KKelly

I get 22mpg on the freeway with a 3.91 final drive. Would easily be 25+ with a six-speed and more of an overdrive gear. Around town, not so good but you can coax 15mpg out of it if you aren't too heavy footed which is not much fun. Drive your IS aggressively around town and report back. 300hp is 300hp and although it might be slightly better it still takes fuel and air to make it.

I did not buy this car because of its gas mileage. Would you not be driving a IS250 if that was your concern?

al503

I didn't either. You were comparing two different engines and didn't include what some would consider an important aspect. That's all. Wasn't trying to flame or anything.

It's kinda like contestants at a pageant. Miss Georgia and Miss New Mexico might be very comparable in the evening gown and swimsuit competitions. However, one might not be so intellectually inclined. Won't matter to some, but it might matter to others.

The M5, (older models or not) are one of my favorite cars. I still remember reading about one some 15 odd years ago about how one of the magazine drivers rolled one 3 or 4 times. I also remember EPA estimates being around 10 and 20? MPG city/highway.

KKelly

10 is quite low, that has not been my experience in the seven years I have owned it. I average about 17.5 overall. In fact my track mileage is usually about 8-9mpg which strangely compares favorably with many newer cars. I think it is because I might not be on the gas as much due to the power and size of the car. You spend 20 minutes between 5000-7000rpm so it is pretty telling.

I have driven a newer G35 6 speed and while a great car there is something missing from the experience the M5 gives you. The G35 is much "nicer", newer and modern but it doesn't make you want to turn off the stereo, drop the windows and take it to redline. The S38 sounds incredible with the six throttle bodies, chain driven cams and solid lifters. It just whails. The G35 got kind of buzzy near redline and the chassis was pretty bad I thought, floppy kind of.

Funny thing is, an E28 M5 (1988) owner will say the same thing about my car. Too heavy, too luxurious and lacks feel.

LexFather

I want to say the Toyota 3.5 was a 10 best engine by Wards no? I know there was BMW engines on the list as well..

How can someone say dual VVTi and direct injection making nearly 30MPG on the highway, while being probably quietest in class and near smoothest in class with the most power at 306hp (tied now) in class producing the fastest 0-60 time for a SEDAN in its class is beyond me......

This is a normal engine.

KKelly, not taking anything away from you at all or any M car but those are what, hand built, special production engines for clearly, only M cars. So they will be the peak of the companies technology.
I would say the GS 450h would be then, Lexus finest engine to day, there is nothing even close to it from a technical standpoint of merging gas and electric power.

LexFather

http://forums.bimmerfest.com/showthread.php?t=163972

335 blew up already by an owner. I suggest waiting for the 2nd year.....

KKelly

Sicklex,

I know that my engine was an //M engine but they sold well over 10,000 units in Europe so it is not that limited and I have friends with over 150,000 miles on the original engine. Not too exotic even if only sold in limited numbers here.

Just saw this on another list re the 335i:

"Lease deal, $529 a month, $3500 drive off. Pretty cheap, BMW is
offering a very cheap money factor..."

But...I agree...even as a BMW nut... best to wait a bit on brand new models from BMW. Then again for every story like that there is someone with a trouble-free car. This car went from concept to the street really quickly for BMW. I certainly wouldn't want one of the absolute first ones.

Swordfish

screw 2 dr.. i prefer the 4 dr IS350

y2ks2k

Go no further then this:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=163972


There is 424kms on the odometer, and today after leaving a little car show I was on the highway cruising home, stepped on it a little to get into the lane then in my rear view mirror all I could see was tons and I mean tons of white smoke, then the red check engine light came on and the car stalled. I got it towed to my local BMW dealership, and its a holiday, but my salesman met me there and gave me an X5 to roll while they check my car out. It is going into service at 7am tomorrow mornig so I will keep you all updated. I have stepped on it a few times but nothing hardcore. Anyone have any ideas as to what may have happened? It was clouds of whiteish smoke coming from both exhaust tips, and even after sitting for a few minutes it was still coming out without the engine running. There was no warning or any noises or anything. The oil temp guage seemed fine and no warning sensors until this happend. There were no leaks of fluid and at glancing in the engine compartment everything looked fine. Any one have any ideas?

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

That's the only reason I got the IS. Four doors. Toyota reliability. Exceptional performance for the class (ALL things considered - acceleration, luxury, fuel efficiency, resale value, cost of maintenance, etc, etc.) I already had two coupes one of which easily out peforms any of the BMW line we're discussing, and they couldn't do what I need.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, blown seal on the turbine side of the turbo. Bet money on it. Just one of the fun things about having boost.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

with white smoke pouring out im thinking its a blown head gasket, the coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber and turning into steam, oil doesnt make white smoke

i like how someone said a head gasket is "easy" to fix, yea a 10 dollar piece of equipment that causes 1000s of dollars in damage, have fun cleaning an engine that has coolant and oil mixed, engines going to have to be pulled, dissassembled, cleaned, and the turbos checked for any burnt coolant/oil mix residue, yea easy job all right

onihc

iTrader: (1)

If I wanted a 2 door, I would choose 3 series coupe. 4 door, Lexus IS.

I just finished reading that thread. Couldn't believe someone's excuse was "not properly breaking in the new motor." I believe that this is an isolated incident. That engine was going to fail sooner or later.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

I'd be surprised if it is. Sure white smoke is usually coolant, but there would be overheating indicated for sure. As soon as the cooling system loses pressure the temperature skyrockets. That's why I'd bet on the turbo seal. Also, a BHG (as the 7MG-GTE guys call it) will not run smoothly. The way this is described just sounds like he missed the bluish part of the smoke.

And I completely agree, this is a fluke, not indicative of the entire line or of the quality of engineering BMW put into this engine. Turbos fail. It happens to them all at some point. This was just infant mortality.

LexFather

Oh, I am not saying at all they are all lemons but we have seen in the past, to be cautious.

Rattles are one thing, engines are another. IS is still the most reliable in class as most every Lexus in its respective class.

LexFather

10,000 units in Europe over the lifetime is 2 maybe 4 months of a IS 350. I still don't know why they gave CAnada the updated one and not us

I need to start another thread, I wanted to know your opinion of the M5 going from I-6, to V-8 to V-10!

(no thread hi-jack, sorry yall)