3Gen IS or IS-f
#46
Former Sponsor
#49
I would request the mods to merge them. I gave my two cents in the aforementioned topic, so I won't repeat it here.
Good luck with your decision,
~ Im2bz2p345
#50
Racer
iTrader: (3)
I'd definitely base my decision more on the price, newer body, and outstanding interior of the 3IS, not so much the practicality of hp or mpg, which will be plenty livable in both cars (at least with the 350).
If the 250, I'd definitely drive one first and see if a person could live with that hp/lb. Personally, it wasn't for me.
#53
I had a 2011 ISF for a few years and recently got a CPO 2014 350 F-sport Obsidian with Rioja interior with all the options. Long story short, I didn't want to lose my ISF but I had to tap into the equity of it to buy a house... and 18 months after recovering from the new mortgage, now it doesn't make sense for me to go back to a 400hp car when the platform has been retired. So I went with the new F-Sport. Keeping in mind that I thought I was downgrading, here's my opinion from driving both cars:
1. The ISF and IS 350 F Sport both have good handling. The ISF is definitely more planted to the earth in a "every second counts on a race track" sort of way where the F-Sport with the VGRS can still handle a sharp corner in a "that was very satisfying and felt totally awesome" sort of way. I'm really anxious to install pilot super sports on this car because it feels like the tires don't do the suspension justice in S+. As awesome as the handling and steering and feedback of the ISF are, I'm actually more entertained by the driving dynamics provided by the different driving modes. So ultimately I prefer the F-Sport for daily driving.
2. The 835W ML stereo upgrade in the '14 F-Sport blows my old ISF's ML out of the water. Wow, what a great stereo. No comparison. I will find myself wanting to go for joy rides just to listen to music.
3. The 8-speed in the F-sport and the F are like apples and oranges. The F has way more powerband to exploit all those gears so it's more fun to drive fast or drive slow. The 5.0L V8 is just a superior engine in every imaginable way. A few times already in the F-sport, I've played with the paddle shifters and thought, "what's the point, there's no top end on this engine". Paddling through the gears on the ISF no matter if you're cruising or pushing it is an absolute BLAST... you feel the engine charging up and settling into the new gear. No comparison. It's cool to have 8 gears and all, don't get me wrong, but the satisfaction of powering through the gears isn't in the same league.
4. The F-sport isn't so much slower that I feel let down. Okay, seriously, there's no comparison if you were to find an empty stretch of road and decide you're going to do a speed run. You better be ready for it and you better know what you're doing because you'll find yourself hitting speeds of 130, 140, 150 faster that your mind can grasp it. But for hustling around in a crowded town where there's always a slow poke in front of you, you won't ever have a chance to tap into that extra 110hp so the F and F-Sport are really not that different around town. And for those times when you do find an open stretch of road, you can still push the F-Sport and get that same general feeling of satisfaction.
5. Gas milage seems about equal so far. Maybe 1 or 2 mpg better in the F sport.
6. The Alcantara bucket seats in the ISF are slightly more supportive but both seats have a similar comfort level. And I'm happy about the Nuluxe... it feels good and it's easier to clean and maintain.
7. It took a while to grow on me, had to see a lot of them on the roads and it slowly set in... but I prefer the next gen styling. That's usually how it goes.
8. Enform still sucks and the audio interface still sucks, I hope one day there is an option to switch to Android Auto because Toyota/Lexus don't seem to get it.
9. The new instrument panel and technology are obviously next gen... a more satisfying place to be cruising down the road.
Overall, it's a better daily driver for sure and I don't miss my F as much as I thought I would. I usually get the new car itch every 3 to 5 years but I can see myself keeping this one for 8 to 10 years. Great car.
1. The ISF and IS 350 F Sport both have good handling. The ISF is definitely more planted to the earth in a "every second counts on a race track" sort of way where the F-Sport with the VGRS can still handle a sharp corner in a "that was very satisfying and felt totally awesome" sort of way. I'm really anxious to install pilot super sports on this car because it feels like the tires don't do the suspension justice in S+. As awesome as the handling and steering and feedback of the ISF are, I'm actually more entertained by the driving dynamics provided by the different driving modes. So ultimately I prefer the F-Sport for daily driving.
2. The 835W ML stereo upgrade in the '14 F-Sport blows my old ISF's ML out of the water. Wow, what a great stereo. No comparison. I will find myself wanting to go for joy rides just to listen to music.
3. The 8-speed in the F-sport and the F are like apples and oranges. The F has way more powerband to exploit all those gears so it's more fun to drive fast or drive slow. The 5.0L V8 is just a superior engine in every imaginable way. A few times already in the F-sport, I've played with the paddle shifters and thought, "what's the point, there's no top end on this engine". Paddling through the gears on the ISF no matter if you're cruising or pushing it is an absolute BLAST... you feel the engine charging up and settling into the new gear. No comparison. It's cool to have 8 gears and all, don't get me wrong, but the satisfaction of powering through the gears isn't in the same league.
4. The F-sport isn't so much slower that I feel let down. Okay, seriously, there's no comparison if you were to find an empty stretch of road and decide you're going to do a speed run. You better be ready for it and you better know what you're doing because you'll find yourself hitting speeds of 130, 140, 150 faster that your mind can grasp it. But for hustling around in a crowded town where there's always a slow poke in front of you, you won't ever have a chance to tap into that extra 110hp so the F and F-Sport are really not that different around town. And for those times when you do find an open stretch of road, you can still push the F-Sport and get that same general feeling of satisfaction.
5. Gas milage seems about equal so far. Maybe 1 or 2 mpg better in the F sport.
6. The Alcantara bucket seats in the ISF are slightly more supportive but both seats have a similar comfort level. And I'm happy about the Nuluxe... it feels good and it's easier to clean and maintain.
7. It took a while to grow on me, had to see a lot of them on the roads and it slowly set in... but I prefer the next gen styling. That's usually how it goes.
8. Enform still sucks and the audio interface still sucks, I hope one day there is an option to switch to Android Auto because Toyota/Lexus don't seem to get it.
9. The new instrument panel and technology are obviously next gen... a more satisfying place to be cruising down the road.
Overall, it's a better daily driver for sure and I don't miss my F as much as I thought I would. I usually get the new car itch every 3 to 5 years but I can see myself keeping this one for 8 to 10 years. Great car.
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