Aeromotive

Hi all.

My 2014 IS350 lease is ending soon and I evaluated all the possibilities : couldn't get over the XE's interior, Alfa is too expensive (very low residuals and high interest rates, plus they won't go lower than MSRP), etc.

My decision was taken : I'm buying the car... until my brother (who works at a Toyota dealership linked to the Lexus one) got me quote for a 2017 model, better equipped, for the same price, maybe even lower. I consider that a killer deal because MSRP has increased 7k$ since 2014 (I couldn't believe it, had to double check my contract and Lexus.ca website). The only downside is that it's AWD, and mine is RWD, which I love, and RWD's are discontinued in Canada

I love the USB color, and I'm not ready to change... the new car would be USB too . Might consider red.

Has anyone jumped to the facelifted model and regretted or loved it? And why? I'm really not a fan of leasing an almost identical car, but between purchasing it and having a higher interest rate at the back and leasing another one...

Mk14mod1

I ended the lease on our '14 350 Fsport 1 early and moved up to a '17 350 f sport 3. I really like the facelift and the extra features. We ended up picking the same exterior and interior (atomic and roja).

gbgary

how much of a penalty did you have to pay?

drdreydel

Word of advice, make sure to test drive the AWD...I've got a '14 350 F Sport AWD and there is a huge difference between the 8-spd in the RWD and the much older 6-spd in the AWD (the 8-spd literally doesn't fit, so Lexus uses the much older and more slush boxy 6-spd). Unless they've figured out how to get the same 8-spd in the AWD, this would be a deal breaker for me if I were getting the car again. It's a perfectly fine transmission for commute driving, but it's hugely meh for "sporty" driving and in my opinion is mismatched to what is an otherwise brilliant chassis. It will not rev-match unless you're really hustling and automatic downshifts in S and S+ will actually unsettle the car if you're really hustling. Having come to my IS from a DSG equipped GTI this has been the most disappointing thing about the car.

Good luck!

evident

Honestly it's not big enough of achange to trade in a fully functional 14, taking a bath on value to get what boils down to a nav screen update, and cup holders. are those really worth $10000 to you, when 95% of the rest of the car, including drive train, is exactly the same?

corradoMR2

Aeromotive, I switched to a '17 after six months in a '10 HS and 6 weeks in a '17 A4. The larger screen and nicer interior touches plus the front refresh are an improvement to me over the '14-'16. Not crazy about the rear lights though and prefer the older ones.

P.S. I too considered the Jag but like you, what a disappointment on the interior. Cheap is not the word. The Diesel was also incredibly loud and rattled the car's dash during the test drive!! However, the ride/handling combination was as close to perfect as it can be.

ARM350F

Even though I still have a year left on my lease I'm already starting to consider my options and I've noticed how little there is to choose from. I keep hearing such bad these about the jag which is hard to taken in since I love that brand and the only real thing that entices me is the srt8s. Especially since you can get them for around 450ish in so cal right now.

Mk14mod1

i actually walked away with abt $1500 cad, even tho i was only 2.5 year into a 4 year term. Because the car has very low mileage (20000ish KM).

otakusan

I see you have the C450 already, it's such a better car in every way... except for when it breaks down after warranty. I'd keep your current RWD IS, and use that money to fix the C450 when it does break, in the meanwhile, your IS will last forever.. it's always good to keep 1 reliable car in the garage that always starts.

387

From what I am getting, the OP's car is leased and he's saying a new 2017 would end up being less in monthly payments than his 2014. And probably less than buying his car out and financing because of the lower interest rate. I think if you think of the car as an expense, it would make sense. Cars depreciate. If there is nothing else that interests you, maybe another IS on a lease just so you get warranty and don't have to pay for stuff like brakes and other maintenance and wear items. I think you'll definitely end up appreciating the subtle updates over time. I know I would....

jmull3r

iTrader: (1)

i would upgrade if it makes sense for you financially, and if it makes sense in general to you. the larger nav screen and subtle changes are great imo for the car

Aeromotive

That's my biggest concern... I'm worried I'd be disappointed with the transmission.

Would yopu have skipped from 14 to 17?

Yeah the C450 is leased for 2 years only, so it's not staying past warranty. Even then, I think it's very reliable, much more than the F30 we previously had.

Thanks yeah I really see cars as an expense and a waste of money, frankly. But I do love them hahaha

JDR76

If I had not needed to move to a larger car, I absolutely would have moved from my 14 to a 17 at lease end. I like the refresh.

And FWIW, I have had the 6 speed in both my IS and my GS and my experience with it has been great. I test drove both and preferred the 6 speed. It doesn't shift quite as fast, but it doesn't hunt much and feels quicker to me, probably because it hits 60 in second gear, rather than third in the 8 speed.

goldengame

I've driven the 2015 RWD and AWD (I own the AWD), XE, 340i, and Q50 RS. The best transmission of the bunch is the 8-speed in the 340i and XE. The XE seemed to have it tuned sportier, while the 340i felt smoother. The worst transmission is the 6-speed in the AWD IS. If I were buying a car now, I personally wouldn't go with the AWD IS because the transmission is very dated. In 2014, it was borderline acceptable but we're getting closer to 2018 model years now.

Personally, if I were buying/leasing a new car this year, it would be a toss up between the XE and S4. I haven't driven the new S4 yet so that's TBD.

nathantse

I like the new Audi's (S3/S4). I was actually cross shopping between a 16' S3 & IS350. But ended up with the IS because the styling was just a tad better. Plus, the peace of mind of reliability.

But now, the '17 Audi's (S3/S4/A3/A4), they come with the virtual cockpit which looks amazing. The interior styling still looks OK (kinda bland), same goes with the exterior. Reliability wise Audi step their game up, better than most of the other Germans.

Not to mention, they are fast (S3/S4). Roughly a second faster to 60 than the IS.