In todays market, what others cars compete or compare to the is350. A lot of threads and youtube videos compare g37 and the 350z or better yet the 370z to the is350. Also they compare the 335i bmw to the is350. I know that the 335i is in the same class as the is350 but are the g37 and the 350/70z comparable to the is350 regardless of the performance? =D

 

G37, C350, 335, A4 are the main competitors for IS350, IMO.

 

Car "class" is a very nebulously defined term to be honest. I suppose the best one could do is to compare cars of comparable price, but then where do you draw the line? Th IS 350 is a good $10k+ cheaper on average than a similarly equipped 335i.

If you plan on keeping the car beyond warranty and factor in maintenance, then the 335i becomes a lot more expensive.

Nevertheless, most people put them in the same "class" in that they are luxury sedans with "hints" of sport.

The 350z/370z is a completely different type of car. It's an entry level "sports" car designed more for the track. Interior luxury is noticeably pale compared to the 335i/IS 350, but it also costs less.

I think most people in the market for an IS 350 are also looking at the 335i and the G37.

The 335i takes it one step further because it's more of a performance "moddable" car than the IS 350. Simple modifications can yield high whp gains (jb3) for example. The IS 350 does not have this at all.

There are no real performance modifications for the IS 350 and there probably never will be any truly robust ones.

This is not the car to get if you are into tuning for performance.

If all you care about is aesthetic modifications then this car is fine.


The 350z/370z is a completely different type of car. It's designed to be fast, it's designed to negotiate curves well, that's its purpose.

The IS 350/335i/g37 are designed to be luxury sedans with hints of sport. All cars have pretty decent acceleration stock. The 335i has sports like acceleration with jb3. As far as handling goes, I'd rank stock handling as follows: 335i > IS 350 > G37.

I test drove all 3 vehicles before making my choice.

Personally, I couldn't care less about performance moddability. I'm not really into that sort of thing. I needed a luxury sedan/coupe that will last me 10+ years. I won't be making any money until I'm ~32 (out of medical school and residency) and reliability was a huge factor for me. The 335i is a terrific car but its engineering is rather shoddy.

That left me with the IS 350 vs the G37, and I ended up taking the IS 350 because stock for stock it felt just a pinch quicker to me. In addition, I prefer the exterior styling of the IS over the G.

I was not looking at 350z/370z because I needed a 4 seater sedan/coupe. 2 seats is not going to cut it given how long I plan to have this vehicle.

Hope that helps.

 

I tend to compare anything to the IS, which has similar performance, features, size, and cost; lower and higher. For me, it really comes down to what you get for the money, not so much the technical competition.

 

335i is in the class of it's own. I'd compare the IS350 to G37 or C350. The only thing is that you're actually saving money(!) over the total cost of ownership vs bimmer and benz.

 

Hey man thanks for the feedback and everyone else that replied on thread. IMO I think that the is350 and the 335i is in the same entry level except performance. Performance wise, the 335i has better handling but the accelleration for both cars are about equal (is350 being a tad faster from the videos thats I watched on youtube). Also, not the be biased or anything but I think that is350 in my personal opinion has better interior and outperforms the beamer in all other classes other than performance. Anyone agree? Also, if anyone of yall read my post that im getting a is350 2009 this wenesday, what car is more of an eye candy. The is350, bmw 335i, 370z , or the g37? Thanks!!

 

Stock for stock the IS holds its own against the 335i. Of course chipping the 335 is easy, cheap, and generates a good amount of power. Eye candy is all personal preference so it's hard to say. I preferred the IS over the 335 and G37 sedans. I still think the 3 series is still the better looking coupe/convert of the group. As far as interiors goes, I went IS > G37 > 335. The 3 interior just didn't jive with me.

 

Yeah I mean acceleration wise you'll see varying numbers.

Road and track cites the IS 350 at 4.9 to 60 and the 335i at 4.8 to 60 (stock).

I know one guy managed 4.7 stock on his IS 350 (shkv something), juice14g managed 4.5 with some minor modifications.

You'll find videos of stock IS 350s beating stock 335is on the track which brings up an interesting point - I think it just may be "easier" for the IS 350 to consistently get fast times versus the manual 335i. Clearly the guys getting beat on the track are probably not getting 4.8 each time.


But all in all it's kind of a moot point because if you have a 335i and you really care about straight line acceleration then you'll probably end up getting juicebox stage 3. JB3 335is get high 11s in the quarter mile which is obscenely fast.

The downside to all of this is that their car probably won't be as robust as the N/A IS 350

 

Since the IS 350 is a sedan, I would put it up against: S4, 335 (sedan), C350, G35 (G37 sedan out yet?) and the TL.

Right out of the gate I am going to toss out the TL as the new body looks horrible and the C350 as that damn thing is horribly under-powered for a 3.5L engine.

Next I am going to toss out the G35/37. The coupe looks nice, but the sedan is lacking.

Then it would be down to the S4 and the 335. I have had both an Audi (A4) and the 335. Both were very nice cars. I like the interior of the Audi better, but I really don't like AWD anymore. I don't see much of a need for it. So, I would toss out the S4.

When looking at the 335 and the IS 350 I would put both (stock) at the same amount of power. The 335 does handle better, but add some sport springs (even w/o a drop) and some sway bars to the IS 350 and things are more even (adding these will still cost less than getting the BMW). Now, once you open the door, you will quickly see that the BMW has a really poorly deisgned interior. I mean, it is not horrible, but for damn near 50k for a well equipped 335, I expected more. The interior was the deal breaker. Yes, I liked the performance of the BMW, but the IS performs very nicely and the interior is much nicer. Plus the IS is cheaper and has fewer mechanical issues.

 

what makes you think that 335i is in the class of its own? just because it has turbos?

 

When my g/f purchased her IS350 the only car she crossed shopped was the 335i. I guess it's worth noting that she was coming from a G35 Coupe.

 

Because of 335i's much superior handling and more aggressive ride. Even the G37 is much tougher on the road than a softer lexus, which is not it's down-side. I'm just saying that these are different categories: performance vs luxury. IS really feels like a sportier and smaller version of the ES, but not enough to give a 335i a serious fight. It's just different....

 

I second that! IS has the best interior in it's class

 

Like someone said, there is no clear line in terms of competition.

By most concensus, the main competitors to the IS350 is the C350, 335i, and the G37. You can also throw the A4 in there too.

That doesn't mean they are all similar though. Cars like the 335i and G37 are sportier than the IS350, whereas cars like the C350, A4, and IS350 are a bit more luxury-'cruiser-ish'. (Most of the cars in this market are considered "Luxury Sport" vehicles. But some are different ends of those two words).

The 370Z is NOT is the same class. Even though you will see some cross-shopping, the Z is a marketed as a pure sports car (hence the 2 seats).

 

Hands down, the IS350 won my personal selection after trying. Granted I was buying used, so I was basing a lot of my opinion on rattles/noises, the BMW and the Mercedes both had significant issues with that, and the seats felt cheaper. The seats in the Lexus can not be beat, although the seats in the G37 are pretty darn good too.

It all boils down to your priorities. I think for amenities, luxury, comfort, AND performance, the IS350 can't be beat. The BMW is miles behind in terms of the layout of the cockpit and technology, plus when you add all the BMW technology, you're paying a LOT more.

The G37 sedan is just plain and ugly to me compared to the IS, *BUT* the G37 coupe is MUCH sexier then the IS in my opinion. Interior wise, I prefer the IS over the G37, but it's pretty close. G37 only has heated seats, IS has heated and ventalated, which makes a huge difference in the summer. The Levinson sound in the IS blows the Bose out of the water in the G37. Ipod interface on the 08 (or newer) G37 is AWESOME however, Lexus is aftermarket add-on and not quite as good as the built in one on the G37. Cornering on the G37, might be a touch bit better then the IS, but I think they are pretty close. Gas mileage, about the same as the G37... Maybe a little better in some scenarios. Trunk space - i think the G37 has a little more, but on the sedan, not the coupe. Rear seat room, DEFINITELY better in the G37, and I believe the G37 seats might fold down, IS does not!

Nav on the G37 is better then the IS for sure... SD card and built in hard drive are also kind of cool.

Ride quality DEFINITELY better in the G37, plus if you don't get the sport package, all 4 tires are the same, so rotation is possible which makes the cost of ownership much lower. The sporty wheels and tires in the IS350 definitely create more road noise and bumps, but still a very nice ride, IMO.

Depends on your priorities... I think either G or IS and you can't go wrong. Beamer is just too much of a "status symbol" and has no practicality in my opinion, you get a lot more for your money with the Infiniti or the Lexus!