3atp

Hello all,

I have decided that it's time for a new car to replace
my aging BMW. I have always liked the IS's styling
since its introduction. However, I also like the
4-door C-class by Mercedes as well.
Does anyone have experiences w/ both the IS 300,
the C-230 Kompressor (4-cylinder supercharged),
and the C-320 (V6). I don't know the exact horsepower
and torque numbers. I also do realize that the
Mercedes's are $5K - $10K more than the Lexus.
What are your opinions on these cars in relation to
performance, reliability, comfort, etc.???

Thanks for your input.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

honestly i would get the is3 in a heart beat. the 230 is garbage imho, paying too much for nothing. the c320 is nice, but way too much money too. i thikn it's a bit faster than the is3? but imho is3 is more fun. oh and reliability wise, lexus will win of course

flipside909

I'm with Rominl on this one. Yes the C230 is a nice car, but for what it's worth in longterm ownership, the C230 isn't gonna be as reliable or cost effective compared to the IS300. The C320 is a fast car, much faster than the IS in stock form, but I honestly don't think it's worth over 35K for an entry level luxury car. The IS300 is truly a bang for the buck. It's a great balance between performance, comfort and definitely reliability.

mmarshall

Get the Lexus. Merceces products (like Volvos) today excel really in only one area....safety (not counting the huge AMG HP and torque figures). But they are a pain in the a-- to own and service. The average IS300 will blow away the average M-B product in reliability any day of the week. And routine service on a Lexus can be done at almost any Toyota shop for a lot less money, as long as no Lexus warranty repairs are involved.
I agree with you on the IS300's styling.....the chrome ball shifter and the chronograph gauges are two of the things that sold me...I own one myself.
The IS300 is not perfect, though...it does have a couple of quirks. The tiny gauges inside the speedometer are not easy to read at a glance. The speedometer itself should be marked in 10 MPH spaces instead of 20 MPH. The odd MPG vaccum gauge just wastes space where a good oil-pressure gauge could have gone. The climate-control system tends to continually default to the "recirculate" setting unless you are in the defrost mode....you often have to hit the button manually when you want fresh air. The E-shift models do not allow 5-4 downshifts with the lever or 2-1 downshifts with the buttons....and the smooth automatic does sap some HP. But is an excellent car overall...easily the best one I have owned up to now.

ISfrmHoldn

I've owned my IS for 17 months now and love it 5 Speed is allot of fun. My friend has the M-B C230 (6-Speed) and has had many electrical issues, the car decided to shut itself off a number of times while he was driving. Hope this helps, I don't have any feed back on the M-B 320 other than my Real Estate Broker drives one...

victorIS300

I own the 01 IS300 and a 04 C230 Kompressor I got for my wife. I love her car but it doesn't feel quite as good in the handling and power compare to the IS300. I love the styln of the Benz and the SC 4 banger feels slow only at takeoff besides that it move very well. I can take her car on a long cruise while the IS300 gives u the get into trouble type of feeling. Overall its going to be what u r looking for in a car. Benz made that car so the Ricers can mod it....bigger pulleys etc. The front tire are an inch shorter then the rears and the molded in spoilers give it the AMG look for sure. The car has alot of potential just have to spend a little more to get it there. I did race my wife once cause she though she had me and I smoked her bad woman or not. It does have alot more gizmos to play with then the IS300 and full auto up/down windows on all four doors are a huge plus. It comes with crossed drilled vented front disk brakes and they already have the name mercedes benz written on the front calipers(very nice factory touch) the rims are very nice also they look bigger then 17". If u want looks, luxury and class the Benz but if u want handling aggressiveness and tough appearance the IS300 gots that over the Benz hands down. I hope I helped u decide better. I say wait til next year 05 in the fall cause the new IS is coming then and sure it will really over weight over the Benz then. I have not had any any any issues with the Benz or the IS. Quality is great on both. Get the HID light upgrade if u go 4the Benz it makes a world of difference.

LexFather

Great photshop! Give tools 2 days before it gets on autospies and all over the internet as the 4-door IS

IS 300 owns 230.

rogers2

Definitely go for the is300. I really don't see what people see in the c class unless it's a C32.

Captain Bone

Easy decision.

IS300 without a doubt. It has too many features that supercede the C Class Benz.

-Anthony