Ramon

Just called my dealer where I purchased my 2IS from, they have the 3IS on the showroom. Going to go check them out now.

SW17LS

My dealer is going to call me when they get one I can see in person, looking forward to it.

Thats a good point, the 4 is glass on the back too. Didn't know about the magnesium vs aluminum. Mines is a slim case so it doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me!

Thats not what I'm saying at all, I'm suggesting that perhaps you should have an open mind and reserve judgement until you've sat in the car yourself...I'm saying that as Lexus enthusiasts on the biggest Lexus community on the net...maybe we should give our brand a little more benefit of the doubt.

Remember that the IS just beat the 3 series in the latest C&D comparison test, despite it being a full second slower 0-60. Theres more to a car than straight-line power. To me, you just seem so entirely closed minded about the car theres no way you're going to have anything positive to say about it. On a forum where people are trying to be positive, get excited about the car, and will soon start posting about their new cars its just rude.

It doesn't annoy me...like I said I dont have an IS and have no plans to buy one. I do however care about the brand and I care about the community here and elsewhere. I understand your frustration, I was the same way in the 2013 ES forums but there comes a point when the car is what it is, and who are you and who am I to continue harping on the same issues ruining the threads of others who just want to post about and enjoy their new cars? Voice your displeasure with your checkbook and move on...thats what I did with the ES. Move up to a GS, or move on to another brand.

Ramon

I'm a Lexus consumer in general, and IS in particular and want to see it improve. You may think the best way to do that is to keep quiet. I think the best way is to speak up. You make it seem like I go in every thread screaming "3IS sucks!!!" Which is hardly the case. I feel my critisizims are constructive. We haven't agreed on proper etiquette since our first back and forth and we don't now and we likely never will. So you do what you do and not complain about what you don't like, and ill continue to do what I do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the dealer to see first hand what aspects of the vehicles are a must change and which aspects I can get used to. This visit will have the added be benefit of making everything I say valid by your own metric, since ill have sat in it.

SW17LS

I think the people in the 2013 ES forums would disagree with your assessment of me as someone who "keeps quiet" about what he doesn't like. At some point it gets tiresome is my point.

I'm glad you're going to see the vehicle, but thats hardly an open mind. You've already decided to dislike the car.

Ramon

I never said straight line speed is the only factor. I've brought up several factors. You either have a reading comprehension problem or a selective memory problem.


Just saw the car. Buttons on steering wheel are worse than i thought. They don't look good in pictures or in person, more over their tactile feel is worse. A complete deal breaker no, but a step back. Center console is not as bad as I thought but not good either the gear selector significantly lower rent than in the 2is. The integration of the door speakers is something you'd see in a car costing half as much.

The good? The car looks great on the outside, better than it does in photos. The separate DRLs I'm still not find of but look better in the flesh than they do in photos. And the car is certainly roomier than the outgoing model which is something we all already know. They just got the car in yesterday, had one fsport and one non, the fsport was already sold.

Steve, I've now seen the car and it essentially was what I thought it would be. Reading your posts, your idea of an open mind is having already made up my mind that I liked it.

peteharvey

Two people who have already seen the new 3IS in real life have already commented about the round buttons on the steering wheel.
RSXF has commented on the 1990's-2000's style traditional oval exhaust tips, and how he prefers the sexier polygonal shaped exhaust tips of the LS and GS, but then the latter two are more upmarket.

However, overall, the general consensus is that the new 3IS is a great car, or at least a pretty good one.
I'm sure it will match, if not exceed the 50,000-60,000 units sold in its 2IS predecessor's debut year.

Just side lining, but judging by the statistics provided by the American people, presently Lexus needs to bring in the 4.5GS and 6.5ES quickly to lift up sales badly!
Predecessor 5ES use to pump out 82,867 units in 2007; presently 6ES a bit weak at 27,813 for first 5 months of 2013.
In 2 weeks time, we can double the 6ES sales figures to get a rough idea of sales for 2013.
Dealers and reps won't be happy with these results.
All Lexus fans would like the GS and ES to have the same relative sales success of this 3IS.

Steve, I urge you to come back down to earth, and voice your constructive improvements into the design of the forthcoming facelifted 4.5GS now.
If you don't act now, the future facelifted 4.5GS and 6.5ES will be gone on the sales charts.
We can't just act like we're living in the clouds.
And that is the importance of constructive criticism, debate, and two sides to the story.
Lexus needs your feedback on the 4GS urgently - to create the facelifted 4.5GS due out very shortly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ramon

No, it's not a "bad car" it just could have been better with little to no extra effort. The buttons on the wheel for example. Lexus already had an existing wheel with a better looking and feeling button layout, same with the integration of the door speakers.

For example:



3IS on the top left
2IS on the top right
Hyundai Elentra on the bottom

There's no reason why a 50k IS can't look as clean as a 20k elentra.

corradoMR2

Thanks for the pics Ramon. The proof is in the pudding. Agree, the steering wheel buttons are a slight step down but more noticeably and disappointingly (which I didn't notice until now) the lower door panels which are a big step down from the 2IS. I'm now questioning the carpeting too from the pics which look to be of lower density than the 2IS... In relation to the next Gens Lexus models and apparent cost-cutting, I noticed my Gen 3 RX's carpeting is a slight step down as well from my past Gen 2RX... The CT's carpeting is very thin and Toyota Corolla-ish.

The center console at least to me though looks as equally high quality as the 2IS.

Any other pics?

Ramon

I took a few, lighting was bad while sitting inside so there's lot of noise in the pics.







LS F-Sport:





LFA:

SW17LS

I'm not quite sure what their thought process is with the speaker design in the door panels either, both the new GS and ES have the same round speaker grilles, I prefer the fabric speaker covers that blend into the door panels also.

UpSideDown

Great pictures. You can clearly see that 2IS door panel is more elegant and the L-finesse that 3IS lacks of.

corradoMR2

Ramon. Console of the IS looks good quality-wise. Love the LS F-Sport. So menacing in black! LFA of course goes without saying...

As a recap, list of items the 3IS got visibly cheaper with, without dispute:

1. Steering wheel buttons
2. Lower front door panels

Open to everyone who sat in the 3IS who as a bonus has had experience with the 2IS, what about the following so we can compile a thorough list of shortcomings (or enhancements)?

- Glove box door plastic and its operation (now hard or soft-touch like 2IS)?
- Interior carpeting? (density and "weight").
- Trunk and under-hood finishing?
- Engine bay and under-hood finishing?
- Door slam feel (Macmaster points out a solid feel, but coming from a Prius to put this into perspective. I recall the 2IS when I owned it had a very impressive vault-like feel to the door closing)
- Headliner and pillars material.
- Control stalks, switches, and button feel.
- 3IS lacks fuel door release. How is its "push" operation?
- Key fob redesigned? Benefits? Regressions?
- Front windshield tempered or laminate (2IS)?
- Side glass tempered (2IS) or laminate?
- Non-F-Sport Leather seating look and feel
- OTHER?

spwolf

you are picking one small part of the car and blowing it up as a big issue.

There are far more issues with 2IS interior than 3IS. From squeakes everywhere, to low quality leather used on steering wheel and shift **** that starts to wear in 2 years, to old school multimedia from 80's, to Toyota switchgear, to high quality leather that also wears easily, ML sub that breaks on almost every car out there, very thin padding and bad leather used on doors and armrest. Squeaky seats? Oops. 2D nav stuck in 90's.

Should I go on? 3IS interior is step up or two in almost every case but lower bottom of the doors. If lower buttom of the doors being cheaper looking is what enabled them to put 7" screen into every 3IS, I am all for it.

Or laughable trip info screen in 2 colors with functionality from Corolla in 90's. Of course, regular design issues like poor back space that makes it 2+2. Or non existent steering feel. Or too hard suspension without being really good drive.

I like my 2IS, but I am not putting it on pedestal just because I own it... I am very aware of its shortcomings... 3IS sounds like big improvement, except again, for lower bottom of the doors... big so what on that.

UpSideDown

Not that I'm saying 3IS interior wont hold up, but how do you know that? Have you tried a 3IS yet?

spwolf

plus, bottom of the doors in 2IS are slightly padded... top of the doors are .. hard and due to all the lines, easy to look dirty and worn. Handle on the 2IS door? Silver painted Plastic that reminds you it is cheap every time you close them. My 2007 RAV4 had rubberized door handles so you would feel nice materials when you touch them and not glossy painted plastic.

3IS at looks at least to have partially-leather covered door handle and no Toyota switches anymore.



Are we going to talk about having to pay extra for xenon's? DRL's that had to replaced after 1 year? Having to pay for very expensive nav just to get premium look to the interior you paid a lot for? People are getting expensive chinese navs just to get the screen into their 2IS's.