simont53

I just returned from the Taste of Lexus event in Stone Mountain Ga. I got to drive the new IS 350, having been an IS owner previuosly I was anxious to see what the new one was like.

Overall impressions are that it is a Lexus,with the classic lexuus fit and finish,the perfomance is great after an M3 I dont know what else could touch it in its class.

The things that confused me were this car is soooo small, fine if you are a single guy but the back seat is virtually useless especially if you are over 6 feet tall, the windshield is tiny reminding me of a Mini !!

Why cant you turn off the traction control, the typical buyer of this vehicle is buying it for performance.

Finally price...... simple.........its just too expensive .

Just my

pzero23

and how would you campare it to your TL?

simont53

Better build quality/performance, but on a size and dollar comparison I will happily keep my TL

6speedv6

He did compare them: IS = better finish and power, smaller, useless back seat, minimalistic front windshield, limited driver involvement, ridiculus price.

Translation: Drivers with lots of cash, no kids, and limited skills; and rich women might find it a bargain M3 without the c@j@nes.

simont53

Yup

2005Aspec

I thought the same thing when I was at the Lexus dealership looking at a Jeep trade in. The IS was VERY little and I decided that it was better looking in pictures than in real life.

invincible569

Pretty soon the lexus raving will be over with. I remember when it was announced that the IS was coming to the U.S. and myself including my friends thought that it was a dream come true because of the wonderful pictures we have been seeing in the Japanese magazines... especially those that were modified. BUT when my friend had his on order and picked it up and showed it to me, I was truly dissapointed with the size. Im thinking this is probably deja vu once again.

TL Fantasy

I too drove the IS350 and IS250 at the Taste of Lexus event when it was in Miami. First impressions when driving both through the course were "wow". This was more so for the 350 than the 250. I left the event thinking "I would really like one of these"...but this changed when the new IS hit dealerships.

I visited local Lexus dealership to spend more time evaluating and test driving both the 250 and 350. The fit and finish of the interior was very well executed with multiple finishes and textures utilized throughout the interior. I found the new IS to be EXTREMELY small in exterior appearance and lacking character. The interior, well all I can say is VERY small and and cramped. What's with the hump protruding into the drivers side foot well? I 5'9" and average build but I found this hump forcing my knees together instead of a more relaxed knees apart driving position.

I do agree with your assessment of the useless backseat. Though the seats and leather were extremely comfortable, I could not find a comfortable position for my arms/elbows. The center arm rest was too low and did not come as far forward as in the TL. The door arm rest encroached too far into the interior to comfortably rest my left arm, again contributing to a cramped feeling.

The 250 was very slow off the line but did gain power once up to 20+ mph. Acceleration was smooth but not as powerful or quick as the TL. I found the 350 to actually launch off the line, pinning me back in the seat more so than the TL, which is to be expected as more horses are pulling than the TL.

Overall, the new IS with its bland uninspiring exterior styling and very cramped interior left me wanting. Considering the performance and handling was comparable to the TL I just can't see myself spending 5-10k more to get a vehicle comparably equiped as the TL for what I perceive as less. My

simont53

Oh........ and I also drove the BMW 330.........what a POS there was nothing memorable or impressive about that car...give me my TL.

UglyPsycho

Ive been working on the IS350, 250, 250AWD for a while now. I am very impressed with the performance of the 350. I got to say it feels like it pulls harder than my S/Ced TLS. The 250 and AWD the performance was poor but it handles great. I think you should buy the 250 only if you dont care about speed. Overall its a well put together car. Its pretty much a mini GS which I rather have but wouldnt spend 61g's for a 430. I am going to trade in my S/Ced TLS when the 2007 IS350 comes out. I will take some pictures of the IS and post them for you guys to see when I go back to work Monday if the hurricane doesnt hit us..

Pro Stock John

Magazine guys got a 13.7 out of one I think.

If the backseat is cramped that would be big turnoff for me, that is one of the three reasons I got the TL. Most of the TL sized cars have cramped backseats.

SergeyM

Why are you looking at cars that are too expensive for you?

mio

IMO, the IS is overpriced...

05TLTony

I haven't been in one, but I heard the interior material is cheap and the side mirrors were literally ripped off the rx330. However, it's nice to see lexus is making new cars more powerful. The older cars, besides the V8s, were very wimpy IMO

simont53

Trust me I am not ....its a matter of value jackass

SebringSilver

It really is a very fancy Corolla.

mio

lol, I will say fancy hyundai, coz the rear, the tail lights look similar with the new 06 hyundai sonata...

UglyPsycho

How is the IS over priced? They start at $32 if I rememebr correctly, and its worth every penny. You gotta remember the IS is aimed for the younger aged group thats why its small.

SebringSilver

But you don't get leather, for that price, nor do you get the better stereo, the moonroof, navigation, and a host of other features. The pricing structure for the IS (and most Lexus models) is set up so that you have to order the options in clusters, which really substantially increases the price of the car even when you really only wanted one particular option.

2005Aspec

Because for 32k you can get a whole lot more than an is250 with no navi.

mio

r u gonna buy such a nice car without sunroof, cd change, heated seat, hid, leather, Memory Seats,bla bla bla~ ?

and then take a look at how much r those options, then u will understand what is overpriced...

scrb09

I wonder WHY

just kidding, had to do it...

priggly

The IS is the premium sports compact sedan for little people with big wallets.

The car is . . . microscopically small and cramped, anemic with respect to the 250, not as quiet on the road as one would expect, characterized by mediocre handling, ridiculously optioned so that one is forced to pay more and more to get the desirable options, hamstrung by the overly intrusive and non-cancellable VDIM, and generally an overhyped and underperforming offering. In no way does it compare to the TL, particularly in the realm of value!

txathlete

I just returned from Saturdays Lexus Taste of Luxury in Dallas. I drove the IS 250 and 350. I also drove the 330 beemer they had there too. The IS350 had great powder but the ride quality, steering wheel, gas and break felt too marshmallowy and the interior felt really small. The beemer on the hand just felt like it was a driver's car. You could feel the ground, the steering wheel, the breaks and the gas; everything felt connected and solid. After thinking about whether or not I would buy an IS, I've come to the conclusion that my TL is just about perfect for me; it's got a bit of the luxury of the Lexus and the sportiness of the Beemer. Besides, when do I really punish my car like the way I did the IS and Beemer at the Lexus event. my

UglyPsycho

Yeah thats true. You can also get a 1994 NSX (JDM), Sebring Silver/Red for the price of a loaded is350 .

WdnUlik2no

I was there in Stone Mountain too! the IS really impressed me! As for getting it to replace or in addition to my TL, maybe not, though it is very tempting. I have to see if my aweness wears off first. But first impression gets

I enjoyed the overall event too, good food and great atmosphere.

simont53

I was impressed by the IS in the same way the M3 impressed me,but I dont think I would give up my TL for the IS mainly due to the size.

It was an enjoyable event.

SebringSilver

Lexus' opposite number to our TL remains the ES, especially when you take form factor and target market demographics into consideration. The IS is essentially a very expensive alternative to the TSX.

Actuary

I wonder how many people opt for 350 over 250. It would be interesting to see them on road.

simont53

my wife has a TSX and it is way bigger than the IS.....although maybe the demographic is closer in Lexus terms.

ronlarimer

You are thinking of the old IS. The new one is larger than the TSX.

SebringSilver

Not on the inside, it isn't. I've test driven the IS250 and IS350, and neither one feels as roomy inside as the TSX. That's not to say the TSX is a limousine exactly, but it's certainly got more elbow room in front, and more leg room in back than the new IS.

ronlarimer

I didn't think so. Oh well.

SebringSilver

But that's not to say that the IS isn't a good car nor that it doesn't have any redeeming qualities. Just the quality of the paint job alone is enough to set the IS (and indeed most Lexus products) apart from 95% of the automotive world. Lexus really does do an excellent job where fit and finish are concerned.

downtown

Test drove it too. Steering to light in that car. Car drives you. Should be other way around.

simont53

No, trust me I had the old IS, the TSX is bigger inside than the new IS especially in the back

TLTrance

How about we just look at the actual reported sq ftage for all these cars in question?

6speedv6

Just like Nissan/Infinity, BMW, MB, Audi, and everyother overpriced brand ...

6speedv6

A TL ...

6speedv6

Although I perfectly approve, there is no comparison between those 2.