- Aug 31, 2001
- 21,205
- 165
- 106
Today was awesome. Gf and I went up to Belmont park in Long Island, NY for the Taste of Lexus performance driving event. Got to sit inside the new GS, IS, RX400h, play with the awesome Mark Levinson sound system in the GS, learn about Toyota's Hybrid technology, and most important of all, got to autocross the IS 350 (and others)!!!!!
First thing I have to say is that this event has greatly changed how I view Lexus. I no longer consider Lexus an old people's car company. Before I found all the cars Lexus offered to be too soft and too refined (ES, LS, SC) to ever break into the young crowd. Boy has that changed. The IS and the GS is even more striking in person than they are in pics. Lexus (Toyota) really has done a phenomenal job with these 2 cars. They are HOT both inside and out. I am the type of person who doesn?t like huge open spaces in the driving quarter. This is one reason why I always like 3 Series interior. And as soon as I got inside the GS and more so the IS, I got that same feeling - felt that I was wearing the car rather than just sitting in it. Both cars' interiors are close enough so that everything is within reach, but not cramped enough to make you feel claustrophobic. This is as opposed to say the interior of the TL which I feel is too spacious (my friend has one and I?ve been in the passenger seat many times. I really loved how the GS interior felt luxurious, yet stylish in a modern way. Didn?t have enough time to play with all the little features, but I really liked what I saw.
The second thing I have to say is that I was truly wowed by Lexus? customer service even though we weren?t all potential customers there. All the staff was extremely polite and very helpful with any questions you had. They brought in gourmet food for everyone (bite-sized portions), had comfortable couches all around the area, 50?+ plasma screen on every corner, complimentary massage sessions, etc. They went all out?heck they even had professional golf trainers from ESPN giving swing analysis/lessons to anyone who wanted them?and a lot of people did. If they treat their potential customers this way, imagine how they treat their real customers. Oh and one thing I should mention?the whole event was sales pressure free. There were no sales group there pressuring you into buying a Lexus. It was very relaxed and calm.
Now let?s get to the most important part?the test drive...well autocross really. They had 4 autocross courses set up letting people beat the hell out of ALL the cars in their lineup. There were no Lexus employees with you in the car, so you could really do whatever you wanted to the car. They had all the cars Lexus offers on the track?all the SUVs, SC 430, IS 250 and 350, GS 300 and 430, ES, etc. Not only did they have all their cars on the track, but they also had the competition for the IS and the GS out so you can compare. For the IS they had 2 BMW 330i, and for the GS they had BMW 530i (GS 300) and the MB E500 (GS 430).
All in all, I auto crossed 8 times. Started with the IS 350, then the 330i, and followed up with SC 430, GS 430, E 500, SC 430, 330i and finished with the IS 350. I?m mainly going to be focusing on the 330, IS, and the SC because I only test drove the GS once and that one time I was stuck behind some slow fvuking lady. The E 500? Well lets just say it was like driving a tank?and a tank doesn?t belong on an autocross course.
I didn?t like the SC 430 before the drive and I still don?t. Never found the car to be attractive (think it looks like a squatting toad). Although the car goes fast in a straight line when floored, there is very discernible lag between when you floor it and when you actually get pushed back into the seat. The car can?t handle turns AT ALL when compared to the 330 or the IS?even the GS. I kept on squealing the tires on the mildest corners?even managed to fishtail out of control once (with the stability control off). And it wasn?t that particular SC that had those problems. I drove 2 SCs and both were plagued with the same exact problems. The car is just not meant to be pushed and is a pathetic excuse for a sports coupe. But I do have to give credit where its due?the interior of the SC is top notch. But you kinda expect that from a Lexus with a $64K price tag :shocked:
I started and ended the day with the IS 350. All I can say is WOW what a car. Wait?one more time. WOW!! What a fvuking car!!!!! And this is coming from a guy who drives a German car and always considered the 3 to be the best there is. Don?t get me wrong?the new 3 is good?is VERY good. It handles like a dream?took those corners perfectly with minimal body roll; brakes were awesome enough to save me from going off course on last minute panic braking and yet come out of the corner like a champion ? fast and hard; and was fast enough off the line to put a grin on my face (I drive a modified GTI which is pretty quick). But you know what?the IS 350 did all that the BMW did AND was waaaaayyy faster. I mean the car is fast!!! Coming into a corner fast, you brake and although the 330i brakes a little better, the IS takes the curve just as well as the 330i with maybe a smidgen more of body roll, but it?s the part right after the curve that makes the IS stand out.
With the 330, halfway thru the curve, you start tapping on the gas to tell the engine to get ready and keep up the barely audible tire squealing speed?and toward the end of the curve?right before the straightaway, you floor it and the car goes, but you?re left going ?c?mon?faster..faster?. But with the IS!!... it handles the curve just the same way as the 330?up until the end of the curve when you floor it. And the car just takes off!!! No lags between you pushing the gas and feeling the invisible hand pushing your chest into the seat and feeling your adrenaline go thru the roof. Lets put it this way, as a novice auto-Xer not used to high powered cars, I was comfortable taking those curves in the 3, but at times it got a bit scary for me in the IS. The car is just that damn fast! Yes I know the IS 350 has 306 hp whereas the 330i has 255 hp. But the IS is also going to be priced less than the 330i. So I think factoring in the extra power of the IS just justified.
The only gripe I have about the IS is that it doesn?t sound like a sports car. The 3 has a very nice audible growl under WOT. But the IS under WOT sounds, well, like a Lexus ? quiet, refined, and barely audible from 10 feet away. A nice exhaust note could do so much for the IS. Even my gf agreed!!
All in all, I don?t agree with C&D (or whichever magazine that put 330i as #1 in the 8 car comparison). Lexus comes in # 1 hands down (at least over the 330i).
Cliffs:
-went to lexus driving event
-test drove/auto-crossed many cars among which were the IS 350 and the BMW 330i
-if I could afford it, Id buy the IS350 right now
Pics:
GS Nav
GS dash
IS dash
IS Nav
GS
auto-X - IS350 vs 330i
auto-X - IS 250 taking off
head to head test - IS 350 vs 330i
all for me
gf in SC - heading out
gf in SC - coming in
she loves this car...i dunno why
me in SC - playing with the audio
me in sc - getting scared of the SC's loose end
mark levinson room
GT version of IS300 that they say they never let public get near until now
First thing I have to say is that this event has greatly changed how I view Lexus. I no longer consider Lexus an old people's car company. Before I found all the cars Lexus offered to be too soft and too refined (ES, LS, SC) to ever break into the young crowd. Boy has that changed. The IS and the GS is even more striking in person than they are in pics. Lexus (Toyota) really has done a phenomenal job with these 2 cars. They are HOT both inside and out. I am the type of person who doesn?t like huge open spaces in the driving quarter. This is one reason why I always like 3 Series interior. And as soon as I got inside the GS and more so the IS, I got that same feeling - felt that I was wearing the car rather than just sitting in it. Both cars' interiors are close enough so that everything is within reach, but not cramped enough to make you feel claustrophobic. This is as opposed to say the interior of the TL which I feel is too spacious (my friend has one and I?ve been in the passenger seat many times. I really loved how the GS interior felt luxurious, yet stylish in a modern way. Didn?t have enough time to play with all the little features, but I really liked what I saw.
The second thing I have to say is that I was truly wowed by Lexus? customer service even though we weren?t all potential customers there. All the staff was extremely polite and very helpful with any questions you had. They brought in gourmet food for everyone (bite-sized portions), had comfortable couches all around the area, 50?+ plasma screen on every corner, complimentary massage sessions, etc. They went all out?heck they even had professional golf trainers from ESPN giving swing analysis/lessons to anyone who wanted them?and a lot of people did. If they treat their potential customers this way, imagine how they treat their real customers. Oh and one thing I should mention?the whole event was sales pressure free. There were no sales group there pressuring you into buying a Lexus. It was very relaxed and calm.
Now let?s get to the most important part?the test drive...well autocross really. They had 4 autocross courses set up letting people beat the hell out of ALL the cars in their lineup. There were no Lexus employees with you in the car, so you could really do whatever you wanted to the car. They had all the cars Lexus offers on the track?all the SUVs, SC 430, IS 250 and 350, GS 300 and 430, ES, etc. Not only did they have all their cars on the track, but they also had the competition for the IS and the GS out so you can compare. For the IS they had 2 BMW 330i, and for the GS they had BMW 530i (GS 300) and the MB E500 (GS 430).
All in all, I auto crossed 8 times. Started with the IS 350, then the 330i, and followed up with SC 430, GS 430, E 500, SC 430, 330i and finished with the IS 350. I?m mainly going to be focusing on the 330, IS, and the SC because I only test drove the GS once and that one time I was stuck behind some slow fvuking lady. The E 500? Well lets just say it was like driving a tank?and a tank doesn?t belong on an autocross course.
I didn?t like the SC 430 before the drive and I still don?t. Never found the car to be attractive (think it looks like a squatting toad). Although the car goes fast in a straight line when floored, there is very discernible lag between when you floor it and when you actually get pushed back into the seat. The car can?t handle turns AT ALL when compared to the 330 or the IS?even the GS. I kept on squealing the tires on the mildest corners?even managed to fishtail out of control once (with the stability control off). And it wasn?t that particular SC that had those problems. I drove 2 SCs and both were plagued with the same exact problems. The car is just not meant to be pushed and is a pathetic excuse for a sports coupe. But I do have to give credit where its due?the interior of the SC is top notch. But you kinda expect that from a Lexus with a $64K price tag :shocked:
I started and ended the day with the IS 350. All I can say is WOW what a car. Wait?one more time. WOW!! What a fvuking car!!!!! And this is coming from a guy who drives a German car and always considered the 3 to be the best there is. Don?t get me wrong?the new 3 is good?is VERY good. It handles like a dream?took those corners perfectly with minimal body roll; brakes were awesome enough to save me from going off course on last minute panic braking and yet come out of the corner like a champion ? fast and hard; and was fast enough off the line to put a grin on my face (I drive a modified GTI which is pretty quick). But you know what?the IS 350 did all that the BMW did AND was waaaaayyy faster. I mean the car is fast!!! Coming into a corner fast, you brake and although the 330i brakes a little better, the IS takes the curve just as well as the 330i with maybe a smidgen more of body roll, but it?s the part right after the curve that makes the IS stand out.
With the 330, halfway thru the curve, you start tapping on the gas to tell the engine to get ready and keep up the barely audible tire squealing speed?and toward the end of the curve?right before the straightaway, you floor it and the car goes, but you?re left going ?c?mon?faster..faster?. But with the IS!!... it handles the curve just the same way as the 330?up until the end of the curve when you floor it. And the car just takes off!!! No lags between you pushing the gas and feeling the invisible hand pushing your chest into the seat and feeling your adrenaline go thru the roof. Lets put it this way, as a novice auto-Xer not used to high powered cars, I was comfortable taking those curves in the 3, but at times it got a bit scary for me in the IS. The car is just that damn fast! Yes I know the IS 350 has 306 hp whereas the 330i has 255 hp. But the IS is also going to be priced less than the 330i. So I think factoring in the extra power of the IS just justified.
The only gripe I have about the IS is that it doesn?t sound like a sports car. The 3 has a very nice audible growl under WOT. But the IS under WOT sounds, well, like a Lexus ? quiet, refined, and barely audible from 10 feet away. A nice exhaust note could do so much for the IS. Even my gf agreed!!
All in all, I don?t agree with C&D (or whichever magazine that put 330i as #1 in the 8 car comparison). Lexus comes in # 1 hands down (at least over the 330i).
Cliffs:
-went to lexus driving event
-test drove/auto-crossed many cars among which were the IS 350 and the BMW 330i
-if I could afford it, Id buy the IS350 right now
Pics:
GS Nav
GS dash
IS dash
IS Nav
GS
auto-X - IS350 vs 330i
auto-X - IS 250 taking off
head to head test - IS 350 vs 330i
all for me
gf in SC - heading out
gf in SC - coming in
she loves this car...i dunno why
me in SC - playing with the audio
me in sc - getting scared of the SC's loose end
mark levinson room
GT version of IS300 that they say they never let public get near until now
x 10000
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