IS 350 Test Drive
05-31-16, 03:19 PM
#16
I agree, the cup holders brings the interior down in my opinion. They spent so much time on making the cabin look really cool and then those cup holders are such an eye sore and worse than that the passenger can't even lay their arm on the armrest instead it lines up their elbow with the hole, bad bad design. I'd expect this from Hyundai but not Lexus.
05-31-16, 03:21 PM
#17
I agree, the cup holders brings the interior down in my opinion. They spent so much time on making the cabin look really cool and then those cup holders are such an eye sore and worse than that the passenger can't even lay their arm on the armrest instead it lines up their elbow with the hole, bad bad design.
05-31-16, 03:52 PM
#18
I would move on to the next car on your list if I was in your situation. You shouldn't have to get ppl to force you to overlook the things you dislike or convince you to like a car.
05-31-16, 06:27 PM
#19
Lexus Champion
05-31-16, 07:57 PM
#20
06-01-16, 03:04 PM
#21
Driver School Candidate
OP, based on your test drive review, I think the IS350 F Sport is not the right car for you. I just recently got my 2016 IS350 F Sport and I love it. I did come from another car that I just traded in and also own a 2016 Honda Fit EX. So to me, I like everything the IS350 F Sport offers.
06-01-16, 04:38 PM
#22
Driver School Candidate
Mercedes is mainly for older retired people. Their cars are luxury yachts made for straight line performance. BMW's are made for the track. MB is not and does not try to be a track car. They are nice but not as fun to drive IMO.
The Lexus absolutely rides smoother than any BMW I have stepped foot in. This is because most BMW's are made to have a bit stiffer suspension for taking turns and providing feedback to the driver. The Lexus felt great cruising down the highway.
The BMW m235i seat had adjustable side bolsters and an inflatable lower lumbar support. This made the seat fit you like a glove no matter what. The sportiness and handling was also a huge night and day difference. This of course is not fair though since one is a 2-door and the other a 4-door.
If Lexus had a better seat in the IS 350 F-sport, fixed the blinker situation, improved the handling a bit, provided a manual option and made the tach a physical dial, I would be pretty pleased with it. The clock is whatever...
The Lexus absolutely rides smoother than any BMW I have stepped foot in. This is because most BMW's are made to have a bit stiffer suspension for taking turns and providing feedback to the driver. The Lexus felt great cruising down the highway.
The BMW m235i seat had adjustable side bolsters and an inflatable lower lumbar support. This made the seat fit you like a glove no matter what. The sportiness and handling was also a huge night and day difference. This of course is not fair though since one is a 2-door and the other a 4-door.
If Lexus had a better seat in the IS 350 F-sport, fixed the blinker situation, improved the handling a bit, provided a manual option and made the tach a physical dial, I would be pretty pleased with it. The clock is whatever...
Lexus doesn't chase the 1%. It's a car built for the biggest segment of the market. My wife loved her 2IS - now has an RX. For me it was just okay. But our 2 other cars are a Land Cruiser and a 4runner, so I'm kinda in a different field all together.
It sounds like maybe it's just not the right "fit" for what you're looking for. Also - if you can't see the dash, it's probably because you were wearing polarized sun glasses and they were the wrong polarized angle to see the screen well. The dash is quite bright. Brighter than any iphone. Not all polarized sun glasses are the same angle of polar filter. I would try other sunglasses.
Good luck.
06-01-16, 08:06 PM
#24
Sounds like you need a better salesman or test drive a different car. I agree the stalks take a little getting used to at first but once I did I like it more than a traditional setup. They function with minimal effort.
06-06-16, 12:46 AM
#26
Rookie
Thread Starter
IMO they're kind apples and oranges. Put them both on a rack and take a look at the actual suspension and drive train. Put a wheel bearing from each beside each other, or a ball joint. It's very obvious why the IS is so durable as compared to a BMW or Mercedes. But you do sacrifice some other things like top end performance. It's not that Lexus can't - the LFA is of course the example. It's just that it's a different design criteria and different product.
Lexus doesn't chase the 1%. It's a car built for the biggest segment of the market. My wife loved her 2IS - now has an RX. For me it was just okay. But our 2 other cars are a Land Cruiser and a 4runner, so I'm kinda in a different field all together.
It sounds like maybe it's just not the right "fit" for what you're looking for. Also - if you can't see the dash, it's probably because you were wearing polarized sun glasses and they were the wrong polarized angle to see the screen well. The dash is quite bright. Brighter than any iphone. Not all polarized sun glasses are the same angle of polar filter. I would try other sunglasses.
Good luck.
Lexus doesn't chase the 1%. It's a car built for the biggest segment of the market. My wife loved her 2IS - now has an RX. For me it was just okay. But our 2 other cars are a Land Cruiser and a 4runner, so I'm kinda in a different field all together.
It sounds like maybe it's just not the right "fit" for what you're looking for. Also - if you can't see the dash, it's probably because you were wearing polarized sun glasses and they were the wrong polarized angle to see the screen well. The dash is quite bright. Brighter than any iphone. Not all polarized sun glasses are the same angle of polar filter. I would try other sunglasses.
Good luck.
I believe that a 4-door car just isn't for me at the moment. This made me realize that sportiness and handling are more important to me than the utility of a 4-door vehicle. After test driving several cars I now have my sites set on an M2. Since it's considerably more expensive I'm going to wait a couple of years for used ones to come onto the market a bit cheaper. I was hoping this was going to be the year I found something I would enjoy but it's real hard to like anything after driving an e46 M3 for 8 years straight. If I had a couple of kids to lug around I could definitely see myself getting the IS.
06-06-16, 12:53 AM
#27
Rookie
Thread Starter
The Lexus stock just seemed to flop around like a wet noodle and even more annoyingly did not stop blinking even after you had made the turn.
06-06-16, 09:39 AM
#28
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It doesn't click in place to tell you that it is signalling left, right or not at all. If you're used to the turn signal giving you very obvious cues and tactile input the indicator is very annoying to deal with. In a BMW it's like using a stick shift. It clicks into place, makes a clicking sound and stays there until you turn. If you only change lanes you flick it and it goes back into the neutral position. It can't flop past the neutral position like it does in the Lexus. There's resistance akin to changing gears on a shifter when going from neutral position to left or right signalling.
The Lexus stock just seemed to flop around like a wet noodle and even more annoyingly did not stop blinking even after you had made the turn.
The Lexus stock just seemed to flop around like a wet noodle and even more annoyingly did not stop blinking even after you had made the turn.
Kidding, of course...
06-06-16, 05:51 PM
#29
The leather was nice and good quality.
Last edited by Olasek; 06-06-16 at 09:35 PM.
06-07-16, 02:24 PM
#30
Driver School Candidate
It doesn't click in place to tell you that it is signalling left, right or not at all. If you're used to the turn signal giving you very obvious cues and tactile input the indicator is very annoying to deal with. In a BMW it's like using a stick shift. It clicks into place, makes a clicking sound and stays there until you turn. If you only change lanes you flick it and it goes back into the neutral position. It can't flop past the neutral position like it does in the Lexus. There's resistance akin to changing gears on a shifter when going from neutral position to left or right signalling.
The Lexus stock just seemed to flop around like a wet noodle and even more annoyingly did not stop blinking even after you had made the turn.
The Lexus stock just seemed to flop around like a wet noodle and even more annoyingly did not stop blinking even after you had made the turn.
Hate to break it to you, but any new BMW will most likely give you the exact same impression. I had an e46 325Ci, whose turn signal stalk acted in a traditional fashion, but on my e90 335i, and all BMWs from then on, to my knowledge, the turn signal behaves in almost exactly the same way as my new IS350's. I'll admit that the tactile "click" sensation is slightly less, but only by a very, very slight margin. Otherwise, it feels exactly the same as any newer BMW.
