Does Road and Track regret choosing Lexus IS 350 over BMW 3-Series after 8500 miles?
#32
Having owned both an F30 3 and the 3IS.. I'd pick the Lexus every time. The 3 series is by no means a bad car but it lacks feel to me. In the sense it'll do everything the driver wants but its robotic feeling as well as being too soft (I had the Sport Line along with Dynamic Handling package). The ZF 8 Speed is quicker in its downshifts and response and iDrive is a lot quicker and smoother than Enform. However as a package the 3IS just nailed it. Its just so much fun to drive and chuck around corners even in daily driving. On long trips its quieter than the BMW was and when the road gets twisty its sharper than my F30. Seeing how a Sports Sedan is tailored to be something that can be a great All-around car in both those scenarios. The IS nailed it and lexus deserves the recognition no matter what the haters think
#34
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: DC
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I test drove a fully loaded 335 M-Sport and the only time it "felt like a BMW" was when it was in Sport+ mode and had all of the driver nannies switched off. I made the sales guy **** his pants when I drifted around a round-about. But alas, that car had a sticker north of $60K which is $10K more than a fully loaded IS350 F-Sport and without the upgraded MSport and interior packages, the BMW is just a really nice, RWD Accord where the IS is a great premium sports sedan even in it's base form. At the end of the day, the engine in the Lex can't touch the turbo-6 in the Bimmer but the difference in performance is not worth another $10K to $15K. Here in DC 3ers are a dime a dozen and while I see lots of 3IS cars on the road, they are still more rare (especially the 350 F-Sport RWD models).
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
#35
I test drove a fully loaded 335 M-Sport and the only time it "felt like a BMW" was when it was in Sport+ mode and had all of the driver nannies switched off. I made the sales guy **** his pants when I drifted around a round-about. But alas, that car had a sticker north of $60K which is $10K more than a fully loaded IS350 F-Sport and without the upgraded MSport and interior packages, the BMW is just a really nice, RWD Accord where the IS is a great premium sports sedan even in it's base form. At the end of the day, the engine in the Lex can't touch the turbo-6 in the Bimmer but the difference in performance is not worth another $10K to $15K. Here in DC 3ers are a dime a dozen and while I see lots of 3IS cars on the road, they are still more rare (especially the 350 F-Sport RWD models).
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
#37
I test drove a fully loaded 335 M-Sport and the only time it "felt like a BMW" was when it was in Sport+ mode and had all of the driver nannies switched off. I made the sales guy **** his pants when I drifted around a round-about. But alas, that car had a sticker north of $60K which is $10K more than a fully loaded IS350 F-Sport and without the upgraded MSport and interior packages, the BMW is just a really nice, RWD Accord where the IS is a great premium sports sedan even in it's base form. At the end of the day, the engine in the Lex can't touch the turbo-6 in the Bimmer but the difference in performance is not worth another $10K to $15K. Here in DC 3ers are a dime a dozen and while I see lots of 3IS cars on the road, they are still more rare (especially the 350 F-Sport RWD models).
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
And of course there is that stigma that all BMW drivers are *****...
#41
So as President Reagan once said to Gorbachev, "Trust yet verify." Good advice! Sorry everyone.
#42
#44
That said, I live in the city and the E90 wasn't a very good daily driver. While the MT was fun sometime, it was a huge PIA in the city traffic. But the worst part was the ride quality. Even after I got non RFT tires and installed Koni FSD shocks, the ride was still very harsh and crashy over poor city pavement. Every manhole cover banged and crashed, yet in the IS350, it's just a quiet, solid thump.
When I have the IS in Sport+, the ride is just as firm, planted and responsive as the 335i, but the ride quality is worlds better in the IS.
I guess if I was doing track days or blasting down windy country roads, the E90 might be better by a hair. But given the typical driving I do, the IS350 is the winner, hands down.
#45