SW17LS

The 350 of course. But then again an LFA is more fun to drive than either of them. So what's your point? Of course the 350 is better, but that doesn't mean the 250 sucks. I thought the loaner I had was very fun to drive.

I flat out do not care if somebody else has a car that's cheaper and more powerful than mine. I don't care, I'm a grown man with a professional career and a family, one day you'll get to the point where that seems as petty and ridiculous to you as it does to me

SCSurf

Holy crap FinaLpeace. You're going on an angry roll haha

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

FinaLpeace, please exit this thread. Absolutely fine to share your opinion but no need to do it so aggressively and rudely towards other members.

rayaans

Actually, Lexus vehicles here are about the same as the German vehicles on pricing. When you look at the figures it seems as though the Lexus vehicles are always £2-3k more than the Germans on base price. Then, when you add options, a similiar spec German vehicle is always £2-3k, sometimes even more expensive.

Most people here drive German vehicles which are stripped out. No leather, no navigation, no heated seats etc. Thats why the German vehicles are cheaper for them, because they prefer to drive around a poverty pack BMW/AUDI/MERCEDES.

As for the comments on how the IS250 is slow, what planet are you on? 0-60mph in 8s is hardly slow for a luxury saloon. Youre lucky you didnt get the IS300h or you'd be complaining that it has no power as its even slower, 0-60mph in 8.4s.

scarboy693

I used to hate on the IS250 too saying it was slow and blah blah and while I love my 350 and wouldn't give it up, I can understand why someone would buy the 250 after spending time on here and talking to a few friends who have them. as SW13GS said, they don't care about the performance and wanted something thats smooth, quiet, and reliable. From that angle its a perfectly fine car and still has enough grunt to keep on the highway and all.

We have a 2013 535i that was in for service and they gave me a 320i Loaner in the mean time... Now that was bad. The speed didn't bug me since I knew its the bottom rung but boy was it loud and unrefined feeling. And the interior felt really cheap to me. Also no sunroof bugged the crap out of me.

Just my $.02

dasbuch

I realize that may not have been for me but since it wasn't clear I want to point out I never said the 250 is slow. Lexus conservatively claims 7.7 seconds for 0-60, I believe to downplay the difference between RWD and AWD models, but most reviews test 0-60 at 7.2 seconds when the RWD is in sport mode, so it's really more of a 7 second car than an 8 second one. Half a second is significant. It's not a slow car at all unless compared directly to the 350. The AWD does pay a penalty in acceleration but I still wouldn't call it a slow car.

davyjordi

yep - mercedes taxi cabs throughout spain.

Glashub

As Dan Neil - auto journalist - wrote -- "Any hillbilly with a big enough welfare check can lease a BMW or Mercedes." Smart people know that having the freedom to do with their time what they want is a luxury item. Driving without that deep subtle fear that your car might break is a luxury item. Kicking the *** of BMW's on the canyon roads to Malibu -- priceless. Get passed by a Merc E-class painted flat black that suddenly starts blowing black smoke and passing it by in my old tech IS while it pulls frantically over to the shoulder -- karma for the Merc owner (leaser) for buying into the badge and the hype and image.

dasbuch

Yep - and to that I would add there are parts of the world that think Dodge Charger are interesting and rare imports - but it's like a Hertz rental car here in the US (a rental car that hurts ) .

I think for most brands, the more you move into markets where there is less brand presence, the more the price goes up and the more the brand is perceived as exotic and valuable.

Looking at the product line as a whole, Lexus is currently at or above the same level of quality / performance of any of the major European brands in the category it aims for, and to perceive them as only a Toyota is no more valid than saying Audis and Porsches are only a Volkswagen.

corradoMR2

As a twice 250 owner, don't need and don't care for 100 more hp for 5K more (in Canada) since for me, there is no value proposition here. I'm not insecure if a car wants to drag race me because I'm not interested, period. Let him burn the gas and "win" - I'm happy for him and his ego.

tea

you bought the wrong car if you care about red light to red light speed. Even your precious 350 F Sport will be outrun by most vehicles on the road out there, even cheaper options. your definition of fun to drive versus Lexus definition of fun to drive are not the same

CSamurai

I was originally going to get the IS250 F-Sport, but ended up with the IS350 F-sport instead mainly due to the fact that the dealership couldn't get my ultra white/rioja red combo, but they had an IS350 in stock the way I wanted.

The IS350 had the adaptive suspension, mark levinson, more HP (& more reliable engine from what I hear on these forums), variable steering, sport+, larger brakes, etc. So, I decided to go with this. I did get a IS250 luxury loaner for a day and I was surprised that it did feel quick enough for daily needs. But, the ride seemed rougher & the non-sport seats weren't as nice.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase decision because I got what I wanted and the MPG penalty is minor. Also, the 250 engine is being phased out with the turbo ...

EDIT: I read autoblog and a few other auto sites quite often. I like checking out the comments, but you gotta try and not take them personally cause haters gunna hate! People hate on pretty much all brands/models...

damtachoa

One thing to say about IS: buying a Walmart's shoe with a Nike logo on it.

dseag2

Well said! I also had an IS250 as a loaner earlier this week and found it incredibly fun to drive. The torque off the line was great. Yes, it needs more torque for passing, but it was easier to fling around than my GS. 0-60 doesn't always equate with "fun to drive", so who cares is a Scion smokes it. I also kept admiring the body style as I thinks its sharp (even in non-F Sport trim) and doesn't look like anything else on the road. Re: comparing the "luxury" to other cars in its class, I understand Lexus is tweaking the trim on the '15 model and adding ventilated/heated seats. As is, the interior is no less luxurious than a 3 Series or a current C Class (which will change soon).

Also, you're right about the E Class comparing to the GS (not the ES), and the GS doesn't give up a thing in that equation. I considered an A6 or A7 before purchasing the GS, but the E Class wasn't even on the consideration list. The upcoming C Class actually looks to be a better car than the current E Class and will most likely cannibalize sales.

dseag2

Best response ever! Yes, I could buy a Chevy SS and dust most other cars on the road but do I want one? That would be a "no".