Hi Guys,
Today, my dad had some sort of urge but is looking at a Lexus. We went and drove the car today.

First Impressions: The car imo looks 10 times better than the old IS. The car has some really nice lines and curves to it and looks conservative but has a great look over the base IS250. I really like the way the lines of the taillights flow down into the rockers. The only thing i didn't like is the "Nike swoosh" DRL's are no integrated into the headlights.

Interior: The interior has a nice overall set up, the dash is pretty well laid out and the technology is great. The gauge cluster is very cool, its styled like the LFA and it is pretty badass. Seats are very comfy and the gray leather is a very cool color. The one downside to the interior is that the materials are not consistent throughout. They have really nice leather that they wrap some pieces on the dash and console in, but then the other pieces are a very cheap plastic that is not visually pleasing and doesn't give you that higher end feeling.
Performance: The car is by no means fast but it is not slow either. The 306 HP V6 will get you by but theres always that itch for more. The engine does however have a nice exhaust note. This car being AWD has the 6 speed auto. It is not an impressive transmission. It doesn't shift that fast, the steering wheel paddles are almost pointless as the transmission isn't very responsive and cant shift that quick and sometimes it seems to get confused on what gear it should be in. It handles pretty well, more less how i expected it too, not amazing, not horrible. The seats do give good support and are very comfy as well. In typical Lexus fashion the car is quiet (aside from a little tire noise) and rides fairly well.
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Just thought i would share my experience with everyone!

Thanks,
Alex

 

Thanks for sharing Alex! I like the new IS but I'm still not sure how I feel about the back.

 

I like the grill.......is that bad to say that?

 

The DRL strips aren't integrated into the headlights and that is my biggest gripe with the looks. But I've realized that when it's a darker colored IS, I can't see the gap/ shape of the headlight so that kinda helps it look better to my eye. I think that interior looks great, especially since it doesn't have all of the random shapes like the new ES has.

 

Nope! I actually like it as well!

 

Is it the way the front seats are set but is there actually a usable backseat as opposed to the previous IS? I personally like the new look overall, especially in that color.

 

Yes they are. Very comfy and a good amount of leg room (Im 5' 10''). Plus the seats fold for bigger cargo.

 

Overall, I think the new IS is an improvement from the last generation. However, there are two main I issues I have with the design: First are the taillights that seem to stretch too far into the rear quarter panels. Second are the the odd shape of the air dams/vents in each corner of the front bumper cover. From the front view it looks amazing... from the side view, it's like staring at a severely obese person wearing lululemon yoga pants -just wrong.

 

What was the sticker on this thing? FWIW, the new IS looks much better in person. Someone on my school's campus has one.

 

man the new IS are pretty fucking sick looking

 

is it just me or does the rear bumper stick out pretty far? can't tell in the pics...

i'm not a fan of that predator grille. i think it does look okay on some colors but when it's one huge uninterrupted piece like on that car...it's meh. i saw one with maybe a license plate or something in front...looked better imo.

 

It was like 49 something with every option.

 

Nice pickup!

+1 about the comments on the rear, personally, the red in the bumper looks horrid, but the rest of the car looks really nice!

Congrats!!

 

I'm not so sure about it. One moment I'll really like it, then the next moment I won't.

I'd rather have an S4 for that price range.

 

Very nice ride.

 

I dont think his dad bought it...just drove it.

I LOVE everything about the IS 350 F sport. I wouldnt get AWD...but I dont live in a place where I would need it.

Lexus NAILED this one, imo.

 

That's what we were talking about too but a fully loaded S4 is closer to the 60k mark. But I honestly feel the same way about the car. Sometimes I look and it and think it looks good then other times I hate it.

 

Yea we are just thinking about purchasing the car. I want to wait for the CLA45 AMG and S3 though.

 

The hood makes it look so long. I realize they made the biggest jump in length between the first and second gen, but I didn't realize it was that close to the ES. Their wheel bases are almost identical.

2013/2014 Lengths:
IS = 184"
ES = 192"
GS = 190"
LS = 200"

Widths:
IS = 71"
ES = 71"
GS = 72.4"
LS = 74"

Why did Lexus take their compact sport sedan and make it almost the same size as their other boats that were already too close in size? The first generation was 173" long.

 

No more double stacked dual exhaust.... I loved those.

 

^ That's the IS-F. This is the IS350 F-Sport. Completely different. Well maybe not completely, but 2 cylinders and about 100hp different.

 

woow that car looks like a monster. I love it all the way around. good luck

 

Well if it had any sort of engine under the hood it would be.. We drove it again today back to back with the Q50S, both of these cars are so slow. I didn't notice it the first time in the Lexus but the NA V6 on either car doesn't really cut it up at altitude.

 

This is the best color for the new IS, IMO. Then again, I often have a preference for gray cars. I'm still not a big fan of the grill and headlights, but the dark color does improve it for me. If the grill on the F-Sport were toned down just a bit, I'd find it much more palatable. I also don't care for the way the rear taillights angle down towards the rear wheels. It looks like an afterthought. As if the designers thought the rear looked boring and a little too much like that last generation IS so they tweaked them to add intrigue or something. It doesn't work for me. I do like the interior, and the fact that it actually has a usable rear seat.

 

do u have any night time interior shots?
can u park beside a first gen tsx?
I wanna see how big it is (or not) compared to a first gen tsx as the dimensions are really close, despite an owner here saying otherwise thats its alot bigger...
It's biggest gain is width vs the tsx and it's just marginally longer which is my main concern
I looked at the numbers and despite his claim and with no pics it's obviously the perceived illusion that it is a much bigger car

 

Beautiful car.

 

He was reporting on a test drive; I don't think he's going back to park a TSX next to this thing for you.

 

Nice looking car for sure!

 

Plus someone bought it. I saw someone driving the exact same car from the same dealer and it had temp tags, the dude gave me a thumbsup though
This was one of the only F-Sports in CO.

 

Good call

 

Great looking car, I checked it out a few times at the local dealer. It's priced pretty good too. I kind of want one... The red/black F-sport interior looks great. I agree about the cheaper-looking plastics in some places, and the front does look a bit odd, even though I personally don't mind the grille or the detached LEDs.

 

Styled like the LFA, you don't say

 

 

I forgot about this thread

 

At least those pics are from Colorado... and Kuni Lexus is in Denver

 

It looks very nice, but the price is a tad high.

 

Maybe this is his dad's car.

 

Fast forward to 4:00:

LOL @ "the shift paddles are not really comfortable for me since I like to drive with my hand on top like this"

 

Hmmmm...... I wonder what forum these were stolen from.

 

Ah.. Mr. Altegris, good guy