Which cars were you looking at before you ended up buying your IS250/350?
#16
530i and 330i. Although it was wierd... when I considered the 330, I thought "IS350 for sure"... the bottom line came down to 530i or IS350. I know... different class of cars really. I'd say part of what swayed me toward the IS was impulsiveness, and the other part was that I was tired of the amber interior lights. Uggh they bug me. Makes it feel "dated" and drab to me... whereas the crisp white lighting of the IS (along with the interior in general) made me feel like I was driving a more modern vehicle) I had an '02 325xi. I also had reliability in the back of my mind.
#17
Considered G35x, A4 and another Highlander. Drove an 06 Avalon, Volvo S40 AWD and Subie LGT Limited, loved the Subie and that new Avalon (280 hp) is quick! Saw the IS350,...game over. I know,...it's not all wheel drive, but what a car.
#20
Actually I wasn't looking. I was very happy with my '03 325i. I went in to the local dealership on a Friday just for curiosity's sake and went home with a new car by the end of the weekend. No regrets!
#21
G35 Coupe, RX-8 & Audi A4. I am going with the is 250 AWD but I am waiting for the demand to slow down so I don't have to pay the greedy dealers MSRP. The difference between MSRP & INvoice is close to 4 grand - I can get a lot of options with that.
#24
I didn't test drive or really pursue anything else -- the cars I'd been thinking about were the IS350, the Mercedes C350, the Infiniti G35, and, I suppose, the BMW 330i. .Was concerned about the Lexus handling (a SC300 I test drove years ago was terrible, vague steering, soft ride, etc.) and the reliability of the Mercedes. .Eleven plus years with a BMW M3, as much as I loved driving it, made me put BMW at the back of the list. .And the Infiniti was the "safe" car -- not bad in any department, but nothing to get excited about either. .So early on, I decided that if the IS handled decently, that's the way I'd go. .And so I went.
.
.
#25
Lead Lap
I was slighty considering the 330i, but i didnt go as far as to even test drive it, once i
saw how nasty the interior was, i figured, why waste time test driving it..
saw how nasty the interior was, i figured, why waste time test driving it..
#26
Having some window problems on my 94 ES, I began looking for cars this summer. I had settled on a 2003 MB C-Coupe, but after researching the car, found that it was a reliability nightmare (plus no nav). Looking around more, I decided that there simply wasn't a car out there for me, and my Lexus dealership talked me into settling for this car. It took two months, but when I first looked at the car, I was stunned. 2000+ miles later, I'm the happiest driver on the road.
#27
Looked at the S4 Wagon ( ~60Gs) - my wife loved it - was too pricey.
She also liked the TL - have two other good friends with TL's so wasn't too interested in starting a TL club.
She actually WANTED the new civic - I didn't agree with the choice.
I wanted her (or her to purchase for my enjoyment) a 2004 M3 - too many people told me that beemers have too many problems - we'll c though, when the new M3 comes out, it's mine. I actually like the look of the new 3 series and have heard good things about it (cept for maintenance, of course).
She also liked the TL - have two other good friends with TL's so wasn't too interested in starting a TL club.
She actually WANTED the new civic - I didn't agree with the choice.
I wanted her (or her to purchase for my enjoyment) a 2004 M3 - too many people told me that beemers have too many problems - we'll c though, when the new M3 comes out, it's mine. I actually like the look of the new 3 series and have heard good things about it (cept for maintenance, of course).
#28
First round: G35 sedan, C230, S4, 330i, IS350 (all new) plus 2003 C32 AMG. Eliminated G35 (too ugly), C230 (too slow) and C32 (too technologically out of date - no nav, old electronics, etc.).
Second round: S4, 330i, IS350. Was two inches from buying the Audi. The dealer couldn't quite get down to the price I wanted, and the money factor was terrible. Plus that thing guzzles gas. It is more fun to drive than the IS350 overall though, IMHO. Same size car with a 340-hp V8.
Final round: 330i and IS350. Went with the IS350 for the same reasons as most people here: reliability, more power, better interior, better nav, sportier/newer look, plus coolness factor of a brand new model.
So far I love it!
Second round: S4, 330i, IS350. Was two inches from buying the Audi. The dealer couldn't quite get down to the price I wanted, and the money factor was terrible. Plus that thing guzzles gas. It is more fun to drive than the IS350 overall though, IMHO. Same size car with a 340-hp V8.
Final round: 330i and IS350. Went with the IS350 for the same reasons as most people here: reliability, more power, better interior, better nav, sportier/newer look, plus coolness factor of a brand new model.
So far I love it!
#29
2006 Corvette Coupe and IS350. Went with Lexus because it added the luxury side to the car that Corvette doesn't quite have. Plus, with the Lexus you are not giving up much in the way of performance over the Corvette.
#30
I was looking at this.... Why? Because it's also a new model for 2006 from a reliable brand (Honda), and because of the sky rocketting of gas prices during the release of the new IS. I'd either go LUXURY.. or go back to the BASIC!!!!!