RA110323

Hi All,

I’m a current BMW 335 coupe owner and amconsidering either the IS350 or RC350. I’ve driven both and like both, andunderstand there is a bit less edge compared to the BMW. That being said, I’mleaning a bit more toward comfort and quiet. Just seeing if there are anyrecent BMW converts and what your experience with Lexus has been thus far.

Thanks in advance for any input.

cantinoz

I came from a 535 and M5. Lexus is definitely not as sporty as BMW but you are trading fast/sporty with comfortable/quiet/reliability. BMW's have way too many issues and out of warranty it gets too expensive to maintain.

I own a 2015 IS350 Fsport, it will never be as quick as a 335 but not also not a slow car either. For normal street use it is definitely great for what is it. fully loaded, you are still saving at least 5-8kk vs a fully loaded 335.

Lexus is definitely not as performance mod friendly as a BMW but that's what makes it reliable.

EZZ

Actually, I picked the IS350 over the F30 because I found it has MORE edge. The new 3 series has power but the steering is way lacking compared to the E90. I believe the new 340 has fixed some of these issues so you should try test driving it.

I find the 350 was way cheaper too. A fully loaded one can be had for $45k.

Cthan3o3

iTrader: (1)

def agree with cantinoz, the IS is very reliable and not quite as sporty, be aware that the IS does not have as many aftermarket performance parts as the BMW and there is currently no way to tune the IS

Baopee

from M3 to 350 F sport here. very happy with my choice.

goldengame

I was looking at a 335i when I bought mine. But the price difference with the same options was close to $15k in Canada. I got the IS350 F-Sport because other than straight-line speed, the handling, interior, styling, and reliability were great for the price.

cantinoz

not to say but the IS350 brand new isn't a cheap car either. but if your main goal is to go fast and drag race people on the street, the lexus is not for you. if you are looking to have a luxury car that has get up when you need it but quiet and reliable everyday then lexus is definitely the way to go.

RA110323

Thanks, all.
I definitely want power and handling but don't need to drag race people down the road evey day. It's a wonder if you can make all the stop lights anyway...
I've driven the IS, RC and 340 and get more overall buzz from the Lexus cars. If I can dispose of the BMW without too much pain, I might go for the Lexus.
Appreciate the feedback!

ls430lover

the reality is if you can get a bmw cpo for a great price there great,
otherwise for daily transportation, fun and reliability you can't beat a lexus its best in class in ownership experience. when it comes to technology and nav devices i didnt believe it till i bought my 13 cpo 5 series, the nav and i drive is worlds ahead of lexus in cutting edge look, feel, and usability. really brilliant
every day i drive the car i love i drive and the nav and the look of the screens worlds ahead of lexus and even mercedes, comparable to audi

IS3F

+1 on this. A comparably optioned 335X Drive was coming to around $70k CAD compared to the IS I got for about $50k. Definitely not worth the premium in my mind. Unfortunately when it's time to get a new car I'm sure I'll have the same dilemma again unless Lexus increases their pricing or BMW comes down (unlikely)

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

when I made a 14 IS350 F Sport, it came out to be about 48k MSRP, I made a 335 with similar optioning $56k. I even made a 328 in the same optioning and it was still more expensive than the IS

ichobu

iTrader: (1)

E90 335i to 2014 IS350f here. definetly less sporty than the 335i but with upgraded suspension and S/S+ mode it will give the IS350 that sport feel. I do miss the sportiness of the 335i that is always on but the IS350 has an eco, normal, S, and S+ mode that you can switch to if you are trapped behind a ****ing prius, cruising, or carving a canyon.

neilvosko

i went from a FBO e92 335i to is350 Fsport and everything about Lexus feels better.

seats are better.
Linear throttle response.
you can mod intake and exhaust for a nice tone.
the Sport S+ mode is thrilling.
car feels and drives more nimble (like bmw used to be)

+++++++++ to lexus

Suspenders

Hi,

I previously had an E90 335xi and moved to a 2016 IS350 F sport. I loved my BMW, but moved to the Lexus for a few reasons:

1) In my opinion, better ride
- smooth ride, seats are comfortable, handles amazing
2) Although the 335 was faster, it isn't significantly faster in any day to day scenarios. Plus, if I wanted to beat people in a straight line, I would have gotten a Camaro SS
3) Reliability - Even though I had an warranty, there were things that went wrong with the vehicle that weren't covered.
- I.e., carbon build up which I just paid a pretty penny to clean out this past summer.
- The actuators being faulty (which was a known BMW issue but no recall was done), which also cost me a lot to replace.
- FUEL INJECTORS - failed on me once in warranty, were replaced. And this past summer, 1 failed on me and luckily my mechanic replaced it free. Otherwise, it's a $2,400 + labour repair!
- High pressure fuel pump (which is covered by warranty) - some people would be driving and the car would suddenly lose all power. Talk about a hazard.
4) Price - a similarly equipped BMW would be about $10-15K more here in Canada, and in my opinion, it isn't worth $10-$15K more
5) My BMW mechanic told me to get rid of the BMW before it hits 200,000 KM's as there are known issues with the turbo engines. He suggested the prior gen M3, but it wasn't practical for what I wanted.
6) The experience of buying the car was also wonderful. When I went into a BMW dealership in the summer to inquire, it wasn't even close.

Overall, I am VERY happy with my IS350 F Sport and would recommend it over BMW.

Cheers!

vlad_a

After owning 2x IS300 in the past, I have no interest in owning a 3IS.
I just snagged one of the last manual Audi S4s and I was very pleasantly impressed.
Beats the IS in every single category. Can't comment on reliability, but it has been a blast so far.
I do see a few IS converts on the Audi S4 forum.