One word......SERVICE! Lexus service is amazing! Never had a problem and they even paid me a few times for the inconvenience??? LOVE IT!

The only VW product I would ever consider, would be one with a Porsche logo and twin turbos. Other than that, they are junk!...Audi's, VW's, etc...JUNK! No offense man, glad to hear your in a car that makes you happy, because ultimately thats whats important.

You want to hear a true story? I took out a VW R32 in Evanston with a salesman for a test drive back in 2004. Car only had 6k miles on the clock. All was good until about 3 miles later, when I floored it and the engine wiring harness that ran between the engine compartment and firewall caught fire!!! No joke!!!! BIG FAIL!!!!

I don't care how fast a DSG shifts...can't keep up with a IS350. Period.

Good luck, and "be careful un zee road!"

 

Not sure why everyone chooses to hate on vw.
I came from driving a 2005 jetta gli and more recently a 2008 R32, that dsg is fun to drive even if its not as quick as the is
Congrats on the tdi!

 

to the fellow TDI owner. I never thought I'd own a diesel anything.

 

Agreed with the service at Lexus... Top notch, and I know cause I have had MANY problems with my IS.

I have had many VWs and an Audi. A 1997 A4 2.8 for 13 years with only a front suspension issue, and thats it!! Got totaled last year. I have owned several VWs with just regular maintenance. I currently own a GTI and have had only one minor, non-drivetrain related issue. My IS, I had for 4 years and have had more trouble with it than the Audi and all my VWs combined!! That car had so many thing go wrong, it is not even funny. And now another recall announced on Jan 25th. UGH!! I understand where you are coming from with VW/Audi comment, but my experience was totally different. Owning a Lexus was a nightmare compared to VW/Audi. At least the service dept at Lexus know how to treat customers. I'm back to VW and never going back to Lexus. My next car will likely be a VW Golf R, an Audi RS3 (if they bring it here) or an S4.

Your R32 experience sounds pretty horrible, but then again, why would a R32 with 6K miles be on a used car lot? I would have avoided that car. If I were shopping used, I would not buy a used VW, Audi, or BMW because they are typically driven very hard and may not be well maintained.

Yes, it's a fact, the IS350 is faster in a straight line than the DSG GTI. But I would say that the responsiveness of the DSG transmission and the flat torque curve in the 2.0T make the GTI an overall very engaging car to drive. The car shifts so fast, it feels like it is reading your mind and you can squirt through holes in traffic with ease.

 

Just passed the 10,000 mile mark with no problems. Averaging 38mpg in urban driving. Just got my first free maintenance done.

 

Sounds like your happy with the car. That's pretty much all that matters!

 

looks like you sir have downgraded. Grats with new ride though.

 

Congrats on your new ride, but having a serviced or dealt with a GTI before ( wifes car ) they're a POS. Almost every month the car was a the shot for different issues, multiple check engine lights, 2 trannys , engine fire after got rear ended etc..

Also had friends that had Jetta's too.... same ish' with them but more tranny replacements and other issues. Had a co-worker buy a Toureg ?? after a month of owning it brand new, already back to the STEALERSHIP for issues. I always tell all I know, NEVER buy a VW especially ones built in mexico and other places... only ones from Germany I would deal with.

 

and herein lies my frustration with Toyota...assuming VW has more problems or is not as well-engineered as Lexus, why is it that they can make a DSG tranny that's fun to drive and Toyota gives us a slushbox in the IS? And no, the truck tranny in the 250 does not count...

I'm sure Akio will imporve this situation with the next gen of IS/GS/and hopefully many other models in Toyota's lineup, but f***, it's been a long time since they had a respectable performance car in the US. 1998.

 

Variety is good. As a new Lexus owner (Dec 10), I love my 2011 Lexus IS 350 F-Sport. I sold my 2004 Mazda6 which I loved, but time for something new, better. My wife and I had a new 1999 NewBeetle TDI and currently have a 2006 NewBeetle TDI. We had numerous CEL and hard staring problems with the 1999, but the 2006 has been trouble free. Fuel mileage on the 1999 was better with a guaranteed 650 miles per tank. When looking for a replacement for my Mazda6, I considered the new 2011 Jetta TDI. Wasn't impressed with the interior, Nav was a joke, and overall turned off. I had my eye on better fuel mileage. I know of a fellow forum member on one of the MB forums that went from a Prius to a MB E Class sedan. After feeling good about saving gas, he was unhappy with what he was driving. He wanted more car, style, level of comfort and was willing to sacrifice fuel mileage. I also wanted better fuel mileage, but after looking at numerous cars for over six months, I settled on my first choice.

 

Congrats with the new car. I hope you have better luck than the two people I know with those jettas. Both have had serious problems intact one is trying to lemon theirs.

I had a 2001 gti turbo and had no problems til around 45k at which point all the crappy plastic fittings on the turbo started breaking. Cost a lot to fix those.

 

I guess you haven't driven an IS-F? It has offered what you're asking for for years now.

Huh?

The IS350 offered the best performance in its class when it was released.

6 years into production it's still just about class leading. (the 335i, at about $9000 more similarly equipped, is .1 seconds quicker).

 

I wish my car could make left turns while accelerating.

My car isnt an "ambiturner", like Zoolander. I can only make right turns... haha

 

Can we queue up the Benny Hill music in the background while you make those right turns?

 

I have, and I like them. A lot. But obviously you are offering a $60k car as a solution to $30k-40k competitors like the VW GTI or Evo X that have DCT's, which is a pointless comparison. Even still, that's a 10 year gap from the Supra to the IS-F. Ooo, I almost forgot aout the Camry Solara, or the Corolla S... those were pretty sporty.


Class leading? Not really...based on the numerous shootouts I've read on sports sedans, the IS350 rarely came in 1st. Mainly due to the lame tranny, the soft handling & steering, and the mindless traction nanny setup, especially on the '06. Sure, I can turn it off in my '07 without playing dance dance revolution, but I still have to press & HOLD the damn off button for about 6 seconds every time I start the car.

Don't get me wrong, I still bought the IS obviously, but I'm also honest about the car for what it is in the sports sedan segment - a wannabe. Great DD, though.