sdiver68

Agreed! Like going back to my 2001 330i from my 2008 335i, at least before it was chipped.

I'm looking for that combination of size, style, performance, RWD/Sport tuned feel, total cost of ownership and long term reliability where I feel the IS hits the mark. I want a daily driver that can hang it's tail on occasion

Pure "luxury" for the dollar sure, we could bring in C- Class MB, ES Lexus and Hyundai Genesis. Or even start talking about Honda Accord Touring, Nissan Maxima, loaded Toyota Avalon, etc.. I'm just sick of worrying about a German car post warranty and can't bring myself to FWD. That leaves Infiniti with their electric steering issues, Acura with their style issues ha, Cadillac with several issues, Genesis is too big, and Lexus IS which seems to hit the sweet spot.

EZZ

I honestly think you'd be unhappy in the 200T because its slow. The IS350 is barely acceptable in terms of speed and a step down from your 335. Go test drive both and let me know your thoughts but I bet after you drive the 350 in Sport+ mode, the decision will be simple.

Lexmeup

have you considered looking at residual new 2015 models? There may be some around still.

if the price difference is $2K, i would still go for the 350. I went with a 2015 is350 f sport over the 2016 is200t f sport for a $2.9K difference but included ML+NAV. $900 was worth the NAV and ML to me.

sdiver68

I'm in a Q5 TDI right now to tow my racing trailer around.

Yeah that '08 335i and the '12 S4 I owned both had close to 400hp after chip. But, the funnest car I've driven on the street was my BRZ since the limits were approachable without hitting insane speeds and the steering/handling were both off the charts of sport sedans. Even funner than my '06 Cayman S believe it or don't.

tkeirin

I was also in your situation when i was shopping for the car. Initially I wanted the IS250 f sport. After I test drove both cars, I ended up getting the IS350 f sport. It was worth the money for me to get the IS350 over the IS250. The sales rep was surprised with my decision. I knew the dealer was trying to sell more of the IS250‘s.

evident

the BRZ is way lighter than the IS and in a different class. I think for the IS you will appreciate the extra HP.

Kwong516

iTrader: (1)

I would go with the IS350. I was in the same situation and the power difference was the deal maker for me. I bought my IS350 without the nav/ml and it was 3-4k more than an 200t

TrojanLBC

I shopped both and eventually ended up with a 350. I had a 250 before and i loved the V6 growl. The 200t at Idle sounds like crap.(Damn Atkinson cycle engine) So much that my GF was like "why does it sound like that?"

The adaptive suspension is killer and lets not forget the extra 65hp for a car that weighs roughly the same. I'm not a fan of 4cyl turbos in luxury cars just as I'm not a fan of FWD in high-end cars. I'm completely happy with my decision and the extra 4-5k was definitely worth it in my book.

corradoMR2

Owning the 4 cyl Turbo in the NX for 18 months now, I'm not a big fan of it. I like the rush of the Turbo and decent fuel economy, but there is some 4 cyl vibration felt at idle that my IS 250 never had. It's still a 4-banger and although smooth revving, still is not as refined as the 2.5/3.5 V6s. If the 3K is not an issue, get the 350 as you'll get the best of all worlds.

One caveat though is color. For me, I HAD to get USB above all else. It's a stunning color and has always put a smile on my face looking at the car or while driving it seeing the blue mirror and hood . No other color to date has had that effect on me, including Infrared on my RC F.

sdiver68

Yeah I hear you I feel the same way about USB and to a lesser extent light vs dark interior. It's funny, about 20 years ago I bought a metallic green Ford Probe GT because I only cared about performance for the dollar, still considered one of the best handling FWD cars ever. Now I'm kind of attached to medium metallic blues like USB.

sdiver68

Hmmmm yeah night and day.

Picked the 350 :-)

Thanks again to everyone for your comments!

EZZ

Easy decision right. You chose wisely

krlz350

Good for you man, once you drive both back to back it's a no brainer.
Also who worries about 3k more if you're already spending over 40k on a luxury car