Hi CL,

I was unhappy with certain aspects (mostly power and sound insulation) of my IS300 so I was looking for alternatives. I just test drove a 335 coupe and a C280 Sport (they didn’t have the C350 in stock) and would like to share with you that I am finally content with my car, out of the three cars, my Lexus IS300 made most sense. What I was looking for while driving was: ride comfort, interior cabin sound insulation, interior built quality, performance, exterior appeal, gadgetry, price and reliability.

Mercedes c280 sport fully loaded
Ride comfort: best
Interior cabin sound insulation: not as good as anticipated but better than the IS
Interior built quality: very very impressive
Performance: 228 bhp – identical to my is300 and it felt a tad heavier
exterior appeal: sexiest contest of them all imo!
Gadgetry: no rear view cam, sound system was good but not as good as the ml, no dvd player, has oem ipod integration kit
Price: 48k for the c280 and 61k for the c350!
Reliability: avg - not as good as lexus nor as bad as bmw
Others: the panorama is a big plus, this is a car that i would not change a thing about the way it looks (maybe wheels only and moderate drop), the driving control and precision is pure german – immaculate.

BMW 335 Coupe –fully loaded
Ride comfort: a bit too rigid to my liking
Interior cabin sound insulation: good, an improvement over the IS, I can’t remember if it was as good as the Mercedes though (I test drove at different areas with different surrounding noises)
Interior built quality: fair, a bit better than the IS but it feels way inferior to the mercedes
Performance: breath taking! So this is how the Mercedes C350 and IS350 feel like!!!
Exterior appeal: looks hot
Gadgetry: similar to the Mercedes, inferior to the IS
Price: 60k
Reliability: from my perception, this might be an issue
Other: it had shift paddles that work both ways (press/pull). The car felt plain, dull and boring from the inside

Lexus IS300–fully loaded
Ride comfort: let's say it didn't feel that bad to ride away with my car after the test drives
Interior cabin sound insulation: not satisfactory
Interior built quality: could do better - it feels cheaper and i know that it is, that's why i got mine in black which makes this aspect less detectable IMO
Performance: 228hp, i need more! perhaps i should clarify that my previous cars were a CL600, a SL500, S500 and a mini cooper S lol
Exterior appeal: least of all three cars but it is not ugly by all means
Gadgetry: rear view camera, dvd player, mp3 player, ML, navi, Bluetooth…etc you know it all
Price: 36.5k
Reliability: excellent
Other: shift paddles, interior map-light and the gauge rings are cool features

Verdict:
Mercedes: I would buy this car in a heartbeat if I was living in a nicer place with more civilized roads and surroundings
BMW: looks good from the outside, i am sure it is a good car but I met the Mercedes prior to this car and the merc has lifted the bar with a leap… the BMW didn’t excite me as much.
Lexus: best of all three, the price makes a lot of sense, the gadgets are more high-tech than a space ship. The sound insulation was not that much better in the other cars. Only drawback is the power

I can only imagine what the IS350 must be like with the performance closer to the 335

Thank you all for reading, please note that this is not a rant, i am just sharing my experience so no need for critiques on the way i judged the cars or on my criteria


Hammy

 

Mercedes might have a different reputation there, but I would put their reliability a notch or two BELOW BMW, not above.

*This coming from a guy who owned a BMW (2006) that had about $12000 worth of warranty repairs within the first 18 months.

 

nice write up...but i think the IS has both cars beat in exterior looks buy far... (and its not because i have one)

 

Im surprised you found the cabin noise in the IS not satisfactory and that the interior quality was not great since both opinions are complete opposite of mine. I think the interior in the IS is top notch compared to the other two you listed. Overall, I think you made the right choice, based on the price, the price, your driving interests, and the price.

 

why don't you compare the 2nd generation IS too ?

 

Great analysis. I do however disagree with a few. BMW and MB interior is inferior compared to the IS. I've been inside all three and IS has the edge in look and quality. BMW has the ypical boring interior they've had for a decade or two and MB didn't have too much improvement from their last gen, even including the ever annoying i-drive like nav control.

As for cabin sound, I think they all fair in about the same way. My IS is pretty quiet, i think it's the tires that needs to be changed that makes it a bit louder on the road.

With my opinion out of the way, 335 is compareable to IS350 in speed but not the C350. C350 is about 40 hp lower compared to the other two so you might be disappointed with the power it has.

 

The middle east get a 2nd Gen (2006+) IS300. They do not have the IS350 nor IS250...

 

As far as the reviews are concerned:

I'm happy to hear that although the Lexus IS has material qualities to be addressed (better materials are found on the GS and LS), its practicality is best.

Since you've had plenty of powerful cars, I can imagine how you would crave for the C350 or 335. However, I find the IS to be the most practical because of reliability, everyday function, and cost savings. If you are looking for those aspects in a car, the IS should do the trick.

 

Nice little write up!

 

Yeah… BMW is out of question due to the dealer (so is Porsche/Audi/VW). In my current situation reliability is a deal breaker; this was the sole reason why I sold the CL and bough the IS instead. The CL had a very reasonable run cost when I lived at my home town (all mercedeses did) but once I moved to my current location the CL became a constant nightmare (due to harsher weather + not having a garage/shade).
The material of the Mercedes felt a lot more solid, i also loved the stitching. the BMW and IS interior felt more plasticy. and I like the stiffen upholstery of the Mercedes (and BMW to an extent) over the mushier Lexus, i guess this is purely a personal preference yes, i feel the same way. perhaps Mercedes should introduce an engine between the 350 and 63 - C550?


Due to the huge unjustified price differences, I find it more reasonable to improve my car than to replace it. actually a nice quick fix to my situation would be to get an is350 from the states that has all current TSIBs done. the car is so reliable that the warranty might not be a big deal after all.

 

Great write up and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the three. Based on what you've written, I'd say the IS300 is the best buy for you. It really is too bad the IS350 isn't available in your area as I'm sure it would give you that little extra power that you seem to be craving.

 

Regarding the C280, the ride comfort is top notch, although less sporty IMO, but very good hwy cruiser (def pref it over the IS). As far as reliability of the car, while long term may not be favorable, my C280 has been flawless so far. The quality is good but the layout etc is not (IMO). The interior of the 2IS is a top notch design and materials are also good.

 

What does this equate to in USD? At first I was like $61K for a C class? Then I noticed you're in Saudi Arabia.

 

yes that's in USD. Fully loaded - not designo though.

 

Yeah cars are priced differently in different countries. That's why an IS250 in Canada cost as much as an IS350 in the U.S.