Hello guys, I'm selling my 07's is250 and I'm upgrading, and I was going on the route most Lexus fans go on and it is upgrading to a 350. But I am running into problems, I live in Miami and there is basically zero 3is IS350's for sale, and if there are they are too overpriced and just not worth it for the mileage (100k+ miles and up). I was looking and is200t's kept popping up, I immediately dismissed them since I was really infatuated on the is350 so here are my questions.

First, should I go for an is200t instead of a 350? I can find is200t's for a much cheaper price and way fewer miles.
I'm not very informed of the platform of is200t's, how reliable are the engines, and how is the aftermarket support, I do plan on making power. How easy is it to match to the 350's power, and how easy is it to crack the 350's power? Also, how is the driving feel, besides the power does it drive the same as a 350, in terms of handling, etc.?
So help me decide please, and reply by giving me the information you guys know, spill it all.
(In 200t/300 I am talking about the turbocharged inline 4)
Here are my Pros and Cons.
IS200T:
PROS- Cheaper, can find much, easier, can get a much newer model (2019-2020) for around 33k miles.
CONS- Know nothing about the car, don't like how they sound.
IS350:
PROS- Know much more about the car, more power, better sound, much bigger community/aftermarket support.
CONS- Expensive

Thank you.

 

IS300 AWD
The above Autotrader search is for the IS300 AWD, which has the same 3.5L V6 as the 350. They're the same 0 - 60mph as the 350, stock. Then you might be able to do an RR racing tune on it (2017 or earlier model, not 2018+ I think).

 

"The above Autotrader search is for the IS300 AWD, which has the same 3.5L V6 as the 350. They're the same 0 - 60mph as the 350, stock. Then you might be able to do an RR racing tune on it (2017 or earlier model, not 2018+ I think)."

then how come there is such a power difference?

 

At higher speeds, the extra HP does show up. In street driving conditions, you probably would not notice a significant difference between 300 and the 350.

 

The difference is courtesy of an ECU remap by Lexus.

I've owned a 2016 IS 300 AWD and now a 2021 IS 350, and honestly, the power difference is subtle.

 

If you're in a snow state (it would make sense to get 4x4) but just buy the IS350 or an ISF i have driven all, the IS 250 just screams its guts out forget it, and gets nowhere, they are a nice grandma car so drive interstate and get a Fsports 350 then in the furture buy a ISF thank me later CHEERS.

 

well I'm more so focused on the inline 4 turbocharged version instead off the 2gr, how are the capabilities and how does it drive/

 

Trust me if I could afford an ISF I would get it, however, I'm in Miami, South Florida, no snow.

 

I've never driven one, but I've driven an NX 300 with the same engine. It gets out of its own way very nicely and seemed to get decent MPG. The loaner vehicle I had was showing 25 MPG average. I'm sure the engine will pair well with the IS chassis.

 

it's a lot better than the 2.5l found in the 250 and the engine is peppy but the turbo lag is terrible. the drive train has been reliable so far in the nx, is, gs, and rc with only the turbo regulator valve prone to failure, but it's a very easy and inexpensive fix. the engine has been used since 2015 in the nx, followed in 2016 in the is and then the rc and gs and so far so good, so i think i'd say it lives up to the toyota/lexus reliability standards.

in retrospect, i should have purchased a 350, but i'm stuck with a 300 with the 2l turbo. it's not bad at all, though, and so i don't super regret not buying the 350. the driving dynamics are the same as the 350 with the car nimble to drive and fun around corners even if it's not as powerful as i'd like. i don't have the d3 tune, but apparently that transforms the car. i do have the tom's of japan powerbox on the car and that doesn't transform the car, but it certainly makes it more sprightly to drive. it's similar to the jb4 from what i've read/heard, although i chose the tom's unit because they work exclusively with lexus and toyota.

good luck!

 

In theory couldn't the inline 4 engine make more power for a cheaper price? I'm trying to do research but there's not much I can find so that is why I made this post. I'm thinking you can easily upgrade the turbo, make it fbo, a tune, etc and it can make much more power than doing an rr racing supercharger kit on the 350. I'm just not seeing much out there. As a 200t owner what research have you done when it comes to that.

 

I was in a similar situation a few years ago, I had a 2011 IS250 RWD and was looking to get a 2017 350 RWD (not AWD), but they're so damn hard to find up here (Canada).

Ended up with a 2017 IS200T (IS300 RWD) and no complaints!
I had a 2018 IS350 AWD a few months ago as a loaner, and off the line, theirs a big difference, on the highway, barely any.
Apparently the RWD is a whole different beast though on the highway (I've never tried it).

Gas wise, it's terrible!
My car averages 7L/100KM on the highway, the 350 is no where near that.

If performance is a MUST, then yeah, look for an IS350 RWD and dish out the extra $$$ for a low mileage one.
If performance isn't a deciding factory, the IS200T would be a good choice.

Test drive both and see what you like better, just keep in mind the gas price.
I do a lot of mileage, so gas consumption is a factor when buying a car.

 

What performance mods have you done, if any? Have you noticed a difference? And have you looked into the gettuned turbo upgrade? https://gottuned.com/product/lexus-i...upgrade-is300/

 

check the performance sub-forum here. there's some guy making pretty impressive power out of the 2l turbo with bolt-ons and the d3 tune. i dunno if the total whp numbers rival the 3.5l stock, but maybe? there is also a d3 tune for the 3.5l as well, so i'm sure that engine will always outperform the 2l if tuned and maybe stock as well? i'm not sure. you'd have to really modify the drivetrain to rival the 3.5l but a few people are doing it. again, check the performance sub-forum.

 

I can't find it, do you know what the user's name is? or the link?