dseag2

I currently have a '13 GS F Sport. I've been considering something smaller because I don't carry passengers very often and the GS leaves just a few inches clearance in our cluttered garage.

My car is in being serviced, so I'm driving a '14 IS250 loaner that is pretty loaded. I can see that the interior quality isn't up to GS standards, but it is still great for the class and I can live with that. Also, I really like the way the car handles. Even in non-F Sport trim it feels way more nimble and responsive than my GS.

However, I've noticed that it feels pretty choppy on rough roads, probably because of the shorter wheelbase. Also, it doesn't have the same roar from the intake generator that is in the GS. Does the IS350 F Sport have it? I can't even hear the engine in the IS. Lastly, even with the 17" wheels it seems to have more road noise than my GS. Is the road noise an issue for any IS owners?

I'm considering trading my GS for an RC, NX or maybe even a 2015 IS350 F Sport. I'd love your input on these topics.

dasbuch

If you like the nimble quality, you might prefer the IS but keep in mind that with the IS you are going smaller, sportier and slightly less comforting than the GS series, and with the IS F-Sport it's going to be even more so, so I think you would be gaining responsiveness at the expense of comfort. Expect the F-sport version to feel a little tighter than what you drove. Also, I'm not sure an inch less of total width (for the IS) would help as much as de-cluttering the garage, and the NX would be wider, so I'm a little confused about your reasons for changing. I wouldn't do it just to gain a half inch on either side of the vehicle. The reason to switch from a GS to an IS would be more than you're feeling younger with each year . They are both nice cars but overall I'd say the IS is a downgrade, but it really depends on what you're looking for on the sport vs luxury scale.

dseag2

Thanks! I have the IS in the garage right now and there's lots more space. I know it would be perfect from that aspect. I'll have to test drive the F-Sport. Fun car!

tea

let's trade! i wanted the GS350 F Sport, just didn't want to spend the almost $20,000 more for it lol

dasbuch

You now owe this forum a before and after photo of the impact of an extra inch of width, so snap one now with the IS and one with the GS after you get it back

But yes, the IS F-Sport is a great and fun car.

EffedSport

iTrader: (1)

Road noise is my biggest complaint about my IS350 f sport. I even went as far as to buy Michelin pilot super sports( which are top ranked summer tires in terms of performance and noise) when my car had less than 500 miles on it. Still have the tire noise. The severity of the noise changes over different road surfaces. If you like the quiet and smooth ride stay with the GS

JDR76

The non F Sport 250 does not have the intake sound generator. It comes on the 250 F Sport and all 350s (both standard and F Sport). Since you are driving the non F Sport 250, your loaner car does not have the generator, which explains the difference.

NYKnick101

I would testdrive a IS350 instead of the 250 since that would be a closer match to your GS350. Same engine and all

dseag2

I know it sounds crazy, so I'll explain. I travel a lot and I don't like to raise my garage door and load my luggage because I don't want people to know I'm out of town for obvious reasons. So, I back the GS in, raise the trunk and load the luggage from the house to the garage. Because of the length of the GS, there isn't much room. A shorter car would make that a lot easier. The width isn't that important, but even an inch may mean I don't open my door against the G37 if both cars are in the garage.

dseag2

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I think I'll hang onto the GS and check out the RC and NX when the hoopla dies down. Really appreciate the info in this forum.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I'd have a hard time giving up those (F-sport) GS 16-way power seats with adjustable side bolsters for the IS 10-way power seats and fixed side bolsters

dseag2

Yeah, I hear you but I understand the IS F Sport seats fit like a glove so they don't need adjustable bolsters.

tkr128

There are a few little things that I liked about our GS F-Sport, particularly in the interior. Memory seat (and the automatic slide back/forth with ignition feature), front and rear footwell lighting when driving, the little strip of illumination on each door panel, the rear seat door handles being illuminated, the automatic electronic parking brake, soft touch material on the lower door panels, the leather trim running down the center console, the larger screen, the sliding front center armrest, the small storage bin on top of the rear armrest and a few other minor details. I also prefer the aluminum trim in the GS to the silver "performance" trim in the IS. These things might not matter to most, but I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to the little details. Otherwise, the IS just feels a little more nimble and responsive. While the GS drives like a smaller car than it is (which made it a blast to drive), you do notice how big it is when you get it into the garage. The 8-speed in the IS is a lot quicker and smoother than the 6-speed in the GS though and there are a few nice additions to the media system in the IS.

As far as the engine sound, my IS350 is quieter than the GS was. I was surprised by how quiet the IS is when I first got it. I expected the IS to sound the same as the GS being the same motor and all. I even popped off the engine cover to make sure the intake pipe and sound generator was there. Still not sure why it's quieter.

The 3IS road noise is a bit louder than the 4GS, at least to my ears. I still have the 18" Bridgestones on the IS while the GS was riding on Continentals. Not a big deal, will probably switch to Michelins or the Contis when the Bridgestones wear out.

NebulaIS

jesus lol what kind of neighborhood do you live in?

Dark9t316

I don't think it matters where you live, you can get robbed anywhere. I take the same precautions.