ISFPOWER

iTrader: (20)

i have no regrets whatsoever. i haven't never been so satisfied with a car's purchase as much as this one. the sound, the power, interior layout with black headliner, trunk space, road noise, i can just go on and on. even the clear coat has very little orange peel compared to some of the european cars i was looking at.

i wont say its the best car, but its the best car in its class if you want to drive hard and have reliability.

Lexura1414

iTrader: (6)

I have test driven a Stasis tuned S4 and it surely felt as powerful as the F. BUT I also have a 2010 Audi A4 convertible which just came from the dealership for transmission issues. Now, go figure..

willys4

Trust me, stasis tune s4 are not near as powerful as the apr ver2 + pulley + exhaust/intake... That beast is capable to put 400+ ponies to all the wheels and could do 1/4 miles in low 12s/high 11s. Tune+ all bolt-ons will only run from less then $5k and a possible future blower upgrade...

Lexura1414

iTrader: (6)

Well, I trust ya with the power but my experience with Audi really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I had 2006 A4 Cabriolet and now a 2010 A5 Cabriolet. We bought these cars brand spanking new and both had and have various issues including transmissions. Anyways, I prefer peace of mind over 400 ponies. But thanks for the reply

willys4

I know what you mean, i had clutch clicking on my car 3 months in and took me 3 trips to dealership to have it completely fix. Plus now the dealer can detect if u mess around with the ecu by just hooking the port and will potentially void your warranty. If i can choose again i'll pick isf in a heart beat!

poster123

I could get an m3 with warranty, etc., but it's still a hustle to get the car repaired. I had a 540i and it left a bad taste in my mouth, just way too many issues including transmission, radiator, engine, and the list goes on. I am just not that crazy about c63, If I am going to deal with issues I'd rather get the m3 I think I will get the IS-F though. It seems like a really fun reliable car.

Defratos

I had a similar Dilemma when deciding on my next car and had pretty much the same options you're looking at:

- 2009 or 2010 Lexus IS-F (as previously said get the LSD version)

- 2010 Audi S4 (good choice, nice interior but lacks power stock, if you're into modifying then would be a decent choice but then reliability comes into play)

- 2008 or 2009 BMW M3 (not bad but I'd rather go for the ISF, in in all its more fun to drive)

- 2007 or 2008 Audi RS4 (I believe you can only get these in manual, I've had one a few years back and it is a solid car, but the ISF is faster) and if you mod the ISF then there's no comparison.


I've had my ISF for about 1 month now and loving it more every day.

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

I'm mostly fine with the power. If I could have my wish, it would be for less weight.

Not sure what reliability looks like on the M3, but having witnessed multiple BMW vehicles of friends/relatives repeatedly have issues, I'm glad to say the F has had zero. Having dealt with vehicles which aren't the most reliable, the F is simply that much more of a car, on that merit alone.

Gas mileage actually turned out to be better than I thought, for a 5 liter V8. I consistently get 19-21 mpg in mostly city driving (there is a reason it dodges the gas guzzler tax). Considering the car has enough performance to easily rival its competition, while being every bit as practical, and cheaper, and it was a no-brainer, for me.

As to how small the car is, you're best served by sitting in one and getting a feel for it. If you don't have people regularly riding in the back, it may be less of an issue, but you'd know better. Styling is subjective, so to each their own on that, but it grew on me.

vbb

iTrader: (3)

I considered the M3 and the S4 while shopping for my ISF last year, and I also drove two different S5s (owned by a couple friends) though I needed 4 doors.

I went with the ISF because it offered the best combination of performance, luxury, reliability, gas mileage, exclusivity, and interior design out of the options. I like the S4's interior just a hair more than the ISF but I did not find the test drive as exciting, and I didn't trust the reliability as much. I liked the M3's handling just a hair more, but I also didn't trust the reliability as much, I see them all the time, and the interior looked spartan and dated. The ISF had the most grunt down low (which is where you use the power most of the time) and had the Lexus quality/reliability behind it. Plus, I've maybe seen a total of 6-7 ISFs on the road (other than at our meets) over the last 5 years that they've been available.

To me it was a pretty easy choice.

MisterSkiz

iTrader: (2)

Funny, I looked at the same cars.

I thought the M3 had better turn in feel than my 08 F.
The S4 stock felt slow compared than my 08 F.

Go 2010 model for IS-F. The LSD makes all the difference in handling. I upgraded my 08 IS-F to a 10 IS-F LSD diff...totally worth it and you notice it right away.

Just F Me

I looked at the M3 as well, but when they told me it was $15,000 to equip it the same as the IS F plus market price adjustment, I told them to pound sand.

poster123

An update: leaning towards 2011 ISF. Just seems like a good combination of what I get for the price. Planning to pull the trigger any day now. Any tips on buying a car from another state? I wouldn't be able to drive it back, it's too far, will have to ship it.

kteng7

iTrader: (1)

You can't go wrong with the ISF, but I have to say Audi S4 is good too, My friend have a 2011 S4 with Stasis exhaust and chip, APR intake making around the same Hp as my stock ISF. However, you don't see a lot of ISF on the road, but lots and lots of S4, 5...and such.

projectdna

iTrader: (56)

make sure the entire process is documented - phone calls, mailings, what was done on which date/what time, and have all mailing sent out w/ a tracking/delivery confirmation number. it's all in the details.

if it's a private seller or an independent used car dealer, in addition to the carfax report, have the IS-F get taken in for a pre-sale inspection at the local lexus dealership. those wll run $65-ish and is more or less a current "bill of health". anything that may be an issue or requires replacement will show up.

get pictures - LOTS of them. the more, the better. highlight any small defects/issues.

shipping a car isn't hard. cross-country will run you $800+ in an open-air transport, double that if you plan to go w/ an enclosure. try uship.com to find a transport company. typically transport companies will want cash at time of delivery (whether it's to the front of your house or to somewhere more convenient).

once you have the car delivered to you, you'll need to get it registered w/ the (environmentally ****) state of california. prior to registration, you'll need to get your F smogged since it was previously registered in another state. unless it's got exhaust modifications, it should pass smog testing easily (the F is a 50-state emissions-legal vehicle). then it's off to your local DMV to get your tags and plates.

WebSoCal

iTrader: (4)

I got my F out of state too... and just had the smog check last Friday!! It took only 30 mins to do everything!!! I believe once you're done with your smog check, the smog check shop will send the result electronically to DMV!! At that point, you will just be waiting for your plates and tag!! Correct me if I'm wrong!!!