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CLUB 77: The Official Iridium IS 500 Owners and Photos Thread
'Club 77' members, please post your photos. I will post more shortly, but figured I would get things going. Thanks for the positive feedback regarding the thread name... (smile)
Also a MY2022 owner. According to the Specification Datasheet, less than 40 in Iridium were produced for MY2022. Congrats and welcome to Club 77...Enjoy!
Also a MY2022 owner. According to the Specification Datasheet, less than 40 in Iridium were produced for MY2022. Congrats and welcome to Club 77...Enjoy!
That sheet is awesome. Who knew several of the 2022 specs would be more rare than the special editions?!
Is that new integra? Not exactly a fair comparison, but how do the cars compare?
I briefly considered getting one when I was shopping for the 500.
Yeah, it's the new Integra Type S. I've bought it brand new and am one of the first people to get the car (hence, I am forced to buy extended warranty, which means a small markup). Interestingly, it costs almost the same as the Lexus IS 500 (to me), which I've bought used at a very good price. So, definitely fair comparison in my case.
I love both cars - in the sense that they are so different and also so special in their own way. The Integra feels really direct and nimble. I am connected to the road all the time, and obviously the manual transmission helps the level of engagement too. It is the better driver car, and the one that I prefer driving daily. The chassis is tuned so well that it really doesn't feel like a FWD car - I guess partly due to a very high cornering limit of the car.
The IS 500 is a dual personality car. I love that I can choose to drive it in a relaxed Lexus fashion. It is so well built, and there is minimum noise. I can just cruise to the destination comfortably. But when I have the urge, maybe at the traffic light stop, I can press the gas harder to wake up the V8 engine. It is so fast and makes a good sound too. The steering feels a bit like video game to me, but the car is still sufficiently nimble - perhaps due to the relative small size of the car - and I have to say it is still pretty fun to drive at corner (and not only straight line).
For me, I know I will feel bored if I drive the IS 500 daily (not to mention the higher gas consumption ). But it will remain a special car to me, if I drive it once only every couple of weeks. Hence I intend to drive the Integra daily, while the IS 500 is for my wife running errands and my occasional weekend toy.
In terms of interior design and features, the Integra feels newer (wireless Apple Car Play, heads-up display, etc.) but more basic; the IS 500 is older (wired Apple Car Play, CD player) but more sophisticated (built-in navigation, cooled seats, memory seats, remote start, etc.). While Acura is a luxury brand, there are definitely moments you feel like you are in an upscale Civic. In the IS 500, I definitely won't confuse myself with an upscale Corolla.
To sum it up, the Integra feels like modified street racer (it is a Civic Type R in its bone) with some luxury elements (and a very unique suspension/chassis tuning); the IS 500 is a luxury car with some sporty elements (and a very unique engine). I feel very lucky to own both, and hope to enjoy and keep both for a very very very long time.
02-05-24, 11:09 AM
CLUB 77: The Official Iridium IS 500 Owners and Photos Thread
). But it will remain a special car to me, if I drive it once only every couple of weeks. Hence I intend to drive the Integra daily, while the IS 500 is for my wife running errands and my occasional weekend toy.