Any chance you could measure from the ground to the highest point of the fender arch (front and rear)?

I've got a 2011 F-Sport IS350 and I am think about the F-Sport springs/shocks and I am curious how much it will lower the F-Sport option's ride height. I have found a pretty good write up on the difference of the F-Sport shocks vs a stock suspension height difference, but not anything about the F-Sport.

 

Dang that looks awesome! Congrats and feel free to send more pics this way!

 

and it's 8% more fuel efficient

 

and new rims

 

Where'd you read that?

 

If you did do that, I'd be interested in your stock F-Sport package shocks and springs, if you wanted to sell them of course. I'd love to get the F-Sport or even older Sport-Package shocks/springs for my car. I don't want to go with the F-Sport lowering springs.

Jeff

 

The EPA's estimated fuel economy for the 2010 IS350 was 18 city, 25 highway, for a combined 20 MPG. I believe it was the same for 2006-2009 as well.

The EPA's estimated fuel economy for the 2011 IS350 is 20 city, 27 highway, for a combined 22 MPG.

Here is another thread all about this topic. The reasons behind the jump in MPG seem to have been discussed and debated by some of our users to a modest degree already.

 

^ Yeah I remember that thread, and the short of it is that the 2011 engine is exactly the same as the 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006 in terms of fuel efficiency, they only changed the oil.

 

Yeah, as I said in that thread 0W-20 oil and likely a more accurate re-testing... BTW, 06-07 models had higher MPG listed because they were done under the "old" EPA testing... Originally the IS350 was listed 21/28... then they "updated" it to 18/25 with the "new" EPA testing method afterward... but in real life I was still getting about 21/28 (and often better... I've gotten as high as 29.7 highway on at least one trip)

So for 2011 they went to thinner oil, which helps, and likely retested again to produce the "better" numbers without actually changing anything mechanically.

 

That's true about the "old" EPA testing, and I have a feeling your hypothesis about the thinner oil is spot on too.

On a related "note," I just switched from a 2008 to a 2011, both with stock exhausts, and the 2011 sounds noticeably deeper than the 2008. Not really louder, but deeper. After driving the 2008 for about three years, I think it's probably more than just my imagination. I know the stock exhaust on the 2011 has new tips that are slightly longer than before. I doubt that would cause a change in the exhaust note, but who knows? Maybe there's some other change to the 2011's system that might be responsible which I don't know about yet.

 

One thing I've noticed about the 2011 exhaust is that the left side hangs slightly lower than the right side. Seems to be on all of them. I haven't had a chance to look at a lot of older ones, but it didn't seem like it was like that on the ones I did see. It's not a lot, but it is noticeable.

I haven't driven enough pre-11's to know the difference in sound, but I do like the way my '11 sounds.

Jeff

 

Really? I haven't noticed that, but I'll try to check tomorrow.

 

It was to varying degrees on cars I've seen, but it ranged up to almost about 1/2 inch. I really should have looked at more older cars to compare.

It is the long side of the exhaust, so that might explain a bit, but I'm not sure.

Jeff

 

Bare in mind the 2006-2010's all came with a twisted left tailpipe. I guess they fixed that, but now it hangs too low.

 

Happy to oblige, but, in the process, I made a bizarre discovery. While investigating the annoyingly loud rumbling ride issue I had (traced to an improperly tightened bolt atop where the top of the spring and shock meet, now tightened, fixed and all quieted down), I read talk about the springs sitting at different heights on the left and right sides with skepticism but, sure enough, that's the case with my car.

Fender arch top-to-ground heights are as follows:

Left front: 25.25"
Right front: 25.75"
Left rear: 26.5"
Right rear: 26.25"