Potential IS350 Buyer Needs Help!
10-20-16, 06:09 PM
#16
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I was in your position 10 months ago, between the IS350 and the S3.
Ultimately, I chose the IS350 because the styling stands out a lot more than the S3. The IS interior feels more cockpit-like, whereas the S3 looks really plain.
Performance wise, the S3 will smoke the IS. And, if you try to match options to options, the S3 will come out a little more expensive.
Ultimately, I chose the IS350 because the styling stands out a lot more than the S3. The IS interior feels more cockpit-like, whereas the S3 looks really plain.
Performance wise, the S3 will smoke the IS. And, if you try to match options to options, the S3 will come out a little more expensive.
Easy to recognize a very good car when you drive one. 
The new C300 is disappointing as well. I've been driving the dealer's C300 for the past 3 days and the steering is super artificial and quality of interior materials subpar (e.g., lots of hard surfaces where your knees rest, etc.).
Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to find a good seating position in the 350...this is where lack of memory seats in the FSport is super frustrating! What the heck were the bean counters at Lexus thinking?!?!
The new C300 is disappointing as well. I've been driving the dealer's C300 for the past 3 days and the steering is super artificial and quality of interior materials subpar (e.g., lots of hard surfaces where your knees rest, etc.).
Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to find a good seating position in the 350...this is where lack of memory seats in the FSport is super frustrating! What the heck were the bean counters at Lexus thinking?!?!
10-20-16, 09:22 PM
#17
Sounds like it comes down to speed vs comfort. Personally I'd go for the IS especially if your going to be spending a lot of time in the seat.. but I could be biased. The quickness of the S3 could be fun for the first little bit. But seriously how often would be using launch control and if you drive like most people 99% of the time the extra power the S3 has over the IS won't be used and you'll still be stuck with the S3's bland interior and less comfortable seats.
10-21-16, 08:57 AM
#18
Easy to recognize a very good car when you drive one.
The new C300 is disappointing as well. I've been driving the dealer's C300 for the past 3 days and the steering is super artificial and quality of interior materials subpar (e.g., lots of hard surfaces where your knees rest, etc.).
Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to find a good seating position in the 350...this is where lack of memory seats in the FSport is super frustrating! What the heck were the bean counters at Lexus thinking?!?!
The new C300 is disappointing as well. I've been driving the dealer's C300 for the past 3 days and the steering is super artificial and quality of interior materials subpar (e.g., lots of hard surfaces where your knees rest, etc.).
Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to find a good seating position in the 350...this is where lack of memory seats in the FSport is super frustrating! What the heck were the bean counters at Lexus thinking?!?!
So, how much are we really missing out on from driving a 911? Is it truly a night and day experience?
Last edited by Mrg02d; 10-21-16 at 09:01 AM.
10-21-16, 09:00 AM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
10-21-16, 09:02 AM
#20
10-21-16, 10:01 AM
#21
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Local Audi dealership has a grey 2016 S3 Premium Plus which comes with magnetic ride, 19" wheels, and grey/black two tone interior and I believe a back up camera/sensor.
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month.
Difference of $130 per month between the cars. If I can get Lexus to budge on the trade in i'd be happy but i'm surprised they lowballed me $1000 less than Audi. I would be happy with either vehicles, although like I said the Lexus a bit more so. It's hard to ignore the savings i'm being offered at Audi and the extra cash on my trade in. If Lexus can move more on the price or my trade in i'll sign on the dotted line.
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month.
Difference of $130 per month between the cars. If I can get Lexus to budge on the trade in i'd be happy but i'm surprised they lowballed me $1000 less than Audi. I would be happy with either vehicles, although like I said the Lexus a bit more so. It's hard to ignore the savings i'm being offered at Audi and the extra cash on my trade in. If Lexus can move more on the price or my trade in i'll sign on the dotted line.
Last edited by TSJeff; 10-21-16 at 10:05 AM.
10-21-16, 10:58 AM
#22
Local Audi dealership has a grey 2016 S3 Premium Plus which comes with magnetic ride, 19" wheels, and grey/black two tone interior and I believe a back up camera/sensor.
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month.
Difference of $130 per month between the cars. If I can get Lexus to budge on the trade in i'd be happy but i'm surprised they lowballed me $1000 less than Audi. I would be happy with either vehicles, although like I said the Lexus a bit more so. It's hard to ignore the savings i'm being offered at Audi and the extra cash on my trade in. If Lexus can move more on the price or my trade in i'll sign on the dotted line.
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month.
Difference of $130 per month between the cars. If I can get Lexus to budge on the trade in i'd be happy but i'm surprised they lowballed me $1000 less than Audi. I would be happy with either vehicles, although like I said the Lexus a bit more so. It's hard to ignore the savings i'm being offered at Audi and the extra cash on my trade in. If Lexus can move more on the price or my trade in i'll sign on the dotted line.
10-21-16, 11:01 AM
#23
Driver School Candidate
I wanted the 7MT but the boss (i.e., my wife) had two requirements: Must have a backseat and be an AT. I thought I would regret getting the PDK, but wow, it's truly amazing. Haven't missed the third pedal yet. I've had the Lexus for 2 weeks now and couldn't be happier. The car has more tech in it than any car I've owned. I actually had to spend an hour reading the navigation manual to figure out all the nuances and features. Time well spent.
It's a perfect combination of highway cruiser, weekend canyon carver, and "youthful luxury."
To the OP, check out the following site: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Audi/A3/2015/ I stumbled across it while doing research prior to purchasing the Lexus...somewhat useful. Even though you're leasing, keep in mind that the quality awards that Audi racks up are for INITIAL quality, which I believe is measured within the first 90 days of ownership. It's pretty much guaranteed that the Audi will spend significantly more time in the service bay for unexpected issues (aka more headaches) than the Lexus, even during a short term lease.
10-21-16, 11:09 AM
#24
Take my advice: Don't drive one, it will ruin you. I didn't believe it would, but it did. I wanted the 7MT but the boss (i.e., my wife) had two requirements: Must have a backseat and be an AT. I thought I would regret getting the PDK, but wow, it's truly amazing. Haven't missed the third pedal yet.
I've had the Lexus for 2 weeks now and couldn't be happier. The car has more tech in it than any car I've owned. I actually had to spend an hour reading the navigation manual to figure out all the nuances and features. Time well spent.
It's a perfect combination of highway cruiser, weekend canyon carver, and "youthful luxury."
To the OP, check out the following site: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Audi/A3/2015/ I stumbled across it while doing research prior to purchasing the Lexus...somewhat useful. Even though you're leasing, keep in mind that the quality awards that Audi racks up are for INITIAL quality, which I believe is measured within the first 90 days of ownership. It's pretty much guaranteed that the Audi will spend significantly more time in the service bay for unexpected issues (aka more headaches) than the Lexus, even during a short term lease.
I wanted the 7MT but the boss (i.e., my wife) had two requirements: Must have a backseat and be an AT. I thought I would regret getting the PDK, but wow, it's truly amazing. Haven't missed the third pedal yet.I've had the Lexus for 2 weeks now and couldn't be happier. The car has more tech in it than any car I've owned. I actually had to spend an hour reading the navigation manual to figure out all the nuances and features. Time well spent.
It's a perfect combination of highway cruiser, weekend canyon carver, and "youthful luxury."
To the OP, check out the following site: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Audi/A3/2015/ I stumbled across it while doing research prior to purchasing the Lexus...somewhat useful. Even though you're leasing, keep in mind that the quality awards that Audi racks up are for INITIAL quality, which I believe is measured within the first 90 days of ownership. It's pretty much guaranteed that the Audi will spend significantly more time in the service bay for unexpected issues (aka more headaches) than the Lexus, even during a short term lease.
Good point about long term reliability. Worked with a guy that had an Audi with turbo issues. Not fun missing work because your luxury car can't be bothered to work as hard as we do.
10-21-16, 12:11 PM
#25
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I don't have any personal experience with Audi but my father in law has an S5 and had a Q5 neither of which had any issues other than maintenance. My district manager also drives an Audi A7 I think? He said his car has been problem free They've also offered me Audi Care prepaid maintenance at 50% discount. I have no doubt the Lexus will be much cheaper to maintain over the long haul but I won't be keeping it after the lease. I've got an appointment with Lexus next week and if they can come down on the monthly payments and/or offer me more on my trade in I'll take the IS without question.
10-23-16, 07:51 AM
#26
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Hey guys,
Firstly, I apologize in advance if i'm making a recurrent/redundant thread. I'm looking into replacing my current car after 6 years and have been eyeing an IS350 AWD for some time. To give you guys a brief synopsis and to avoid unnecessarily ripping into a brand, I bought a 2009 BMW 335xi coupe back in 2010 and have been regretting it for a while. High pressure fuel pump failure, classic N54 turbo failure, transmission issues, a non functioning steering wheel button, and a defective HID ballast are all things i've had to deal with over the course of ownership and i'm VERY hesitant to buy another BMW even though I know that they've improved since then.
I've become very good friends with the folks at BMW (for obvious reasons lol) and they've offered me a nice discount on a new 2016 BMW 340i xDrive. Right now my main options for a car in order of preference are:
1) Lexus IS350 AWD
2) Audi S3
3) Infiniti Q50 3.0T AWD
4) BMW 340i xDrive & Subaru WRX STi
My main criteria are that it is a performance-oriented sedan (no hatches or coupes) and that it be fun to drive. I also appreciate some reliability, but I plan on leasing this car for no more than 5 years so I am not all too concerned with long-term out of warranty reliability etc. I drive maybe 18,000miles per year with mixed city and highway. Things I don't care too much about are rear seat or trunk space capacity (my wife has an SUV) and fuel economy isn't all that important (you have to pay to play).
Things I love about the IS350
1) the seats, they fit me very nicely
2) the build quality and low cabin noise
3) the reliability
I would like to know more about what you current owners have had in terms of issues or problems. Overall there is no 40 page issue on turbo failures or HPFP failures so I can see that reliability is a strong point for the Lexus, but i'd be interested in hearing what annoyances you might have with the car. My 2nd biggest choice is the S3 but i've already read an 8 page thread on that from last year so I really don't need to bring it up again.
Firstly, I apologize in advance if i'm making a recurrent/redundant thread. I'm looking into replacing my current car after 6 years and have been eyeing an IS350 AWD for some time. To give you guys a brief synopsis and to avoid unnecessarily ripping into a brand, I bought a 2009 BMW 335xi coupe back in 2010 and have been regretting it for a while. High pressure fuel pump failure, classic N54 turbo failure, transmission issues, a non functioning steering wheel button, and a defective HID ballast are all things i've had to deal with over the course of ownership and i'm VERY hesitant to buy another BMW even though I know that they've improved since then.
I've become very good friends with the folks at BMW (for obvious reasons lol) and they've offered me a nice discount on a new 2016 BMW 340i xDrive. Right now my main options for a car in order of preference are:
1) Lexus IS350 AWD
2) Audi S3
3) Infiniti Q50 3.0T AWD
4) BMW 340i xDrive & Subaru WRX STi
My main criteria are that it is a performance-oriented sedan (no hatches or coupes) and that it be fun to drive. I also appreciate some reliability, but I plan on leasing this car for no more than 5 years so I am not all too concerned with long-term out of warranty reliability etc. I drive maybe 18,000miles per year with mixed city and highway. Things I don't care too much about are rear seat or trunk space capacity (my wife has an SUV) and fuel economy isn't all that important (you have to pay to play).
Things I love about the IS350
1) the seats, they fit me very nicely
2) the build quality and low cabin noise
3) the reliability
I would like to know more about what you current owners have had in terms of issues or problems. Overall there is no 40 page issue on turbo failures or HPFP failures so I can see that reliability is a strong point for the Lexus, but i'd be interested in hearing what annoyances you might have with the car. My 2nd biggest choice is the S3 but i've already read an 8 page thread on that from last year so I really don't need to bring it up again.
10-23-16, 08:23 AM
#27
Lexus Champion
Local Audi dealership has a grey 2016 S3 Premium Plus which comes with magnetic ride, 19" wheels, and grey/black two tone interior and I believe a back up camera/sensor.
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month
What they're offering:
Trade in: $9700 on my BMW of which I will use $2000 of for a down payment.
I'm being offering 6% off MSRP.
On a 48 month lease with 15,000 miles per year, my monthly payments are $520 per month. With my workplace lease allowance of $150 per month off a 4 year lease I pay $370 per month taxes included.
Lexus has an ultra white IS350 F Sport, chateau NuLuxe interior, navi and mark levinson audio pack, and a few other options.
They offering:
$8500 on my car, will use the same $2000 down payment.
4% off MSRP
48 month lease with 15,000miles and i'm paying $645 per month. With my work credit it comes out to just about $500 per month
10-23-16, 08:26 AM
#28
Man, 15% sticker would be great.
10-23-16, 07:30 PM
#29
Lexus Champion
I called around and got 14% off on a 2015 IS250 for the girlfriend, during September of 2014. The colors and package are exactly what She wanted too. For my RCF I got 20% off by pitting dealer against dealer. One even offered to ship across the states for free and transport my cars back for tradein
10-24-16, 05:30 AM
#30
Lead Lap
I was in this same position three months ago. I loved the S3 even though it is just a dressed up Golf R. I was looking at the Prestige model which had a MSRP of $52,500 and the monthly payment was $75 more a month than the IS350 and the S3 was priced about $9,000 off MSRP. The BMW 340 wasn't in the same ballpark, the 328 was but the lease payment was the same as the S3 and this was at $750 below invoice on the BMW. The lease incentives, between the money factor, residual or dealer cash, just wasn't good for the BMW or Audi.
If it was solely my decision I would have picked the S3, it was a more fun car and faster than the IS350 and gets way better gas mileage. I liked the interior (black with red inserts) and the dash layout to me was really cool. My wife like the IS350 out of all of them. She liked the styling better and felt the interior was way more luxurious. In the end I let her pick since I really didn't care, it is just a daily driver to me, and we ended up with the IS350. Like others said, the one thing that I really can't stand is the lack of memory seats but the S3 didn't have that either and also didn't have homelink (the non-Prestige does though).
If it was solely my decision I would have picked the S3, it was a more fun car and faster than the IS350 and gets way better gas mileage. I liked the interior (black with red inserts) and the dash layout to me was really cool. My wife like the IS350 out of all of them. She liked the styling better and felt the interior was way more luxurious. In the end I let her pick since I really didn't care, it is just a daily driver to me, and we ended up with the IS350. Like others said, the one thing that I really can't stand is the lack of memory seats but the S3 didn't have that either and also didn't have homelink (the non-Prestige does though).
Last edited by patgilm; 10-24-16 at 06:09 AM.