SilverBull

I am curious if anyone here has drove the car and not bought it afterwards. Each story I have heard incorporates handing over a check after the drive. There has to be someone dissapointed at least a little bit.

calboy76

iTrader: (1)

good question....given now it's so hard to get a test drive wihtout showing some form of "sincerity"...i also like to know if anyone drove the car and took back the deposit

STIG

The reason why I don't want to go drive it.

SilverBull

Update: I drove it yesterday. I won't be buying it. I did tell my salesman that I thought it was great but I didn't want to bum him out and tell him the truth. I also didn't notice the difference between ML and stock stereo. Is there something I should be listening for?

slee18

iTrader: (1)

Did you not like the ISF?

XeroK00L

Try some instrumental jazz/classical/vocal music. The difference in clarity in particular is quite obvious really.

BTW what specifically made you not want to buy the car after you test drove it?

SilverBull

I put it in another post but basically it didn't have the spunk by itself. If you don't put in sport mode the car is pretty unresponsive. Even while in sport mode I wasn't that sold on the quickness of the car. It just didn't do what I thought it would do for 25k more than my current ride.

TRDFantasy

From your other thread you said you never tested it in manual mode, and that makes a big difference compared to automatic mode.

flipside909

I drove it several times and still haven't purchased it....yet. I'm only one of few in the world that got to drive it at Laguna Seca Raceway and on regular city streets.

hlee1169

IS-F's normal driving mode is "tamed", which I think is a good for normal driving. You do not want the very sensitive throttle in the sports mode for everyday driving, not only will the mileage drops to single digits, you will also wear out the rear tires very fast. It's a design decision for everyday practicality. However, I would say sports mode is addictive as it makes the ISF into a beast.

SilverBull, I am not sure what you are looking for in ISF since I believe it got the performance you are looking for, and for about 10K less than a comparably equipped M3. From the review on the internet, M3 does not come alive until you push the M button, which could be considered equivalent to ISF's sports button. M3's city/hwy is 14/20, compared to ISF's 16/23, and M3 has less low end torque around the town. Unless you really want manual transmission, then what's holding you back? Personally I am sold after one test drive.

SilverBull

Actually, that is it. I want a stick this time around. My automatic in my IS350 drives me nuts. I want more control of my car. I really could give a sh#t about the car's mileage. I won't drive it but 3 times a week max. I want a fun car that drives the way I want it to. In order to do that I need a stick.

Oh, I did drive it manual mode for awhile. I am tired of the paddle shifters quite honestly. It did pick up nicely at 3k rpm's but it is still too soft of a ride for me. I expected a more abbusive ride and more sports car feel. People on here take it too personally. I have two lexus cars. They are great and known for luxurious ride. BMW is known for the sporty ride/car. They are just two different cars no matter how you look at it. Sorry guys, I might just buy something German this time around.

DRE1615

I think if you would have typed in that realization earlier in all these threads we would have supported you to go for the M3 based on all the things you just said. For those reasons you just listed, the M3 is the car you should get. Good luck.

VelvetBlue

So go get the BMW. Good Luck. Oh, let us know how much it really cost and how long you have to wait to get one though.

josephdoc

Test drive? Yes.
Buy? No.
Like it? Yes.
Like it a lot? No.
Got money? No.

I love the power but the look is a bit Subie & Evo 4wd type to me. Sure I would get if for my wife if she did not get the 2is 2 years ago.
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Topic on BMW vs Lexus again? High-end BMW (the M's) is a good pick in general, but I am a JDM+Toyota fan. Don't bash, it's the drive to make the difference but not the car.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Why do you keep looking at sedans? Get a real sports car if you want the real feel.