The Best Luxury Sedan For $40,000
05-05-06, 06:22 PM
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The Best Luxury Sedan For $40,000
Let me preface my post by unequivocally stating the mere facts. I am not an automobile professional. I have no loyalty to any automobile manufacturer. I enjoy a exhilirating driving experience.
Three years ago (2003), I was in the market for a sedan that had a certain level of sport and luxury. I narrowed my search to four cars. 1.) BMW 330I 2.) Audi A4 1.8T 3.) Lexus Is 300 4.) Infinity G 35 . Quickly this search was down to two as the Lexus IS 300 had absolutely nothing to offer in the form a luxury offering and the Infinity was much of the same although not to Lexus extreme. The "feel" of the steering wheel and all other components of the Inifity made it quite apparent that the build quality of this car was not up to par. So it was down to two cars, The BMW 330I and the Audi A4 1.8T. The 330I was much faster than the A4, but to me it lacked the handling prowlness of the A4. Maybe it's me, but the 330I was not impressive at all. I felt like it was a regular family sedan. I have nothing against BMW, but sometimes I wonder if sometimes their maybe a little bit of brainwashing or speaking something to existent, with the over hyped driving (handling) experience. For me it came down to the getting the best car for ME. The A4 exemplified te best handling (feedback), the best interior. The build quality on this car was impeccable.
Unfortunately due to circumstance beyond my control (wife) I had to trade in my Audi a year ago for a SUV. Fast forward to the present, and I have been blessed to make the same purchase decision again. Again it came down to the eact same 4 cars with a little thought given to the Acura TSX. But after a close up encounter with the TSX , while the car is a phenomenal value it was apparent is was nothing more than that a "phenomenal value". So i test drove the same 4 cars again. The Infinity now with the 6MT was a nice car but lacked in the same area interior refinement and the short throw clutch felt like my brothers 95 Mitsubishi Eclipse (cheap). Next on the list was the Audi. The new Audi A4 had undergone some minor changes most notably HP improvement. Overall the car was better than the one I once had, but suprisingly was 6k more similiarly equipped. This posed a problem.
It was then down to two cars the IS 350 and the 330I. Lots of people do not like the new 330I exterior. But I think while it may not be a sporty as the IS per se, it is definielty more profounding and unique. As usual when I went for my test drive of the BMW i walked into the dealership and was treated as an outkast. I guess this car either sells itself, or I did not look like the typical BMW client ready to make a purchase. In my usual car shopping attire I wore shorts, flip flops and a white wife-beater shirt with my bling bling on. Finally someone came to help me and I was in the BMW 330I. First glance of the 330I interior I did know what to think. After 30 seconds of looking at it, this understated interior started looking growingly bland. Once on the road, I could not figure out what all this Hoopla was about. Immediately I went straight to Lexus dealership to figure out what changes Lexus made to the IS. At first glance I fell in love with it's beauty. I then told the sales person order me a black on black with navi, but it has to be manual. It was at that time my heart was broken. No manual for 350. Never had I ever thought, I would own a sports/luxury car that was not manual. But the sales person was adamant that I at least try it out. The rest is history. I am a proud owner of a IS 350 Crystal White Navi. This car is not only super quick but handles excellent. I have driven it several times with the VDIM off and it makes a huge difference. Around corners with the VDIM on it cuts the throttle to quickly. I must advise the average driver to be careful, because this is a RWd car and they tend to spin out rather quickly. But after two weeks of owning it I am extremely ecstatic about my decision. I personally think BMW might be overhyped, Audi are underpowered, Infiiniti are built with less interior refinement and overall build quailty. Lexus Is 350 for me at least is the perfect blend, if you do not want to buy the car do not test drive it!!!!!!!!!
p.s sorry I am a little long winded
Three years ago (2003), I was in the market for a sedan that had a certain level of sport and luxury. I narrowed my search to four cars. 1.) BMW 330I 2.) Audi A4 1.8T 3.) Lexus Is 300 4.) Infinity G 35 . Quickly this search was down to two as the Lexus IS 300 had absolutely nothing to offer in the form a luxury offering and the Infinity was much of the same although not to Lexus extreme. The "feel" of the steering wheel and all other components of the Inifity made it quite apparent that the build quality of this car was not up to par. So it was down to two cars, The BMW 330I and the Audi A4 1.8T. The 330I was much faster than the A4, but to me it lacked the handling prowlness of the A4. Maybe it's me, but the 330I was not impressive at all. I felt like it was a regular family sedan. I have nothing against BMW, but sometimes I wonder if sometimes their maybe a little bit of brainwashing or speaking something to existent, with the over hyped driving (handling) experience. For me it came down to the getting the best car for ME. The A4 exemplified te best handling (feedback), the best interior. The build quality on this car was impeccable.
Unfortunately due to circumstance beyond my control (wife) I had to trade in my Audi a year ago for a SUV. Fast forward to the present, and I have been blessed to make the same purchase decision again. Again it came down to the eact same 4 cars with a little thought given to the Acura TSX. But after a close up encounter with the TSX , while the car is a phenomenal value it was apparent is was nothing more than that a "phenomenal value". So i test drove the same 4 cars again. The Infinity now with the 6MT was a nice car but lacked in the same area interior refinement and the short throw clutch felt like my brothers 95 Mitsubishi Eclipse (cheap). Next on the list was the Audi. The new Audi A4 had undergone some minor changes most notably HP improvement. Overall the car was better than the one I once had, but suprisingly was 6k more similiarly equipped. This posed a problem.
It was then down to two cars the IS 350 and the 330I. Lots of people do not like the new 330I exterior. But I think while it may not be a sporty as the IS per se, it is definielty more profounding and unique. As usual when I went for my test drive of the BMW i walked into the dealership and was treated as an outkast. I guess this car either sells itself, or I did not look like the typical BMW client ready to make a purchase. In my usual car shopping attire I wore shorts, flip flops and a white wife-beater shirt with my bling bling on. Finally someone came to help me and I was in the BMW 330I. First glance of the 330I interior I did know what to think. After 30 seconds of looking at it, this understated interior started looking growingly bland. Once on the road, I could not figure out what all this Hoopla was about. Immediately I went straight to Lexus dealership to figure out what changes Lexus made to the IS. At first glance I fell in love with it's beauty. I then told the sales person order me a black on black with navi, but it has to be manual. It was at that time my heart was broken. No manual for 350. Never had I ever thought, I would own a sports/luxury car that was not manual. But the sales person was adamant that I at least try it out. The rest is history. I am a proud owner of a IS 350 Crystal White Navi. This car is not only super quick but handles excellent. I have driven it several times with the VDIM off and it makes a huge difference. Around corners with the VDIM on it cuts the throttle to quickly. I must advise the average driver to be careful, because this is a RWd car and they tend to spin out rather quickly. But after two weeks of owning it I am extremely ecstatic about my decision. I personally think BMW might be overhyped, Audi are underpowered, Infiiniti are built with less interior refinement and overall build quailty. Lexus Is 350 for me at least is the perfect blend, if you do not want to buy the car do not test drive it!!!!!!!!!
p.s sorry I am a little long winded
05-05-06, 06:28 PM
#2
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Welcome to CL! And very interesting story.
BTW, don't forget to show us pics of your new car!
BTW, don't forget to show us pics of your new car!
05-05-06, 08:26 PM
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Amiration for Lexus yes, "loyalty" not yet. I really do love this car. When I traded my A4 I got a SUV for my wife and I was stuck with her Camry for 18 months. This was painful, but I obviously lived.
Embarassingly enough I washed the car a total of 0 times, seriously. Over the last two weeks I have washed/cleaned the IS 350 at least 7/8 times. My only gripe is the rims, absolutely impossible to keep clean. On the other hand the Crystal White color looks spotless all the time. On another topic does anyone any aftermarkets places where I can get the Ground effects package cheaper or is this just sold strictly by Lexus dealers. I would like to make the car (especially the rear end) look lower, but I refuse to sacrifice the stellar ride.
Embarassingly enough I washed the car a total of 0 times, seriously. Over the last two weeks I have washed/cleaned the IS 350 at least 7/8 times. My only gripe is the rims, absolutely impossible to keep clean. On the other hand the Crystal White color looks spotless all the time. On another topic does anyone any aftermarkets places where I can get the Ground effects package cheaper or is this just sold strictly by Lexus dealers. I would like to make the car (especially the rear end) look lower, but I refuse to sacrifice the stellar ride.
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05-05-06, 09:02 PM
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Originally Posted by FITYSCENTS
Amiration for Lexus yes, "loyalty" not yet...
I hope that the IS provides you an idea to the Lexus philosophy. I understand that admiration comes quickly for almost any new car, but long term reliability and reputation will provide the loyalty. Hopefully, such loyalty will prevail.
Congratulations on your new car! What happened with the black-on-black request? Did you like the Crystal White better?
05-05-06, 09:08 PM
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I ordered a black on black which took two weeks to come in. When it finally arrived there was a crystal white with navigation and cashmere in stock. I fell in love with the navi and I did not want to wait another two weeks for a black on black with navi. So I took the Crystal White and added 5% tint.. This is my first white car. It always looks sharp!!!!!!!!!! I will post pics tomorrow
05-06-06, 12:46 AM
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Originally Posted by PhilipMSPT
Thank you for your comments on your search for a new car. It is very difficult, as no car is perfect for everyone. I'm glad to hear that the new IS fits your needs.
I hope that the IS provides you an idea to the Lexus philosophy. I understand that admiration comes quickly for almost any new car, but long term reliability and reputation will provide the loyalty. Hopefully, such loyalty will prevail.
Congratulations on your new car! What happened with the black-on-black request? Did you like the Crystal White better?
I hope that the IS provides you an idea to the Lexus philosophy. I understand that admiration comes quickly for almost any new car, but long term reliability and reputation will provide the loyalty. Hopefully, such loyalty will prevail.
Congratulations on your new car! What happened with the black-on-black request? Did you like the Crystal White better?
05-06-06, 07:19 AM
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Nice to hear your $.50 worth 
. I compared most of the same cars "on paper" (internet pages) and had enough friends with Lexus, Bimmers and Infiniti's. The G35 was never really a consideration. But, it is nice to hear that someone who did all the grunt work came to the same decision I ended up making from my computer screen. I must say I was heavily Lexus biased from the get go.Welcome aboard!
. I compared most of the same cars "on paper" (internet pages) and had enough friends with Lexus, Bimmers and Infiniti's. The G35 was never really a consideration. But, it is nice to hear that someone who did all the grunt work came to the same decision I ended up making from my computer screen. I must say I was heavily Lexus biased from the get go.Welcome aboard!
05-06-06, 07:53 AM
#13
Originally Posted by FITYSCENTS
Amiration for Lexus yes, "loyalty" not yet. I really do love this car. When I traded my A4 I got a SUV for my wife and I was stuck with her Camry for 18 months. This was painful, but I obviously lived. Embarassingly enough I washed the car a total of 0 times, seriously. Over the last two weeks I have washed/cleaned the IS 350 at least 7/8 times. My only gripe is the rims, absolutely impossible to keep clean. On the other hand the Crystal White color looks spotless all the time. On another topic does anyone any aftermarkets places where I can get the Ground effects package cheaper or is this just sold strictly by Lexus dealers. I would like to make the car (especially the rear end) look lower, but I refuse to sacrifice the stellar ride.
Embarassingly enough I washed the car a total of 0 times, seriously. Over the last two weeks I have washed/cleaned the IS 350 at least 7/8 times. My only gripe is the rims, absolutely impossible to keep clean. On the other hand the Crystal White color looks spotless all the time. On another topic does anyone any aftermarkets places where I can get the Ground effects package cheaper or is this just sold strictly by Lexus dealers. I would like to make the car (especially the rear end) look lower, but I refuse to sacrifice the stellar ride.http://www.l-tunedparts.com/index.php
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