[dcarp757]

I'm itching to trade in my '14 335 for something else. I have been looking at the following vehicles. I want new and pretty much fully loaded. No wondering how the car was treated by previous owner(s) and no buyers remorse this time!

Audi S4: A bit too pricey. +60k
BMW 340i: Trouble finding exact build. Red interior is a bit rare.

Then I thought...what about the Lexus IS 350 F Sport AWD?

I know the 340i will out perform the Lexus. I'm not 100% thrilled with the wide mouth front bumper on the Lexus, but I like the rest of the car.

I have no plans to track my car and performance is important but I'm pretty sure the IS 350 will get the blood pumping just fine.

Anyway...as the title says: What are your thoughts on the Lexus IS 350 F Sport?

This one is pretty damn slick!

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...delCode1=IS350

[FutureHendr1x]

I test drove one, and that shit felt slow. That alone made a difference in my decision. Test drove a is250 and is350. I do like the way the car looks, the interior was nice (red). But in the end i ended up with a better overall deal for my f30.

The lease deals were about 350+ on is250. I purchased my f30 for less than 320 a month.

[bimmer456]

IS 350 is slower than 335i, it is even slower than 328i and 330i, 0-60 is in the mid to high 5s.

[bimmer456]

Get the Genesis G70

[TBN54]

My mom has a white on black IS250 F-Sport and my cousin has a gray metallic on red IS350 F-Sport.

Both cars are a bit on the slow side accelerating from a stop but they sure do catch the eye. My mom's has OEM sport wheels in gun metal and the car looks perfect. My cousin did a muffler delete on his and it actually sounds pretty deep and throaty.

If you're looking at getting the IS350 they are very reliable. The steering feel is very close to the stiff feeling of the E9x chassis. Definitely stiffer than the F30's. The seats in the F-Sport hug you snug. If I had to get another car that I had a 30k budget for, I'd definitely be the IS350 F-Sport (White with red interior.)

[dcarp757]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

Get the Genesis G70

Hyundai..Thanks but No Thanks.

[dcarp757]

I purchased my CPO 335i with MP Exhaust and MPPK, so that is what I have as a baseline. I'm fear that I will always gauge from this baseline and will be disappointed with anything else...

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by dcarp757

I purchased my CPO 335i with MP Exhaust and MPPK, so that is what I have as a baseline. I'm fear that I will always gauge from this baseline and will be disappointed with anything else...

You'll like the 340i and M3

[dcarp757]

M3 is out of reach financially. More than I really need as a DD.

[StockLOL]

Originally Posted by dcarp757

M3 is out of reach financially. More than I really need as a DD.

Wait until they drop the new twin turbo v6 in there from the LS! Then I might be interested in one but with the NA V6 it’s just not in the same league as our 335s or 340s.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by StockLOL

Wait until they drop the new twin turbo v6 in there from the LS! Then I might be interested in one but with the NA V6 it’s just not in the same league as our 335s or 340s.

That will be the new IS-F. Unlike that car, BMW has been making the M3 continuously since forever and in multiple variants as well as the 2 door M4 and convertible, comp package, etc.

[FutureHendr1x]

Originally Posted by StockLOL

Wait until they drop the new twin turbo v6 in there from the LS! Then I might be interested in one but with the NA V6 it’s just not in the same league as our 335s or 340s.

Yeah that would put Lexus in a whole different category..imagine a tuned tt v6, wow it would probably be faster than a 335/340. But first it has to happen

[S.BMW23]

I have a 2016 is350 f sport. The drive is really nice so is the quality of the interior. I do like the bold styling but when I compare it to the 340i x drive its a night and day difference.

Pros
1. Styling it turns heads
2. Interior Quality
3. Smooth ride

Cons
1. Lexus needs a better infotainment system.
2. More power
3. Firmer suspension

[Gabreigns]

Never been a fan of the design on that thing, it's just too abrupt.
Like each panel was designed by different engineer and all of them were picassos in their previous lifetime.

[jmull3r]

honestly, i’m an IS owner myself (2017 IS300 F-Sport) and you aren’t going to like the power difference. you’ll have to tune the 350, add an exhaust and headers just to make it as fast or a little quicker than a 335i. now don’t get me wrong, it’s more than enough power for everyday use, but lexus hasn’t made it to that drivers car feel yet when it comes to power. on the design side, i love the design of my current IS (ultrasonic blue) and the interior as well, the infotainment is horrendous though compared to idrive. it all depends on what you prefer, and that IS you posted is like one of the last 2017’s out there and has been sitting at that dealer for months

[kalien34]

Previous 14' IS250 owner (non F Sport but I liked my IS with luxury package MUCH better), now leasing a 18' 430 GC. Power wise it's no point comparing at all, hands down BMW. However I do miss the quality of IS, as well as the better interior and functional design from Lexus. I had to do a bit of coding and mods on my BMW to be completely happy about it. But I never thought about modding my IS in the past. That's the major difference IMHO. If you want the peace of mind and don't mind having less power, get the IS.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by kalien34

Previous 14' IS250 owner (non F Sport but I liked my IS with luxury package MUCH better), now leasing a 18' 430 GC. Power wise it's no point comparing at all, hands down BMW. However I do miss the quality of IS, as well as the better interior and functional design from Lexus. I had to do a bit of coding and mods on my BMW to be completely happy about it. But I never thought about modding my IS in the past. That's the major difference IMHO. If you want the peace of mind and don't mind having less power, get the IS.

The is250 is slower and has less power than a Camry which makes no sense.

[zcspec]

I literally went through the same thoughts as you. While ultimately settling down on an Audi S3, I dissected every vehicle you mentioned and will throw a wrench into the mix: Infiniti Q50 or Q60.
What I like about the Q50/60 is that both are boosted (with a tremendous uptick for performance potential), and offer a fabulous level of comfort and luxury. Unless you plan on tracking, the Q50/60 would be a very enjoy vehicle to own and drive.

[_bdiddyb_]

I own both 2013 335i and 2014 Is350 F-sport. Lexus wins on reliability and interior designs. The Mark Levinson audio sounds much better than BMW's HK system and blows away BMW's HiFi. Only upgrade i put in the Lexus was the AEM cold air intake. Gives it a nice roar on acceleration. But this still pales in comparison to my 335's acceleration. Much more fun to drive the BMW. Definitely no remorse buying either one car.

[DrifterX]

My previous 2015 428i GC felt faster than my colleague's 2015 IS 350 F Sport when I drove it.

If you like the way your BMW handles/drives then I don't think you will like owning an IS.

I personally don't like their interior either - I remember the audio system was pretty good though.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by zcspec

I literally went through the same thoughts as you. While ultimately settling down on an Audi S3, I dissected every vehicle you mentioned and will throw a wrench into the mix: Infiniti Q50 or Q60.
What I like about the Q50/60 is that both are boosted (with a tremendous uptick for performance potential), and offer a fabulous level of comfort and luxury. Unless you plan on tracking, the Q50/60 would be a very enjoy vehicle to own and drive.

I just test drove a Q50 for lunch today.

Test drove the 3.0t first...then the Red Sport 400. The interior of the car was simply lovely...the seats were great, BOSE audio was awesome, backseat was huge, comes with a BBK (not to be confused with BBC .

It's a solid car and I left very impressed...but it seemed like a much larger car than the F30 335i/340i or even the IS250/350. The Q50 seems like a 5 Series competitor more than the smaller sports sedan.


Just figured I'd comment on your point of comfort and luxury...hands down better than BMW (at least on the 3/4 Series).





On another note - a buddy of mine had an IS350 on coils with a nice exhaust and it was a blast to drive. Not the fastest...but it's a cool car. The design is different but the interior I always thought was very well appointed.

[jeffc83]

I too drove the Q50 and came out with many negative thoughts. I can see why it ranked low with practically every car enthusiast review. It did however have really nice seats and had a comfortable ride. Completely agree on that luxury comment above too. Nice family car but is not for someone that likes to have tons of fun behind the wheel. The RS3 is the next best thing to the Bimmer IMO even with it's faults.