dom

Discuss.

jlukja

Imo Tsx>is250

Mokos23

I have only seen a total of 2 IS250AWD since it came out 2-3 months ago.

I have never seen a IS350 at all on the roads

jlukja

Somebody in my office building owns one. Its parked right by the entrance. Bastard.

mg7726

i've seen the IS250 AWD on occasions. doesn't look bad.

can't wait to see what acura does with our next model change.

dom

I've seen 2 IS350's and maybe 3 250's so far. In that same time I've seen about 30 new 330's and 50 325's. Considering the IS's CAD pricing and the fact that the 3 series has been around longer thats no surprise.

JediMindTricks

i've seen a few (5-6) 250's and one 350 on the road here in houston.

it's a beautiful car inside and out, and i love the wheels. i just don't think i could spend that much for the 250 though.

CarbonGray Earl

See them all the time, 250 and 350 versions. I've always thought the Lexus as higher volume anyways. And if my perception is correct, Lexus, BMW, and to a lesser extent, Benz has a larger early adopter crowd than Acura. the IS is a new model and alot people want to be first.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The 250s are floating around the DC area. Most of the drivers look like little kids with too much money or woman with sugar daddies. It's an ok car, but for the money, there are better driving experiences. Definitely not a true enthusiast car.

paranode

How much does the TL sell in comparison?

DLTSX6MT

The IS is beautiful in pictures, but...each time I see one in person...

And it's got no MT...

And it's a Toyota/Lexus product...

And that pretty "L" badge on the hood apparently adds a couple of thousand to the MSRP...

TSXmeister

I'm just not keen on the rear exterior styling of the IS250.....just ugly IMO!!

dom

Down 6.2% from March of 05.

dom

The 250 RWD has a MT available.

IlliNorge

I see no advantages of the IS250 over the TSX. If money is no object, then I'd consider the IS350, but it has no MT. I haven't seen many in suburban Chicago, quite a few downtown. I would prefer that the TSX remained below the 250 for sales #'s. Fewer on the road = more unique.

afici0nad0

maybe for the other models. but i don't think the looks/drive of the IS-series is boring at all. i had a good time test driving the 02 is300 5mt. i can't comment on the 2nd generation though, never even sat in one yet, but i do like the styling...

TypeRS

i've seen about 30 IS's on the road in the past 2 weeks here. seems like it's quickly becoming the car everyone has in OC.

i test drove the IS250 again last week and i was seriously thinking about trading in my TSX for one...

mickey513

V6, RWD, 52/48 weight distrubtion > I4, FWD & NO 50/50 weight balance.

dom

And to that I say

There's more to car than weight balance, HP/Tq and which wheels drive the car. Not nessesaraly disagreeing with you. The IS maybe the better car but I hope there are more reason's for that than what you listed.

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

And yet, the TSX handles just as well, if not better than the IS and drives like more of an enthusiasts car instead of a glorified Buick.

TSXdawg

I haven't seen many of the new IS' on the road at all, maybe 5-6. I think they are quite overpriced for what you get, having driven one. However, I'm sure that the IS250 and the AWD variant have probably stolen some market share from Acura.

Handling/acceleration are similar. Lexus has a bit of an edge with fit/finish. IMO.

gsrthomas

IS250 is a better car, no doubt about it. All it comes down if you want to spend the $4-6k more to get the IS250 instead of the TSX.

I was going to choose the TSX, but now that the IS250 is out i'll probably be picking one up in the near future.

Yes in Orange County I seen many IS's driving around. Its a hot car for a reason. Toyota/Lexus are domenating the car market today.

exexexex

Well,IS250,it's a nice car.But,honestly,I don't really like it despite the fact that I see them everyday,just parked out of my office.
The power is everything,I tried different versions of IS250s.All wheel drive,no-no-no.Slow launch,slow pick up,slow everything.It's stable on the road and handles well,however,there's not enough power to make me happy about it.Sometimes I even feel that TSX has more power over it.The 6-speed manual is not bad,but haven't really tried it,so,can't comment.
IS250 RWD Auomatic,the 6-speed auto is silky smooth,smoother than the tsx,but,still,power power power
The back seat,hummm,not my size.It's good for 2 people,but not 3 or 4,it's a joke.
IS350,good power,good handling,but,that's out of the question because it's high sticker price.
So, for IS250 and TSX,I would pick the TSX.Bigger size,nicely equiped,reasonably priced.Despite that I am a lexus guy.

JeffS

I am starting to see a lot of 250's around LA, but the IS does nothing for me. I looked at it before getting the TSX, but it was slow, cramped and expensive.

The Lexus marketing geniuses make the cheapest (automatic) IS starting at $33,888 with dest. with mandated Premium Package for my LA. If you want navi, it becomes $36,504. And you can't get HID, memory seats or Sports package at all on the 250's. That is TL pricing territory and the TL is a lot more attractive.

Lexus has definitely taken aim on BMW pricing, unfortunately they are not as enjoyable to drive as a BMW.

drkangel348

I test drove a IS350, I think its way too small...
The extra gadgets on the IS are nice. (DVD player, cooled/heated seats, reverse camera).


The 350 has more power and torque than the TSX, but I just didn't feel satisfied with the way the engine felt.
I know the IS350 is faster, but the power produced from the 3.5 V6 feels IMO way too linear thus resulting in boring acceleration.
I guess I was just underwhelmed because of the hype surrounding the new IS.

When I had the chance to drive a G35 6MT I was grinning with excitement from its off the line acceleration. Different story with the IS.

Also its paddle shifters shift slower than the TSX's SportShift.

drkangel348

Also I would think that the TSX would outhandle the new IS, under demanding situations.

As bold as that may sound, VDIM really neuters the new IS250 and 350's handling, and there is no way to disable it.

exexexex

IS250 doesn't come with the VDIM,only IS350 does.And it could be turned off,just a bit complicated......

Ellas9

Although the TSX is somewhat less expensive; it just goes to show you the huge challenge Honda has as it attempts to better the TSX. Our car is near the end of its life cycle and still kicks ass (without any price pressure either); this compares to a brand new car and the TSX is holding its own.

drkangel348

Ahh my mistake then.

Another feature I like on the IS is the powered steering wheel.

exexexex

Yeah,they are neat,but still,not a standard feature.
what I really hope is that the couple can come out earlier.But as per the western zone meeting hold by Lexus couple of days ago,I was informed that it shall come out in 2 years which is kinda long wait.

psteng19

How can you comment on the 6 speed if you've never driven it?
I'll agree that the backseat is miniscule but what kind of sedan has backseat room for 4?

crfortin

There are at least 2 new IS's in my building but I'm still the only TSX.

One of the ISs is a 350. Don't know what the other one(s) is.

I don't think much of the 250. Pricey. Less power than the car that preceeded it, smaller/cramped interior. Slushbox is reportedly ... slushy. Add AWD and the car must be like a stone. RWD is not a huge thing for me given snow/ice conditions that can turn cars into sleds.

Interior to me on the IS is a mixed bag. There are some parts and finish done to a much higher standard S-Class/7-Series/Bentley/Old Jag type leather stitching and detail mixed in with parts and plastics that look direct from the corrolla/echo parts bin.

Cramped and overpriced or no, the engine specs on the 350 are something to behold. It's like 300HP with the same fuel economy of a 200HP engine.

Please Bring out Direct Injection Honda ! Please !

Apply this to a TSX/I4 and you can imagine something like 250HP with 25% better fuel economy than now. Insane Great.

BulldogHockey

I have only seen maybe 4 IS250's and have yet to see a IS350. I've seen at least 20 or 30 TSX's around.

I really liked the look of the car. Back seat made me think, why bother? RWD seems like it would be the way to go with better weight distribution, but I've never driven it. And my TSX handles great for a FWD (even before I install RSB this weekend).

I don't see any compelling reasons to spend extra $5 or $6k to buy an IS250 besides Lexus>Acura and maybe RWD. I drool over the 350 specs and overall package, but it's auto only and one could acquire a nicely equipped BMW for similar money.

HebrewHammer

There was a letter to the "Me & My Car" section in yesterday's (April 5) Wall Street Journal, in which the writer asked specifically about the difference between the 4 cylinder engine in the TSX and the 6 cylinder in the IS 250. The WSJ editor replied that they had comparable power, but that he greatly preferred the high-revving 4 cylinder in the TSX which felt "edgier" and made the car feel more like a sports car (he said the Lexus engine was smoother and quieter). He also greatly preferred the precision of the TSX's 6 speed manual; by comparison, the Lexus' gearbox felt "rubbery."

Dan Martin

I saw my first '06 TSX on the road today. Definitely not a fan of the new wheels, but I like the rest of the changes.

peter_bigblock

I've seen a couple IS250's on the road, never one parked. Nice looking car, but I got another, "That's a great looking car" comment today. I prefer the TSX's lithe, clean lines.

drkangel348

Yeah when my TSX was next to the IS I test drove, I appreciated the lines of the TSX much more (especially lines that go down the side of the TSX).

peter_bigblock

I agree about the wheels -- saw one up close at the Acura dealer. I was there with my car parked next to the '06 so I could finally see what the changes to the rear end are -- man, they are subtle! But I digress . . .

The IS250 looks a little too "fat" to me (subjective, to be sure).

iNteGraz92

keep telling yourself that since the IS is overpriced

mickey513

BETTER car = higher price.