I also found a red one (which is really my favorite color on this car), with the same wheels - AutoTrader Link Red IS-F

I just got back from test driving the silver IS-F. It was nice, but two things - 1) it's powerful, but it didn't really have as much "punch" as I expected. Don't know if it would give me more in "Sport Mode" (I forgot to hit that button :tomato:); and 2) the interior is rather bland. I was surprised it just didn't catch my attention as much as my own TL. They offered to come down to $37,500 for it.

my uncle had one had it for a while liked it about to sell it now..

maintenance was no big deal for him... nothing really went wrong with the car and he had oil changes for 3 years for free

Talk to Jason AKA CCCcolticehockey something about the IS-F

Good suggestion. I just PM'd him.

SMG is fast, but can also seem pretty harsh for daily driving. This is from driving/riding in my friends E46 M3. The newer dual clutch units on the new M3 and future M5 are much smoother from what everyone is saying.

In regards to the 6-speed on that generation M5, I have heard people complaining about it a lot. Apparently BMW just lifted the 6-speed from the previous gen M5 and dropped into that generation, without changing the gearing for the new engine. I guess it hurts the performance #'s a bit...

Well, I just got back from driving the M5 and that SMG would take some getting used to. I have to admit, that it was in REALLY good condition; much better than I expected given the car fax.

Whachu talkin about GM quality? I lucked out and got a first year CTS-V with only minimal problems. :) . Almost 26k miles and still trucking with no problems, even modded. C'mon in, the American car waters are just fine.

The M5 is hot, I'd do it if I wanted a sports car with a back seat big enough for my son. I say do it.

^I'm with NeuronB :thumbsup:

BS BS

My M5 was first west coast car, build in august 2005 and delivered to me in late september 2005. (bought from BMW of Salem- used to be De long)

SMG- i never had issue with mine.

So far after 22k miles and almost 6 years of owning it. It left me stranded exactly once due to steering angle sensor.

Maint. is not cheap. Around $1500. But it only requires maint stop every 10k miles or within a year. I just had another maint done at BMW Mountain View.

So far my out of pocket expense are as follows-

1 set of PS 2 at $2000
Maint once at $1500
$3500 so far for 22k miles

I spend more than $1500 when i had the 00 TL- which left me stranded once with the lousy automatic. Several brake jobs, and maint.

I am getting ready to dump the E60 for F10. I don't think its that bad owning a BMW out of warranty. So far my BMW have been more reliable and cheaper to own than my honda/acura.

News Flash: $1500 every 10K miles is ridiculous. :2cents:

Ok so far I haven't really found anything I don't like about my IS-F in the 9 months and 21k miles I have had it for so far. On highway trips where the roads are mostly flat I can get 26mpg from the V8 which personally I find very impressive. With my normal driving which is about 70% highway 30% local/city I get 22-23mpg. The power is definitely not sports car fast when not in "Sport Mode" however it still has plenty of power there for the daily traffic.

If you want it to be sports car fast you have to put it in "Sports Mode". Pretty much you really need to go back and drive it again cause in my opinion it is a completely different car in "Sport Mode" there really is no comparison. Also you need to make sure you fully push the gas pedal down. When you get in the car push it down while the car is off because there is actually a spring loaded button under the pedal with a stiff spring that you can actually feel click in when pushing in with the car off. This tells the car you actually want full WOT instead of just closed. Also use the paddle shifts if you want the 0.1 second shifts while going WOT.

I personally didn't fully like the interior 100% at first however since owning it for a while I have actually begun to really like the less is more feel I really get from the interior. Everything is really accessible from the drivers seat and there is nothing more than what is needed on the dash. No extra trim to add reflection or get scratched just gauges, vents, and navi/radio.

I would go into a little higher cost of ownership but since you are considering an M5 and the costs for maintenance on IS-F would be considerably less. However the IS-F although a little slower it will be a lot more reliable in my opinion. I have not seen any over 60k miles yet but no one on the Lexus boards has had anything other than standard maintenance. The only part that seems to be an issue is the water pump but that seems to be plaguing all IS models 250/350/F until 2010 when they changed to a new model pump.

I really do believe though that you need to go back an test drive the IS-F again cause driving it without in "Sports Mode" you just don't get the real feel of the car at all.

Hope this helps :thumbsup:

So then technically, you are paying for it.

In a roundabout way, yes.

$1500 every 10K miles!?!? I guess if you can afford the car, you don't have to ask about the associated costs:shrug:. I'm sure the performance and handling is awesome but what good is trying to enjoy the car when you're constantly afraid somethings gonna break? Screw that, I'd just rock a CTS-V like NeuronBob or get that IS-F like the OP is considering and beat up on them knowing that the won't grenade like the M5 might.Those two are probably solid 200K mile cars if maintained correctly. The M5 is a "lease-only" vehicle.

IS-F over 2006 M5.

Agreed.

I agree with this not only cause I have one but because I considered both. To be exact I also considered used M3 and 335i and decided since I wanted this car as a DD and expected to take it north of 100k miles. To achieve that a german car was not going to get it done. Especially a M5 for one without a huge expensive repair list by the time I get to 100k.

2008 RS4? Can you get one with decent miles under $40k yet?

I would love to have one.

Unfortunately not in that price range at all yet. When I was looking 9months ago they were high 40s for one with 30k miles or more still. You seem to be able to get one for mid 40s now with same miles. To get a certified one you are still looking in the 50s for one.

I'll admit, the notion that the M5 wouldn't make it 100K without major repairs seriously concerns me.

Actually, I like the S5 a lot, but they're still pretty pricey.

The A5/S5 hold their value unbelievably well. The resale numbers on those cars are amazing. There's a huge demand for them but not at the new car price, I guess.

Have you looked at the V8 M3's?

Absolutely. Too bad I can't find one equipped the way I want for less than $48K.

You are jumping all over the place.

So, are you getting the M5 or not?

how about E46?

Yeah not really possible

Still hope you go back and test drive the F with the Sport Mode on as I would like to hear your comparison from someone who doesn't drive the car on a regular basis.

Lol! You're not kidding. :tomato:

The silver one I originally linked (and drove last Friday) was sold over the weekend, so I'm definitely not getting that one. I did look at a black one yesterday, but I'm starting to come back around to reality. I have a 30 mile commute each way to and from my office. I pack on the miles. A car like that probably isn't a good idea if I just can't keep it reliable (and the reviews are very mixed as far as that is concerned).

Hmmm, just a bit older than I think I want to go at this point.

I might need to do that. Still can't believe I screwed that up.

Wait, you can get a used IS-F for under $40k now?!

How about this one
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

Yep. Audi North Scottsdale offered to sell me one with 50K miles on it for $37,500 last week.

Looks nice. This will further show how "all over the place" I am with this - If I was to go M3, I'd want a coupe. I know, I'm a train wreck on this car thing. I think I'm just a little restless with my car right now; had it almost 5 years, approaching 87K miles, etc.

Cool, here are these, I dont know what color you wanted but there are 4 here.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false:thumbsup:

Yeah just under $40k with 40-50k miles on them for a 2008 that isn't certified yes.

AHHHHH!!!! Stop it! You're killing me! :toocool:

I did 25k miles last year and I work from home a lot.

I think I sleepdrive.