VelvetBlue

If you want larger then get a GS F.

I think the major flaw is that it weighs too much. It should have been a coupe and 200 lbs less.

dkaplan435

I like the fact that it's a 4 door. The 2 door would have been inconvinient... There were many things that my wife liked about the car, 4 doors was one of them..

If I could have purchased a 2 door, I probably would have purchased a Cayman S.

GFerg

I will be picking up an EVO magazine (European magazine) soon. They had a similar test (IS-F vs. M3) and the word on the street is that the results are to close to call (the IS-F might have taught the M3 a thing or two...... hmmmmm). I'll find out myself tomorrow.

spwolf

ehm, meatier tire, more traction, less spin, under any situation.

of course it has its downsides as well, so Lexus chose what they wanted to.

picking apart reviews for sentences to prove your point is silly... real point is that there hasnt been an single review that didnt like IS-F.

kt22cliff

I quoted that article to show that it's the lack of LSD much more than 10mm less rubber that's causing lack of traction coming out of the corner. Even if you put 10mm 20mm 30mm more width to the rear wheels without the LSD inside wheel's still gonna lose traction due to weight shift and VDIM is gonna get the traction back by putting brakes to the outside wheel thus slowing the car down.

Perhaps no single Review didn't like IS-F, but none of them liked enough to plac IS-F on top of the competition in any of the comparison reviews either. In fact I think in most of them it finished last. It's very puzzling why Lexus put a slushbox and no LSD on its top performance 4 seater.

Cornellian

It's interesting to see people argue over stuff that when all closely examined, governs the nature of how a vehicle works. An LSD, Wider tires, etc; they ALL make a big difference!

I just had to get into this debate since, I'm an engineer (MechEng w/ concentration in Vehicle eng).

So, with that being said, the mags should've put same tires on all cars and then do the test. Because the greater the area (contact area), the greater the chance of maximum traction. Therefore, under identical load and on the same dry surface, the wider tire has a greater contact area and develops higher traction, resulting in a better acceleration, cornering dynamics, and stopping capability. So, even though the IS-F doesn't have an LSD, they should've at least put the same kind of tires on ALL cars to make it close as possible. And I'm willing to bet that one would see different results. I'm not saying the IS-F would beat the M3 but, it would give better results.

I like both M3 and IS-F so, I'm not arguing, just laying out the physics...

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Well, since you bought up physics, then you should also be aware that even with identical tires the weight of the cars also have a play in the amount of traction each car can apply to the ground.

Having the inside wheel slip around the corners will only slow down cornering speeds-it does not get simpler than that.

proximal

Car and Driver explains why they don't do this.

Cornellian

Yes, weight is a also a big variable! There are many variables and that is exactly why I noted "etc". I was trying to hone in onto the discussion to what other's were arguing about.

Also, imagine if you put 1000lb of weight on a bicycle tire vs. a normal car tire... Which do you think would be better (assuming same weight)? That is where the width of the tires come in to play. The more *Contact Patch* you have, the better "friction/traction" can be achieved. And that is where I was getting at. You are correct, about weight transfer being a critical part since tractive force on the tires is (F_tract = (coeff friction)*(weight)); however, that could be a totally different argument in itself because you can talk about suspension, chassis design, etc.

Cornellian

That's good philosophy, I guess, to go with stock. I thought they had changed the tires on their own.

In that case, Lexus engineers should've thought about it...

I guess, buyers who are so inclined to increase marginal performance can go to the route of changing tires.

CRB

They liked the IS-F more than I expected. The transmission praise was especially surprising.

TRDFantasy

Obviously, because the IS-F is going up against *very* established competition. For the first try from Lexus in this segment, it's still an amazing effort. No the IS-F has not won comparisons, but it's competitive right off the bat in this exclusive segment.

What I find puzzling is why you continue to bring up the auto transmission, when the praise for the 8 speed direct shift is almost universal.

SilverBull

If Lexus would put a Manual transmission in their IS-F and a limited slip diff than they would look a lot better on paper to these other competitors. I have driven both and I liked the M3 much more. I currently own two Lexus cars and think they are great reliable cars. However, I think Lexus still wants to make a little cush into its sports sedan. I thought the IS-F was a little too civilized for me. When you start up a M3 and drive it in the parking lot it feels like a race car ready to launch. I didn't get the same feeling from the IS-F. I am sure when you keep the car's rpm's above 3500 than the IS-F is pretty fun but getting the automatic transmission to do what you want is a little different. If you haven't driven both than go do it and come back and write a new review.

DRE1615

SilverBull: You keep writing bad reviews in regards to the IS-F and almost every single aspect of the car after a single test drive with the salesman in the car. I too have had that experience, except throw my mom in the back seat as well. A single test drive does not do either the M3 or the IS-F any justice, trust me. The first 1000 miles doesn't do the IS-F justice. Once it is broken in is when it becomes even more of an animal.

I do truly respect your opinion dont get me wrong. And you are obviously a loyal Lexus consumer, I'm not arguing that. I just think you need to get a ligetimate drive in before you start pointing out flaws.

If you want, fly to Chicago and we can take my IS-F out for a whole day. Or find someone more local who can help. Or just buy the M3 already!!! What are you waiting for???

gengar

Lexus is never going to go with an MT in any car ever - it's just silly to expect that from this brand. The most that we'll ever see is a transplanted SMG that's currently planned for the LF-A.