So... Would you do it again?
09-16-09, 02:59 PM
#16
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I'd do it again for sure. Being a DD I may have a different view of the car b/c mine has a different purpose. The car is great, a blast to drive.
If I wanted something sportier, I would go GTR, which I'm thinking about. But I may get a truck/SUV to pair with the ISF soon. I can't say enough good things about the ISF.
If I wanted something sportier, I would go GTR, which I'm thinking about. But I may get a truck/SUV to pair with the ISF soon. I can't say enough good things about the ISF.
09-16-09, 05:24 PM
#17
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I adore the IS-F. Its a Super sedan.
But yet you and some others speck of the car like its so so....l've seen people talk more highly of a ALTIMA which has no where the looks are performance of the F....
Some people dont understand what they have.....oh well ones man garbage another mans treasure!
Who ever feel their IS-F is not good enough send it to me! I will cherish it like gold.
But yet you and some others speck of the car like its so so....l've seen people talk more highly of a ALTIMA which has no where the looks are performance of the F....
Some people dont understand what they have.....oh well ones man garbage another mans treasure!
Who ever feel their IS-F is not good enough send it to me! I will cherish it like gold.
For me, yes I would do it again. The only car, and I mean ONLY car that I would take over the ISF is the GTR, and only because it is my childhood dream car. However, even then, I might miss the build quality and luxury of the F, so it's a toss up. I mean honestly, I can drive the F in spurts and it's such a blast, or I can cruise for hours on a long trip and not feel tired or worn out. Those qualities are very difficult to find in a vehicle of this caliber.
09-16-09, 05:45 PM
#18
I'd do it again, but next time I will do more due diligence about the brand so that I am better prepared for the negotiation step with the dealer.
Sedan was a MUST, and I was locked on the M5. I was ready to get on a plane and get the one I wanted. Got cold feet from all the mechanical issues I'd been reading about.
Decided to give the F a serious look at lunch one day, and pulled the trigger on the spot. If I were to keep it that long, I expect that I could put 100K on it and not have serious issues.
Sedan was a MUST, and I was locked on the M5. I was ready to get on a plane and get the one I wanted. Got cold feet from all the mechanical issues I'd been reading about.
Decided to give the F a serious look at lunch one day, and pulled the trigger on the spot. If I were to keep it that long, I expect that I could put 100K on it and not have serious issues.
09-16-09, 06:24 PM
#19
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I have been asked this question several times in relation to my purchasing of this car. And I have to say I'm really not sure... I like the way it looks, but I don't love the looks (though I do LOVE the USB color). I actually think other people think it looks better than I do because I am ALWAYS getting compliments and questions on the car. Handling on the car is so so, but not a bad compromise for a vehicle that seats 4. Ride, let's be honest... it sucks... Pennsylvania has some of the worst roads in the nation and this car exploits every road imperfection it crosses over. Engine, I LOVE the engine! With the K&N added the song it sings is addicting! Fuel mileage on the highway has been about 32mpg @ 65 to 70 mph cruising with the A/C on at 80-85 still gets 27 mpg Now that an amazing performance, and no doubt a direct result of having a 8 speed trans. Now to my least favorite part of the car, the transmission. I have NEVER driven a vehicle that shifted this much in my life! Come on Lexus it there REALLY a need for 8 gears except to say you have 8 and everybody else has only 6 or 7... I agree that it results in great fuel mileage, and thats great, give me a gear that only is in use on the highway, but the slightest grade (remember Pennsylvania is one giant mountain) causes non stop shifting of the transmission. I honestly think 5 normal gears + and over drive could have yielded much the same results. Don't believe me look no farther than the NorthStar Caddy's, those things would regularly get 30mpg on the highway and they were only 4 speeds, and weighed 800 more pounds. Interior of the vehicle is Awesome love the gages and dash layout. Not so much in love with the fact that I have to go through the nav screen which ALWAYS defaults to the map setting every time the car is switched off
I prefer independent *****. Just my 2 cents, Now "What say You"?
I prefer independent *****. Just my 2 cents, Now "What say You"?2. 8 speeds? Yes it shifts a lot but that is so smooth that I don't notice. My only complain is that it is often at a high gear and if I anticipate an acceleration (passing by for instance) then I have to be ready for it, either by going manual or downshifting in D mode. Honestly, that's the price to pay for fuel economy. I see no other solution. Sure you could always drive a 3rd or 4th but you would waste RPMs 99% of the time...
3. For me, since my family grew to three I needed a 4-seater. Almost everybody on this forum claims to want a GTR but it's a different car for different purposes, certainly much less practical than the F. In term of looks, I have a really hard time to fall in love with the GTR look..., too bad it's not as nice looking as a Ferrari 458 or any Porsche. I think the F looks nicer than the GTR and seem to be as noticeable.
4. Last point: in France the GTR base model and the F fully loaded are exactly the same price (€76K or $110K).
09-16-09, 07:48 PM
#20
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Guys, seriously, I hated the 8spd also in this car cause it is always in high gear trying to save gas. Even when you floor it, its retarded slow reaction and downshifts to 7th or maybe 6th, which is still slow if you ask me. I found a solution for this slow shifting problem. Blitz throttle controller, the F can downshift from 8th to 4th on the expressway within a split second with the Blitz. Also, I hear alot of forum member say the rides alot better with basically any aftermarket suspension kit on this car, I have a set of Tein springs and dont have time to put it in yet. I really wish they didnt make this car a 4 seater and kept it a 5 seater like the regular Is250 and Is350. For me, this car is very very nice, I dont have alot of money like some of you on this forum, I actually kinda stretched my budget to pick this car up, coming from a $40k G37, I figure for around $10k more, I gotta bump myself into what some consider a "Bling" car. Im not too happy about the Hp in this car, with the technologies nowadays I think we can push at least 450hp-500hp in this 5.0L V8. I was also shocked to find out that Lsd didnt come standard in a $62k car!!! The next thing would be the interior space, I keep thinking this car has a too cramped interior, do what Mazda did, make the seats ultra thin so the inside seems alot roomier. And dont we all wish this car came with a 6spd manual trans....
09-16-09, 09:06 PM
#21
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Guys, seriously, I hated the 8spd also in this car cause it is always in high gear trying to save gas. Even when you floor it, its retarded slow reaction and downshifts to 7th or maybe 6th, which is still slow if you ask me. I found a solution for this slow shifting problem. Blitz throttle controller, the F can downshift from 8th to 4th on the expressway within a split second with the Blitz. Also, I hear alot of forum member say the rides alot better with basically any aftermarket suspension kit on this car, I have a set of Tein springs and dont have time to put it in yet. I really wish they didnt make this car a 4 seater and kept it a 5 seater like the regular Is250 and Is350. For me, this car is very very nice, I dont have alot of money like some of you on this forum, I actually kinda stretched my budget to pick this car up, coming from a $40k G37, I figure for around $10k more, I gotta bump myself into what some consider a "Bling" car. Im not too happy about the Hp in this car, with the technologies nowadays I think we can push at least 450hp-500hp in this 5.0L V8. I was also shocked to find out that Lsd didnt come standard in a $62k car!!! The next thing would be the interior space, I keep thinking this car has a too cramped interior, do what Mazda did, make the seats ultra thin so the inside seems alot roomier. And dont we all wish this car came with a 6spd manual trans....
09-16-09, 09:09 PM
#22
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To the OP....I love my car and am satisfied with what it brings to the table, but to be honest, had the CTS V and/or the C63 been available at the time, the decision would have been much more difficult. Don't get me wrong, the F has it's advantages over both, but the Caddy and MB also have their own strengths.
09-16-09, 09:22 PM
#23
personally, id do it all over again with the same thought process. bmw and mb have their fast cars but they do need constant maintenance which adds more to the total price that isnt paid for out of the dealership. the nissan gtr, though great and a thrill to drive, is simply for track purposes. once you track it, it voids the warranty. lets face it, we want a fast car yet turns heads because of its class and elegance. one brand comes to my mind, and that is lexus. bmw and mb, though they offer great cars, are not exactly on par in terms of luxury or has that luxurious feel. having tested and examined the m3 coupe and c63 amg, for the price that is offered and the many non-vehicular matters (cost of ownership, branding, reliability, etc.) the lexus IS F was a no brainer.
getting the looks should be a good thing, man! take pride that you have a car that people envy, and especially one that has them over at the bmw and mb meets runnin scared. it is ridiculous to think that there is another car that can compete in both luxury and performance as well and as efficiently as the IS F. gettin those looks, especially from the fine chicas, is the icing on the cake for me. i have speed. i have luxury. and i have the compliments. ego check not needed, but this car epitomizes greatness and that makes the driver feel much more great about themselves and their ride.
getting the looks should be a good thing, man! take pride that you have a car that people envy, and especially one that has them over at the bmw and mb meets runnin scared. it is ridiculous to think that there is another car that can compete in both luxury and performance as well and as efficiently as the IS F. gettin those looks, especially from the fine chicas, is the icing on the cake for me. i have speed. i have luxury. and i have the compliments. ego check not needed, but this car epitomizes greatness and that makes the driver feel much more great about themselves and their ride.
09-16-09, 10:38 PM
#24
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09-17-09, 04:49 AM
#25
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I'm not sure what the fuss is about the tranny. Why does everyone here compare acceleration with mashing the gas. I have driven auto's for 75% of my life, but I feel like the ISF tranny is great you just have to know what you want to get out of it. Maybe I just drive mine too much but for example:If I'm on the highway and need to pass, I know how much acceleration I'll be getting if I get 5th, 6th, or 7th gear from the tranny. And I know exactly how hard/soft to push the accelerator to get to the exact gear I want. So there is no thinking, no jumbling gears, nothing. Just smooth exact, consistent shifting everytime.
More often than not, I hear guys who drive manuals their whole life, some friends of mine. When they get an auto car, all they know how to do is mash the gas. Not thinking they have 5,6,7 or 8 gears to play with.
For the guys who still are having bad luck with the tranny, I'd recommend just driving it more and learning the limits and qualities of each individual gear. Remember you have more than 8th gear for gas saving and 3rd gear for hard acceleration on the highway. Try to use em all. Good luck boys.
More often than not, I hear guys who drive manuals their whole life, some friends of mine. When they get an auto car, all they know how to do is mash the gas. Not thinking they have 5,6,7 or 8 gears to play with.
For the guys who still are having bad luck with the tranny, I'd recommend just driving it more and learning the limits and qualities of each individual gear. Remember you have more than 8th gear for gas saving and 3rd gear for hard acceleration on the highway. Try to use em all. Good luck boys.
09-17-09, 05:45 AM
#26
I agree DRE. At first I wasn't a big fan of not having a clutch and being able to select the extact gear I like but now that I've had the car for a year I actually really enjoy the tranny. The downshifts are so smooth. I love ripping this car on the back roads. Makes me feel like I'm at the track. I have no problems going from 8th to 5th on the highway to race someone.
09-17-09, 08:31 AM
#28
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Why the NO to all my points? There are many forum members here that put an intake aiming for more hp, exhaust for more hp, secondary cat delete for more hp, how many complains is there about the 8 spd trans on this forum about it upshifting and downshifting too much? and whats wrong with having an extra seat belt buckle in the rear for the center seat? seriously, it will make this car even more versatile instead of that useless rear center console, might as well put a full center console in where it humps out a good 6 inch or so making it more "luxurious" looking and feel? Ok, I worded it wrong about the 6spd manual, but it would be nice if there was an optional 6 spd manual trans like the is250.
I've seriously never fully comprehended people that absolutely want or need a manual transmission... they are not practical and there's nothing you can do with a manual transmission that I can't do, BETTER and FASTER, with my IS F's eight-speed. If you wanted a stickshift and an extra pedal, you should've bought a BMW or an Audi, not a Lexus.
09-17-09, 08:46 AM
#29
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I'd absolutely do it again. The IS-F is the best car I have ever driven. Those who know me from my posting history know that's quite a statement. I may get an LF-A, but it will not be a better car than the IS-F.
I don't get the complaints about the transmission. 7th and 8th gears are for fuel economy, period. You can either have fuel economy or you can have fewer gears to downshift through; you can't have both. If you hate downshifting from 8th, then why are you letting the car go into 8th gear?
I don't get the complaints about the transmission. 7th and 8th gears are for fuel economy, period. You can either have fuel economy or you can have fewer gears to downshift through; you can't have both. If you hate downshifting from 8th, then why are you letting the car go into 8th gear?
09-17-09, 11:19 AM
#30
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I totally disagree with you. I wouldn't trade my 8-speed automatic for anything in the world. Don't quote me on this but I highly doubt that Lexus will be offering a manual transmission on the IS F any time soon; that would be taking one step forward, two steps back. Even BMW, who makes awesome manual transmissions, is moving towards automated manual transmissions (DCT I think it's called) because they are much, much more efficient. Also, the manual tranny in the IS250 is straigth out of a Tacoma truck... I certainly wouldn't want a truck tranny in my F. Plus, the manual trannied IS250 is something like 1% of their overall sales... Lexus knows far too well that the majority of people who buy Lexus' aren't 18-to-30-year-olds who still haven't gotten over banging through gears.
I've seriously never fully comprehended people that absolutely want or need a manual transmission... they are not practical and there's nothing you can do with a manual transmission that I can't do, BETTER and FASTER, with my IS F's eight-speed. If you wanted a stickshift and an extra pedal, you should've bought a BMW or an Audi, not a Lexus.
I've seriously never fully comprehended people that absolutely want or need a manual transmission... they are not practical and there's nothing you can do with a manual transmission that I can't do, BETTER and FASTER, with my IS F's eight-speed. If you wanted a stickshift and an extra pedal, you should've bought a BMW or an Audi, not a Lexus.
http://www.bimmerfile.com/2009/08/27...e-dct-is-near/
The ISF tranny, IS the future of the automotive industry. Plain and simple
Cheers