CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

I still think the IS is over priced. I have always though the BMWs were over priced as well. Now, even though the IS is cheaper, too me Lexus just jump on the band wagon and over priced the IS as well. Personally, I still have a hard time accepting the IS350 price and even though I toss back and forth if I want to buy one or not, I just can't convince myself to pay that price when there are so much other choice in the low to mid $40K range to choose from.

jrock65

Didn't you yourself just say that the difference between the 335i coupe and the IS350 is $5000?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

don't get me wrong chris, i am not saying i don't think the is350 is overpriced now. it's sitll one damn expensive car for what it is imho.

but i guess i am telling myself that this is one of those time where the whole industry raises up prices of their cars due to inflation and such. coz' it's not just lexus, you see some pretty big jump on most other brands as well on their new cars.

looking at the 5 series, 6 series, and now the 3 series, and then compare to the 3gs, 2is, and possibly projecting the 4ls prices, that's the conclusion i am drawing

rotaryrock

If anyone's actually interested in the e92 335i here's a helpful FAQ I found on e90post
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17829

I'm curious to see how lexus responds - maybe with their rumored v8??

STIG

IMHO, it's the other way around. That's BMW response to Lexus's 306hps IS350. If there was a 250hps IS300, BMW would probably still keep their 255hps 3.0L in line 6 in their coupe also. (or it was a lexus's response to infiniti's 290hps VQ?)

TRDFantasy

Yes, we know you're a big BMW fan, even though you're a ClubLexus mod, but you don't have to rub it in

TRDFantasy

Doubtful. You can't compare US --> Can pricing, because even after exchange rate, CAN prices tend to be inflated compared to US pricing.

IS350 starts at about 49K CAN, with 330i starting at 48K CAN, but IS comes with more base equipment, so it's about the same really.

Don't expect the 335i coupe to be priced any lower than 52-53K base. I expect the pricing will be about 53 - 55K CAN base. Current 325Ci M Sport pricing is already about 50K CAN.

Similarly, 335i sedan will likely start at mid 50s CAN.

doug_999

I think all car makers play the catch-up game. In 1999, BMW put a high stall speed torque converter and a different rear-end in the 540 to make it quicker than the GS400 (which was Lexus' response to the 5-series in the first place)

However, the 3L turbo was in development way before the IS was out. But maybe they would have put it into the 5-series first without the IS? Anything is possible. I think we as the consumer win here however

picus

I realize Canadian prices are inflated compared to US prices, I was using the current prices as a benchmark to come up with a projected Canadian price on the 335i. The current 330i is 36,6 USD base, in Canada it's 47,9, so if the 335i is 40,6 USD it stands to reason the 335i will be anywhere from 51-54k, if I had to guess I'd say $52,900, but of course it comes std with cold weather package (which is something like $750 usd?). So ya, I should have maybe put a range in my first post.

Anyway, we will see.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

agree, all manufacturers are always playing catchup imho, that's why the constant improvement. and i think most of them just do projections on what competitors are doing and start planning for future. for example, bmw knew lexus would probably have some 300hp IS, so they worked on the 335 engine. and same, lexus probably knows about the car and maybe working on something else already

if lexus just wait until today, see the 335, and then start working on the new engine? now that's game over

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

And that is the way it should be. I like Lexus products buy I wouldn't be a happy consumor if Lexus was the only game in town. I like variety Having all these car manufacturers one upping each other as the years go by only mean we as consumors have that much better products to choose from. That is alright with me. Call me odd, but I rather have so many choices that I go back on forth on the decision many times than to have one glaring obvious choice.

akhbhaat

The N54 (BMW's new biturbo 3.0) has been in development since 2003 or even earlier. There's leaked documentation that's been floating around the net for years; that's what spawned all the turbo rumors in the first place. It's not a rushed "response" to the IS350 or anything else (just as the M54B30 - E46 330 engine - came to market the same year that the IS300 did). All of these companies have been developing their newest generation of engines for years - Lexus just got theirs to market first. BMW is next to be followed closely by Infiniti. Personally, I think the BMW engine is the most interesting and promising. It offers the torque and fuel efficiency that the others (particularly the VQ35) lack, though the 2GR-FSE remains an impressive unit in its own right.

What can still be said regardless is that the competition is good for the consumer.

I'd say that, as far as the US market was concerned, the 255 hp iteration of the N52 was a stop-gap motor to be used until the N54 was ready for production. After all, the N52 is already being phased out in Europe this coming year in favor of the HPI equipped N53, and this should also occur in the US by model year 2008 or so.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

for the record, i dont' think that's odd at all. as much as i like lexus, i think they need some kick in the butt from other manufacturers so they can improve

LexFather

This is true. BMW has been flirting with turbo gas applications for awhile now, they have had diesal ones for sometime now.

Though I would rather go the natually aspirated route to 306hp.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

I agree. All things being equal I'd take the NA engine any day. However, my decision becomes a much tougher one when we compare a 3.0L Turbo vs an 3.5L N/A both making the same power. I kind of like high strung small engines.