YACT: Does anyone have the new Lexus IS?

[Smartazz]

What do you guys think of the new Lexus IS, would you recommend it over the Acura TL? Thanks.

 

[vi edit]

*paging JulesMaximus* Please report to this thread.

 

[Sukhoi]

Isn't the TL bigger than the IS?

 

[ballmode]

IS 350 > Acura TL > IS250

if comparing both cars...

actually if you wanted to go like sportiest: BMW 330, BMW 325, G35, Lexus IS350, 250, TL

its a tough segment..

BMW or Lexus would be the only ones I pay for new, because of the resale value

If I was poor I wouldn't even buy the base models of these and rather get plusher versions of Toyota/Hondas myself...

 

[Mo0o]

my roommate has the 350 version. in general it's a good car but its tiny as hell

 

[GTaudiophile]

I bet a BMW 335 does circles around it.

 

[krunchykrome]

Mr. Jules Maximus has one....or at least his wife does.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Mr. Jules Maximus has one....or at least his wife does.

Then hopefully he can respond to this thread.

 

[mugs]

Isn't the IS a compact and the TL a midsize?

 

[Aimster]

My friend has an IS350 ... it's nice but small.

The TL IMO is blah. There are so many better cars to buy over the TL but that is my opinion.

2007 G35 > 2007 3-series > IS350 > Audi A4 > C-Class > TL

I know a lot of you love the TL but this is my opinion so keep your negative comments to yourselves.

 

[SecretAsianMan]

I would actually say it all depends on what you are looking for in a car. I currently own the TL, my sister-in-law (lives 10 minutes away from me) owns the IS250 and before I had the TL, I had a BMW 330i. Here's some things I observed about both of them.

TL:
Bigger and has more room than the IS, kinda feels like our Honda Accord (we have one of those too)
Navigation system is awesome. It is touch screen and is one of the few that can be used while the car is in motion.
When using the Bluetooth microphone, it minimizes background noise so people can hear me perfectly.

Some things we wish were better:
I guess the car has a digital accelerator that sometimes lag when I try to accelerate fast.
The view through the back window is limited by the back seat headrests.

IS250:
Has more spunk to it and feels like it has better handling (feels more like my old BMW)
Has the feature of opening doors while your key is still in your pocket.
Push button start. (Really cool thing to have...don't even need to take the key out of your pocket to start the car)
Smaller and more sleek looking than the TL

Few things that could be better:
Trunk space and rear passenger space is small.
Bluetooth microphone doesn't pick up your voice well, so you sound a bit distant when talking to others.
Navigation system. You can't use it if the car is in motion. There is a way around it (overriding the system), but you need to override it each time the car starts up and gets to be a nuisance after a while.

So it all depends on what you want in a car. If you need more info on either car please let me kwow!

 

[amdhunter]

I'd WAY rather have the IS, but I can't fit in it...it was one of my first choices when choosing a new car. How I ended up with a Civic 06 from originally wanting an IS, I dunno.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: amdhunter
I'd WAY rather have the IS, but I can't fit in it...it was one of my first choices when choosing a new car. How I ended up with a Civic 06 from originally wanting an IS, I dunno.

I wouldnt mind to drive a Civic EX coupe. I like that car a a lot.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: SecretAsianMan

The view through the back window is limited by the back seat headrests.

I had the same problem with my car when I got it. Easy solution - remove the headrests. That works better if the back seats are infrequently used (or mostly used by kids)

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
What do you guys think of the new Lexus IS, would you recommend it over the Acura TL? Thanks.

We (my wife and I) have a 2006 IS250. It's a great car, fun to drive, very sporty and reasonably quick. I love it. The brakes on the IS are incredible. You can really haul this car down from speed quickly and I've never noticed even a hint of fade...wish I could say that for my Maxima...man, a couple hard stops with that car and you're lucky if you can stop one more time...

The TL is bigger, most noticeably in the back seat area and possibly in the trunk (although the IS has a decent size trunk as well). Personally, I think the IS is more sporty. I've driven the Acura TL and while it's a great car, it is FWD and does suffer from some torque steer under hard acceleration. Otherwise it's a fantastic car.

Edit-I really think Lexus did a great job styling the IS. Both my wife and I think it far outshines the BMW in design and style (we've owned 2 BMW 3 series cars in the past). We never even considered the new BMWs quite frankly. The only cars we considered were the G35 sedan and the Acura TL. I think the TL would have been a tad more practical but my wife loves the IS so that is what we wound up with. Can't say I've been at all dissappointed with that decision either. It's a sweet car.

 

[Aimster]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Smartazz
What do you guys think of the new Lexus IS, would you recommend it over the Acura TL? Thanks.

We (my wife and I) have a 2006 IS250. It's a great car, fun to drive, very sporty and reasonably quick. I love it. The brakes on the IS are incredible. You can really haul this car down from speed quickly and I've never noticed even a hint of fade...wish I could say that for my Maxima...man, a couple hard stops with that car and you're lucky if you can stop one more time...

The TL is bigger, most noticeably in the back seat area and possibly in the trunk (although the IS has a decent size trunk as well). Personally, I think the IS is more sporty. I've driven the Acura TL and while it's a great car, it is FWD and does suffer from some torque steer under hard acceleration. Otherwise it's a fantastic car.

I like your review.

Go work for motortrend

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Smartazz
What do you guys think of the new Lexus IS, would you recommend it over the Acura TL? Thanks.

We (my wife and I) have a 2006 IS250. It's a great car, fun to drive, very sporty and reasonably quick. I love it. The brakes on the IS are incredible. You can really haul this car down from speed quickly and I've never noticed even a hint of fade...wish I could say that for my Maxima...man, a couple hard stops with that car and you're lucky if you can stop one more time...

The TL is bigger, most noticeably in the back seat area and possibly in the trunk (although the IS has a decent size trunk as well). Personally, I think the IS is more sporty. I've driven the Acura TL and while it's a great car, it is FWD and does suffer from some torque steer under hard acceleration. Otherwise it's a fantastic car.

I like your review.

Go work for motortrend

That would be my dream job...seriously.