ApoK

So, I was at the dealer today getting my rear lip installed (botched HORRIBLY by an independent shop....) when I saw a shiny new F in the parking lot. Needless to say, I felt compelled to take it for a ride. I went out for about 10 miles with it and I was hitting it pretty hard. I must say that the car felt really heavy compared to my 350. It didn't feel that much faster either, although I know it obviously was. It made me realize that paying a 25k premium for it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. The dealer was surprisingly pessimistic about it as well. The fellow I test drove it with was calling it a rather "expensive toy" that they keep on the lot in order to get more people to buy the "more practical and affordable 350." I was sort of surprised to hear that.

What are your thoughts on the difference between the F and the 350??

Mark350

My thoughts are that it would be a fun car to take to the track, but for the streets im never going to use all that power. With that said I think its a nice car, but prefer the stock looks of a is350 better.

Not saying i'd turn one down or anything

Fizzboy7

Definitely shines on the track. One afternoon at a Taste of Lexus event will convert you. The car is a beast and the shifting is light years ahead of ours.

Brian231

I had a blast with this car at this years Lexus performance event at the Autobahn in Joliet, IL. What a beast out of the gate. The vehicle hugged the corners flawlessly and the Brembo brakes allowed for a safe grabby feel. It is a fancy toy at best and the 350 is for the price conscious. I still love the car hands down.

CRB

I honestly think the IS-F would sell better if Toyota would have found a way to avoid the Beluga whale hood bulge and the rather ridiculous boy racer styling cues. A subtle rocket seems more the play in the ultra performance compact lux sedan market per AMG, BMW's Motorsports division and Audi's S & RS series. They got a lot of things right on the car though.

BottomsUp

I just went to the Taste of Lexus in LA and you couldn't drive the IS-F

Reyngel

I definitely agree with this.



There's just too much power in the ISF to use legally on the streets. So unless you make good use of the car at the track, or you have so much money that an extra $25k is like pennies to you, the car just isn't practical.

Add that to the fact that yeah, the styling is way too boy racer. It almost looks dated, in a way... styling cues from the late 90's, early 2000's, when companies who made ridiculous, gaping-mouth body kits were all the rage for Acura Integras and Honda Civics. The ISF's body kit looks like simply that: a body kit. Something added on as an afterthought. It looks like a disguised IS250/350, rather than a seamless design, like AMG, BMW and Audi's S/RS line. And the silver/white carbon fibre trim doesn't help things.

Now, if someone were to trade their ISF with my regular IS, would I do it? Of course. The seats are better, the handling is better, the noise is better, and the exclusivity is cool. But would I pay $25k extra for it? It's almost laughable.

fasteddy91

iTrader: (5)

^ I agree....I wish I had the better shifting tranny and sportier seats. the power in the 350 is more than enough for me.

t0e

iTrader: (1)

If I had the IS-F transmission, I would be more happy

ApoK

why was this moved? I wanted to get input from non-ISF owners who have test driven the F...

timeToy

iTrader: (11)

ApoK I think you forget to push the "sport" button...

TCM55

Off topic, but sick avatar! Green Man Suit FTW.

ToothDoc

It's actually more like 15K difference (not 25K). I also had the same thoughts when I first read about the IS-F vs. the IS350. I used to have an IS350. I wasn't sure that 15K was worth it especially when 3K gave 100 extra HP and better brakes over the IS250.

I would've easily paid 5K for another 100 hp when I had the IS350. Would you guys pay 3K as an option for the 8 speed tranny? I would've. How about the suspension and Brembo brake setup and BBS forged wheels and PS2 tires? In the end, when you add up all the upgrades, the IS-F is simply an IS350 with more options.

Oddly enough, the throttle response seems quicker in the IS350 under sport mode than the IS-F in sport mode. BUT, if you mash it alllll the way down, you will never mix up the IS-F and IS350. The IS350 will chirp the tires when shifting from 1-2 whereas the IS-F will spin and go sideways in the 1-2 shift if you have traction control disabled. On cooler days, I'll spin in 2nd gear at 50 mph! There is definitely a good deal more power.

In the end, is it worth 15K to you? It doesn't fit everybody's budget, but after owning it since March, I'm glad I swapped cars.

BTW, the cars does feel heavier... it is about 300 pounds. I suspect for autocrossing in a short track, a properly modded IS350 will probably beat the IS-F but on a big power track, the IS-F will win hands down.

AKoch

I'd say a more subtle styling, but most importantly - manual transmission is a must for some of us. Being really a Lexus guy I had to drop the IS-F from my shopping list due to the unavailability of stick shift. The AWD was the second, though a bit less important point that I considered.

ApoK

GREENMAN is the MAN!!! I love that show.

To the above posts about it only being a 15k premium, I'd have to disagree. I got my IS350 new for 36k (negotiated down). There were two IS-Fs on the lot and their sticker price was 62k on both. Now maybe the dealer would go down a few grand on the ISF too, but I don't think it would narrow the gap to 15k. Also, due to the limited production, I'm inclined to believe they won't go down much at all, unlike the ISx50s. If it were only a 15k gap, I'd definitely think it would be worth it to upgrade to the F. Unfortunately, it's much closer to 25k than 15k.

I agree completely that the F is a track star compared to the 350, but I just don't think I could put the money down for a car that can only demonstrate its added worth on the track. I also think it's not quite as good looking as a modded 350.

As an analogy, I'd definitely get a 335i coupe for the money, but I'd prefer the M3 coupe over the 335i because it has the performance AND the styling to go with it. The 335i is an above average looking car IMO, but the M3 is just dead sexy. And all the parts of the M3 are functionally designed to improve the performance of the car.

I just don't see that added benefit with the ISF. I simply wouldn't choose an IS-F over an IS350 because the F feels heavier and has too many tacky add-ons (side vents, bulging hood, and superfake exhaust) -- but, that's just MY opinion. I like the F, but not enough to purchase one.