TSJeff

Hey guys,
Firstly, I apologize in advance if i'm making a recurrent/redundant thread. I'm looking into replacing my current car after 6 years and have been eyeing an IS350 AWD for some time. To give you guys a brief synopsis and to avoid unnecessarily ripping into a brand, I bought a 2009 BMW 335xi coupe back in 2010 and have been regretting it for a while. High pressure fuel pump failure, classic N54 turbo failure, transmission issues, a non functioning steering wheel button, and a defective HID ballast are all things i've had to deal with over the course of ownership and i'm VERY hesitant to buy another BMW even though I know that they've improved since then.

I've become very good friends with the folks at BMW (for obvious reasons lol) and they've offered me a nice discount on a new 2016 BMW 340i xDrive. Right now my main options for a car in order of preference are:
1) Lexus IS350 AWD
2) Audi S3
3) Infiniti Q50 3.0T AWD
4) BMW 340i xDrive & Subaru WRX STi

My main criteria are that it is a performance-oriented sedan (no hatches or coupes) and that it be fun to drive. I also appreciate some reliability, but I plan on leasing this car for no more than 5 years so I am not all too concerned with long-term out of warranty reliability etc. I drive maybe 18,000miles per year with mixed city and highway. Things I don't care too much about are rear seat or trunk space capacity (my wife has an SUV) and fuel economy isn't all that important (you have to pay to play).

Things I love about the IS350
1) the seats, they fit me very nicely
2) the build quality and low cabin noise
3) the reliability

I would like to know more about what you current owners have had in terms of issues or problems. Overall there is no 40 page issue on turbo failures or HPFP failures so I can see that reliability is a strong point for the Lexus, but i'd be interested in hearing what annoyances you might have with the car. My 2nd biggest choice is the S3 but i've already read an 8 page thread on that from last year so I really don't need to bring it up again.

Lexmeup

It appears that performance is your most important criteria. Then the IS350 would not be the top choice from your list. If reliability was the most important criteria while sacrificing some performance compared to the rest of your list then IS350 would be the best choice.

I've had my IS350 RWD for several months now, I had no problems thus far. I love the seats too....5-6 hours straight driving without any issues without body fatigue.

Jackal84

With your criteria, I would go with the A3. I was considering similar cars but my criteria was different than yours.I bought a IS350 F sport AWD yesterday. So I have no longterm experience other than my 2 hour drive home from the dealership. Seats were super comfortable, car grips the road, and the ride is quite smooth.

TSJeff

Thanks for the reply! I ideally would like to make my decision within the next few weeks and have a new car by end of November. I actually quite liked the IS350 performance-wise from my brief test drive, and felt the power was more than adequate but I wasn't able to really drive the car spiritedly. One thing I did notice was that you really had to get a bit higher up the rev range to get the most out of the engine. The IS350 AWD is up there for me because of its comfortable interior, its good power, and the fact that there is a dealership very close to my house is a big bonus. I test drove the S3 last weekend and it's scratching me in all the right places. Power delivery is instant, it feels nimble and responsive although I did get that disconnected feeling that Audi's usually get. Surprisingly enough I was able to get some lift off oversteer, and the sales rep let me use the launch control feature which was ridiculous and something like 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. My main issue is that neither the standard seats nor the super sport seats are comfortable enough for the amount of driving I do, and the interior really isn't all that special. It's nice and has really good Audi-typical fit and finish, but it doesn't invite me in the same way the IS350 does. The Q50 is on my short list primarily because of the steep discounts that are currently being offered on 2016 stock, but the interior is pretty bland and you can immediately feel Nissan fingerprints all over it whereas in the Lexus and Audi you can't really see any evidence of Toyota/VW. The 340i xDrive is really nice, and it probably has the most fun-to-drive factor of the bunch, but again, I am so wary of getting another BMW.

hawkeye98

I too had the Q50 AWD on my shortlist. I wanted to love the car (owned a G35 RWD coupe and G37xS) but walked away very disappointed. I test drove a 2014 Q50S AWD without DAS, and although the non-DAS steering feel of the S model was acceptable, the suspension was far too firm. Having owned an e92 and e46 M3, and currently a 991 911, I found the suspension on the Q50S to be noticeably firmer than those vehicles. The Q would be murder on hauls exceeding 30 minutes. The vehicle I test drove was fitted with run flats, but I am guessing that even had I swapped them out for non RFTs the ride would still be too firm. Note there is no adaptive suspension on non-DAS equipped Qs, and DAS, IMHO, is rubbish with well documented issues. Get the IS350 FSport and you won't regret it!

JDR76

I think you'd enjoy the IS.

As for performance, it really depends on what particular aspect you value most. For power and straight line acceleration, yes, there are better cars out there. The 2GR-FSE motor just needs to be wound up a bit to really play, but I found it fun.

In terms of handling performance, I think it's one of the best out there. The car is an absolute blast through a twisty canyon road and spirited driving.

I had my IS350 for just over 2 years and loved every minute of it. It was a comfortable highway cruiser and a fun car to toss around, and I always found myself staring at it as I walked away from it. In those two years, I never had so much as a squeak, rattle, or other issue. Just a couple firmware updates to the nav system and all was well.

Good luck in your decision.

Crossxup11

HAHAHA I thought I was the only one! I love looking at her, sometimes I press the lock button on the fob 4 times just to get extra long looks.

OP, this is a great car. If you want to be thrown to the back of your seat, it can do that if you push it off the line. If you want to pass someone on the highway, piece of cake.
The car has power, but not as much as others in the segment. It's just not one of the main draws of having a Lexus.

Rather, the car portrays elegance and beauty. With long term health better than most of ours.

Still, if you push her she will growl and move.

You will love it. I'd say the S3 would be next on my list.

Mrg02d

Wow, a 911 guy recommending the is350!

Id also say is350. It does need to be in the higher rpm range for max fun, but go try it out on the interstate and see how well it does. It does it's best at higher speeds. Nothing like being able to rip up to 100 without breaking a sweat.

EZZ

If i was leasing, i'd get the 340i. The deals you can get on the lease are great and reliability is a lesser concern as long as its fully covered by warranty. I chose the IS350 for handling, reliability, and performance. The 340 doesn't quite handle as nicely (steering is kinda numb) but its a rocket. I drive my IS350 hard and after 2 years of ownership, it still feels brand new (better than day 1 as i now have Pilot Super Sports). I'd compare lease deals and if they are pretty similar, the 340 is the better value.

TSJeff

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I spent some time last night and today thinking everything over and i've shortlisted my cars to the IS350 AWD, S3 and maybe the 340i. The Q50 just didn't do much for me on the test drive and the interior is not something I could live with on a daily basis.

The Lexus: Has the best seats and interior (ergonomic, easy lay out, solid feel and quality). Great on the highway. One thing that puts it above the S3 is the 8 speed transmission gives really good fuel economy. On the highway portion of the test drive I was sitting nicely at 1800 or so rpm whereas in the S3 because it only has 6 gears i'm at 2800rpm at cruising speeds. Interest rate is slightly higher than the BMW or Audi.

The Audi: Definitely the fastest car between it and the Lexus. It's just about on par with the 340i but I feel it more in this car. Launch control is amazing fun. It feels agile and very playful in the corners. I had a sales rep walk me through the infotainment system and it's quite easy to use and admittedly I enjoy it more than Lexus' mouse pad system. Still haven't found enough comfort in the seats however. The Lexus is hands down a better feeling seat and interior. Interest rate and discount is also a BIG plus. They're offering me 7% off MRSP on any of their in-stock 2016 S3's which are I guess different looking than the 2017's. I don't care if its last years model. They are also offering a very nice interest rate.

The BMW: In all honesty i'm probably not going to get the BMW simply because of my poor experience with not only the car but the dealership. I could go somewhere else but at this point I am sort of just fed up. The only thing keeping it on my list is the returning customer incentives and the fact that it drives so darn well. I am also very familiar with the BMW system.

JDR76

Have you considered looking at the A4? I know on it's down on power, but it's a lot quicker than you would expect, and will offer you a more comfortable interior than the S3 while allowing you to have Audi's great nav system.

387

If you aren't planning to lease it but keep it long term and put a lot of miles on it:

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...y-maddy-martin

TSJeff

I did take a look at it but I find it pretty ugly to be honest. I like understated and below-the-radar power which is exactly why the IS and S3 are so appealing to me because they don't scream "look at me" like some of the other cars do (CLA 45AMG comes to mind). I had the opportunity to drive the A4 after the S3 and there's really no comparison. The S3 is in another league of performance.The A4 has great features and is actually very well priced compared to an equivalent C300 or 328xi but the Lexus offers you more for less money which is a huge plus. It also has a more inviting interior. I looked at the C300 Mercedes but the car is not fast enough and to be honest looks very meh without the AMG styling package. One of my biggest pet peeves with Mercedes is that you need to add thousands of dollars in add ons just to get certain features, whereas in the Lexus the just group everything in with their F Sport packages. Even Audi does a good job packaging up things with their Premium Plus packages etc. I think my next step will be to get final numbers on monthly payments and trade in value for my car before I commit completely. I am however leaning more so towards the Lexus just because it's more comfortable than the S3 and I can make do with the power difference.

hawkeye98

Easy to recognize a very good car when you drive one.

The new C300 is disappointing as well. I've been driving the dealer's C300 for the past 3 days and the steering is super artificial and quality of interior materials subpar (e.g., lots of hard surfaces where your knees rest, etc.).

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm still trying to find a good seating position in the 350...this is where lack of memory seats in the FSport is super frustrating! What the heck were the bean counters at Lexus thinking?!?!

nathantse

I was in your position 10 months ago, between the IS350 and the S3.

Ultimately, I chose the IS350 because the styling stands out a lot more than the S3. The IS interior feels more cockpit-like, whereas the S3 looks really plain.

Performance wise, the S3 will smoke the IS. And, if you try to match options to options, the S3 will come out a little more expensive.