>be drivin my IS350
>road merging down to single lane up ahead
>making my steady approach on some vape-master in IS350C w/ cigarette arm dangling out the window
>realizing my intent to pass, he gets on it
>I get on it
In summary, it wasn't even close and he proceeded to tailgate me for the next 10 minutes all butthurt. Lane finally opened up again, he flew around me in a rage, and we both ended up going into the same neighborhood.
...
user how's the IS350? Is it a good "sports sedan"?
Straight line speed is very satisfying and will effectively pin you back in your seat upon mashing the throttle. Handling and steering feel are probably nothing special, but I'm really just going by what I've read from various auto journalists. I have no personal driving experience with its competitors such as the BMW 3-Series.
I'll just say that coming from an old, beat-up Civic, it's pretty hard not to like it... lol
No manual transmission if that matters to you. That being said, I find that the 6-speed auto is reasonably responsive for what it is and will downshift with not too much prompting from the throttle. It does have paddle shifters, but they're just kind of an afterthought in this car. I never touch them.
I really do like the car though. I do!
Just want to be transparent about all its faults.
I'll also add that the base sound system is REALLY nice. I can't even imagine what the upgraded Mark Levinson system sounds like...
Fun coupe that still has mainstream/female appeal cuz branding.
Will not satisfy autistic nerds who want to feel the sandpaper texture of assphalt on their asscracks while driving, etc.--you need Miata for that.
But girls are not taught by TV commercials to think Miata is cool, but Lexus is a cool brand. Less cool than BMW MB Audi but still better than Toyota, Mazda, etc.
So basically if you are a normal person who wants a fun "cool" coupe it will satisfy your needs. Especially dat reliability is something I've taken for granted growing up my family only bought Lexuses, so I don't know what it's like for you BMW owners broken down on the side of the road in your used 3 series just to flash your keys at the bar to show off to the hairdresser sitting next to you or however stupid AMericans live their mediocre lives.
Bye bye
Other IS350 owner reporting in.
As the other user said, straight line speed rocks. Throwing the car around sharp corners with the VDIM off is insanely fun, and you'll feel confident that your rear tires will regain traction even when you slid for a bit. That said, long sweepers terrify me at high speed because of the weight/suspension softness, which I plan to tune later.
Comfy as fuck.
>straight line speed rocks
Yep yep. I'm making yellow lights I never thought I could before haha. Keeping up with traffic is just effortless now... (came from a 115 horsepower Civic)
>Throwing the car around sharp corners with the VDIM off is insanely fun
I wanna play around with that but too nervous. This is my first RWD car :-)
>weight/suspension softness, which I plan to tune later
Was there a factory sport package available for our car? Pretty sure mine doesn't have it and I'm wondering how much that would improve...
>Comfy as fuck
It's a nice place to be for sure. My one complaint is that I'm only 5'10" and feel that I have JUST enough headroom. Taller people might have problems. Backseat is on the small side, but my passengers can lick moose nuts.
Well anyways to elude from my previous question. Is it better than a 99' LS400? As in is it worth to call it an "upgarde". I'm 19 and drive a black 99' LS400 beige interior. First Lexus and in love. I was wondering if the IS350 or GS350 or worth the upgrade as in "speed" and "prestige"
If you love your LS400, I would check out the LS430 or GS350.
But isn't the gs350 "heavier" than the IS and uglier???
>My one complaint is that I'm only 5'10" and feel that I have JUST enough headroom
they are definitely built for smaller people. i'm 5'9 and i remember sitting in it and the interior honestly felt like it fit like a glove, which wasn't a bad thing, but i realized if i was 6'5 or something that i would not fit in that car at all.
LS430 owner here. look at an '03-06 (refreshed model) LS430 as an upgrade to your LS400. the IS won't really be the same.
Care to go in detail please?
>heavier
Yes. It's a larger car.
>uglier
The styling is a bit more bland, but I wouldn't call it ugly. If you think it's ugly then just go for the LS430.
IS350 is a great car. It's just a different animal from your LS400. The LS430 would sort of be the logical upgrade.
ES350 mayng
Prly more in your price range as opposed to an LS430, and it's like a babby LS anyways, while being more manageable (not fuckhueg long, etc.).
Super smooth plush ride, reliable as shit Toyoda V6 engina, dat sexy sleek curvy look all mature and shit with no boiracer wings, sexy interior, gyalz love it cuz it says something other than Toyota Honda Chevy Ford.
I have a 2007 is250 6spd and a friend just got a 2006 is350 with 50k miles. I'd rather have the 350, it's way more powerful and fun to drive. The 6spd is one of the worst manual trans I've ever used. If I could go back, I'm not sure I'd buy a 2nd gen IS at all though.
>literally recommending a bedazzled Camry
>baby LS
>k
There's literally nothing interesting about the es350, worst lexus. LS430 is much better looking.
Confirmed. Looks like something a Yakuza mob boss would drive. ES is pathetic, and that's coming from a Lexus owner.
...
Why bother upgrading? The LS430 is not a huge step up from the LS400.
On their way to The Olive Garden!
>ywn go for a ride in Christopher's yakuza land yacht and waft in the smell of old gabagool while observing the cocaine residue encrusted center console.
Seriously, whatever money you're going to spend on an LS430, IS350, or any other car is better spent on maintaining your LS400. Restore the steering wheels if you have cracked finish on the sectioned wood. Reupholster the car if the leather is cracking and failing. Replace broken trim pieces.
If you're out of things to fix, add some modernization parts. Replace the interior lights with 6000K LEDs. Get some decent drop-in replacements for all of the halogen bulbs.
If you really want to go nuts, get a supercharger kit for the LS400 and get some forced induction in it. It'll give it some extra power.
I wish the LS460 looked as gangster as the 430.
one does not simply observe cocaine
ES is the best-selling Lexacunt produi.
Why is it bad to have vajazzled Camry? Your IS looks like a blingy Corolla.
Not everyone wants to look like a boiracer or wannabe-important hoodlum in a falling apart huge sedan they could barely afford.
ES350 is the most practical Lexus made. I know, angsty 17 year old boys just want the maximum attention-grabbing vehicle for their buck, but some of us want a nice smooth ride.
GS IS are "sportier" meaning rougher ride. ES and LS are the smooth ones. And that's why ES is the smaller version of the LS.
>Implying there are any cars as good as the 98-2000 LS400
>ES is the best-selling Lexacunt produi
Entry-level luxury cars sell. What's new?
>Your IS looks like a blingy Corolla
They really couldn't be more different.
>Not everyone wants to look like...
a chump who bought arguably the least impressive car in Lexus' lineup?
>ES and LS are the smooth ones. And that's why ES is the smaller version of the LS
So much stupid in this statement.
>Being this butthurt
The ES is FWD, it has very little to do with the LS.
thread derails into IS owners bitching at ES owners.
Jeez Lexus owners are worse than Subaru owners.
>some of us want a nice smooth ride
Literally all lexus ride smooth and are all conservative, unassuming looking vehicles, IS was made to break lexus free of the "old people brand" vibe they carried for so long. No one assumes a hoodlum is driving a stock LS or a kid is driving a stock IS.
Your ES350 is the most boring, uninspiring lexus of line up.
You're seriously not one of those EVERYTHING HAS TO BE RWD. EVERYTHING cucks, are you?
The LS can be FWD and all its owners wouldn't know the difference.
I want to "upgrade" from my LS400 99' because V8 rapes a teens wallet. Plus I was maybe trying to apply for Uber/Lyft and I need a 2003+ vehicle. I think the is350 is suited for me since I do want to either VIP or rice out the IS. I love how my LS400 is a sleeper and very quick for a 1999. Will the IS350 fulfill my need for speed?
With good reason though. It's just uninformed to claim that IS = Corolla. If you took the badges off ES and Camry, they would literally look 99% the same.
So far everything in my LS400 is 'perfect' but quick questions. I noticed I had a strange leak coming from my axle? Or is it rack and pinion? Any help to fix? Will my alternator get fucked? & how do I keep my beige leather interior fresh and not crack or rip
Drivetrain is a huge difference, faggot. ES and LS are nowhere near the same.
TOPKEK
06 350 owner here
+fast in a straight line (faster than 350z, g35, 335i, etc)
+super comfy, amazing audio system
+low maintenance for a luxury car
+you can get one for like 10k now because nobody knows about them
-stock suspension has a lot of roll, it's scary to drive fast although the car can handle almost 1g lateral stock. you can fix this with a drop and f sport sway bars but this will make it worse as a DD
-auto trans only, automanual mode shifts slow
-normies and women will think it's less cool than a 328i appliance pos
So since this is kinda a Lexus thread,
I'm interested in an IS300 with a 2JZ, either a GTE swap or just a turboed GE
Anyone have experience with these? What about the sportcross? I think 1998 to 2005 is the gen I'm looking for
Stop driving so aggressively, you'll easily get 25 MPG on the highway. I get over 20 MPG with mixed city + highway use.
I can't tell where that leak is coming from. If it's the power steering definitely get it fixed because that will kill your alternator.
You can keep the interior fresh by getting some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner.
It absolutely matters if you want to get more power down. Smooth and quiet is good but sometimes you want 340 horsepower for overtaking.
the front end of those is pretty timeless looking, those were the best years for lexus in my opinion. they're supposed to be one of the best cars to ls swap, not that the stock motor doesn't have potential.
Haha thanks! Best description. The real question is, is it gonna be faster than my LS400?
You're telling a 19 year old not to drive aggressive? What you've never been young and stupid? Lolz & how do I know if it's a power steer leak? Any tips, helps, and preventions?!? Don't want to replace the alternator :(
Karin Sultan?
Yes. It is faster for sure.
Yeah I'm sure Tony Soprano was all about rippin' skidz on the way to Olive Garden.
Get over yourself kiddo.
>Will the IS350 fulfill my need for speed?
I don't see why not. It's very quick.
I don't need to get over anything. You're the one who's insisting the ES is a baby LS because they both ride smooth. Because who really cares if they have a completely different body, engine, drivetrain, and interior, right? Fuck me!
Exccellent
That being said, just make sure it's enough space for your liking. It's a smaller car. Go sit in one sometime.
If you say ES = Camry, then IS = Corolla. You can't have it both ways.
THe bottom line is IS looks small/cheap.
And IS is the entry level Lexus... lol look at the price.
The character of IS/GS is different from ES/LS. Go to a lexus dealership and ask them. IS/GS are for wannabe edgy sportsfaggots like yourselves. SOm eof us want comfort. ES/LS are for that. LS for the ultimate lowkey ballers, like Bentley in a much less showy package. ES because not everyone is that rich (and neither are you)
>If you say ES = Camry, then IS = Corolla
Nope. ES shares MANY things with Camry. IS is a completely different car from the Corolla. Your logic is certified fucked m8.
Nothing wrong with the ES. Yeah it's a gussied up Camry and yes it's boring, but it has a great interior and it's really comfy. Great NVH and ride, audio system, nice comfy seats. A great luxurious DD for people who don't care so much about an engaging drive.
youre one of those autists who can't get a metaphor.
Literally the only similarity is that they're both entry-level within their respective brands. That's the vague extent of their "equality."
>Looks like something a Yakuza mob boss would drive
yes
fucking love my car
how do you keep that interior clean
?????
nothing special, just some lexol for the leather and normal meguiars (no shine) interior cleaner for everything else. had to buy floor mats though since it didn't come with any, can still find oem ones on ebay.
You can absolutely drive conservatively if you try, get some discipline and apply it through your life. Or just use cruise control and relax.
If your power steering reservoir is losing fluid, it's a power steering leak. It'll be at the front of the vehicle. If you park your car in a garage check after a night to see if there's any ATF on the floor. Use a napkin and see if it stains red/brown/black.
No one said anything was technically bad about it, any lexus will have those features without being incredibly boring...
I think the main backlash was due to that guy recommending ES as an upgrade from the LS400, then declaring it the "baby LS."
2015 IS350 owner here. The second-gen chassis/suspension is kinda sloppy. The 350 engine/gearing in the second-gen meant it was pretty quick though (around 5s to 60).
For third-gen, Lexus was on point for the suspension, chassis, steering, and interior. The only downside to third-gen is that it's a little slower in straight line speed due mainly to gearing factors.
Overall, if you're looking at a third-gen IS350 F-Sport, the closest car that has a similar driving feel in the price range is honestly the M235i. It's definitely the most sporty/raw feeling of the entry luxury sports sedans.
>ES350
>dat sexy sleek curvy look
>sexy interior
>girls love it
You're so delusional.
>all mature and shit with no boiracer wings
Please tell me which other Lexus model has a "boiracer wing." Waiting...
'07 IS350 here. I would love to upgrade to third-gen, but I just can't get over that radical front grill design. It's unfortunate because I know they improved a lot of things. I really think they're overdue for an update on that 3.5 engine too. It's been around since... 2006?
>gyalz love it
This, my grandma loves hers and it's the perfect size to fit my grandparent's golf clubs in the trunk. The IS is far too small and the LS is simply to big for them drive safely without backing into other cars all the time.
>my grandma loves hers
I don't think that's the greatest sale pitch lol
Personally I like the front grille. I think it works nicely in person. Do you like the 2017 refresh?
Yeah my biggest complaint about the car is the engine and transmission. The car would literally be perfect for me if they put in a better engine with the ZF 8-speed.
>dismissing IS and LS based on the needs and reduced motor skills of your grandparents
>I think it works nicely in person
I've heard this before. They're not very photogenic.
>Do you like the 2017 refresh?
It's maybe a little better, but I would have to wait 2-3 years for it to become affordable on the used market.
are you guys really this dumb
Well, it's always a possibility that I misinterpreted your post. Care to elaborate? Share your feelings, sir.
>tfw can't decide between 2nd and 3rd gen IS
3rd gen IS350 f-sport is fuggin sweet and has that beautiful dash, red interior, air conditioned seats, better suspension, etc. and I can't even decide between RWD and AWD
but for the money I could buy an ISF and go fast
The IS350 F worth it?
Well I guess I'll save up a lil bit more and get a 08 IS350. The newer GS's look menacing! But will settle for IS to fulfill my boiracer needs. Anons, should I trade in my 99' LS400?
I got $16K to put down on a used performance luxury car. I was thinking about the 2014 Lexus IS 350 or the 2014 Audi A5. How reliable is the Lexus vs an Audi? I know BMW and Mercedes is garbage when it comes to reliability but how does the Audi fair? I was also considering the Inifiniti Q50 but I heard the tech and handling is bad.
There really are a lot of nice improvements with the 3rd gen IS350. If you can handle the fact that it's actually a bit slower than 2nd gen, and you don't mind the controversial styling, then I'd say go for it.
>air conditioned seats
2nd gen has this too.
>RWD and AWD
Mine is RWD with all-season tires. I live in an area where it snows a bit (VA) and am not worried at all. Fuck that snow tires meme.
>ISF
I've definitely considered this as an upgrade from my '07 IS350. Dat V8...
>save up a lil bit more and get a 08 IS350
Whatever you do, go '07 or newer. First year doesn't have the option to turn off electronic nannies, which is quite intrusive to performance.
>trade in my 99' LS400?
As opposed to private sale?
>used performance luxury car
>2014 Lexus IS 350 or the 2014 Audi A5
A5 is a nice car for sure, but I'm not thinking it meets your criteria for "performance luxury car." The IS would run circles around it.
>How reliable is the Lexus vs an Audi?
Lexus definitely wins in this department, though Audi has improved in recent years.
>be me
>driving CTS-V
>Come up on IS350
>Pass him
>don't know if he revved up his slow piece of shit jap car or not
Lol. What's your beef homie? I like Caddies too but own a Lexus.
I actually really like the styling. I've driven both gens and they both feel great. I guess my only stipulation is that the ISF doesn't come with some of the comfort features the regular 2g IS does. I'm kind of obsessed with the air conditioned seats. I felt them for the first time on a 110+ degree day and it was a religious experience.
As for AWD vs RWD, I live in the desert so it'd be purely based on ride comfort and maybe the one week out of the year where the sky pisses on everything and turns the street into a nightmarish mudslide ice rink hellscape full of spinning cars.
My choices are basically 1. very comfy and reasonably fast. or 2. reasonably comfy and very fast.
>I'm kind of obsessed with the air conditioned seats
They're alright. I find it's kinda hard to feel it unless you're wearing thin bottoms like board shorts or something. Not sure if the 3rd gen is any better.
>I live in the desert
RWD. Do it.
Why are you buying another car?
Seriously, just save your money and time and maintain the LS400. If you want something that's actually sporty, get something uncompromised like a Miata or an 86. If you have more money and time you could easily pick up an R32 GT-R for 30k.
>Miata or an 86
Why would he want to downgrade from his LS?
I love my SportX. With the auto 5sp the 2jzge is perfectly content. I'd love to put a smallish turbo in someday.
I'm saying to not bother with selling the LS400. It's a great car and until HCCI is a thing the VVTi 1UZ is not that far off from current cars with dual VVT and direct injection which is probably like a 10-20% benefit at best. If you scale the LS460's engine to 4 liters you see that the power benefit over the LS400 is only 15% over the course of the past 15 years. Due to extra safety and NVH requirements the LS460 is now something like 4200 pounds while the LS400 was closer to 3700 pounds and fuel efficiency. There's basically zero real benefit to upgrading because all of the extra power is eaten up by the extra weight of the car and fuel mileage is constant as well.
Keep the LS400 maintained and in great condition, save your money for a sports car as a weekend car if that's what you want. Selling the LS400 for an IS350 is a shitty halfway compromise.
Ohhh, how I miss clean car designs of the 90's/early 2000's. Every new Lexus looks like a fucking Tron spaceship.
>Selling the LS400 for an IS350 is a shitty halfway compromise
I was actually one of the people recommending upgrading to LS430, and I own an IS350 haha. I don't see anything wrong with keeping the LS400 though.
The LS430 is almost completely identical to the late LS400. Some things were improved like the air suspension but if you have an LS400 with no navigation system and standard spring/damper suspension there's next to no benefit to upgrading to an LS430. It was mostly just an interior and exterior redesign combined with extra engine displacement.
It basically comes down to slightly better interior and slightly more power. For the 5-10k you're going to spend getting one, is better spent on maintaining the LS400 well and modernizing it with things like LED interior lighting. If you really want more power a Bullet supercharger kit with 7 psi of boost is more than enough to give the car some real power.
not OP
how much should I spend on a LS400.
KBB value for an excellent 98-00 LS400 with low miles is sub-5k. I'd expect to pay closer to 7-8k for one that is really in amazing condition (no leather cracking/drying out, no issues, no rust, low miles). If you pay closer to 4k I'd expect to have to do some work to really get it in great condition.
shit theres none near my at that price.
Don't pay over 10k. You might have to do some travel for a good one but it's worth it I think.
Sometimes I wish I got an LS430 instead of my IS350. Probably would be a better daily to just cruise around like a boss and have more space. Problem is I didn't even know it existed back when I was car shopping. Oh well.
The reason I'm debating is because in all honestly a 19 year old doesn't need a FULL SIZE LUXURY SEDAN. Sure I love the big ass comfy plush interior and the raw power of V8 goodness kicking in the rear wheels. But does a millennial really need it as a DD? Sure ALL the fine cougar mami's and the hotbox sesh's come thru but I also want something a lil easy with the MPG but still can do donuts