[GeorgiaTech335coupe]

Originally Posted by 335iheLLraiseR

there is a really old saying i say alot, "you show me the most beautiful girl in the world, and i'll show you someone thats tired of fucking her..."

same logic applies to cars....

also, the way i see it. Lexus are meant to spoil you, BMW are meant to be driven, they don't call it the ultimate driving machine for nothing.

I was thinking the exact same thing when I was reading this thread...

[OC Guy]

I absolutely love my car, no regrets. We have an IS250 too, I don't like it as much although it's a nice car. It is just not involving enough for me as a driver.

[flipmde786]

I will agree that the IS interior is visually more pleasing, but I was actually disappointed with the quality of the materials.

The drive is simply not the same, of course. As most have said, it lacks the connection to the road.

[Robert]

What does what he do have to do with anything? He's probably making 20/hour tax free so it is equivalent to making 70k to 80k a year.

[Ironduck]

Lexus may be nice, but I rather wake up and see a BMW parked in my garage...................

[E90Russ]

i think audi has the best interiors. lexus interiors are very nice, but kind of boring.

[dmz]

Your brother woudn't let you drive his car, uh? That sucks.

Originally Posted by BeeEmDubU

My brother has an IS250 and I would rather be driven in an IS250 (unless I'm sitting in the back) but I would rather drive in my car.

[GregL]

I test drove the IS when it first came out, would have probably gone for it had they offered AWD on the IS350 and if the interior wasn't so darn small.

[BeeEmDubU]

Originally Posted by dmz

Your brother woudn't let you drive his car, uh? That sucks.

Ummm, no. What I meant is that his car has more gimmicks (warm/cooled seats, better navi, more comfortable leather, etc...) and I would rather be driven in his car. However, if I'm the one doing the driving, I would much rather drive my car.

[Gquie]

I test drove the IS250 and while I agree the interior was excellent and very smooth, it was almost too smooth and when I floored it the pickup was sleepy slow. I do like it when you redline that the whole odometer thing lights up red.. that was a cool feature. Otherwise though if I was only interested in luxury I'd probably have gone for the Lexus. But when I text drove the 328i the driving dynamics felt completely different and this "connection with the car" thing was very apparant. When I test drove the 328i on the highway and stepped on it to pass a car I was instantly sold. The pick up was amazing. (I came from an RSX Type S so the Torque really impressed me on the BMW).

Still though sometimes with the IS brochure sitting on my desk still, I look at it every once and a while and wonder what if I had purchased it.

[iheartsole]

IS is nice, but small. rather have a bmw

[Kbueno]

Originally Posted by tcpsoft

After I test drove it, I thought the IS350 was a very nice car, but not a "driver's car." Like many others here, the things that got on my nerves were

No manual on 350
No power on 250
Numb steering feel
No way to turn off stability control

I'll be curious to see what the IS-F actually comes out with, though I still think Lexus is a luxury car maker first and foremost with performance as an afterthought.


You should have asked Lexus for the Asian delivery program... love you LONG time

I was so impressed with my current 01 Lexus GS430, I wanted a coupe too!
I kept waiting for an IS coupe in a manual and then the 335i came outa left field with the one thing it always lacked (sans M3): BALLS! IS350 is fast, but the stock 3 series will still eat it for lunch.

I should note that there is a way to turn off the stability control on the IS which involves a bunch of manuevers everytime you start it. I thoroughly test drove the IS350, GS450h, LS, Bmw 7-series and MB S550 at a Taste Of LEXUS event. I agree that the IS350 feels cramped. Not much room at all for friends in the back. Interior and nav, however, are typical Lexus top-notch.
As with all Lexus, the steering is mush.

I'm happy with my decision. For me, the 335i has it all, performance, luxury, technology, and especially looks. I like the fact that it's not in your face and looks like a Honda (maybe I'm getting old).

[Cliffj]

I am going thru this same process now in deciding between the 335i and IS350. I have owned three 3 series and really enjoy the drive and feel of the car. I have driven the IS350 and was actually very pleased with the sport suspension. I agree with most that it doesn't have the pure road feel of the 335 (or any 3 series), but it was still pretty good. Something I could be happy with.

The other thing that is swaying me toward the lexus, is that I am looking for 6-8 years and 200K worth of reliability on my next car. I am not convinced that the 335 fits that category. Look at all the problems it already has with fuel pumps, overheating (supposedly fixed), electronic problems, etc.

Who knows how long the turbo's will last, because no one has 100K on them yet.

The biggets complaints I have read on the lexus 2IS forums is about "too much break dust" and small back seats. Doesn't sound like those items will cost me a lot to fix when it runs out of warranty.

I afraid BMW's "free" maintenance program for the first 50K miles won't offset the repair bills when it is out of warranty.

YMMV.

Cliffj

[OC Guy]

Cliff, you can go up to 100k, beyond that? I don't know, I don't keep cars that long, whether they are Japanese or European. My biggest complaint about our IS is the crippled Nav/Electronic features while driving and the relatively boring (but smooth) ride.

[valsorim]

Originally Posted by SDYANKEE

I've been on these boards for a few months, and for the longest time I've put the 335 leagues above the IS250/IS350 from Lexus...got to drive a 250 tonight on the job (boutique hotel valet), and I must say I was VERY impressed with it, to the point of my questioning if I got the right car. I love the looks of my 3er, and the performance, which only the IS350 comes close to matching, but the interior of those cars is far and away better IMO. The leather was perforated and very comfortable, and they are very silent cars, much more touring.

The only reason I never actually considered the IS350 was because they didn't make it in stick, and I'm not sure if they do now...I heard they were for MY08. The IS250 just didnt have muscle enough for me.

The whole point to this story is this: anyone else had a moment where they got into another car and think they might've made the wrong decision, even if just for a split second?

No

[killer_bee]

Originally Posted by Cliffj

I am going thru this same process now in deciding between the 335i and IS350. I have owned three 3 series and really enjoy the drive and feel of the car. I have driven the IS350 and was actually very pleased with the sport suspension. I agree with most that it doesn't have the pure road feel of the 335 (or any 3 series), but it was still pretty good. Something I could be happy with.

The other thing that is swaying me toward the lexus, is that I am looking for 6-8 years and 200K worth of reliability on my next car. I am not convinced that the 335 fits that category. Look at all the problems it already has with fuel pumps, overheating (supposedly fixed), electronic problems, etc.

Who knows how long the turbo's will last, because no one has 100K on them yet.

The biggets complaints I have read on the lexus 2IS forums is about "too much break dust" and small back seats. Doesn't sound like those items will cost me a lot to fix when it runs out of warranty.

I afraid BMW's "free" maintenance program for the first 50K miles won't offset the repair bills when it is out of warranty.

YMMV.

Cliffj

Why not a 328i or '06 330i?

[Cliffj]

OC335i & Killer Bee - Thanks for the response.

I normally don't keep my cars quit that long either, but I have 2 kids remaining in the household, one a sophmore in college, the other a sophmore in H.S. I have 8 years of college payments ahead of me. I need to put my money into them rather than car payments & maintenance. Thus the need for a car that will go high mileage, and be low maintenance after the warranty runs out (please don't give me the Honda & Camry type suggestions. It still has to be fun to drive). I just don't have a good feeling about the 335i in those respects.

I have considered the 328i and a used 06 330i. If I could find a LOW mileage 330i, I might be interested. For the price of a new 328i, reasonably loaded, I can get a LOT more features in the IS350, and have a lot more power.

Killer Bee - on the nav in the IS350, does it give the street names for the turns or just "turn at next road" type instructions. I just bought a Nuvi 370 for a road trip we were on, and it has text to speach and issues street names for turns. It is a neat little gizmo.

What to do?

Cliffj

[killer_bee]

Originally Posted by Cliffj

Killer Bee - on the nav in the IS350, does it give the street names for the turns or just "turn at next road" type instructions. I just bought a Nuvi 370 for a road trip we were on, and it has text to speach and issues street names for turns. It is a neat little gizmo.

What to do?

Cliffj

I am not sure whether the IS gives street names for turns or not...but I can tell you the 335/328 does. Not sure about the 330i though(never used the nav). Here is the nav system difference that I can think of:

Lexus IS:
Touch-screen, placed lower in the dash
Nav commands cannot be placed while vehicle in motion
Bigger screen
Back-up Camera

BMW '07 3series:
I-drive, placed higher in the dash with hump
Operational while moving
Smaller screen
Real-Time Traffic Info w/ dynamic routing

There is no doubt IS provides more of a value. But I would say 330/328 is probably one of the more reliable cars in BMW's line-up(with the tested inline 6 engine). Personally I would go with a bimmer just because I have driven Japanese cars all my life and driving becomes a tad boring after the honeymoon phase. For example, I would MUCH rather take my mother's 8 year old 3-series out for a spin than my sister's 1 year old Lexus GS!

[OC Guy]

The 335/328 does not give street names on Text to Speech. It does show it on the screen. Perhaps Killerbee misinterpreted your question. The Lexus does not give street names on Text to Speech as well.

Regarding the Nav,

I like the functionality of the BMW better. The features, RTTI, the zoom in/zoom out with the I-Drive knob is actually quite nice. On the BMW, when you have a split screen, the right hand column split only takes up about 30% of the screen. On the Lexus, it's 50/50 when split so it looks a bit small IMO. Both systems you can search by POI but in the Lexus, it allows you to type in the name, which is better than just searching by area in the BMW.

However, while driving you cannot search by POI, change destinations, view your playlists on MP3 discs, and scroll thru your phone book. The voice button is on the right hand side of the center console, which is not too ergonomic. With the BMW I have the voice button on the steering wheel, which helps when you don't want to take your eye off the road.

[younghov85]

Originally Posted by danimal

Lexus simply got the powertrain options wrong on the IS. I was hoping for a successor to the IS300, thinking they would use the engine from the GS300. Instead, they went with the underpowered 2.5 or the 3.5 with no stick. They aren't inline anymore, either. They're V. Stupid. Plus the car is longer than the 3 Series, yet has less rear leg room. There's also no paid maintenance and the suspension is not as impeccably tuned as the BMW's. The IS is definitely a beautiful car, provides a lot for the money, and has Lexus quality and ergonomics, but I don't regret my decision one bit so far.

-Dan

Being that they went to the V configuration has nothing really to do with it. I-6's use to be really popular as they were super smooth as there is less vibration and friction. But they also take up more room, so many companies (Lexus) have gone to the more traditional V configuration. The newer V6 engines are just as smooth and take up half the room, leaving space for after market upgrades.

[335 FTMFW]

The IS is a nice car, but the 335 is for a person that likes to drive. That can be said for many other cars in its class as well.

[Cliffj]

OC335i & Killer Bee - thanks again for the information.

I'm sure I did not state the Nav question well, but your information was very helpfull. One final question on the NAV for the Lexus, while it doesn't speak the name of the street to turn on, does it indicate the street name on the screen? I drove an IS350 that had the Nav screen, but I did not pay any attention to it. I was more interested in ride, road feel and sound of the radio.

I will go and re-drive a 328. I did drive the 328 Coupe the same day I drove the 335i. I was surprised at how well the 328 drove and was more responsive than I would have thought for the 230-235 HP that it has. It just doesn't hold a candle to the 335i for power. That is why I was leaning more toward the Lexus IS350. I drove the IS250, and knew it just did not have enough power for me. I have not driven an 06 330i, the one year of that 255 HP engine I believe, so can't relate to that one.

Thanks for the insight guys. It is a quandry. I don't want to leave the BMW community, because I have had some sort of 3 series for about 15 years. Matter of fact, my son is going to inherit my 00 328i in November. However, BMW is getting out of hand with 3 series pricing in relation to their competition. For someone that doesn't lease because I drive about 25K miles per year, it is hard to justify close to 50K for a 335i and 40K+ for a mid level featured 328 Coupe. For 40.5K OTD, I can have an IS350, sport package, ML/Nav package, XM and rear trunk spoiler. Comes with heated/cooled lx seats, 6 spd auto w/ paddle shifters (I'd rather have a manual), smart access , rain sensing wipers, 10 way drivers AND passenger memory seats, auto dimming rear view and side mirrors, homelink, 6 disc CD changer with MP3 & DVD audio, etc. If I want to give up the built in NAV, I can get the IS350 OTD for 37.8K. I already have these offers in hand.

At some point in time, BMW's "drive feel" is not going to warrant the price differential, especially if the reliability issues with the 335i persist.

Cliffj