All the reviews are comparing the IS350 F Sport with 335i M Sport. Even though the Lexus is slower than the 335i, this generation IS350 is a better car than the 335i (at least that's what I read from several reviews). Power is not the only thing considered in reviewing cars. I am very happy with my IS350 F Sport.

I believe IS350 is a more direct competitor with 335i and IS250 with 328i. Since IS250 is way too underpowered, Lexus is releasing IS200t next year to compete more directly with 328i.

Price wise, I agree that Lexus is cheaper. And you cannot get all the features with sport package on a Lexus. I am missing some luxury features such as lane departure warning, parking sensor, memory seats, etc. I believe that you can get all those features with 335i M Sport which will cost you around 70k. However, Lexus is famous for resell value and reliability.

I don't really care the 0-60 time. 306hp car is more than enough as a daily driver. Bear in mind that it's not a turbo charged engine which is silky smooth and tends to have less problems. I am not going to track and I don't push my gas all the way every day. Driving experience and reliability is what that matters the most. That's why I am choosing Lexus instead.

 

I did too, same thoughts here.

Got the 250 IS F Sport also for less money than the BMW.

No regrets !

 

I couldn't agree more. I researched cars off & on for about 1year. In the beginning I was sure it was between a 328i & MB C300 (slight chance for a Audi A4). However the more I read the more I noticed a common theme, expensive post warranty repairs. I planned to purchase, so my interest was in long term reliability. In addition, when I sat in the IS350 for the first time, and test drove it, it seemed to have a nice balance between performance & luxury, I knew it was it! SOLD!

 

when i was in the market, i too shopped the bimmer 335i w/ m package. i believed the is350 f sport was far more superior to the 328 and i didn't even give it a look. as far as price, the the 335i was a little more (i think it was a 6k difference) which was basically the m package, but if i was to buy the bimmer, that's what i would have left the lot with...not to mention, it was available in blue!!! to me, i knew the bimmer's engine was going to be more superior being turbo and it was a fun drive, but i didn't like the interior much...other than the hud! i didn't really get a chance to test drive the audi a4, but i did get into the a6 (after i bought my is)...which is the same class as the 4gs. according to the audi salesman, the a4 was a joke compared to the a6...so i didn't bother.

like everyone else in this thread, it came down to overall reliability. i love the look and style of the 3is f sport...inside and out. even bmw's m package was not as attractive as the new f sport package.

 

All of these post about the supposedly unreliability of german cars are so overblown, it's not even funny. You would think that the BMW or Mercedes is surely going to break down after the warranty and the Lexus won't.The only reason I can see that would make the IS250, with its antiquated V6 a better buy over the competition is price. There is nothing modern about that powertrain, so it should not be a surprise if it has less issues than say BMW's turbo 4 or straight 6. It's not only slow and thirsty, but the CO2 emissions are terrible by 2015 standards. Yes, in North America, we don't think much about pollution, but it's a big deal in Europe, particularly Germany, that is why you can't get a German car with a remote start. The fact is, Toyota/Lexus is slow in spending money to modernize their engines, but it will come. So enjoy your IS250, there are great deals to be had if price is the most important thing for the buyer, but to suggest it is a better car overall than the Germans just make educated people who are not fanboys laugh

 

all three of your posts to date since joining have been extremely critical of lexus and/or on describing members here as 'fanboys'. i think you've found yourself posting within the wrong forum.

 

agreed with you when it comes to the 250. I would pick the 328 over the 250 all day, but the IS350 is a whole different story. the is200t makes a good case as a direct competitor to the 328 though.

 

Trolling, huh?

 

there's nothing wrong with that as long as the user comes w/ fact and not just biased opinion, but even then, this is an open forum and anything can be debated.


you can't disagree that Toyota/lexus could've updated the engines on both cars; the 250 is being replaced w/ a 4bang turbo and will be introducing a watered down 3.5L. the 200t looks to be a descent upgrade for the 250 as it has more power and has better gas milage...so it might be a better competitor against the 328.


when I posted what I said above reliability above, I meant it as a daily driver. if both cars were just "weekend" cars, obviously they have the chance to last long past their warranty...but then again, like any other mode of transportation, the more you use it, the better.

 

seems so.

i agree, although when all posts made to date have been negatively critiquing lexus, lexus models, and/or lexus owners, then it seems to me there are ulterior motives.

 

Sorry if I hurt your feelings man, that wasn't my intention. I am an auto enthusiast, and a huge fan of this sector. I am fortunate to have driven nearly all the cars in this segment, and I post my opinion on all the forums. I think BMW have the best powertrain, by some distance, but the rest of the cars is very wanting, and their interiors are ugly. Lexus are generally solidly constructed, and decent chassis, but lag the segment with their old and outdated engines. At the moment, I think Mercedes W205 C300 is the best all round car in the segment, even though maybe a tad expensive. On the other end of the spectrum, I see no reason to buy the IS250 or the Cadillac ATS with the 2.5 naturally aspirated engine, as those powertrain are uncompetitive.

 

my feelings aren't hurt. this is a pretty anonymous internet forum. i simply questioned your motives as a member of clublexus given your limited posting history, 'fanboy' comments and all.

if you aren't one to stir up trouble within an otherwise peaceful forum, then apologies, although we aren't all 'fanboys' by any means.

as for the w205, i think it might be priced out of the segment. a more direct competitor within price range would be the CLA. i agree that the w205 is a beautiful machine, though.

 

autopal is correct when he/she says that bmw has a better powertrain compared to lexus; imo, audi is better than bmw. audi's options are far above what we get for our usdm 3is. now lexus overseas is a different story since they have "tier" packages to go along w/ the f sport package.

 

i wasn't disagreeing; the IS leaves much to be desired in terms of powertrain options at the moment. rather, i was questioning the motives of his presence, which he seems to have cleared up, on clublexus when his initial posts were seemingly full of vitriol toward the marque and its drivers -- fanboys. it is confusing when one reads all negative initial posts without questioning what the point of such posts are. i mean, i wouldn't head on over to acurazine (as an arbitrary example), create an account and rain on their parade, although i very well could.

anyhow, he seems to have cleared confusion.

 

Imo a car identified a person and i felt a lexus is what i best identified with.

I cross shopped between bmw mercedes and lexus.

I wanted a daily driver but also needed luxury.
I sat in the c400 and although its a nice car i felt like it wasnt for me. I didnt want to send the wrong message to people. Im 28 and felt like mercedes was for older people.

The bmw i always felt like everyone and their moms had one and didnt feel special to me at all. I felt like i had no character and just assimilated with the crowd which makes me feel like a tool. Paying 50k just so i can fit in.

The lexus is unique, bold and built towards my generation. It is also modest at the same time, being the least to break your wallet in terms of msrp. It is also the most practical to own, in terms of reliability for me (5+years).