New to the Forum, want some honest opinions
#31
Lexus Test Driver
The 3G TL (2007-2008 models) have had the least amount of issues from what I'm aware of. Most the issues came from the '04-05 models. This is what concerns me about getting the first year of its gen for any car. Anyway, I have some time over the upcoming weekend so I will go take a look at the IS350 F and drive it again, as well as trek my way towards an Acura dealership to do the same with their TLX V6. I know it's only FWD but at least i will get to sit in and and really do a comparison of comfort, technology and safety features.
What are some issues about the IS350 F Sport so far that anyone has encountered?
What are some issues about the IS350 F Sport so far that anyone has encountered?
#32
I don't know anything about the TLX at all but the 350's seats (f sport in particular) were one of biggest reasons I bought the car ...especially with my back problems. No other car in the luxury sport sedan class stood up to it. Almost everyone who sits in the passenger seat has complemented the seat comfort.
Agreed, I had the same experiences with the Japanese-made Hondas. Then I bought a 2012 Accord and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. The US-made ones just aren't the same.
#33
Americans are lazy, lazy, lazy! I totally agree with those who felt North American made Japanese cars aren't up to the same level as Japanese made. Unfortunately, the Lexus ES which is Lexus' best selling sedan would soon be made in the U.S! Hopefully Lexus is strict about hiring their employees for that new plant. If my IS350 were soon to be made in Japan I wouldn't be too happy about it seeing how the reputation of Lexus is soon to not be genuine Japanese made and shipped vehicles. Well the RX is made in Canada and it still runs pretty reliable, I guess it's just the discipline of the company and their employees.
This is out of the subject, but I found out that a base 1 year old base IS250, IS350, GS350 trade in price range is about 4-5k differences according to KBB and many other sources. It was just surprising to me how the GS has kind of a cheap base price, they need to increase it to 50k+.
This is out of the subject, but I found out that a base 1 year old base IS250, IS350, GS350 trade in price range is about 4-5k differences according to KBB and many other sources. It was just surprising to me how the GS has kind of a cheap base price, they need to increase it to 50k+.
#34
#35
I am familiar with both the seats since I've owned both a luxury package and an F Sport. Leather is hands down more comfortable and smooth, but nuluxe from F Sport holds you better in place since it's more bolstered yet it's harder to sit on. I think you would get use to it though unless you came right out of a luxury package to an F Sport seat then you would notice the huge difference.
#36
Hopefully Lexus is strict about hiring their employees for that new plant. If my IS350 were soon to be made in Japan I wouldn't be too happy about it seeing how the reputation of Lexus is soon to not be genuine Japanese made and shipped vehicles. Well the RX is made in Canada and it still runs pretty reliable, I guess it's just the discipline of the company and their employees.
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What an asshat.
#37
Lexus Fanatic
#38
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^^ Thanks for the comments.
Took a look at the TLX V6 this weekend, only FWD but at least the looks and feel of it is similar (other than driving performance).
Actually not a bad looking car in person. LEDs lights all around, which is pretty sweet! Styling is a little bland, but looks like Acura went back to their roots of the 3G TL on this one...i would say that the TLX is an upgraded 3G TL. + for them doing this as the 4G TL looked out of place.
Performance-wise, it drives smoothly and quietly. However, when driving ~45mph+ and coming to a quick complete stop, the car has this slight rocking motion as if the car is rocking front to back for 2-3 short cycles, which i thought felt weird. Does anyone notice that on the IS? When I test drove the IS, i didn't quite notice it but also was test driving in heavy traffic so i couldn't get above 40mph and no quick braking.
Electronic gear selector is a neat concept, but i can see issues with this in the future...and it's also hard to get used to. I still prefer a stick to shift into P, R, N, D.
TLX feels a little bit larger interior than the IS....but not by much. Took at look at specs for both cars after the test drives, and it's only about 1-2 inches larger than the IS...so doesn't matter much to me.
ELS sound system is better than the Mark Levinson sound system, but to me i don't blast music too loudly anyway, so it doesn't make a difference to me.
I like that the TLX has more storage room/cubby space in the car. The sunglasses holder in the car is a plus! I didn't see any holders in the IS350.
Hard to see to the front left/right of the car when making turns or parking. The side mirrors seem to be "in the way" if you're parking in a tight space. The IS350 on the other hand, you have a little more vision to both sides of the front.
Steering wheel felt comfortable on both cars. Actually like the steering wheel controls on the TLX more than the IS.
Voice recognition is ok, but not great on both cars. i guess i just tend to talk too fast sometimes.
The dual LCD screens are hard to use and will take some getting used to, but i like that the TLX still has a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard available if you don't like using voice commands. I don't really like the mouse/cursor of the IS350.
TLX tech and advance package both have memory seats, which for the IS is only offered on non-F Sport models. Not a big deal, but I like it as there will be 2 drivers on this car so I would like my settings different from her settings. TLX Adv package also has ventilated & heated front seats...whereas IS350 F Sport doesn't have ventilated seats.
TLX side mirrors point down when in reverse. I like that option as it helps with parallel parking.
TLX has multiple views on the back-up camera, and the guide lines will curve with the car if backing up into a space perpendicularly...which i find very cool. IS doesn't have that feature...but this feature is still not a deal breaker for me.
TLX = Timing belt. IS350 F = Timing Chain.....Timing Chain FTW!
AND....the LARGEST PET PEEVE of the TLX, although it doesn't effect performance, is the LAME half-hidden half-exposed dual exhausts! WTF? Either fully show them or fully hide them!
Overall, both IS and TLX are great cars. I guess now it just depends on me. Love the IS350 F Sport's overall design, but would rather have the TLX's technology. But seems like I'll be leaning more towards the IS350 F Sport, if the dealer can give me a good deal after I showed him an estimated sales invoice that Acura was going to offer me if I pre-ordered the SH-AWD trim, ~MSRP $46k but dealer is willing to only charge half of the destination fee and also $1000 off for Acura/Honda loyalty program (currently own a Honda Civic).
Took a look at the TLX V6 this weekend, only FWD but at least the looks and feel of it is similar (other than driving performance).
Actually not a bad looking car in person. LEDs lights all around, which is pretty sweet! Styling is a little bland, but looks like Acura went back to their roots of the 3G TL on this one...i would say that the TLX is an upgraded 3G TL. + for them doing this as the 4G TL looked out of place.
Performance-wise, it drives smoothly and quietly. However, when driving ~45mph+ and coming to a quick complete stop, the car has this slight rocking motion as if the car is rocking front to back for 2-3 short cycles, which i thought felt weird. Does anyone notice that on the IS? When I test drove the IS, i didn't quite notice it but also was test driving in heavy traffic so i couldn't get above 40mph and no quick braking.
Electronic gear selector is a neat concept, but i can see issues with this in the future...and it's also hard to get used to. I still prefer a stick to shift into P, R, N, D.
TLX feels a little bit larger interior than the IS....but not by much. Took at look at specs for both cars after the test drives, and it's only about 1-2 inches larger than the IS...so doesn't matter much to me.
ELS sound system is better than the Mark Levinson sound system, but to me i don't blast music too loudly anyway, so it doesn't make a difference to me.
I like that the TLX has more storage room/cubby space in the car. The sunglasses holder in the car is a plus! I didn't see any holders in the IS350.
Hard to see to the front left/right of the car when making turns or parking. The side mirrors seem to be "in the way" if you're parking in a tight space. The IS350 on the other hand, you have a little more vision to both sides of the front.
Steering wheel felt comfortable on both cars. Actually like the steering wheel controls on the TLX more than the IS.
Voice recognition is ok, but not great on both cars. i guess i just tend to talk too fast sometimes.
The dual LCD screens are hard to use and will take some getting used to, but i like that the TLX still has a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard available if you don't like using voice commands. I don't really like the mouse/cursor of the IS350.
TLX tech and advance package both have memory seats, which for the IS is only offered on non-F Sport models. Not a big deal, but I like it as there will be 2 drivers on this car so I would like my settings different from her settings. TLX Adv package also has ventilated & heated front seats...whereas IS350 F Sport doesn't have ventilated seats.
TLX side mirrors point down when in reverse. I like that option as it helps with parallel parking.
TLX has multiple views on the back-up camera, and the guide lines will curve with the car if backing up into a space perpendicularly...which i find very cool. IS doesn't have that feature...but this feature is still not a deal breaker for me.
TLX = Timing belt. IS350 F = Timing Chain.....Timing Chain FTW!
AND....the LARGEST PET PEEVE of the TLX, although it doesn't effect performance, is the LAME half-hidden half-exposed dual exhausts! WTF? Either fully show them or fully hide them!
Overall, both IS and TLX are great cars. I guess now it just depends on me. Love the IS350 F Sport's overall design, but would rather have the TLX's technology. But seems like I'll be leaning more towards the IS350 F Sport, if the dealer can give me a good deal after I showed him an estimated sales invoice that Acura was going to offer me if I pre-ordered the SH-AWD trim, ~MSRP $46k but dealer is willing to only charge half of the destination fee and also $1000 off for Acura/Honda loyalty program (currently own a Honda Civic).
#39
You might want to wait for the 2015 if you really are leaning toward the IS350 ...though to be honest, it sounds like you are leaning toward the Acura.
2015 IS 350
- F-Sport getting memory seats (believe it is tied to the key fob vs buttons)
- F-Sport getting ventilated seats
- F-Sport getting heated steering wheel
- Getting Dynamic Lines on reverse camera
- Getting automatic pointing down mirrors on reverse
When I switched the mouse control to remove Haptic Feedback and increase the speed it works a lot better. If my PC mouse had haptic feedback I would hate using the PC.
The lack of sunglasses holder and slim cubby space is common complaint of the IS. I do not feel any rocking motion while in drive, that is just weird. Shame you never got the IS above 40mph. The car loves to drive and taking it in fast turns really points out how the superior the handling is to the competition.
If you talk with the Lexus dealership again, you need to tell them mid-$40k range. NM only has two dealerships as well and they are owned by the same owner and you can get a IS350 for mid-$40k here. That is purchase, not lease.
2015 IS 350
- F-Sport getting memory seats (believe it is tied to the key fob vs buttons)
- F-Sport getting ventilated seats
- F-Sport getting heated steering wheel
- Getting Dynamic Lines on reverse camera
- Getting automatic pointing down mirrors on reverse
When I switched the mouse control to remove Haptic Feedback and increase the speed it works a lot better. If my PC mouse had haptic feedback I would hate using the PC.
The lack of sunglasses holder and slim cubby space is common complaint of the IS. I do not feel any rocking motion while in drive, that is just weird. Shame you never got the IS above 40mph. The car loves to drive and taking it in fast turns really points out how the superior the handling is to the competition.
If you talk with the Lexus dealership again, you need to tell them mid-$40k range. NM only has two dealerships as well and they are owned by the same owner and you can get a IS350 for mid-$40k here. That is purchase, not lease.
#40
Originally the Non-F sport, but I sat in the F-Sport later on and also found it very comfortable. While they do have differences, I found the shape fits me very well and felt could sit in either for long distances (also due to the cushioning of the seats, not just the shape). I did not feel that way about the Benz, BMW, Audi, or Cadillac. I hated the seats on my last car so I was very sensitive to this when looking for a new car.
#41
You might want to wait for the 2015 if you really are leaning toward the IS350 ...though to be honest, it sounds like you are leaning toward the Acura.
2015 IS 350
- F-Sport getting memory seats (believe it is tied to the key fob vs buttons)
- F-Sport getting ventilated seats
- F-Sport getting heated steering wheel
- Getting Dynamic Lines on reverse camera
- Getting automatic pointing down mirrors on reverse
2015 IS 350
- F-Sport getting memory seats (believe it is tied to the key fob vs buttons)
- F-Sport getting ventilated seats
- F-Sport getting heated steering wheel
- Getting Dynamic Lines on reverse camera
- Getting automatic pointing down mirrors on reverse
#42
Originally the Non-F sport, but I sat in the F-Sport later on and also found it very comfortable. While they do have differences, I found the shape fits me very well and felt could sit in either for long distances (also due to the cushioning of the seats, not just the shape). I did not feel that way about the Benz, BMW, Audi, or Cadillac. I hated the seats on my last car so I was very sensitive to this when looking for a new car.
#43
I am familiar with both the seats since I've owned both a luxury package and an F Sport. Leather is hands down more comfortable and smooth, but nuluxe from F Sport holds you better in place since it's more bolstered yet it's harder to sit on. I think you would get use to it though unless you came right out of a luxury package to an F Sport seat then you would notice the huge difference.
Nuluxe is just the material, and can be had on both F-Sport bolstered seats as well as non-F Sport seats (it just happens that in the U.S. all F-Sports are Nuluxe only, but not so in other markets). To be honest, when I compared the real leather to the Nuluxe I could hardly tell the difference between the materials - so when you say things like "hands down more comfortable and smooth", "harder to sit on", and "huge difference", I don't know if you're talking about the material (leather vs nuluxe) or the actual seat shape and cushioning (since they're different between F-Sport and non-F Sport). Maybe you can clarify?
#44
Official 2015 Product Information
FACTORY OPTIONS
18-inch wheels with summer or all-season tires; IS 250 mesh-style; IS 350 five-spoke
Back-up camera with dynamic gridlines (for Display Audio)
Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Heated steering wheel (AWD only)
Intuitive Park Assist – Front & Rear
Lane Departure Warning with Smart Beam
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with Pre-Collision System
Navigation System
Back-up camera with dynamic gridlines
Bluetooth® 3.0 hands free phone and automatic phonebook download capabilities
HD Radio™ with iTunes tagging (complimentary traffic and weather)
Lexus Enform App Suite (subscription free): Bing™, Yelp®, iHeartRadio™, Facebook Places™,
Movietickets.com™, OpenTable®, Pandora®, Slacker, Stocks, Fuel Prices, Sports
Lexus Enform Destination Services: Destination Assist, and eDestination (one-year trial subscription
included, requires Lexus Enform Safety Connect)
Lexus Enform Remote: Allows customers to remotely view and control certain aspects of their Lexus
vehicle via a mobile application for iOS and Android smartphone users. Lexus Enform Remote application
is separate from Lexus Enform App Suite application (not on head unit). Requires Lexus Enform Safety
Connect and Lexus Enform Remote subscription (one-year trial subscriptions included). Customers must
register for service. Provides: Ability to use with multiple Lexus vehicles; email and push notifications;
Guest Driver Monitor; Remote Door Lock/Unlock; Remote Pre-HVAC; Vehicle Finder; Vehicle Status
Report; Vehicle Alerts.
Lexus Insider™
MP3/WMA and dual USB/iPod® audio input plugs
Navigation System
Voice command casual-language Voice Recognition system
Mark Levinson® with Navigation system
Mark Levinson® Premium Surround Sound system (15-speakers, advanced discrete amplifier design with
835-watts continuous power at less than 0.1% THD, 7.1-channel speaker architecture) with Clari-Fi
technology
Premium Package
Twin projector LED Headlamps (low & high beam)
Heated/ventilated seats
Luxury Package (requires Back-up Camera, Navigation, or Mark Levinson)
Twin projector LED Headlamps (low and high beam)
Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Rain-sensing wipers
Outside rear-view mirror functions (electrochromic, memory, reverse tilt-down)
Leather trimmed interior with contrast stitching
Power tilt/telescoping steering wheel
Two position memory - Driver’s seat, mirrors and steering column
Seat heater/ventilation
Wood trim
Heated steering wheel (AWD only)
F SPORT
Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) with SPORT+ driving mode (IS 350 RWD only)
Aluminum sport pedals
Black headliner
F SPORT 10-way driver (includes power lumbar) / eight-way passenger power heated sport seats with
contrast stitching
F SPORT 18-inch staggered width split five-spoke wheels with summer or all-season tires
F SPORT badging (side and rear)
F SPORT tuned suspension
Heated and ventilated seats
Heated steering wheel (AWD only)
High-friction(μ) brake pads
Intake sound generator (Standard IS 350)
LFA inspired TFT instrumentation
Perforated leather steering wheel with F SPORT logo and shift ****
Silver performance trim
Stainless steel scuff plates with Lexus logo
Twin projector LED Headlamps (low and high beam)
Unique front fascia and grille (F SPORT package deletes foglamps)
Variable Gear Ratio Steering (Requires IS 350 RWD + F SPORT)
Power tilt/telescoping steering column
Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS)
Release Article
#45
I'm not sure I follow what you're saying - what do you mean by Nuluxe holding you better in place? Do you mean that the Nuluxe material has more grip so you slip less on it, or do you mean the bolstering of the F-Sport seats provides more side support?
Nuluxe is just the material, and can be had on both F-Sport bolstered seats as well as non-F Sport seats (it just happens that in the U.S. all F-Sports are Nuluxe only, but not so in other markets). To be honest, when I compared the real leather to the Nuluxe I could hardly tell the difference between the materials - so when you say things like "hands down more comfortable and smooth", "harder to sit on", and "huge difference", I don't know if you're talking about the material (leather vs nuluxe) or the actual seat shape and cushioning (since they're different between F-Sport and non-F Sport). Maybe you can clarify?
Nuluxe is just the material, and can be had on both F-Sport bolstered seats as well as non-F Sport seats (it just happens that in the U.S. all F-Sports are Nuluxe only, but not so in other markets). To be honest, when I compared the real leather to the Nuluxe I could hardly tell the difference between the materials - so when you say things like "hands down more comfortable and smooth", "harder to sit on", and "huge difference", I don't know if you're talking about the material (leather vs nuluxe) or the actual seat shape and cushioning (since they're different between F-Sport and non-F Sport). Maybe you can clarify?
Last edited by FinaLpeace; 09-02-14 at 05:06 AM.