Lexus IS-F or MB C63 AMG
#46
#48
Not touchy, just the same old crap people post all the time. "Well if you couldn't afford it you shouldn't have bought it." Duh.
There's a simple axiom for all engines. Horsepower comes from your gas tank. But you're not asking for 450 hp all the time, only when you go WOT. At part throttle cruise, a good engine will return reasonable economy. Look at the Corvette. They get stupidly good mileage in cruise mode on the highway. Neither the IS-F nor the C63 AMG come close to what I've heard from real world Corvette owners. Granted a Vette is very aerodynamically slick compared to a sedan and is much lighter so accelerating one takes less energy. But it's impossible to ignore the millions of man-hours expended on the small block Chevrolet engine. It is amazingly efficient and powerful given it's stone-age single underhead cam and two valve per cylinder heads.
So, IMHO, MB didn't do much of a spectacular job getting basic efficiency out of their engine and that alone makes me wonder about the rest of the car. If you can't get 16 mpg around town for a vehicle under 4000 lbs, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.
And yeah, I expect I'll get somewhere in the 18 - 22 mpg range around town with the F when I get it, and that's fine. I get 22 to 25 with my 350. Gas cost isn't a big deal at all.
There's a simple axiom for all engines. Horsepower comes from your gas tank. But you're not asking for 450 hp all the time, only when you go WOT. At part throttle cruise, a good engine will return reasonable economy. Look at the Corvette. They get stupidly good mileage in cruise mode on the highway. Neither the IS-F nor the C63 AMG come close to what I've heard from real world Corvette owners. Granted a Vette is very aerodynamically slick compared to a sedan and is much lighter so accelerating one takes less energy. But it's impossible to ignore the millions of man-hours expended on the small block Chevrolet engine. It is amazingly efficient and powerful given it's stone-age single underhead cam and two valve per cylinder heads.
So, IMHO, MB didn't do much of a spectacular job getting basic efficiency out of their engine and that alone makes me wonder about the rest of the car. If you can't get 16 mpg around town for a vehicle under 4000 lbs, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.
And yeah, I expect I'll get somewhere in the 18 - 22 mpg range around town with the F when I get it, and that's fine. I get 22 to 25 with my 350. Gas cost isn't a big deal at all.
#49
you said u were concerned about using the car as a daily driver... well i dont think you'll need the extra 50 hp as your daily driver, it may be nice to have but realistically if you use anywhere close to the F's 416, you're going to tell your wife and children to grab the binoculars and be cop lookout
#50
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Well said and thanks for the insight. My personal opinion is that we're in another short-lived "golden age" for performance automobiles, and isn't it great that we have such excellent choices with each having a distinctive character? Although I pulled out my wallet for the F, I refuse to hate on the M3, C63, or the CTS-V (which is honestly an M5 competitor).
As far as unleashing the horsepower, I joke with my friends that I'm "that guy" doing 60 in a 65 with surrounding drivers cussing and wondering why the hell I bought a fast car. Kidding, but seriously it's fairly difficult finding enough opportunities to check the tune. I'm thinking about joining our local motorsports club and getting my *** on the track.
As far as unleashing the horsepower, I joke with my friends that I'm "that guy" doing 60 in a 65 with surrounding drivers cussing and wondering why the hell I bought a fast car. Kidding, but seriously it's fairly difficult finding enough opportunities to check the tune. I'm thinking about joining our local motorsports club and getting my *** on the track.
Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw has a lot of track dates and VIR is another great facility.
Also in keeping with the topic, I took the IS-F over the C63 overall quality felt better and the transmission worked much better in the IS-F, and i got it for a lot less than the C63.
Hope to see you out there.
#51
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IS-F vs Merc C63
So ive read a few comparisons/opinions putting the IS-F against the Benz C63. Most seem to lean in favor of the Benz. I own a 07 IS and recently have been considering replacing with either of the above, regardless of cost. I only have two complaints about my car: cabin space is terrible, and tail lights are ugly. I guess Lexus didnt get the memo in the mid-90's that orange is outdated? Please share your opinions.
#52
So ive read a few comparisons/opinions putting the IS-F against the Benz C63. Most seem to lean in favor of the Benz. I own a 07 IS and recently have been considering replacing with either of the above, regardless of cost. I only have two complaints about my car: cabin space is terrible, and tail lights are ugly. I guess Lexus didnt get the memo in the mid-90's that orange is outdated? Please share your opinions.
i honestly havent driven a C63 but have driven and owned many AMGs. I was at the dealer this week and got to look at a C63. Just from looks alone i wasnt impressed. Interior quality was still sub par to me. Yes the MB is faster but I am still glad I got the ISF.
#53
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Welcome to Clublexus. We've discussed this before. There is no "better" car as they are both evenly matched when you consider everything. Both are small super sedans with RWD, big V-8s and more panache than the regular models. The C63 is more the brute beast with power, the IS-F is more the track car. Neither has a truly glaring fault. The IS-F has a better interior and some prefer the C63 styling.
It goes down to personal preference and other details. Cleary we here will say the IS-F is more to our liking and the Benz forums will say "get the C63".
I will say you will get better responses here from people that can maturely point the pros and cons of both, instead of reading things on other forums like "The IS-F sucks, its rice" or "Lexus can't make good cars, they are boring".
Good luck
It goes down to personal preference and other details. Cleary we here will say the IS-F is more to our liking and the Benz forums will say "get the C63".
I will say you will get better responses here from people that can maturely point the pros and cons of both, instead of reading things on other forums like "The IS-F sucks, its rice" or "Lexus can't make good cars, they are boring".
Good luck
#54
the c63 is a little quicker than the ISF and has a bit more potential than the ISF for tuning. the interior on the F is small but imo looks nicer than the c63.
i think its automobile magazine that has a nice article comparing the two along with the m3. i just saw it at the grocery store. it also has a good chart comparing both.
i think its automobile magazine that has a nice article comparing the two along with the m3. i just saw it at the grocery store. it also has a good chart comparing both.
#56
Lexus Champion
Welcome to CL. If you're talking about rear seat space, the F, imo, seems a little more comfortable. I found it really interesting in the C63 that they had put plastic panels on the back of the front seats with grooves/channels for a slight bit of additional leg room. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to try to sit exactly still with my legs in those slots for any length of time...lol.
Like 1Sick said, there isn't a wrong choice in this category. We each make the decision that is best suited to our own needs. I do also agree with kickhard that I found the interior of the 63 to be lacking.
It is an amazing car, and one that I came extremely close to buying.
Good luck with your decsion....you'll love whatever you choose.
Like 1Sick said, there isn't a wrong choice in this category. We each make the decision that is best suited to our own needs. I do also agree with kickhard that I found the interior of the 63 to be lacking.
It is an amazing car, and one that I came extremely close to buying.
Good luck with your decsion....you'll love whatever you choose.
#58
Lexus Champion
Welcome to Clublexus. We've discussed this before. There is no "better" car as they are both evenly matched when you consider everything. Both are small super sedans with RWD, big V-8s and more panache than the regular models. The C63 is more the brute beast with power, the IS-F is more the track car. Neither has a truly glaring fault. The IS-F has a better interior and some prefer the C63 styling.
It goes down to personal preference and other details. Cleary we here will say the IS-F is more to our liking and the Benz forums will say "get the C63".
I will say you will get better responses here from people that can maturely point the pros and cons of both, instead of reading things on other forums like "The IS-F sucks, its rice" or "Lexus can't make good cars, they are boring".
Good luck
It goes down to personal preference and other details. Cleary we here will say the IS-F is more to our liking and the Benz forums will say "get the C63".
I will say you will get better responses here from people that can maturely point the pros and cons of both, instead of reading things on other forums like "The IS-F sucks, its rice" or "Lexus can't make good cars, they are boring".
Good luck
Have you been out to test drive or look at either of them yet?
#59
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Both great cars and would've been happy with either. The thing that turned me off with the AMG was that it was a very thirsty engine. Something to think about with second costs.
#60
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Interesting topic. I have a C63 and I'm considering the IS-F as a replacement for my '06 Audi S4. One of the Vancouver IS-F owners I met on this board tells me he's getting around 400+ kilometres to a tank of gas, which is to me extremely impressive. With my C63, I get about 250 to 270 (if I'm gentle with the throttle) kilometres to a tank. But I have to say, the C63 is an absolute beast. The sound of the engine turning over early in the morning (when it's cold) is just brutal, bordering on violent. It scares away most small dogs and really turns heads. Obviously, you pay a price for those dynamics.
Still have yet to take the IS-F for a test drive though, and would love to really study one up close. On first inspection, however, the car does seem very interesting.
Still have yet to take the IS-F for a test drive though, and would love to really study one up close. On first inspection, however, the car does seem very interesting.