Hi all, I am interested in making a huge transition in cars in the future and figured I could get some good insight on this forum. I have long been a fan of Toyotas, and while my current gen Corolla is nice, I find it basic and boring. I would like to possibly get a Lexus after I graduate from college in the future (or maybe a Tacoma, not sure yet.)

I drove an IS250 AWD briefly down the road and was not a fan at all of the hump from the transfer case, it just felt weird since I have longer legs than average and like the seat slid back (the leg room in the corolla isn't quite enough.) When I get to a point I can realistically purchase one, I would like to look at an IS 350 RWD. It seems to offer all of what I want: a small, sporty and luxurious car with Toyota reliability. So that brings me to my questions:

>For the specs on leg room, hip room, shoulder room, etc, the IS has an inch or more over the Corolla. Does anyone get uncomfortable after extended periods in there IS? The hump in the floor-board of the AWD really distracted me from paying attention to comfort for the short duration.
>How fun is it? I know this is subjective but I have always had a slow vehicle, my 21 year old Tacoma beats the Corolla to 60 lol. 0-60 in 5.6 sounds pretty quick to me, and it looks as though they're nice in the corners.
>Any ridiculous maintence costs or problems?

Thanks y'all.

 

You considering going to an IS 350 from a Corolla and asking how fun is it lol. All I'll say is it'll be quite a difference, and a good one of course.

I had a Corolla myself before, and got an IS200t F-Sport. I drove the 350 and yes it's a noticeable difference in power but the 200 is perfectly fine for me. It's an upgrade in almost every aspect, the only thing I had to get used to was the turbo lag. As for cabin space, I feel it's pretty spacious for me and the f sport seats feel like a glove so for long rides I've never had any issues and it's quite comfortable for me. If you're concerned about it though, maybe try renting one for a day or two if you can and drive it around and see how you feel in it.

As for maintenance, I cant really comment since I've had it for under a year still so maybe some of the other members may give you an insight on that and issues they may have run into.

Keep us posted and let us know if you purchase it anytime soon. GL.

 

In our household, we have a 2014 IS 350 and 2015 Toyota Corolla S, and I can only speak to this model. The only comparison that can be made, in IMO, is the interior room. We can certainly stuff more into the Corolla than we can the IS (it's our PU truck ). In reality, the Corolla is a little more roomy in the front seats, regardless of what the stats say. The IS has more of a cockpit, closed in front leg area. My husband is 6'2" and is surprisingly comfortable in both cars (the Corolla is his DD).

That's where the comparison stops.........
I never drive the Corolla, but had to a few weeks back. OMG, soooooooooo slow.
The seats in the IS are super comfortable (I have an F Sport) and tighter than the Corolla. I've never been uncomfortable on long rides, neither has the hubby.
I think those with the AWD don't really notice the hump after a bit and it's not an issue.
How fun is it? All I can say is test drive a 350, you'll see.

Some 2014's had Navi reboot issues (myself included) that were remedied with software updates. Other 2014's had battery drain issues that I believe were remedied with ECU re-flash or reprogram (do a forum search to check).

As far as maintenance goes - don't take it to the dealer for maintenance and the price will be reasonable. Oil changes every 10,000 miles (synthetic) and the first "major" service is at 30K - mine cost $250 at an indy shop (dealer wanted $900+).
I've had mine for over 3 1/2 years, and still absolutely love it!!

 

I appreciate the reply, I was hoping someone had experience in both cars. I agree the bolstering made it feel snugger despite the bigger numbers, but there is a couple more inches leg room. Yes the Corolla is slow haha, mine is the L with the old 4 speed auto so it's even slower, what's worse is I don't even have the luxury of keyless entry, cruise, etc.

Ill definitely have to test one when I get to the point of realistically making a purchase.

 

I've driven both a 2000 Corolla and a 2014 3IS 350 RWD. It's night and day really.
Corolla's acceleration, comfort, and ride feel are nowhere near the IS350.

To answer your questions:

• Plenty of leg room for me personally (I'm 5'10")
• No discomfort at all from the seats in the IS after long periods of drive. I've driven from Orange County to Vegas, and there is no discomfort whatsoever. The seats hugs you extremely well. (I guess it'll depend on how big/small you are physically)
• IS350 is definitely much more "fun" to drive, especially in Sport/Sport+ mode with manual shift and rev match.
• Maintenance cost is subjective. If you stick with dealership maintenance, it will get costly after your free services are over. I would suggest finding a trustworthy 3rd party shop that does the maintenance for you.

 

I had an IS350 AWD and the floor hump never bothered me. I am only 5'10", but have longish legs (36" inseam) and it was never an issue for me. I noticed the hump when I test drove it, then never again in 2 years of ownership. I always found it to be very comfortable.

 

Going from corolla to a IS is definitely a BIG upgrade (yes 3X bigger price wise). I can only compare between 2000 Corolla and 2004 Matrix XR and the 2016 200T
Handling is a lot, lot, lot better than the Corolla. You definitely can tell the different especially going from a front wheel drive every day economy car to a rear/all wheel drive sport car. It's a really fun car to drive. The Corolla is no where near this level of handling, acceleration.
Seat comfy, it's definitely better than Corolla on short distance, but for long distance I don't know it's better than Corolla or not. I had driven the Corolla across the country (from LA/OC Socal to Atlanta) an it wasn't bad at all. The Matrix was good I have numerous trips going from OC to San Fransisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe without much discomfort. The longest I ever drove the IS so far was from OC to San Diego, and man my back hurt after 2.5 hrs with traffic. I felt like I was being trap in the seat. Part of it is because the IS is more bumpy, the traffic suck. The car was new at the time and my back wasn't adjust well to the seating position in the IS yet. Overall, the IS feel small and cramp. I like the seat in my Supra best because of how the adjustment on the seat work.
Maintenance is sure more expensive on the IS vs the Corolla for the same type of service, but you do get better treatment from Lexus dealer vs Toyota dealer. If you can do some basic maintenance yourself will definitely help. Corolla and Matrix I had were truly a bullet proof cars. For 200K+ miles we put down on the Corolla without a single repair other oil/filter change, 2 set of front brake pad, 2 coolant change, and few set of tires. I only have the IS for 20 months and haven't pay anything for repair/maintanance yet . I just hope that it was as reliable as the Corolla. The Supra on the other hand was reliable but it has a know issue with BHG.
With today Toyota cars, I think the problem area is more with electronic rather than mechanical. So far my Camry and Sienna both had it overhead console replaced under warranty (sunroof switch didn't work well).

 

Drove a 2010 corolla base and also had a 2nd gen matrix base model before my is350 awd. Can't really compare at all, everything is just so much better. The bump in the awd models doesn't bother me one bit surprisingly, I kinda use it as a foot rest when on cruise control so I've grown to love it haha. I'm 6'1 and I fit in the back comfortably, although if I'm wearing a hat it does hit the roof. These fsport seats are some of the most comfortable I've sat in.

 

floor hump isn't even noticeable to me and I'm 5'9

 

Even though the cars are so different some people I talk to still think an IS is just a more expensive corolla smh

 

Well it is just a Toyota after all. A fancy Corolla with a ton of sound deadening.

 

Haha it's far from a Corolla, they might share a relay or switch somewhere. The only similarity between the two is the size, I was honestly surprised how compact the IS was in person. Looking past the size and styling, it's obvious that the underlying structure of the two is vastly different.

Im hoping after graduating I get offered a good engineering salary so I could trade up.

Heres my car next to an IS for comparison:

 

Lol, I call my IS a fancy Corolla with AWD

 

As someone who went from a Corolla S to an IS250- F sport i regret nothing just dont expect that much of a bump in power unless your going straight to an IS-350

Things to consider or what i miss most about my corolla

1.MPG's you will get about half as good mileage you did before with the rolla about 40mpg's and 20 dollar fillups easily to about 20-22mpg and 30-40 dollar per fill up with the lexus also 12 gallon tank vs a 16 gallon tank respectively and it gets about the same mileage if not a bit less i get about 330 to a full tank according to the odometer in the lexus and i pay about average 15 dollars more per fill-up.

2. Reliability this isn't a big deal as such both cars are made by toyota so it wouldn't be much of a difference but i purchased an extended warranty for peace of mind just in case for my lexus and also goes without saying parts and service will be inherently more expensive for the lexus.

3. Lack of options for power mainly for the IS-250 which is no longer being produced as it was replaced by the is200t all you can really do for these cars is make them sound nice as they already look the part just a shame there kinda all show and no go but hey enjoy for what it is.

4. Legroom and passenger room in the Corolla by far is best in its class hell it had more room and tech then my previous 325i(E46) which i traded it in for because of the great quality of German Engineering (sarcasm), this is what prompted me to go JDM and toyota specifically reliability that's the one thing you will never have to worry about and i don't regret it one bit.

My 2 cents keep the corolla enjoy for what it is not what it isnt if you want it too look sporty and sound sporty i recommend a TRD Exhaust and TRD rims also Trd rear sway bar as the car really needs it other than that it is a solid little car ride it into the ground until u can get something better that thing will never let you down i speak from experience.

Best Regards,
305isk

 

I drove a 2016 Corolla as a rental for a week while visiting family last December. It was an LE model, silver, I believe 18,000 miles on the odometer. My daily driver is a 2016 IS 300 F Sport and has been since October. So with that in mind:

The Corolla is not bad-looking on the interior, given the price point, but you'll notice the difference in build quality when in the IS. The cabin seems to be more tightly put together, and the plastics used don't have a noticeable shine to them like in the Corolla. The seats in the Corolla were comfy, but they had little thigh or lateral support. The IS fares better here, which makes me feel more confident in driving through turns quickly. I haven't really taken the IS on a long road trip yet (but plan to this weekend actually), but the only problem for me has been finding a comfortable spot to rest my left leg. Sometimes if I get it wrong, my left hamstrings feel a bit sore. Could just be my long legs. I never found the drivetrain floor hump to be a problem, though. And honestly, I don't expect to be uncomfotable on this road trip - though I have never really taken it far, I have been on a couple of ~45 minute highway trips with no issues.

One thing I learned about the Corolla is that on the highway, it never felt unsettled, but due to its relative lack of sound deadening and light weight, driving at highway speed in the rain or wind can be a bit stressful. Not so in the IS - it always feels rock-solid on the highway. It takes a really fast wind gust to push the car, and the sense of contact with the road doesn't diminsh noticeably in rainy or slushy conditions. In addition, the on-center feel in the Corolla is somewhat relaxed, but it's tighter in the IS. This means fewer course corrections and quicker responses. I guess it also helps that the steering wheel in the IS is arguably better in every way - smaller, thicker-rimmed, and wrapped in soft perforated leather.

One thing I was sort of worried about, knowing the IS was a "sporty" car, was being able to drive it smoothly. Thing is, while driving the Corolla I found the throttle responses to be somewhat varied based on speed. This is likely due to the programming of the CVT. The brakes were fine and "natural" to use, but due to the throttle response and slow steering, driving in-town was often less smooth than I would expect - lots of hand-over-hand. Conversely, the IS has somewhat grabby brakes when they're cold, but it has a very moderate, linear throttle pedal (in Normal mode anyway). In addition, it has quicker steering, making tighter turns easier to execute smoothly. Overall I'd say they're both smooth to drive. One other caveat of the brakes is that the F Sport brake pads can be squeaky when cold - it's perfectly normal. I've been having that happen since November or so, when it started to get colder outside. (Now, in summer, it's much less frequent.)

Also, it's important to note the "S" drive mode in the Corolla essentially limits the minimum engine RPM based on speed, to enable quicker acceleration response. However, it doesn't change the steering weight, etc. like in the IS. In the IS, Sport mode changes the throttle mapping, transmission shift behavior, and level of steering assist to make for a sportier drive. However, in Sport mode you can still cruise on the highway in 6th gear at a low RPM, unlike in the Corolla's "S" mode.

The Lexus is going to be less fuel-efficient, no way around it. On my week with the Toyota I averaged 30-ish MPG in a mix of city and highway driving - of which I did about 200 miles. Generally on my daily commutes with the IS, which are mostly city, I get 19-ish MPG. Granted, I have the IS 300 AWD. It has fewer gears (6) to work with than the IS 350 RWD (which has 8), which gets slightly better mileage. Either way, for city driving you likely are going to be low 20's. With the 250, I'm not sure, but expect a couple MPG's better than that due to its lower displacement.

Overall, I sometimes contemplate if I should have bought a Corolla or something similar as a dedicated commuter, and then something as a dedicated fun car. But, the IS is well-suited to do both tasks (apart from mileage I suppose). It's great to be able to take the long way home in the Lexus and rev out the engine - I'd feel a little silly doing that in the Corolla. Let us know what you decide. Best of luck.