting a model's popularity and success can very well be gauged by such a comparison. I was about to create a similar post, but wasn't sure which approach to take.

I'll say this though. Both the 2IS and 3IS are drastically different from their predecessors. The main difference however is the 2IS went mild and conservative, where the 3IS went ape wild in the front and back. Personally, I'm not for it. But I predict a lot of younger people will be. There's no question, today's Lexus company is not the same as the one in 2005.

Hyrepower

I think the 2014 is a bold step forward, I like it and will be an owner as soon as I can buy one. I remember when the 2006 was due to be released, had and Audi S4 at the time and so did one of my friends, he actually traded it for a new IS. I personally had an IS250 that I got a few years later as I was really impressed with the overall quality of the car and smooth and tight it was. I like my S4 a little bit more, but it is also $18,000 more.

The one thing I hated about the old IS was the seats, they were the worst seats in any car made, designed for someone who is 5 foot nothing. I am 6'2" and like bigger seats with some thigh support, adjustable would be preferable like in the Audis and BMWs.

SW17LS

Were you all 1IS owners?

I think thats the difference personally, you were coming into a model instead of already being owners of the model.

dseag2

Along the same lines, I remember when the '06 Infiniti M35/45 was introduced and there were tons of TV ads showing the car with the new interior. Lots of buzz in the forums and lots of takers. The latest M37, not so much.

However, let's remember that the car isn't on lots yet and there are no TV ads to build awareness. Most of the road tests I've seen are "pre-production" so they are not complete indicators of how the car will drive. I think when the car is actually available there will be more excitement.

pavelekPL

When I first saw 2IS I thought it was one of the most beautiful cars I've seen. 3IS - not even close. Although ill wait with my final judgment till i test drive/see the car in person.

Ramon

The 06 Infiniti M was and still is a very attractive vehicle. I don't know wat the designers were thinking with the latest iteration.

SW17LS

I personally think the current M is much more attractive than the previous M...

Ramon

I think its one of the ugliest vehicles in Infinitis line up. To each their own.

SW17LS

Yep, to each their own.

I think its a good point though, the pre 06 M was a pretty terrible car, and I think a lot of the 06 buyers were new to the brand versus being previous M owners. The M37 comes out, and suddenly you have all the happy M owners voicing in who of course think their M is better...because its their M. Didn't have that in 06.

I think its kind of the same way, with the people who bought the 2IS when it came out being new to the brand or new to the model vs being previous 1IS owners. Look at what "omhitsjoe" said above, he remembers 2005 and he was a Mazda 6 owner. Not that the 1IS was a terrible car, I think it was a very good car, much better than many give it credit, but the 2IS was a huge step up in maturity and style. I find that pretty much everybody who dislikes the 3IS is a 2IS owner. While, those of us that like it don't have 2ISes.

I don't think it has anything to do with the economy.

Remember what I said earlier, this has happened every time a Lexus model has been upgraded on these forums.

BornDriver

The problem is the same engines as 8 years ago. At that time, it was a wonderful powerline. Now, it will be a underdog even with the top trim.

2SwiFt29

iTrader: (6)

I remember getting the '06 IS350 back in 05 and was excited about the car. The style and the performance of the IS350 is what won me over especially over BMW at the time with their engine problems. I was happy about the car and I miss it, but after 5 years, I felt bored of the car. It's just my style wanting to change cars. I switched to the 2011 A4 with its innovative LEDs but I missed the performance and opted for the 2011 G37S. To this day, I still kinda miss my IS350 but with the 2014 IS coming out, the styling has dramatically changed but I can't put much opinion into this car until I see it in person. Kinda disappointed in the way the 2014 looks as I still think '06 styling > '14 styling.