There are only about 5800 ISF sold total in the US. (correct me if I am wrong) It is a different class compare to a 335i. Also, 335i owners are getting younger since they are so cheap now due to the various issues it suffered.

With that said, a tuned N54 will walk an F but it is a repair pit, especially if you live in a state (like CA) where a CEL will fail your smog/registration. Best solution is to own both car as the same time (this is the best answer).

 

On your next test drive make sure the F is in sport mode and manual shift. It changes the character substantially IMO. Standard auto mode can feel a bit sluggish around town which is likely intentional from Lexus for the luxury aspect.

 

Also, just adding a catback exhaust to the ISF will gain 20 whp (w/o aftermarket headers). Combine that with headers and you'll really get a bigger jump in power.

 

Yes and make sure to hit 4k rpms. It takes some practice to manipulate the throttle in auto mode. Can also understand why it might feel underwhelming with a paranoid copilot?

 

The tune with FBO's actually works pretty well for the price. It may not be perfect which is subjective but there have been no reliability issues with it and proven gains of 20+whp. I was able to shave .2-.3 off my 1/4 time with the tune as well. For $750 I think it's money well spent when you calculate $ to HP ratio.

 

Once you start to mess with breathing of the engine it's a good idea to get tuned to make sure it's running optimally. Gaining a bit of hp is nice too. I know everyone says the stock maps handle bolt ons pretty well, but having a custom tune for your car and conditions will be better to get the most out of it.

 

Power come at higher rpm to safe gas, and reliablilty. most driving are under 4500 rpm.

 

I agree that the F can feel like a typical car when driven in auto mode, but I also realize that gas mileage would suffer dramatically if it had gobs of low end power--but, if this is what you want then just keep it in manual sport mode and you can keep plenty of low end on tap at the expense of fuel economy. I also agree that it can be slow to downshift in auto mode and require a good bit of foot pressure to make this happen (although I recall that there is a way to modify the kickdown switch under the pedal to require less effort to get a downshift).

I was surprised to see how early in the rpms the 335s power falls off. Yep, it's a trade off: low end power, high end power, fuel economy...pick any two.

 

LOL, they don't engineer anything. Their turbos are sourced from outside companies and god knows what else. If they designed, manufactured and tested their own turbo parts in house they would probably be more reliable.

 

Yeah, the B stands for Beta, as in beta test, as it seems Beemer owners are beta testers for unproven BMW technologies.

When the TwinTurbo's came out many years ago I joked to my buddy that one should never buy a BMW with two turbochargers because of the potential problems. He later became the service manager at our local BMW dealership and I ran into him a few years after I made that comment and the first thing that he said to me after hello was that I was right!

My current neighbor went from the service manager at Lexus to the service manager at a BMW dealership and he said that it is simply a night and day in terms of the repairs needed for the BMWs compared to the Lexus and that they keep a boatload of turbochargers in stock at all times for replacements.

 

Thanks everyone for your input - I drove about 100 miles this morning to test-drive another F. It wasn't the right car, for me (condition was sketchy), but I had a much better test drive - no limitations, and I spent much more time with the car. I'm sold on the F. The power IS definitely there, you just have to play with the gears to get in the correct RPM range. Now to find the right car...

 

If you can grab a 2011 and up. Not necessary but they have some improvements over pre 2011. Stock I ran a 12.89@111 and with ppe headers and borla exhaust only I ran 12.4@116. 1/2 second and 5mph is pretty decent for exhaust

 

I will always regret getting a '11 over a '12, but dealers didn't want to budge on low mileage '12 pricing when I was buying. I later saw that some of the '12 cars I was interested in did sell quickly, at least a handful held on for weeks if not months.

 

Sub, I'm interested to hear why you say that. I'm considering an '11 with 26k miles and a '12 with 46k miles. I like the color of the '12 better (MM vs GSM for the '11), and prefer the '12 wheels, but the miles on the '11 are hard to beat. As I understand it, the biggest differences between '11 and '12 are wheels, slightly whiter DRLs, and different brand of shocks. What makes you wish you had gone with the '12?

 

I also think the interiors are more leather than alcantara? I don't quite recall on that point though. The particular '12 I passed on was ~16K miles and NGP. I LOVE the wheels and NGP, but the car was a good ~$7K more expensive all said and done so I passed on it. My '11 was ~23K miles and SFP.

Don't get me wrong I am totally happy with my '11. The wheels and color even grew on me...but I will always remember that NGP '12 I almost bought.