IS-SV

Good thread because unlike most it's still on topic, it's about the IS-F last time I checked.

ren495

I hope Lexus never puts a manual in the F cars. Who needs it these days? A clutch-less manual, basically what the IS-F has, is much faster and much more fun. You don't see manuals in any pro racing anymore these days for the same reason. it's slower.

Plus the 8th speed is so awesome for highway cruising. I've heard of people getting 27 mpg on the highway with the IS-F

ren495

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0KI2...e=channel_page

cool video of the ISF sounding even more like a muscle car with a custom exhaust

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

^^ Just in case you missed these...

Untamed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6w4o8nJZsE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub4wp2VL0Ho


Strapped Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDNHJ2Cvr34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDfCbnr_4tE

rominl

iTrader: (4)

honestly, among m cars and amg, i don't see that many major problems on them to keep them in the shop a lot of times. they are built much better than the regular ones, which i do see them in the shop a lot more. and if you really want to bring time in shop into play, i can tell you that after my 1200 mile service on my m3, my next time to see dealership is at 15k miles. on the is-f, i can plan my trip 3 times at 5k, 10k, and 15k. same with mb, their service intervals are longer.

oh, and not to mention that i don't pay a single dime for any services on my m3.

do you see the toss up again? i can agree in the end lexus has better reliability, but still, other brands are better than other stuff. and i can also tell you that a lot of owners on these new performance cars, they don't really care about the cars after 3 yrs when they return them

you always gain some and give some on these cars period. there is no definite answer, but your own personal say

STIG

I agree. Great thread. I love IS-F. I was seriously considering one but then I had IS350 for a long time (I still have IS350, love it so much that I will never sell that car.)

It was time for some changes when I went out shopping for new car.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

you can find many barely used IS-Fs for 50k, seen even some in the high 40s, great buy

mmarshall

Since not that many new ones were sold (especially compared to the M3), why would a significant number of used IS-Fs already be on the market? Sounds to me like one of two things happened. One, either the buyers found out that, in today's economy, they bit off more than they could chew with the payments, or, two, its rock-stiff suspension on rough roads was too much.

Mind, you, I'm not panning the car (it's a great sport sedan) but, of course, it's not cheap, and, as I've mentioned before, it is not a car for rough roads.

mmarshall

A good point. Lexus would do well to start giving free service like BMW. Still, if you don't change the oil in your M3, even with synthetic and an oil-computer-monitor, for 13-14 thousand miles, IMO, that's stretching it, no matter what the oil-computer says. An oil-change every 5K mikes, like with Lexus, would, IMO, be much less of a risk.

IS350jet

Just to clarify, the ISF does not have an automated manual transmission. It's a full blown automatic transmission, complete with torque converter. What makes it special is a lock up torque converter, highly advanced shift programming, and eight speeds. However, it's not even closely related to a clutch-less, automated manual, transmission.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

M3s coupes are still pretty high like 60k+ on ebay, the sedans are 55k and even saw one under 50k.

But yea the economy is really going to kill sales of these cars.

bagwell

as MMarshall sort of said, I'll say it stronger --- IMO - you're crazy if you wait 14K miles to change the oil in the M3 unless you're just in it for the short term only.

if BMW maintenance wasn't free, I know they'd recommend 5K oil changes as well.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

actually the m3 oil burns pretty fast, all you need to do is just occasionally add in 1/2 qt of oil when the indicator tells you. as long as you do that, car is just fine.

i read from somewhere that a bmw tech with a new m3, looked at this oil at 10k miles and since new oil are added regularly (old ones burned out), everything looks very fine.

it's nothing crazy anymore with technology advancing. for example if you look at lexus, tranny fluids are NOT touched anymore for at least 100k miles, compared to previously every 30k miles at most.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i tend to think economy has more to do with it. i see quite a few is-f sold that way, as well as m3 too. i don't really see is-f people selling their is-f and change to m3/c63 coz' of suspension.

i think is-f sales got hit quite bad at the end of 08MY where they were selling for 48k left and right. it put a huge ding on them and also the used market. the m3 market was hit pretty bad too, but since a lot of them went into the lease market eventually (and also bmw's tight control on the 09) prices didn't get jacked as bad.

but regardless, for a high performance car, the value of the is-f is unbeatable

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

BMW includes service in the price of their cars because cost of service was the main deterent for potential buyers. MBZ "oil-computers" constantly anaylize the quality of the oil & recommend changing when needed. I have heard 25,000 miles is not uncommon. I don't know about BMW since I bought a IS350 over the M3 because of maintenance costs & frequency.

It is important to follow maintenence requirements of the manufacturer rather than the dealer