Originally Posted by daedalus

Was in the same place... had a W204 I was selling to go either C63 or ISF. I even had ADV.1's that would've swapped over perfect for the C63 and I said "eff it and went Japanese. I like knowing this car is rock solid mechanically and won't break or has some stupid fault (like the C63 with the heads lifting) and all the other electrical gremlins that will inevitably go bad.

Don't get me wrong, the Germans put in all sorts of cool electrical stuff, but after 10 years it all will go bad, and on the Lexus it won't. I spent 6k in one year of ownership out of warranty on the Merc fixing stupid crap like the alternator going out, the oil level sensor going bad, the thermostat going out, etc. And that was at indy prices.

So reliability was one thing, but what got me just as much was the fact the C63 looks exactly like any other W204 with the optional 19" wheel, and even in Nebraska W204's are a dime a dozen and no one would be able to tell the difference. I like the slightly crazy look of the ISF and knowing it's the less obvious choice I can drive for months and never see another.

All in all... I couldn't be happier knowing i'm driving a Lexus because every time I get in it will start up and get me home with no quirks, faults, or trips to the dealer outside of basic maintenance, and having another somewhat temperamental German car in the stable, i'm ok with that, even if it's not quite got the power of the C63.