Hello! There is a summary at the bottom for those who are in a rush. Thank you!

My name is Bruce and I am looking into switching from a performance oriented vehicle to a more reliable and luxury based one. I currently drive a 2014 WRX sedan (stage 1+) and have owned it for about a year and a half now. I love the car but unfortunately it is manual transmission (a true stick) and my gf and family members are unable to use it when in need of an extra vehicle. Also, although Subaru does build reliable cars, the fact that this essentially brand new car drones and shakes worse than my older BMW did is very annoying.

With that said, I am looking at the most reliable cars out there and obviously have come across the Lexus fleets. These cars are amazing! I'm very seriously considering selling the WRX and going after one of these beauties.

Now, living in Northern Virginia and driving almost daily each and every day of the year, I need something that has AWD and also a reasonable amount of passenger and storage space. I've been recently looking into the IS 350 AWD models. These seem to have everything I am looking for between the correct driving system, the vehicle size, the luxury, the reliability, and the comfort. My one concern though are that these are extremely heavy and (no offense to anyone) very "weak" cars in both the horsepower and torque department. Do not get me wrong though, I understand that a WRX that has been modified to push 320+ horsepower and 320+ torque at the crank while being a tad under 3200 pounds is a completely different car. You can barely hear yourself speak over the drone and scream of the exhaust and the dang WRX gets everyone to notice you, while the Lexus is lower profile and relaxing while driving.

Price aside and all of that other stuff, I do not want to compare a Lexus of any kind to my WRX when it comes to performance and track capabilities. I do not expect any stock Lexus other than the RCF or LFA to beat my current car. Now again, I do not mean to offend anyone, but I am just talking from a "numbers" perspective here. I have found a car that I am very interested in from this link http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...0923/overview/ and was wondering if the good people here could take a look and let me know what they think?

Like I said, I want to understand if the 2015 Lexus IS 350 (awd F sedan) has some kick and can hit zero to soccer practice at least under six seconds consistently and be able to hold its own on the streets when having spirited fun or if I will want to kill myself whenever a Honda Civic Si or Volkswagen GTI smokes me over and over.

Thank you again everyone who takes a moment to read this post and respond!

Summary: How does the 2015 Lexus IS 350 (awd F sedan) perform on the street? I understand that it is not a drag racing or track oriented vehicle but I want to know if at least have enough kick to be able to merge and cruise and drive around with some confidence and fun on the roads. Any tips and advice is welcome. I am currently looking at switching from my 2014 WRX sedan (stage 1+) to possibly this Lexus http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...0923/overview/ in a month or so. Please let me know what any of you think!

 

Coming from a modded Evo 8 I'll try to share my experience.

I'm loving the IS 350 F-Sport I bought a month ago. It handles really well and the chassis is solid. Although I wasn't expecting it to be as fast as my previous car, I was really surprised how quick the car was. In my opinion it is enough power to get you around. Now I wouldn't go around and try to race other cars in a different class. What you get with Lexus is luxury, comfort, reliability, and some performance on the IS. It is truly a fun car to drive. The handling reminded me when I first drove my Evo, which is known for it's great handling.

I have a kid now and having a modded evo that was loud and uncomfortable was not ideal anymore.

I say go test drive one and I'm confident you will like it as long as you are not expecting that kick in your back when the boost finally kicks in on FI cars.

 

To answer your question how it does on merging lanes on the highway, it is more than capable of getting the job done. I was merging on the highway today and before i knew it i was at 90 mph. Just put it in Sport+ and you'll understand my excitement (hopefully). Another plus is that the car feels stable at high speeds (don't have to worry about losing control of the car at 90-100 mph).

But the only way for you to know is by doing a test drive.

 

2014 lexus is350 RWD

car set up :
- PPE ceramic headers long tube
- invidia mid-pipe
- Tom's axle back
- AFE magnum force cold air intake

 

I actually got into my IS350 F Sport (RWD) from a 2015 WRX myself. I loved the Rex (it was my third Subaru over the last 8 years) but recently developed back problems and the seats in the WRX were a contributing factor with their limited adjustability.

I'm loving the IS350 so far. The biggest difference isn't in the amount of power, but in how it's delivered over the powerband. The Lexus V6 has most of the power at the top of the rev band and doesn't "hit" you like the surge of power you get in a turbocharged car once the turbo spools up. It's a smooth, creamy acceleration that "feels" slower without the big thump of torque you get in the Subaru engines. It took some getting used it, but the 8 speed with paddle shifters in the 350 F Sport does a nice job in Sport and Sport+ modes of keeping you in the meat of the power band, and the acceleration is quite brisk. I don't know how well the 6-speed in the AWD models does, however.

So, while the WRX felt raw and like a rocket, the Lexus definitely feels more sedate. However, I like that. I realized that I have completely outgrown the cheap interiors and rattletraps that all Subarus eventually become. The amount of road noise on the highway in a Subaru became really grating to me every day on my commute, and the Lexus feels rock solid and quiet as a highway cruiser. It also handles beautifully with crisp turn-in and minimal body roll, comparable to how my 15 WRX felt but with a much less "bouncy" suspension, but I mainly attribute that to the F Sport package with the adjustable suspension. I'm not sure how the non-F sport AWD model will compare.

 

My previous car was a 2008 Subaru WRX pushing almost 280WHP and 300TQ!! very powerful car!! i loved it!!!!!!

when i was looking for a new car, i looked at the Audi S4 and S5 but felt the car wouldnt last as long. So i went with the IS350 F, bought it last year and i still love it
the car isnt as powerful, its heavier but its definitely a lot more comfortable. a lot of my friends asked if i made a mistake in getting my car, i say no!!!


I love the car a lot!!!! still turns heads!!!!! im happy with my purchase!!!!1!

 

I think what people don't realize until driving the IS is the quality of ride you get with the handling characteristics. Car is so comfortable and gentle but very capable when pushed. It's really uncanny how they tuned the suspension. The best of both worlds.

 

Are we talking about the regular WRX here or the WRX STI? I don't remember the WRX being that fast or as fast as the STI. Perhaps it's because I have not kept up with them for a while. But it's being mentioned as if it's such a fast car, it's not an STI. With a stock WRX or even with basic bolts-on, I wouldn't feel as if you're losing so much power going with an IS 350. Now if it was an STI, that's a different story. At the end of the day, if your goal is race people in a straight line, you're buying the wrong car. I would have kept my 380whp Evo if I wanted to, but it's just not for me anymore and it was time to move on.

 

im talking about the WRX, but my WRX was ST2 pro-tuned! so i pushed it to the limits of the tune to get the most of it!