Great post! I’m almost 17 months in and I love, l-o-v-e, LOVE this freaking car. I’ve never had a car illicit this wide range of emotions. 🥰

Congrats on your purchase!

Did anybody else read this part like the car was talking to you like Lightning McQueen from Cars? LOL maybe I'm tired and a little loopy. I love everything you said!

I think you heard it right. 😎👍🏽

I am a little surprised to hear the Macan you were in roe roughly. I drove a Macan Turbo - the top, most high-performance model, and found it to ride very well and very quiet over the road. It was no Rolls, but it rode better than my IS 300 F Sport did at the time, easily.

And don't get me wrong - I wouldn't buy a car because it has a PDK. Porsches are so sought-after because they combine a lot of different aspects together really well. Build quality, reliability (for the most part...), a sense of engagement, driver feedback, comfort, and performance. They're a lot of things to a lot of people - people who can afford them, anyway. The Boxster and 911 I drove were awesomely fun, but they also felt like cars I could daily drive if I needed to. Not too harsh or crashy over bumps, but still agile and great-sounding. The Macan Turbo seemed like the perfect one-car solution - fast, comfy, and practical, though not as roomy as some larger SUVs but more usable than your average sedan. On top of that, it was fun to pitch into a corner and felt more special than something like an X3 M40i (which I've also driven). The PDK was just the icing on the cake for all three of those cars. You can get the Boxster and some versions of the 911 in a manual.

I think the IS 500 having this transmission is fine. This is supposed to be the send-off car for this platform, and I do like the snappy, aggressive shifts.

Are you sure you're not thinking about the old SMG? Like all the first-gen automated manuals, it was rough/clunky as hell.

No idea. My BMW friend is the one who told me after I asked him. He's an owner and has been reading their forums for the last 20 years.

I'm not a BMW guy, but I think their DCT (dual clutch) is held in pretty high regard and the community is disappointed in BMW for dropping it in favor of the ZF8. But the SMG was an objectively bad experience, no different than all the other single-clutch automated manuals that came out in the late 90s / early 2000s (from Ferrari, Lambo, Aston, etc etc) and very quickly faded away once dual-clutch autos became available.

I don't think anyone of us here that buy the IS500 base on the review from a YouTube guy. Opinion is like an ******* everyone got one. Previous owner of a 97 Supra TT and a M3, THE IS 500 is everything that I want, swear will never buy a Toyota car again because the new Supra really disappointed me until I sit on the IS 500. Took 2 minutes from the dealer to the red light down the street then turn around. The sale person keep asking me is there something wrong? My reply is I am taking it home today and the damn thing only have eight miles on it. Can't stop smiling on my way home.

Similar. I drove an '04 IS for nine years. Loved that car. But when I got rid of it (wanted something bigger to haul kids/family around), I swore I'd never buy another Lexus - the entire rest of their lineup was just fancier, more reliable Buicks.

Fast forward to this spring... aaaaaaand I'm back in an IS. :-) I couldn't resist the 2UR.

LOL! This is hilarious! The power of the 2UR. 💪🏽🥰

Personally…when I want it (which is rare)…I love the Buick-like ride when selected. Lexus shouldn’t stray too far from its roots! 😎

In other words: “Eff all the bull-*****, WRAP HIM UP!!” 😂😂

Oh my God, I think this is one of the best purchase stories yet and I grabbed a plane the next day to get mine! #GoBag

I’m intrigued, what was it about the new Supra that missed the mark for you and had you so underwhelmed? And then to favour the IS500 so considerably over it? They are completely different car classes.

hilarious that it only took you a 2 minute test drive to know the IS500 was the real deal haha 😄

If I want a BMW I will buy a BMW I found it is ridiculous Toyota can't develop the Supra all by themselves. Owning the Supra and a M3 at the same time really show the difference of gear box between the two car handling wise the M3 is on top but the gear box of the M3 really suck I hate the long travel clutch and the rubbery feel of the shifter. I am a old school guy like the interior of the IS500 most control using buttons and with a cd player, hate the mps format which compressed the audio so much the are no sound stage.
I don't need a car to be the fastest and most badass, I want one which I can enjoy and not to worry what's going to break after this repair. The IS 500 is very comfortable and I love the sound of the engine no plan to switch the exhaust, It is perfect for an old a ss like myself.

The co-developed GR Supra/BMW Z car will (or should) be a model of things to come in the future. I'm sure Toyota could do it solo, but why....only to sell a few thousand cars per year. Same with the 86 and Subaru BRZ. People don't buy cars enough to justify the costs anymore.

I kept my Supra for 2 years and I know it can't compare to a current M3, but it is a much better car than the Z4 that it shares components with....so, Toyota actually made the better BMW in that case.

I would love to see more manufacturer "mashups" in the future.

BMW makes amazing vehicles. I've owned an 2004 M3 with a Dinan S2 package and Kinesis wheels, an 2005 X5 4.8is, and more recently a 2022 BMW M340i and a 2023 BMW X3 M40i. All have been excellent cars that were reliable, fun to drive, a joy to look back at, and the service from the dealerships was fantastic. I am OCD about my cars and how a dealerships service department presents itself (professionalism, courtesy, confidence) matters to me. It scares the hell outta me to own a car and it need service from a dealer that has slobs and meth monkeys for mechanics. That's why I am done with American cars, and it sucks because my 1 month old 2023 ZL1 I just traded in on my IS500 was a fantastic car to drive and look at. The dealership network and GM customer service was 3rd world. No one within 100 miles was confident nor clean enough to work on the LT4 engine. It was leaking coolant through the intercooler which shut down the pump on the intercooler circuit and that pulled timing and reduced throttle response. Car felt like a Scat Pack without the low end punch. Dealerships, even though it was clearly leaking from intercooler, didn't know what to do because it did not and will not produce a CEL.
Lexus is a great company that has a good reputation for reliability and great driving, looking, and luxurious vehicles. Their service departments keep their garages clean, and the mechs present themselves well and are knowledgeable (at least at the dealerships I've visited). I would not stray from purchasing a Porsche or BMW, and can't say anything negative about any experience. I would however tell people to stay away from KIA/Genesis (Hyundai) products, Chevy, Ford, and Dodge/FCA/Stellantis. Im on the fence Acura after my 22 TLX Type-S. I've owned flagship vehicles of each brand in recent years and have many factual based complaints on each, as well as positive things. Some positives outweighed negatives and visa versa, but all failed in dealership experience.

That's the weird thing about GM...

The dealership is supposed to have a specially trained technician for the Corvette and they're the only person that is allowed to work on them. I don't think they're allowed to sell/service the Corvette unless they have a trained tech. Any honest dealership will stick to this. My local GM dealer about a mile from my house does this and they always serviced my Corvette perfectly. No leaks, correct oil, filled right, driven right, seats covered, floor covered, never an issue. I would even take the service writer and mechanic gift cards at Christmas I liked them so much. The Camaro has the same drivetrain, but has no such technician to service the vehicle. I have always felt like the Camaro (ESPECIALLY the ZL1) should only be serviced by the Corvette tech. I guess it doesn't matter anymore with the Camaro ending, but it probably would have helped you want to keep the Camaro and them keep a customer.

On the flip side, the dealer I bought the C7 from was shady as f*** and treated my car like a rental. They're literally on dash car joy riding in my car doing almost double the posted speed limit. It all depends on how good the dealership is. I think the same goes with Lexus. I've had a Lexus dealership stain my white interior with grease while taking 7 hours for a simple oil change, then leave the locking lug nuts completely loose (endangering my life!). You want to talk about feeling like a "meth monkey" serviced your vehicle... As a whole, Lexus is better than GM in the service department, but there are still bad dealerships out there.