miccon

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum, and I'm in a bind. It's time for me to get a new car and those three are my top choices. I am considering the new IS and GS for its phenomenal interior and quality. The E-class is considered because I need to "grow-up" per se by my fiancé. I had my current car for 5 yrs since I graduated, and I loved every moment of it (2008 Corvette w/mods). But it's time for me to get a "grown-up" car since I foresee having a kid a year or so. I just wanted to read/hear from the owners on how they liking the IS so far, fun factor, enough rm for car seat, etc.

TLDR cliffs: Read the title and I want to hear ya's opinions on each cars for a man that's about to start a family soon. F-sport for both IS & GS

I also considered the CTS-V but the interior was horrendous like my vette

magne

The new E class have horrible seats.
My back started to hurt after 30 min in those seats..

New IS is a bit small for a family, but i liked the car very much when i drove it.
The GS I've never driven becuase it is so expensive where I live.
If you can afford it, I would deffenently buy a GS.

The merc will cost a lot more to maintain and repare over the years after you've bought it.
I used to work as a technician at mercedes about ten years ago, so I should know.

The lexus gs450h is almost free to maintain compared to the merc.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

If you want a grown up car, the GS or E are the way to go. And if you didn't like the cabin materials in the CTS then stay away from the IS

03LX470

I'm 40+

Have been fortunate to own various cars over the years including Porsche, Ferrari, Lexus, Mercedes and Toyota

Have driven E and GS number of times (long test drives, relatives cars, etc. Have owned a older GS430 as well)

I would go for IS350 F-Sport

The rear seat is fine for smaller kids

My IS350 F-Sport should arrive any day

I need to grow up too but I can't seem to find out how as long as these car manufacturers keep coming with such interesting cars :-)

John510

A corvette is a grown up car. I sold my 08 and I regret it every day. If you can swing keeping the vette and getting another car for the family do that.

The GS and E class are in a whole different class of car verses the IS also. My wife considers those cars "boats" as where the IS is a lot smaller not to mention a LOT less cheaper.

My opinion... Get the cheaper IS and keep the vette as a toy.

corradoMR2

I'm not fond of the E-class' interior design especially the dash as it looks outdated and plain for its luxury pretenses. If you can afford the extra 10K, GS F-Sport all the way as it will provide the sportiness you want, top quality/refinement you will appreciate, and the extra room you seek.

Stillhart

I've got a 10-month-old and I'm looking at the IS (and the 3-series). I really don't see the appeal of Merc (ugly and unreliable and expensive) so they're off my list. The GS is pretty sweet, but it's also really pricey and I don't feel that you get much over the IS for the price.

For me the IS is actually a step in the other direction from you that puts me in a similar place. I'm used to having cheap, sensible cars, but I have some money now and I want to get something more fun. The Lexus gives the fun, but it's also got that adult sensibility so that people who don't know what an F-sport is just see a Lexus sedan.

And of course it's got enough room for a rear-facing car seat in the middle (where it should be) and you can fit a rather large stroller in the trunk. Here's a thread where I posted more thoughts on car seat stuff.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-carseats.html

Good luck with your search.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Which is funny considering this recent refreshing, though that was more about powertrains and exterior. Though it still may be a bit off, the next E should be stunning if it follows anything along the lines of the new S-Class interior

miccon

Thanks for the feedback guys! As I told her, the car you drive doesn't label you as a "grown-up" (woman logic) but how you handle your responsibilities. I will test drive the IS and the GS when I get a chance this week. I have driven the Merc and loved how refined it was. The only drawback was that it kinda a blah when I was driving it. No excitement what so ever. I wish I could keep the vette, but I wouldn't be able to resist spending more money on it (supercharger). Since it wouldn't be a daily driver anymore. Once again, thanks for all the info!

mrraider

By all accounts, the GS is a much better handling care than the E-class.