Thinking about a 2015 IS350. I'd love the FSport, but am very mad that they still REFUSE to allow ventilated seats/rain sensing wipers/leather/etc. in the FSports. So I'm contemplating just getting the "luxury" model and attempting to add the front end/grille. Anyone have an estimate? I am assuming in the $3000-5000 range?

Thanks!

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but I agree with your sentiment about Lexus excluding options from F-Sports and I considered doing the same thing with the 2014 IS. However, just wanted to let you know that 2015 does at least add ventilated seats to F-Sports (along with heated steering wheel), but still doesn't allow real leather or rain-sensing wipers (or fog lamps, or power steering column, or memory seats, etc. etc. etc.)...

http://pressroom.lexus.com/releases/...ws+release.htm
http://toyotanewsroom.com/releases/2...duct+specs.htm

 

Last I saw, the 2015 F Sports do get ventilated seats

 

2015 F Sports are getting ventilated seats. Honestly Nuluxe seems a lot better than leather

 

The LFA odormeter. Dont forget you have to give up that!

 

Honestly, I don't miss leather at all. I have a Ultra White / Rioja Red IS350 FSport. The NuLuxe is awesome and nobody notices that it's not real leather, not even my wife. All of our cars have real leather except my IS and it's just as nice, but it ages really well and is very easy to clean/up-keep. I only sometimes miss the smell, but the NuLuxe still has a nice smell, just different.

 

its more durable than leather without the conditioning, seats still look brand new after 7 months of ownership. No easy scratching or wrinkling like real leather

 

I'm glad to hear such ringing endorsements for NuLuxe, since I'll be getting an F-Sport which doesn't have the option for leather anyway. I don't mind that it's not real leather - if it's better, then I'm all for it!

I have a friend who is irrationally obsessed with wanting REAL leather in his car, even if alternative materials are as good as or better! He actually really liked pretty much everything about the 2014 IS F-Sport and was all set to buy one, but when he found out the seats weren't real leather (he didn't even know at first!), he went and bought a used Audi S5 instead (because it had real leather). I can't even tell NuLuxe is synthetic, let alone care that it's not "real leather". I've already had my Audi experience - and I'm sick of all the problems and unreliability issues - it's why I'm getting a Lexus now... :

 

the F sport seats the nuluxe has a slightly more coarse texture instead of the usual smooth slick texture real leather is. Better grip for the twisties and you stay in the seat better. Freshly conditioned leather is annoying since its so slippery feeling. Lot of sportscars use alcantara instead of leather to give more grip in the seat, the ISF started doing this. But with nuluxe you can go back to a material with more grip without cheapening the look like alcantara does.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I did know about the 2015 ventilated seats, I was just mentioning it. Although I have become accustomed to certain other luxuries (power seat memory, rain sensing wipers, etc.) and those are the items that really frustrate me and would move me towards a "luxury" model instead of the F-Sport model.

Again, just wondering if anyone has any idea about replacing the front end? Thanks.

 

Actually the IS300 was the first to get alcantara insert leather =]

 

I considered doing the same thing when I was looking at getting a 2014 non-F Sport model (since F-Sports couldn't come with ventilated seats or heated steering wheel), and I did come across this replacement bumper part:

http://is.sewellparts.com/accessorie...2014/6873.html
http://is.sewellparts.com/accessorie...2014/6872.html

...but I didn't see the F-Sport grille on that store's website. Maybe you can ask a dealer how much that part would cost?

 

I had noticed those parts as well, but I wasn't sure if they are the F-Sport bumper. Eventually I will likely just end up getting an F-Sport , but I had figured surely someone had done this already.

 

Those bumpers are for the F-Sport - you can tell by the air-intake ducts next to the bottom part of the grill, and by the shape of the bottom corner lip. I'm surprised too that nobody seems to have done this yet!

Unfortunately you'll have to weigh whether you want the extra features available exclusively to the luxury version more, or if you want the styling of the F-Sport version more - it's annoying that we even have to choose, why can't we have both??

 

Is there a listing somewhere with a clear indication of what is missing from the F-Sport? I've searched, I've found this thread: Missing Options on F Sport. I read through and am trying to compile a definitive list. Again, this would be against the 2015 model.

2015 IS350 F Sport as available in the USA lacks the following:
- No leather option
- No power tilt and telescoping steering wheel (User kabgolf1 indicates this option is available for IS350s that are RWD - can this be confirmed for the 2015 year as well?)
- No memory seats
- No rain sensing wipers
- High intensity interior heater
- Electrochromic (auto-dimming) outside mirrors with auto tilt-down in reverse
- Intuitive Parking Assist

Are there other items I'm missing? Can anyone chime in on these things?