Kimchiguy

Just curious to see if this car was really for Lexus purists as a swan song for their marvelous 2UR-GSE V8
OR Did people actually have other cars in mind that they cross shopped?

My situation was a bit unique as I left Lexus in 2017 to BMW but definitely missed a lot of what the IS350 gave back. Last summer I put a deposit down on a 2022 BMW M3 Competition xDrive that was supposed to have been delivered in the fall. I'm still waiting.
In the interim Lexus released the IS500 and I was intrigued/obsessed. So I searched around for a few weeks in Jan 2022 until I found one available. I'll likely keep it now long term and decide what to do with the M3 if and when it arrives. My goal is for my partner and I to keep both but we'll see.

macmaster

Never really considered anything else since the IS F was my dream car, except maybe the Acura TLX type S since I was a fan of the 3rd gen TL. I wanted to test drive one and reached out to a dealership once, but dealing with 1 car company (Lexus) during the shortage was frustrating enough, I didn't feel like subjecting myself to a second (Acura).

AmbyBomb

I shopped for 2ish years before getting the IS500. I looked into VW Golf R; Audi S3, S4, TT Sand RS3; Mercedes C43 and CLA45; BMW 240i, 340i and M2; and Acura TLX Type S.

18borat

The first reason for me. This is coming from a guy who already has a 2021 C63s as a weekend driver. But I cannot imagine daily driving that thing without some major consequences down the road. It is one of my favourite cars, so I want to keep it alive for the days to come. So I wanted a fun and reliable daily driver. And the IS500 has no competition in this segment.

This is the cheapest high HP V8 car you can buy new right now. And we in Canada don’t have to pay any mark up by law, so it was a no brainer for me.

This was the only performance car I can trust to stand the test of time. Even if something happens, the fixes will be relatively simple and inexpensive. I am extremely hard on my cars, and this car just fits that bill perfectly.

And correct me if I am wrong, but once you do the headers and exhaust on this car, I haven’t heard a V8 that sounds as soulful as this engine in this price segment. Not even close.

Kimchiguy

That's a very wide spectrum of choices. What made you choose Lexus?

eZmoneyEd

Cross shopped with Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing but those are impossible to find at MSRP. Was able to secure a Launch IS500 at MSRP.

Kimchiguy

So by consequences I'm assuming you're referring to long term reliability. But it's not a bad thing to have the last V8 powered C63 either!

I've seen markup in Ontario and I think they are getting around it by advertising the marked up price. Rules here state they can't sell above advertised price so they just list the inflated price instead of MSRP.
Lexus of Windsor tried to sell me on the bargain that $8K premium was compared to the alleged $15-20K markup in Toronto.
I paid MSRP.

Snowwolfe

I have a CT5V Blackwing on order for 6 months and was hoping to find a IS500 to play with until the BW is built and delivered.
So far am failing to get either car.

18borat

The C63s is my childhood dream. But there is no shame in admitting that it doesn’t have the Lexus reliability. So I need to be more considerate with it. IS500 has port plus direct injection, so no valve cleaning issues, something I will 100 percent face with the C63s down the line. Otherwise the AMG V8 is extremely reliable as well. And I never plan to mod that car, so atleast I will have 8 years of manufacturer warranty.

I bought my IS500 with premium package with a 3percent discount on MSRP from performance Lexus at St. Catherine’s. They weren’t gonna take me on a ride.I am a really patient guy, I have no problem waiting things out for years for a car.

Kimchiguy

So how has Cadillac been with communication? Did they tell you right from deposit down it would be 6 months or a specified timeline? Or has it been pushed out

Kimchiguy

Well that's amazing to hear that you were able to make your childhood dream come true! Coincidentally, the BMW M3 was my childhood dream so I'm still eagerly anticipating that even though they've disappointed me with how they've managed their orders.
Totally agree that the Lexus will be dependable and that Germans can get finicky.

It's funny because I had called Performance Lexus about that USB IS500 but it had been sold... to you lol!
Thankfully I found a LE from Oakville and they were great to deal with.

AJinDFW

I considered M4 Competition XDrive and Audi RS5.

JNP1227

iTrader: (1)

The new M3 Comp XDrive is a sweet car! Friend has got his after 3 months of waiting and man...they killed it!

Personally, not impressed with the IS500 but it wins in reliability and price. However the cars in the class are not that far off...the newer M's and AMG's are definitely more reliable that they used to be. Will be waiting for the new gen model (hopefully forced induction with)

AmbyBomb

The V8 and the fact that it wasn't trying to be a track car.

95bat

I looked at a lot... ZL1, M3, M4, M550, TLX, CT4VB, CT5VB...

I think the only ones that really tempted me were the Cadillacs and the M550. I just don't want to deal with the possibility of more maintenance or non-functioning parts for more speed. I like my ice cold AC, functioning seat vents and heaters, smooth ride, and some horsepower. Great "jack of all trades, master of none" car for me. Well, maybe master of reliability

I still might build a HCI C6Z one day when we move, but who knows. The older I get the less I want one.