I don't care how "fast" the is350 is, without a 6 speed it will never be as much fun to drive. I'll let my girlfriend test drive the auto is350.

So they actually compared the Lexus V8 to the BMW I6? That's pretty weak. I wouldn't wanna test drive all their cars either without having the actual direct competitors there. I'm sorry, but if I'm shopping for a V8 GS430, I wouldn't be considering an underpowered 530i.

I just realized it, but the rear of the is350 reminds me of a corolla a little.

 

really?? guess the Maranello is just as dull and boring, huh??

the IS's paddle shifters were a lot of fun to use as was the shift knob which i favored since i'm so used to it...and the shifts were faster and less laggy than the bimmer's...the bimmer was more conservative and less willing to leave the driver alone during hard cornering, and i didn't like that at all...the IS's stability control really didn't interfere with my style of driving, and i was able to slide nicely into turns, something i could rarely do with my baby

 

Ahhh, paddle shifters. Ok point taken, I didn't know they came with paddle shifters.

Was DSC turned off in the BMW? Having it on is like driving with just half the car's cappabilities.

 

both stability control systems were on...granted, the bimmer's capabilities may have been reduced, but it was an apples to apples comparison done on purpose to show how you the driver can do more and fight less with the computer in the IS vs. the bimmer

 

Well that's a pointless comparison then. The whole reason for having stability control is NOT to get the car out of control. Sounds like BMW actually did what it's supposed to do while the IS350 didn't.

I heard that in the Lexus, even if you totally turn it off, you still can't really push it as hard because the computer still interferes. I'm talking about hard driving, not test driving.

Lexus probably did the comparisons with stability/traction control on because you can't really enjoy the BMW and do what it was built for with DSC on.

 

elaboration time then: my point was, I found the 330i to be a car I would like to own whereas before I had no interest in it i r r e s p e c t i v e of any comparison to the IS, G35, Chevy Impala or whatever else. comprendre maintenant??

 

2 spots for a CL-S. Pleeease.

 

i understand what yer saying...consider this:

perhaps Lexus' stability control was designed to be there in the more clutch situations where it's blatently obvious help is needed...i tested both the IS and bimmer twice each and pushed both cars in the same turns the same way...at the first sign of sliding, the bimmer's stability control kicked in, preventing the slide altogether...the IS allowed me to slide much easier, but it was a control slide...did i lose control of the IS? no...does that make the stability control comparison useless?? not at all...i think the point was to show how the IS's stability control allows you, the driver, the benefit of the doubt to retain control of the car...fact is the bimmer felt like a front wheel drive car in the twisties, and that sux

and why should i have to turn the stability control OFF to enjoy the bimmer to the fullest anywhere?? that's stupid IMO...i mean you paid for the safety features, right?? why not use them...bottom line - bimmer was too invasive, IS was not

 

oui, oui

 

I get what you're trying to say, but it's still a pointless comparison.

When you're on a track, you don't want stability control on. The whole point of stability control is to make sure that the car doesn't get out of control. When you're on the street, you don't want to be sliding when making a turn (especially in rain or snow) When you turn DSC off, the car is totally different. And believe me, if you know what you're doing, you'll be making easy "controlled" turns in the BMW.

Point is -

If you want to take the car to the track, don't buy a BMW and leave DSC off. DSC is there to make sure that you don't lose control of the car, and that's exactly what you'd be doing when you let the rear end lose.

If you want the computer to do the driving for you, buy the Lexus. Personally, I like to be in control of my car.

Who in their right mind would want to track their car and leave traction control, etc on? If you don't know how to control a car with DSC off, then you shouldn't be even buying a car to drive around the track. Driving a BMW with DSC on around the trakc is like driving a Civic. So yes, in this case, the Lexus best fits your needs.

Shit, when I try to drive my BMW in the RAIN with DSC on and try to make the rear end come lose in a parking lot, it won't go anywhere but straight no matter how hard i try. What makes you think it will be good on the track? Yes you pay for safety features, but it sounds like the BMW is actually doing what it's supposed to do and you could still lose control in the Lexus. DSC is there for rain and snow, not for driving on the track. I never drive with it on unelss it rains.

 

Wished they had something like this in toronto...

 

 

For you guys that went, what time did you get there? How long were the waits?

 

I'm on the waitlist

 

I got there at 12PM. The lines were long to drive each car. It was very disorganized. Last year's "Taste of Luxury" was much better.

 

 

I went the to the NY show yesterday with a couple of other people. I had a hell of a great time. I got there at 9:15. I left around 1:30pm.

I drove the following
RX 400h --- The hybrid stuff is slick, I welcome this as an option to all vehicles. I'd hate to know what it would take to fix one when its 7-8 years old though.
GS 430 --- The V8 just wants to go go go.
BMW 530 --- I didn't care for the way it accelerated. When you jump on the gas it goes a little until you hit the magic RPM and woosh. Kind of like turbo lag, but no turbo in this car. Strange.
MB E500 --- Nice ride, could have used more sticky tires.
LS 430 --- Handled much better than the last time I drove an LS 400 a few years back. Ultimate kiss your ass car. Nice improvement over the LS 400.
ES 330 --- Nice car but I now laugh when people call it the "little LS". This car can't compare at all to the LS. I suggest you drive the ES before the LS or you will just think the ES is a piece of crap like I did.
LX 470 --- This truck really impressed me. Great handling for a big truck.
BMW 330 --- Best balance of power/handling. Best handling car there. Just point it in the direction you want and that's where it goes. Impressive.
IS 350 --- Faster than BMW 330 but it seemed like it had way too much power. It's handling was sloppy compared to the BMW. Maybe the production car will be better.

I drove the BMW 330 and IS 350 last so the rest of the cars wouldn't bore me. The line for most were reasonable but by noon many were getting pretty long. By the time I got to the IS 350 I probably waited about 20 minutes. That was the last thing I drove for the day.

The food was decent and they had nice rest rooms. I had a blast.

Big props to Dan for posting the original link in this thread!

 

Anyone drive an IS250? And if so, impressions?

 

I'll try the IS and GS at DiFeo Lexus next month. Of the ones that we both drove (400h, 330i, 530i & E500), I generally agree with your conclusions. I drove the 545i this past weekend at the BMW event (Shea) and that thing IS a beast; I can only imagine how much faster the new 550i is.

In all fairness to the ES, it's pretty long in the tooth by now. The 3G ES did begin life as an ES300. And the new one will probably have the new corporate 3.5L motor (i.e.: the detuned Avalon motor that'll be powering the next Camry V6).

As evidenced by the IS and maybe the Avalon, it should be a much different car than we see now.

 

Went to the DC one on Saturday with my roommate and jmathew34. The IS250s they had there were the AWD versions. Handling was sloppy and acceleration was rather mediocre. Also, the interior felt kinda small and cramped. The position of the handles and controls on the door made it rather uncomfortable during high speed manuevers. Also, visibility feels poor compared to the TSX. The windshield is big, but really raked so from the inside, the actual viewing windows is shrunk down a bit.

Overall, I was not particularly impressed with the IS. I think one more test drive at the dealership will cement my impressions of the IS before I make my final decision on whether I'm trading up to a 2006 TSX or still considering the IS.

 

Why would you trade up to an 06 TSX if you have an 04?

 

Good question!!

 

maybe he really needs bluetooth?
nah... it's definitely got to be the integrated foglights

...sorry I'm just jealous because I was on the waiting list for the DC event for weeks and couldn't go.

 

I miss driving stick. My original reason for getting the auto was because my brother was supposed to take my car after two years so that I could get an S2000, but that didn't end up happening. Now that I've been driving automatic for 2+ years and having spent a weekend in a Porsche with a manual, I really am craving driving stick again.

Plus, the added features don't hurt.