CJW

iTrader: (1)

Came from Infiniti, feel I should have went S4. I made the rational choice, but I don't think the S4 would have been irrational either.

Hermes

I have never owned a BMW, but I worked at BMW for 2 years, and I find that the IS is much better than the 3-Series. I find that the interior is so cheap in the BMW, the leather is subpar, my Honda Accord had better leather than the BMW. I would pick the IS any day of the week over the 3-series.

But I am in love with the newer 5-Series.


Edit:
Working at BMW, I noticed how many problems they have on average. Once the warranty is over, you sure as hell better have a damn good paying job to pay for the repairs. This one woman came down one day, had a 2008 335 xi I believe it was. Spent $13,000 on the repairs on the car, drove it off the lot after she picked it up for 3 blocks. Car broke down and she had to spend $7,000. I talked to various tow-truck drivers while I worked there, and asked him what make of car do you have to tow most, his response was BMW.

Mtneer

I just traded out of a 10' audi S4 for my Atomic Silver IS350 w/Luxury package.

The audi does have the Lexus on power by far. Audi rates it at 333hp but it's wildly know,to be unrated and must be to put down sub 5 sec 0-60.

That said the Lexus is much smoother and more daily driver friendly. Not to mention vastly better steering feel and ride quality.

The real kicker for me was reliability. I had the dual clutch which was great until it hit stop and go traffic. Once overheated it would buck and slam from 2nd to first. Many have this issue and had big bills. Being out of warranty I chose to get out while the going was good.

Also love the IS interior so far which is saying something since Audi is know for there's.

FinaLpeace

I have always been a Lexus guy, but recently I have temptation to trade in my IS350 F Sport for the new 2015 C AMG which would be out soon. I know they're different in class, but the sound of the AMG is toooooo attractive! The new C400 is also nice as well. I guess I'm missing a luxury interior that Mercedes can offer after owning the new IS for a year

I honestly don't have much love for the IS' interior seeing how a Camry's interior is even more luxurious than the IS. Let's not talk about the styling since it's a subjective thing, but it can and should definitely be more luxurious. For example, replace the unappealing center console plastic piece with wood trim like the 2nd generation had. I felt like I paid 50k for a sports car with a luxury badge but not luxurious at all. Not to mention the nuluxe on F sport models, I want to smell leather and see it ages! Last but not least a small navigation screen that doesn't have a roof surrounding like the one GS has.

It's sporty all right but only in sport+ mode with the sound of the engine roaring, but it can definitely sound sexier, wish it would sound like the AMG!

The only fun thing about the IS350 is in sport+ mode which I barely use at all, since turning it on after every time I turn my car on is inconvenience. Hope Lexus would be able to set the sport+ mode to enable it to stay at that setting even after turning off the engine.

I don't know if I'm asking for too much, but I did paid 50k for this thing. I'm driving it around, but not enjoying much since it has like no technology in it and the infotainment system sucks. Lexus is so lucky they're known to be reliable otherwise they wont be selling these IS much. Some random person in the street the other day ask me how I like my car because he's planning to buy one of these, but want to understand it a little bit more. The predominant reason he consider the new IS because Lexus' are bullet proof. I guess that's why Lexus is always for the middle class.

Well just keep it mind I'm simply comparing Lexus to Mercedes and not BMW or Audi. Mercedes = Luxury and sporty combination. Lexus just cant have both together at once can they? They either look luxury like last generation or sporty like this generation. The words for what I'm trying to describe for Lexus is "absence of elegance"

damtachoa

Why don't luxury and sport go together?

Lexus has luxurious interior, but not sporty car.
BMW has sporty car, but not luxurious interior.
Mercedes has luxurious exterior, but no sporty and plastic interior.

WHY???

JDR76

Not sure I understand. Are you saying that the IS is luxurious and not sporty? Most people feel it's the other way around.

At Lexus, I think the GS is the best combination of sport and luxury. Whereas the IS is more sport than luxury, and the LS is more luxury than sport, I think the GS is a great compromise between the two. The handling is somewhat similar to the 3IS, but with more interior features and better interior materials.

keyframe13

When you say that IS is more sport than Luxury you probably refer to IS350 because IS250 it's a shame in that regard.

salvadorik

iTrader: (1)

within its class 3IS is both reasonably luxurious and sporty. The good things and bad things always present. One thing I know for a fact if Germans finally started building reliable cars as Lexus does I would only be driving German cars because hands down materials, styling, power train, in cabin tech are a lot better than the ones offered by Lexus. This is just my humble opinion.

FinaLpeace

Ouch to the IS250 owners, but I totally agree the IS250 is neither sporty nor luxurious enough.

FinaLpeace

Hehe I saw you on bimmerforum when I was browsing to see if they have a "wow" to the new IS and RC F.

Like I mention in my last post, hands down to pick the Germans over Lexus if reliability wasn't the issue. That's why Lexus is never consider from the wealthy ones, but there are a few unique people out there. One thing is I would only consider the Mercedes because both their interior and exterior design is great.

Lindenlea

After owning my Bavarian beauty for 5 years, the trips to the dealer for warranty work were starting to wear on me. Picked up my USB a couple of weeks ago at Downtown Lexus and couldn't be happier.

dizlex

Hell, the 330i's NA inline six would be an improvement. Not as powerful, of course, but those BMW straight sixes are sweet motors. Better than any V6.

dizlex

Use the paddles to up the RPM's and the fun, without using sport mode.

And some of us don't think "technology and the infotainment system" are what makes a car fun or not.

But yeah, it is a Toyota, and, let's face it, Toyota doesn't make the funnest cars on the planet. But it is the funnest Japanese sedan, which is pretty good.

dizlex

I came from a BMW 3-series, E46, with the optional sport package, and it was a great car. Superbly engineered, there wasn't anything that I didn't like about it. Brilliant handling, and really fun to drive despite the modest power. They don't make cars like that, anymore.

Now I'm older, and the IS is right up my alley. Noticeably softer, but still quite competent, even fun. It's RWD, as God intended cars to be, and it's not a 4-banger, and it doesn't shut-off at stoplights. There's a list of things that I like better about it than I do the new BMW's.

VelvetFog

The 2.5 in my wife's Z3 was a great motor. Super smooth and loved to rev, great sound too (for a six cylinder).

BMW's just aren't the same cars they use to be. As they have chased mass market, they have lost the qualities that made them stand out. It's just a blue and white badge people want now.