I'm curious to see why people went with the IS.

I chose IS because the interior is the best I have ever seen, the exterior is exciting and new, and BMW and Audi have been painfully boring both inside and out.

I also wanna know what people thought about the handling of the BMW 3 and 4 series versus the IS. I feel like the BMW feels tighter all around. Steering is stiffer, body more rigid, and suspension completes the feel of an indestructible tank.

 

One word . . . reliability.

 

Lexus reliability, cost, and standard features than BMW 3 series.

 

Reliability
Unique interior and especially exterior. F sport almost looks exotic
Resale value
Lower cost to maintain
Reliability

 

Exterior styling, dealer locations and quality of dealer, price.

Before typing further, remember, these are an individual's opinion, and that's what you requested!

I was coming out of a 2011 Infiniti G37S with tech/premium/sport packages after 94k miles into a new 2014 IS 350 f sport with nav package, here are my observations after 4,800 miles in the Lexus:

Advantage Lexus
Exterior styling (but not by much), G37s, is 350 f sport, Q50s all gorgeous to my eye

Navigation system, faster, more logical

Dealer, dealer, dealer - I look forward to visiting at 10k

Driver information center, individual tire inflation, ease of reviewing MPG etc., very comprehensive yet easy
to navigate and control

Automatic headlights seem to match my preferences much better.

Wallet key card, very nice

Touch lock/unlock is nicely implemented. I appreciate a REAL sound that confirms locks are locking.

Carpeting seems heavier and more durable, should wear better

Folding rear seat backs, should be handy someday

Fore/aft adjustable head rests, very nice

Glovebox tray is nice

Great suspension setup in Sport+, but due to eighth gear lockout it's seldom usable.

The LFA sliding gauge was nifty the first three times I started the car, failed to amuse after that. The last 500 times, it's a button I have to push to get a complete display. Too bad it can't slide over on startup.

Advantage Infiniti
Seat leather is far heavier and construction details are better executed

"Sporty" seats, thigh support, etc. Generally more supportive, a very deluxe sport seat

Memory seats, duh, I would have walked away if I'd spotted this before the Lexus purchase. Fairly ridiculous omission

Regular climate controls not fiddly semi-predictable pseudo touch control

"Premium" dash trim (wood rather than flat black plastic)

Dash styling nicely done, not Corollaesque

Rational cupholder placement and construction rather than bizarre placement and 5% under standard size

Single button controls all sunroof functions, and why would it not

Sunglass holder! A spot for change!

Sport mode without losing eighth gear

Foglights!

"Modern" trunk hinges lift the trunk higher and take-up no trunk space

When in full screen map mode, upper left shows cell bars and batter, lower section shows any changes in climate, audio, every track played, etc without disturbing map

Backup camera has predictive lines that accurately describe the arc of the car as wheels turn

Generally, my Lexus interior gives off a "budget" vibe, while the Infiniti felt more premium.

After all of that, I would have bought the Q50s if not for the dual touch screens. No way I would deal with that for routine HVAC/audio controls. The IS will be fine but has some bizarre errors/omissions.

 

Because the 335i with m sport was too expensive

 

Because the Mercedes dealer did not have a C 350 Sport in stock and could not get one for months.

 

Honestly, I was originally going to purchase a GS, but after seeing the new design in person and the LFA inspired look and feel (LOVE the speedometer, HAS TO BE THE COOLEST THING ABOUT THIS CAR), I went with the IS. But I have to admit the IS is a bit cramped inside, unlike the GS which is a lot more open. But I guess this isn't a full size sedan, more of a compact sedan.

 

The steering is way tighter in the IS than in the 335i and in my opinion the suspension is better as well. The steering in the IS is tighter in Eco that the 335i in Sport. Suspension advantage goes to the IS.

BMW has a power kit which gives the 335i additional 30hp for a decent price. $1200-$1500 if i remember correctly. It would be nice if Lexus can pull off something like that... call it F Power lol

 

I was cross-shopping the IS350 with the ATS and A4.

Reliability was a top priority for me, which put Lexus ahead from the start. The interior was second to none in the class, IMO. And, the f-sport styling/gauges just put me over the top. Very satisfied with the car!

 

Competition: Mercedes CLA250 & Acura TLX
-A Merc for $30k?! Count me in! Except after you build a comparably equipped one the value disappears and being the first of its kind, you have no idea of its reliability or build quality. It did accelerate and handle very well, ride was rough though. Styling was nice, but just couldn't find much value unless you really wanted the badge.

-The Acura was reliable and was probably the best bang for the buck, but it was sooooo boring. I've been driving a Honda the past few years maybe that had something to do with it. It didn't handle all that well, even with it's Prercision All Wheel Steer. It did have nice features though like multi-view rear view camera, lane keep assist, forward collision, ELS Premium audio, etc. all for a better price than the Lexus. Styling improved, but still wasn't a fan of that grill.

Bottom line I went with the Lexus because of reliability and the fun driving experience. Wish I had enough to get the IS350, but the 250 is more than enough for my daily driving needs, I'm in stop-and-go traffic anyway. It was surprisingly as spacious(if not more) than the competition, I liked the styling a lot more, and they offered much better financing/incentives.
->Really would of like easy entry access(Acura had it), memory seats(Acura & Merc had), park assist(not entirely sure how much it helps though), but I could live without it.

 

price point, value, reliability, look...
I would have considered as AUDI S performance car, but it starts way to high for my wallet, along with the MB and BMW.
That being said, I am very happy with my car, comfort and look.

 

That, plus I like the look of the IS a lot and I love the red interior and LF-A cluster. There's also a track record of Toyota/Lexus reliability set by my AE86, which never left me stuck, and my 1GS, which I put 150K miles on with only routine maintenance needed.

 

Because there is no competition.




But for the real stuff, I was just scared the other cars won't last longer than the Lexus. I tried another category, which are the STIs and the EVOs but the rides were super stiff for me.

 

price, quality and reliability, looks is what got me. I was never a fan of BMW or MB. I looked into the audi S4 but the price was a little high for me.

the IS350 F is a great car for the price, I love the dash, interior and the LFA gauge cluster!

love this car.