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If you want an M3, buy an M3
If you want a C63, buy a C63
There aren't many common faults on the ISF. Maybe the water pump might require replacing at some point on some cars but in general they're extremely reliable.
Tuning options are starting to arrive, but until recently it was pretty much exhaust, intake and a few suspension tweeks.
There's a great vid on YouTube comparing the three. They're all great cars, just depends on what you like I guess.
Ok, I didn't say there was no tune available, I said there wasn't until recently. I have no idea what gains can be had from certain mods. I've got a different exhaust and intake. I haven't had the car rolling-roaded so I don't know what the gains might or might not be. It's a lot louder, and that suits me! :-)
You'll have to read this forum. The first few pages should do - most of your questions will be answered.
I was in the same boat as you when I was looking for my first fun grown up car. I loved the looks of the M3, and that sound of the c63 AMG is insane, I decide to go with the IS F for one reason RELIABILITY, go to the m3 forums and c63 forums and read up on all the nightmare stories and high bills to fix those cars that are barely breaking 60,000 miles, on the other hand there are Lexus ISF reaching up to 200,000 miles with minimal problems, yes the ISF has a lot of recalls but Lexus is taking care of them
I could not be happier with my decision and I would highly suggest going with an isf specially if you are buying a car without a warranty ( not the fastest on the street but is fast enough and a blast to drive it on a track ) also a plus is that there are less than 6000 isf in the states so you would be buying a future collectors car!
i was in same boat as JDM-V8FL, had my mind set on an E92 M3 when I was looking for my 'realistic dream' car. Had always loved the looks of that M3 & even attended a special test drive even in Socal when they brought in 8 cars to be test driven w/o sales person on the streets of Irvine. Love, love, loved the car...until I kept hearing about the reliability issues. I've even had mechanics tell me to stay away from that car. Decided on IS-F and couldn't be happier. Its the most awesomest bestest decision I made on my vehicle purchase but each must make their own choice.
I suspect many of us grappled with this same question before purchasing the ISF. For me the first car on my radar was the C63. I really wanted to pull the trigger on a year old AMG about four years ago. The only thing that kept me from buying it was that it was not fully loaded. I figured if I am going to spend big bucks on a car I better get all the bells and whistles I want with it. Although the F is referred to as the 'Beast' in commercials, the C63 thrill in my opinion, is more satisfying. One thing I did not like about the C63 was the drivers seat. I was never able to set a position that I felt fully comfortable in. I also felt the C63 interior did not exude the same luxury feel that the F provides. The biggest reason I chose the F over the C63 however, was (as I suspect most would agree) the reliability factor. I am fairly confident that if I still have my F ten years from know it's going to be just as reliable and headache free as it is today. As far as the M3 is concerned I did not get to test drive it as extensively as I did the C63 so I cannot comment too much on the drive comparison. From the test drives I did make however, I did not get a feeling that said yeah take the M3 over the F. I have always been a V8 guy so that might have something to do with it. The other thing about the M3 is BMW's penchant for quirky failures. As much as I like to work on and play with my cars I didn't want to have to risk pumping in $$$ for parts or repairs on a premium priced vehicle.
If you are someone that flips cars every three or four years just get the car that excites you the most. If you want a car that you plan to keep a while, the F is pretty much a no-brainer.
I see the OP is in Dubai so might not be as familiar with the history at least from the US perspective. The issue of Beemers spending time in the shop is well covered so I'll address the C63 side. Up to about the mid 1990s, mercedes had a rep for building almost bullet-proof cars that could easily go a half million miles. Then in 1998 Mercedes shocked the world in a merger with Chrysler corp. In my view this was like pouring Dom Perignon champagne into a plastic red solo cup. Don't get me wrong, I did love many of the MOPAR products of the late 60s and early 70s... but things went downhill fast from there for Chrsyler. this is the company that gave us the infamous K-car in the 80s, one of the greatest failures from Detroit. 1983 Chrysler K-car
The company kept up their un-sustainable practices for years much like GM until American taxpayers were finally forced to bail out the two companies in 2008. That was around the time when Mercedes and Chrysler finally dissolved their merger, but the damage had already been done. Again IMO, i don't think Mercedes has ever fully returned to the peak of the quality and reliability they had decades ago. We've seen many mergers; now Fiat owns both Chrysler and Maserati and you might have read the stories of how a new Maserati has cheap plastic dash ***** out of a Dodge product. Now every time I see a Maserati out on the road I think in my head "Nice Dodgerati!".
I have a similar reaction when i see any Mercedes product. Once you've worked with the cheaper products, not sure you ever recover. One nice thing about the F is it is 100% Japanese.
Here's my take, if you want reliability and a car that will cost you the least to maintain I would go for the IS-F. If you have money to burn and want more aftermarket options go with the C63 or M3.
I see the OP is in Dubai so might not be as familiar with the history at least from the US perspective. The issue of Beemers spending time in the shop is well covered so I'll address the C63 side. Up to about the mid 1990s, mercedes had a rep for building almost bullet-proof cars that could easily go a half million miles. Then in 1998 Mercedes shocked the world in a merger with Chrysler corp. In my view this was like pouring Dom Perignon champagne into a plastic red solo cup. Don't get me wrong, I did love many of the MOPAR products of the late 60s and early 70s... but things went downhill fast from there for Chrsyler. this is the company that gave us the infamous K-car in the 80s, one of the greatest failures from Detroit. 1983 Chrysler K-car
The company kept up their un-sustainable practices for years much like GM until American taxpayers were finally forced to bail out the two companies in 2008. That was around the time when Mercedes and Chrysler finally dissolved their merger, but the damage had already been done. Again IMO, i don't think Mercedes has ever fully returned to the peak of the quality and reliability they had decades ago. We've seen many mergers; now Fiat owns both Chrysler and Maserati and you might have read the stories of how a new Maserati has cheap plastic dash ***** out of a Dodge product. Now every time I see a Maserati out on the road I think in my head "Nice Dodgerati!".
I have a similar reaction when i see any Mercedes product. Once you've worked with the cheaper products, not sure you ever recover. One nice thing about the F is it is 100% Japanese.
I did not know this. thanks for the history lesson, made me laugh, "nice dodgerati". I hate the look of the car especially with that bling on the fenders. always see cheap car with then on here in SoCal
08-04-16, 11:49 PM
why should i buy isf over the c63 , m3
