IS1911

It's an apples and oranges comparison. I purchased the IS 350 as a daily driver. Both the Ferrari and Porsche were Sunday-Drivers-In-Nice-Weather-Only cars. A Porsche can be a daily driver as long as you don't buy the track models like the GT2 or GT3 (which I didn't). I just had a 911S which was easy to live with as a street car. I chose not to drive it in the winter months and I even saved a few bucks by calling my insurance company and "deactivating it" as a non-driver (it still had comprehensive in case it was stolen out of the garage). If you have a Porsche 911 and want to drive it in the winter then I strongly recommend you get an AWD model and a set of winter wheels and tires. Keep in mind these can easily set you back 4K or more.

A Ferrari is a part time car at best. They are surprisingly fragile and wicked expensive to maintain. It's not unusual to drop 5K/year on BASIC maintenance. This is why I only kept it a couple of years. I also didn't like the attention it attracted. When it needed fuel (which is pretty often because it only got like 14 MPG) I made it a point to go very late at night when there was little chance of being approached by any "fans". They are beautiful cars and the sound of the exhaust note is addictive but not worth the overall cost and hassle that comes with the ownership experience.

A few days into my Lexus ownership experience a woman in a car next to me at a red light was checking out my IS and then gave me a thumbs up. I just turned my head away and focused on the road in front of me without reacting to her. She probably thought I was being rude but I was actually embarassed and frustrated that the Lexus was receiving this kind of attention. At that time my car still had the temp tag so it was obvious it was brand new. I have my regular tag now so hopefully this won't happen anymore.

AndyL

Me, too. Actually and regular IS with AVS does exist but in Japan. It is a factory option/special order. It is too bad it is not available in North America.

silvaIS

iTrader: (2)

the only reason you might not want to get f-sport is if you want memory seats and auto tilt down in reverse for mirrors.

yes that's still a sore subject for me.. finally I think 2015 brought back the ventilated seats

AndyL

Yes, these are the common reasons for choosing regular over the F-Sport one. Memory seat is important to me. Not to mention park sensors are not available in f-sport.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

had a IS250 loaner few months ago, its definately softer.

dizlex

And that F-sport costs $thousands, for very little, IMO, gain. And that F-sport gauge is... well, let's just say that I don't get the appeal. The regular gauges are better than the gimmickry.

IS1911

I completely agree with you. I understand some of the younger owners will like the "cool factor" of the single meter design coming straight from the LFA but with the dual meters you can look at more information at once because the LCD display in the middle is always on. With the single meter in the F-Sport you have to hit a button and move it over to see the additional information the non-F-Sport cars have available all the time.

drbazing

I agree with the the "cool factor" but that's just icing on the cake. I like how it's more performance enthusiast friendly. RPM, speed, and gear position are the essentials.

IS1911

All of that and more is displayed with the standard dual meter layout in the non F-Sport. Most high end performance cars are still using a dual or even mult-gauge display. One notable exception is the Ferrari 458 which has a large fixed position tach in the center with displays on both sides that can be selected by the driver. This setup was actually panned by many automotive critics because you can't display the map and spedo at the same time. You either know where you're going or how fast but not both. I believe Lexus did a better job than Ferrari when it comes to the meter layout but I still prefer the non F-Sport display.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

not a gimmick. I think I got spoiled by digital gauges how much they are easier to read. When I get back into an analog gauge car, it just doesnt feel the same. Digital speed readout is the big thing, i can see it instantly on a digital gauge. The data is simplified.

tea

I was definitely wowed by the f sport gauges at first. However, they got old really quickly to me

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

while we are on the subject of gauge cluster, what i didn't like in the non-fsport models is that the gauges don't do the full sweep on the needles anymore during startup. the 2IS did! small things like that irk me but i do like the seeming exclusivity of the non-fsport around my area. it seems for every ten 3IS i see, only 1 is a non-fsport.

back on topic, the fsport ride quality is definitely stiffer. it could be due to the seats as well.

akshunj

I felt the same way. Plus I thought the options you had to give up to get the f sport were the ones I couldn't live without.

If the f sport came with an extra 50 hp I might have felt differently.

NikonGuy

iTrader: (1)

I prefer the understated grill of the standard version

AdvanSLF

you're in a similar scenario as the guy in the other thread, so i'll repeat:

second best thing is to ask your bros and sis on CL what their opinions are, but the first best thing is to go drive them yourself and take your time doing so!! don't let your gf or wife, friends, or dealer distract or convince you in anyway. its your shhit, you're gonna have to pay for that biotch in full, so you and you alone better enjoy the car you roll off the lot with. go test out both and make your own choice. i think you'll know immediately what your choice is when you get out of the second test drive. good luck friend.

oh and i wanted to edit this to say one more thing, do not under any circumstances go above your means. if you can afford it 250 vs 350 or f sport vs non-f sport, then by all means go try it all out, but stay within your means if you're on a budget. if i was on a tight budget i may stretch it out to 4-5k extra if i wanted something so bad, but if i wouldn't go 5-10k above my budget..maybe there's an initial reason why i couldn't afford it or saved enough, or didn't qualify for a high amount in the first place (but luckily i personally do).

also, one thing that may help is look into their benefits, rebates, etc., they have military rebates, college grad (undergrad and graduate) rebates, and sometimes specific dealers/regions will have other rebates and incentives during particular months or quarters. spend time doing your research first. also, if you can qualify through lexus financial, make the transaction with them, a week or a month later, transfer it to a credit union that offers you a lower rate. you'll save quite a bit!