zerep6

Im wondering what pros and cons are there for either having a lexus is300 or acura3.2tl-p. In regards to performance and comfort. Personally I see more of Lexus IS300 modified going very fast and no 2GTL going the same way. Just curious those where my both choices between buying a is300 or a tl I ended up buying a 99tl beacuse it was such a good offer made to me.

JMAL

well the TL is fast enough for me, you can drive a TL in the snow, acura/honda quality(minus AT), and damn good looks. thats why i bought it over a bimmer/g35. to me is300=rich kid version of an intergra. very boyracer, i know your 18, but i think it gets old fast. enjoy the tl, its a classy ride.

Nothin' but Da Truth

I went through the same decision making process. For me it was between an 02 IS300 and an 02 TL-S. The 2002 model year for the Lexus underwent some cosmetic and comfort adjustments and added the 5-sp manual to the line-up. My problem, was I couldn't find one that fit the value (5-sp and Navigation) when compared to the near-luxury, mid-sized sedan of the TL-S, which I found also with Navigation. The only thing I think I would've enjoyed on the IS was the manual transmission. For the size and class of the vehicle (I have a family, so I needed a sedan) I elected to go with the mid-size versus the compact-size. I purchased my TL-S back in December and am very happy with the decision I made.

03bl AC k CL

is300 was one of my choices as well... and im 18 as well and chose the tl-s... the is300 had a very smooth ride, but outside of that nothing compared. the car was entirely too small, the dash layout was very corolla-ish.. not to mention the car was extremely slow.. stock for stock the tl will out run the is300 handling of course goes to the is... but the luxury and semi-sporty looks of the tl fit my personality well... and i get nothing but compliments about my car and color choice. most importantly though there is absolutely nothing i regret about my decision. one more thing to consider (if you are paying for your own car as i am) is look at the 2 price tags and the options that come with each car that should be enough reason to stick with the tl. unless you are really into racing and plan on turboing the lexus, the TL all the way.

bonknhead

These are the exact same reasons I chose my 03 TL-S last June - size and class of vehicle. The one thing that kept me looking at 02 IS300s was the availability of the manual tranny. I chose the TL-S because it was $3-4K cheaper when Navi was included.

Reading through forums like my.is also convinced me. From I read there, unless you FI you can only hope for ~260 flywheel HP with standard bolt-ons like headers, exhaust, intake, etc., which is what a TL-S puts out stock.

The dealer-provided warranty to 100K plus the dealer's confirmation that the tranny had been replaced in May 2006 sealed the deal. I'm very happy with my decision too.

02TLSfan

I too considered an IS300 when I bought my TL-S back in 2003. My impression of the IS was too much for too little, the TL had better features, more room, more power, better looks, the list goes on. I know Toyota/Lexus makes a good car, but as far as I'm concerned...fuck 'em...I don't like the style of their cars, I can't think of one from any year that I would prefer over an Acura. And this comes after having driven my stepdad's '03 GS330 and '06 LS430.

tegkid

iTrader: (7)

yeh im actually in the market as well for my next car
right now i drive a little modified gsr but im a little tired of the kid-racer look, road noise, cop trouble, and scraping on every other road in downtown..

so i started looking at i narrowed it down to 02-03 tl-s and 01-03 is300
but the more i thought about it; the more i realized the is300 was just too precocious for me so i went the tl-s. and i think ill be very happy with the decision

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

i was put in this position also... i was looking between is300, 97-01 prelude, tl, cl

crossed out is300, didn't look that nice
crossed out tl, i wanted a MT
prelude was a sexy car, but i want luxury... it was hard for me not to get this car since i've dreamt of owning it since 99
03 CL-S 6-speed it was! i'm 18 also

PenguinQX

iTrader: (1)

Haha, same situation I was faced with a few years ago...

At the time, the Lexus was out of my price range unless I wanted one with like 90k miles on the odo... I think I made the right choice, the interior of the Lexus is atrocious... no leather or any other goodies.

the TL def. gives you more bang for the buck.

Colorado J

I just got a 02 type s and my bro just got a 02 is, on the highway i kill him, in the mountains he can beat me. Hes got FR we got FF. FR>FF in my opinion for fun factor but living in colorado i am not gonna deal with rearwheel for another winter.

Sure the IS is sportier and more agressive but the benefits of the tl outweigh the highschool need to draw attention to yourself. plus my snowboard fits in the backseat.

TL For the win. but if i lived in Florida or cali i might have bought the is, they are rad cars.

6MTUA5

iTrader: (2)

^^^^ i live in FLA and still went with the TL. They are real nice cruisin cars too.

vzuptnguyen

its funny how we all considered the same car. lets see what other cars we considered alike.

these are the ones i was about to buy as well.

TL
IS300-too small, with like someone said "corolla like interior"
I35-biggest runner up, except the body lines of car wasnt as sporty
Q45-very nice car, woulda went with it, but it was a V8
G20-nice car, except it was too small.

Lawaia

O/T. Feel free to repost in CAR TALK