TLindeman

Lexus HKS exhaust is 9hp to the rear wheels. It has a very nice completely polished look that stands out to anyone driving behind you. Interior noise level is nil unless under heavy throttle (none of us ever are ) Exterior sound is very throaty and aggressive. I do agree you can get better pricing with the Tanabe unless you can find someone wanting to unload. If your vehicle is being ordered, consider having the exhaust put on prior to delivery. It will then be covered under the factory 4/50 warranty, otherwise it will be 12/12.

I did quite a bit of exhaust research (noise levels, materials, workmanship, warranty, and pricing) prior to purchasing the Lexus HKS. Had I not gotten the excellent pricing that I did, I would have possibly gone with the Tanabe...

FiveOhNine

Incorrect, he said "You will like the IS350 much more..."

Now, let's start from the beginning; Anyone who owns, has owned or plans to own an M3 knows that it won't be Lexus reliable, but that it will be a hell of a fun car when it isn't in need of repair. So, we can safely assume that anyone who actually purchases an M3 is willing to accept the performance/reliability trade-off.

So what he was saying was that the performance and unreliability of the M3 is less enjoyable than the reliability and lesser performance of an IS350.

Personally, though I am very grateful for it, my Lexus's reliability isn't all that 'enjoyable'.

DaWhole9

E46 M3 and IS350 performance is NOT that different....I had a Porsche 996 C4 Cab and again, VERY similar performance. HP and power are a wash...the only difference is handling..if you hot the tracks frequently, you will need some coilovers, sway bars, and nice rubber to match the M3's handling...if you dont, you will appreciate the IS350s comfort...Remember the 335i OUTPERFORMS the E46 M3 in straightline performance.

isdmc

The E46 M3 I had was like the best of cars and the worst of cars. Fast, great handling, fun to drive- but 14 times in the shop for things like oil pump, rod bearings (twice), drive by wire accelerator, trunk handle fell off, blown amp, blown speakers, door seals fell of three times, and there's more. It was brand new, but one thing after another. 3 break in periods- sheesh.

Any way, I just ordered an IS350, sport, nav/ML from JM Lexus. Can't wait. Drove an IS 350 with Lux and really liked it. The girlfriend already has an IS 250.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

great setup, love my sport + ML 350

SebsIS350

Where did you get the 9 WHP figure? Thats seems a lot from just an axle back. Do you have a Dyno sheet?

SebsIS350

how about we say they are both great cars but which is better is all about perspective. Also I'd expect the BMW to be as reliable as a Lexus, why shouldn't I, their both expensive, here in Canada, bimmers are more expensive so to me I'd expect even more out of them then a lexus.

Lextasy89

im sure it adds 4-5hp.. but whas funny is.. i asked a sales person at Lexus if it would increase hp, and they tols moe there was zero hp gain and it was for looks and sound only

FiveOhNine

Yeah, that's what I thought too......unfortunately, BMW QC wasn't quite up to the task.

SebsIS350

Yea, unfortunatly higher price doesn't mean higher quality anymore. Still very nicely engineered cars. Especially the new M3, that V8 is killer.

DaWhole9

Yeah but you would be wrong in your assumption. When you pay more for a car, you are not paying for its reliability. You are paying for build quality, materials, technology, performance, and whatever premium you can put on the brand name. If your assumption was correct, Aston Martins would be one of the most reliable cars in history. Ferraris, etc....They are not. Porsche is the most profitable car company in the world. They are because they have a loyal fan base of buyers willing and able to spend money on a car thats worth more to them than the sum of its parts. BMW is in a similar position. People buy BMWs more for status and the brand name than for the numbers behind the car. BMW is LESS reliable for simple reasons...more technologically complex. Lexus is complex in electronics, and thats it...the car is basically a Super-Toyota. Its based on reliable engine designs, transmission designs, suspension designs, etc...BMW, is on the cutting edge with its engines because they want to get every last bit of performance they can. The 335s have twin turbos, but that technology is proving to be less reliable, even though it has huge potential in performance. It will get worked out and be fine, but to expect reliability because of cost is naive...Also Mercedes S Class cars that cost over $100,000 were some of the LEAST reliable cars in the entire automotive world over the past few years, and definitely the least reliable Mercedes...The more "simple" C Class has been the MOST reliable Mercedes year after year, costing $32k....

FiveOhNine

Interesting choice of words; Whenever I'm asked about the differences in quality between BMW and Lexus I always say the same thing: The BMW was better engineered, but the Lexus is far better built.

The Germans are masters of engineering components, but not great at building them. The Japanese are far far better at under-engineering in the sense that the components tend to be simpler with underwhelming performance in relation to their potential. However, the Japanese are masters of building the exact same thing over and over ad infinitum.

SebsIS350

very well said and I completely agree with you in every aspect except one. I was refering to the good old stereotype that something more expensive is better. But better is again another perspective lol. I pay a lot of money because i want something to last, Another might spend a lot because they want the latest Tech. it's all relative but to say that just because a BMW is more technically advanced it should be more unreliable is naive. Look at the LS460, that car is extremely technically advanced and far from a "super Toyota" and yet its reliability is amazing.
Plus I would hardly call a 328i or 323i technically advanced but look at all the issues they are having with transmissions and speakers blowing.
When you get to the 100 000 dollar cars I hardly believe reliability is an issue for the buyer because if he/she has enough money to spend on a car of that caliber then they definatly have the cash to fix it.

SebsIS350

You couldn't have said it any better. 1000 percent right.

DaWhole9

When I say "Super Toyota" I mean in engine development. That is NOT a super advanced engine, its based on very reliable designs. Alot LESS advanced than the BMW engine designs....NO Lexus (with the exception of Hybrids) are complex designs. They dont design them to be. They figure out how to make RELIABLE, SIMPLE, designs that perform as they should. For example...do you think they could have made an IS350 engine that could rev to 7200 RPM? Porsche does...and the M3 does...sure they could have...BUT I am sure they would have had to make more complex engine management and reduced reliability for the sake of just a TAD more engine output...Not the compromise Lexus wanted to make. Electronics is not what I am talking about...the Japanese electronics are superior AND more reliable. Its funny the most reliable German cars are Porsches and they are using an engine design that originated in the 1930's.....BMW on the flip side is doing ALOT of things to make those engines more and more powerful. The problem is they may gain a few HP, but 4 years down the line, they find flaws and change them....I also disagree about people buying 100,000 cars not wanting reliability....I bought an 80,000 Range Rover and yes I can afford to fix it, its a MAJOR pain to deal with that....I know peopke with Bentleys, Lambos, Astons, etc...and everyone HATES unreliable cars....Plus the first 4 or 5 years of ownership its under warranty and who nowadays keeps cars for longer? NOT people who buy 6 figure cars...they can afford a new one every 3-5 years. So repair expenses are irrelevant to them...they do want to drive that car as much as possible without breakdowns. My friends who have had their share of high Benz and BMW problems, have bought other brands....