IS350 f sport or bmw 335i
05-15-11, 10:21 PM
#20
well I wouldn't say there's an exact time, because each run is different and there are so many factors that affect time such as temperature, vehicle weight (passenger, spare tire, tank of gas), tires, proper launching etc. I'd call it more of a range. expect to achieve 4.9-5.6 with an average 5.3. Some members on here have run even lower than that though (believe someone ran a 4.6) 
05-15-11, 11:21 PM
#21
if you planning on keeping the car for a long time the go with the Lexus, if you only gonna keep the car for less than 5 years, then go with the 335i. i don't think price is the issue here since you never brought it up in your post. both car are due for a redesign with the 3 series sooner than the IS, so a year from now you may be driving an out dated 3 series if you opt for one now. IS on the other hand still have two years imo left for a redesign. personally, if you don't mind the backseat space i'd go with the IS350 f sport, it's a much better looking car than the 335i and it's also more dependable.
05-16-11, 06:29 AM
#22
Overall in response to this question I think you're going to keep getting the same answers. As far as objective judgments:
1) Quickness is close and will come down to the driver - the publication-verified times I could find were 5.0-5.3 seconds for the 2009 335i and 5.3 for the 2009 IS350, though you'll see plenty of people on here have gotten as low as 4.6 seconds
2) Handling/steering response is better in the 335i
3) Interior quality and design is better in the IS350
4) Reliability will be better with the IS350 and repair and maintenance costs down the road will be less with the IS350
5) Aftermarket/modding opportunities are greater for the 335i
6) The 335i, similarly spec'd, will cost more than the IS350
From reading the several threads on CL comparing the 335i to the IS350, few people on CL will disagree with the above statements. Other than those however, it comes down to subjective opinions and what individual people value.
At this point it's just up to you to decide what you personally value by weighting each attribute and comparing. For example, most people would agree that the handling is better in the 335i but the IS350 has a better interior - which of those two do you value more?
I looked at both cars (in addition to many others) 4 months ago when I made my purchase. I ultimately chose the IS350. After doing my research and driving both, I found I agreed with all the above statements. In quickness/acceleration, they were close, the handling was better on the 335i, but the interior quality was much better on the IS350. For me the decision was very simple: sure, the BMW may have better handling, steering response, and do better in some other performance measurements, but I'm not going to track the car - I'm going to drive it to and from work every day. I couldn't stand the quality and design of the BMW interior and the IS350's was the best of all the cars I tested, and I'm going to be spending all my time inside the car (and not at the track). In addition, the one performance aspect I really cared about was power and acceleration, and the IS350 easily matched or bettered the 335i in that respect.
I should note that when I bought the car it didn't have the F-Sport rear sway; I installed it later and it made a huge, immensely positive difference in handling and turn-in response. I'd love to re-compare the two now that I have the sway bar installed; I think it'd be much closer on handling.
Even if I had preferred the 335i to the IS350 in the other respects, I probably would not have gone for it given the price premium (consistently the 335i was more expensive by a few thousand at least than the IS350 when spec'd similarly), the worse reliability and higher repair and maintenance costs. I've owned BMW and Mercedes in the past, and neither could compare to the Lexus in terms of reliability. Even if I liked a BMW more than a comparable Lexus, in the end I'd prefer the Lexus because I'd actually get to drive it places other than the shop.
I found this sentiment borne out in the fact that I found tons and tons of 335i's on lots with right at 49k miles, and very few IS350s at all, regardless of mileage. Obviously BMW owners were dumping their cars right before the warranty expired, and for good reason; they're nightmares once the warranty has expired. You're basically driving a ticking time bomb, just waiting until you hear a new sound or an electronic component fails (I concede this is a subjective statement - this has been my experience with BMWs and that of others I know; obviously others out there have had great experiences with theirs). On the other hand, Lexus owners in large part were keeping their IS350s even past the warranty period.
Good luck in your search, keep us posted!
Last edited by calvin2376; 05-16-11 at 06:32 AM.
05-16-11, 09:23 AM
#24
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The car is not used. Its brand new. I first thought the dealer installed the fsport exhaust, sport springs, fsport intake, and fsport sway bar but the funny thing is that it is installed by the factory. Since when did the factory installed all the f sport equipment into the lexus is350 fsport. lol
05-16-11, 09:38 AM
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well if not planning to mod any of the car. If i do, the only thing i would do is just get some wheels thats all. Im not goin for performance, im going for show. I dont want to get anymore tickets from the police
05-16-11, 10:05 AM
#27
If you're just going for show, and performance is less a concern, then I'd be leaning toward IS350. I also find the IS350 to be a much more rare car than the 335i (in general I see far fewer IS than 3-Series), which is another thing going for the IS350, if that matters to you.
05-16-11, 10:30 AM
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Hey Jimmy, I think you should go with the BMW since you've already done the "IS" show. Might as well switch it up. I know people say that the BMW's a maintenance nightmare, but honestly, I've never had any problems with mine. It's a pretty good car.
I will agree with what others have said about the interior here. It's pretty boring. I like my IS interior way better. Again though, I think you should go with the 335i since you've already owned an IS once. Just my opinion. Good luck on your decision though, both awesome cars!
I will agree with what others have said about the interior here. It's pretty boring. I like my IS interior way better. Again though, I think you should go with the 335i since you've already owned an IS once. Just my opinion. Good luck on your decision though, both awesome cars!