aggs4life

+1 for Lexus CPO. Just bought a 06 IS350 a little over a month ago from Sewell Lexus in Dallas. Easly best car I have ever owned. Only 46K miles, premium & luxury package w/nav

So I was noticing some whistling on light brakeing in the first 2 weeks. Took it in to Sewell & they replaced the entire front brakeing system with the updated 2011 rotters and pads. They also replaced the rear brake pads (though they didnt need it). All at no cost to me

NorCal510

I own 2 bmw's, and have owned bmw for a while now. I will admit that after the bmw gets some age to it, it becomes a giant repair bill. To me performance will go to the bmw, but luxury and reliability will have to go to the lexus!

KvnChu

iTrader: (5)

i think it may be different now, but when i purchased my lexus in 07, i was comparing the 335 to the 350 sedans and found that the price difference was ~6k. I thought it was too much money for similar engine sizes and performance. Plus i found the 350 sedan a much better looking vehicle compared to the 335

i put the 6k toward modifying the suspension and the car

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

The price difference now is closer to 9k (I wrote a thread about this a while back, pricing a 335i out with options to equip it similar to the Lexus w/sport package... the BMW still had slightly fewer options on it at that price but it was stuff BMW didn't offer at all like the vented seats).

BMW is insanely overpriced for what you get. It's why I double over laughing every time a BMW owner brags about the "free" maintenance he paid 9k more for.

syzygy

I don't understand why certain people find value in the 335iS, for example. Certainly, I'm not denying that such people might actually exist, but I'd be interested to understand how and why they justify spending $60,000 for a well-equipped 335iS when the base MSRP of a bare bones M3 sedan is $55,000.

Of course when doing such a cost-benefit analysis there never is any true "right" answer because many of the valuations are necessarily qualitative. Perhaps from these people's perspectives I overvalue the enhanced prestige and performance of the M3.

dawiyo

Believe it or not, there's some folks who prefer the 335is over the M3.

NorCal510

very true! the m3 just isn't a car that most people would use as their daily driver. the smg or dct transmission is just too rough to daily driving IMO.

kumquatism

iTrader: (10)

I'm not going to jump on the BMW maintenance bandwagon. My uncle used to own a '06 545i, and that thing used to always go into the dealership for repairs and service. He traded it in for an '08 M5 and has been very happy since. The only reason it goes in is basically for oil change (that thing burns through oil so fast) and standard tuneups. Likewise, my dad bought an '03 M3 two years ago, and that car has yet to see the dealership in that time. I guess it really depends on what model you get.

I thought it would have been the other way around; the 545i being relatively low maintenance (standard luxury sedan), and the M series being the high maintenance cars. I used to think that German cars were just all about maintenance, which is why I bought an IS250, but I was proven wrong on two of three accounts. Then again, it might just be luck.

I agree wholeheartedly. It might just be me, but the SMG in both cars shift very rough. I would imagine the SMG being better than a manual gearbox, but I can shift my IS250 much smoother than either cars. Then again, I try not to play with the cars too much, seeing they're not mine and I don't to mess anything up just in case.

redspencer

iTrader: (1)

Do you have a source for the Road and Track data regarding the numbers for the IS350 w/ F-sport sway bars? I found a review of the IS350C model from Edmunds with the exact skidpad and slalom numbers as you posted but this version was equipped with F-Sport sways/shocks/springs/wheels and Michelin PS2 tires. I'd imagine a lighter non-convertible IS350 version would pull even higher numbers.

http://www.insideline.com/lexus/is-3...and-video.html

"With a slalom speed of 68.2 mph and an average lateral acceleration of 0.89g around the skid pad, the 2010 Lexus IS 350C F-Sport has improved by 1.4 mph and 0.02g respectively over the much lighter IS 350 sedan."

I'm curious because the only data I was able to find online for F-sport equipped vehicles (in regard to slalom, skidpad, etc) are for the IS250 and IS350C models.

syzygy

You're correct, the "with F-sport sway bar" data are technically for the IS350C RWD and not the IS350 RWD. I don't have data specifically for the IS350 RWD.

The .84 g and 66.7 MPH slalom are for the IS350 RWD without F-sport sway bars.

The .89 g and 68.2 MPH are for the IS350C RWD with F-sport sway bars.

Clearly it's not an apples to apples comparison, but it's the only data available and the models are close enough to warrant some consideration as far as cars are concerned.

If you can find skidpad and slalom numbers specifically for the IS350 RWD with F-sport sway bars that would be great.

chikoo

Those are good numbers but the IS250 X-pkg manages 70.4mph

http://www.insideline.com/lexus/is-2...us-is-250.html

dawiyo

Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update. I test drove the car for a good 2 hours. I'd have to get used to the different torque curve, but it's definitely doable. The sole reason I have kept looking for another car is because of the navigation system, which is a big requirement for my purchase.

I HATED the navigation system. Are there really no other views besides a 2D map? No birds-eye view? Also, I couldn't believe it didn't have traffic information. I'm sorry you guys have to live without those!

langjaykev

iTrader: (1)

2 hour test drive? dam thats long haha.
the 2011 has traffic information, gotta pay for it tho

calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

I'm having trouble following because there weren't specific cars mentioned. Is the car you were test driving the IS350? And are you saying you're looking for another car INSTEAD of the IS350 because of the IS's nav or you're looking for an IS because of the BMW's nav? Which car's nav did you hate?

Out of curiosity, can you elaborate on what the reasons might be?

dawiyo

I have a 335i now and was looking to purchase an IS 350 however I didn't like the navigation system so I'm continuing to look for another car.

I've heard from some M3 owners that have had both say that for city driving, they prefer the more low-end grunt of the 335 for everyday use.