Manaray

That "nasty" rear beams acts as a great rear SWAY bar...you know, that little item that us independent rear suspension owners pay extra for to add to our cars so that we can reduce the effect of independent suspension?

While I agree that the I35 doesn't compare to a GS300 in many respects, it's still not a bad car. Plus you can buy it for MUCH less than the GS300. ALso, if you know how to deal, you can buy it for just a few thousand above a Maxima SE...and I'd pay a few for the advantage of having the I35 (like dealership treatment which is as good as a Lexus dealership)

Let's face it, the GS300 is NOT a fast car in it's stock form. While it has a LOT of potential, it costs a LOT of money to fix it up. I don't think Lexus intended for the GS300 to be fast...that's why there's a GS400/430...and only TRUE enthusiasts would go to lengths to fix up a GS300...

I'm sure if Lexus made a SC300 (SC430 style), it would sell like crazy. Not everyone needs speed.

Lexus DOES need to bump up all the HP though...the I6 based cars should have 275HP, the V8's should have 400HP...but then again, the Japanese are only good at big horsepower when a turbo is involved...and everyone knows what a pain the EPA is in regards to Turbo's...

As for going from a GS to an IS...hmmm, I would NEVER trade my GS for a IS (even if I had a GS300)...and I would fix up any car that I buy (because I would not buy a car that's not worth fixing up)...give me a '85 Corolla GTS (AE86), I'll fix it up...and I'd fix it up to the point where it would SMOKE a stock IS300...hehehe...THAT'S a REAL sleeper...

Sorry, but a BMW Z3 is a complete chick car...should have kept your 911...as for stick vs. auto, why would you have a automatic "sports" car that you don't drive everyday? Traffic is a lame excuse...now if you don't know how to drive a stick, that's different...

LexusPride

MMmmmmm......heated steeringwheel. Hey, didn't Mercedes revolutionize that awhile back ? And do they still use it, or did they stop when they started using the collapsible wheel ?

BimmerLexus

It's like comparing a TL/TL Type S to a IS300.
It is apples to oranges the two aren't marketed at each other and should be. Nothing to do with front drive vs rear...the TL Type S is kick *** for front drive and the 02 ES300 doesn't help Lexus, but the I35 is a fast "BIG" nice car. The 3.0 V6 was rated and is one of the best and most durable engines. The 3.5 shold be better. I know several Mechanics that complain about the Toyota 3.0 V6 in Camry's er ES300's. The rings go bad and there is a sludge problem. The Nissan V6 is what sold Nissan too Renault. Any way...either the luxury or Sport version of the I35 ...it is still a luxury car. Now the Maxima with 255 HP and a Six speed tranny or the upcomming TL Type S with a six speed...that is a different story...still aplles to oranges however...It all depends what you want.

I got my 2002 IS300 real cheap (listed for about $36K and change and i got it for $32,500) as nice as they are, IS300 aren't selling well. My dealer uses IS300 as loaner cars...sure sign of poor sales.

Joe

2002 IS300

2001 540i Sport

1993 SC400

1987 535is "Sharked"

sleeper

hey, the IS may not be sellnig well, but that has nothing to do with being a loaner car. does that mean the ES, and the RX are not doing well either? no, man.
all dealers have the IS as loaner cars, okay? (maybe some dont). it's only the cheapest car from lexus.
i had it as a loaner LAST year when my GS was in service. it was a brand new IS with only few hundred miles on it.


P.S. - you can always make an appointment for a certain loaner car. at least i can.

Sentinel

is300 is the a loaner because it the lowest price car. The is300 is not intended to be a big seller. It is intended to get people onto the lexus brand, so that people who buy an is300 today, are more likely to buy a gs300 etc later.

Now lets be honest, ask the average person how much HP there car has and they dont know. Lexus sells very well. Nissan has to put huge amounts of HP in there cars to attract buyers and they still dont sell well.

If you really want an is300, your not gonna buy a I35 your probably gonna buy a gs300. If you really want an is300, a RWD drive car that out handles 90% of cars on the road, stops on a dime etc. Your probably looking at the is300, A4, 325? 330.

Acura TL-S nice but a boat, i35 hmm not sure about the looks but also a boat.

I wanted a sports car and that what i bought. I autoX my car and everyone whos driven it drules at how well it does everything.

N10S1

I think this whole loaner car issue has to do with price and not sales. Up until the IS300 came around the cheapest Lexus, price-wise was the ES300 and Rx300. Most of the dealers in So. Cal have boatloads of these as loaners. With the introduction of the IS300 these dealers have a new lower priced option, plus it helps their image as well. Most Lexus-dealers lease their loaner vehicles anyways, so just like anyone who leases a vehicle they are looking for a vehicle with the lowest MSRP. There has been all this talk about poor sales for this model and that model, etc. I actually want to see some concrete numbers. Where do some of you guys get all these numbers, from the proverbial ***? Just like all those HP claims and 0-60 times let's see the actual, unadulterated data.

BimmerLexus

The fact that i got a $3500 discount on my 2002 Pearl White with Tan FULL leather IS300 tells me it's not selling well.

My dealer is the largest in the Philladelphia area and has 25 2002 IS300 sitting. They haven't even "preped" them because of low demand.

Hell, I don't care...NO car has resale value right now so that isn't an issue...I bought mine because I got it "right now" and with the discount it was about $10K cheaper than the 330i.

I gotta say I went automatic though...I drove 5 sticks in the IS300(I though maybe the first one was a bad example) but they all suck. My 540i Sport is a stick and so is my 535is so I know sticks and this one(IS300) is not an example of what Toyota can do. My 93 TT Supra was a fine example of Toyota sticks. And the suspension dosen't like full tilt...it's happy at 80-85%.

I auto cross too and a 90 M3 is far better at this.

Anyone know if we can replace these ridiculose "rice boy" tail lights with something a little classier????

And those gauges! Luckily I only look at the gas guage.

Joe

2002 IS300

2001 540i Sport "Sharked"

1993 SC400

1987 535is "Sharked"

N10S1

You sound like you have buyer's remorse. Perhaps the IS was not the right car. I'm very interesting in the '03 G35 it will be released sometime in April of 02. I saw the production version at Nissan's HQ in Gardena and the quality is impressive, much better than the IS.

BimmerLexus

Now we are talking...

As much as I love both my Lexus(93 SC400 & 02 IS300) and my Bimmers (87 535is & 01 540i Sport) there are things that I am not happy with but live with.

The IS really pisses me off when you and I all know what Toyota can do, but dosen't.

It takes Renault owned Nissan to bring the G35 to market and did anyone drive a Altima 3.5 SE yet?

DRIVE ONE! For under $29K LOADED...wow

I know...it's front drive...but WOW, now that is how the IS's 5 speed stick should be! Smooth and easy take up...not lurch and jerk and squeel....

I can not believe my 87 535is 5 speed is smoother in operation than the IS's ... that is why I went auto...

So the G35 is coming out in the spring eh?

I read it is based on Nissan's HOT Skyline coupe.

Anyone wanna buy a 2002 Pearl White IS300 in June of 2002, let me know....

Joe

Sentinel

Hmm, did you guys step on the lot and buy the car with out driving it?

redhwangso

Man... the I35 ... its fast! for sure! but looks wise... something is missing. I would say that the IS looks way better. everyone is saying that the I35 or the G35 is the supplement of the skyline that is not available for the U.S. market. All im saying is... let me know when the real SKYLINE is coming to the U.S. market! until then, the I35 or the G35 should be no threat to the IS dynasty! =)

methodmf

anyone know what the G35 quartermile suppose to be?

Sentinel

Well the altima is 14.4 in a 5speed so id guess the is35 in the 14.5 - 15 range.

ducati

You should have driven a properly broken-in IS300, Joe. I felt the same as you after I drove a new off-the-lot IS300 5-speed. The stick was notchy, slow, and not at all smooth. I was very disappointed, as my current car (at that time) was an Integra Type R which had the tightest, most positive tranny I have ever owned.

At the time, I had a BMW 325 on order, and it was coming in a week later. I loved the IS, except for that awful stick. I have a friend that works for Honda (engineer), and gets to drive just about every (fun) car on the planet, and he mentioned that the IS's stick was great but ONLY after a few thousand miles were put on it.

I took that as gospel (he is a helluva enthusiast), and since I felt the IS300 crushed the 325, I decided to take a chance and buy it.

Now, 2500 miles later, I can safely say he was 100% correct. My 5-speed was gritty and nasty for the first 1000 miles, and it started to smooth out significantly after that. It still feels like it's breaking in, so perhaps it will get even better. No matter, it's great now so I'm not worrying.

I agree with earlier comments; the IS is simply not the same type of car as a high-horsepower FWD beast. And unless you drive the tires off your cars regularly (me ) you will probably never get the benefit of RWD. Yes, I think the IS could use more power, something in the lines of the M3 would be fine, thank you But for me, handling finesse and fun-to-drive quotient (with a dose of lux thrown in) are most important--and for that, the IS beats everything in it's price class hands down.

CmputerWiz

So it seems that since your opinion is that the GS is ugly in it's stock form, that it must be truth for everyone? I think not. IMO you need to add "IMO" to your posts

And you have to be immature to care about HP levels? Odd, I never heard that fact released in the scientific world. Why on earth would anyone want to buy a Civic and make a "super rice rocket" when we can buy a Lexus with twice the reliability, three times the power, and TEN times the looks?! *IMO*

If everyone that has matured doesn't care about *5 more HP* then why don't they jsut put 4cyl engines in all the luxo cruisers? Who cares if the caddie catera has 320hp...when it only needs 100? Sounds like a relativly ignorant comment to me. But don't get me wrong...I'm not saying that's you.

SR