New R & R36 Competitor hits the market

[Sharkie]

Lexus has launched the IS350 .... IMO this is a competitor to to the R branded VWs ... quicker and more powerfull than either and starting at $64K with an option list of 1 item .... this is serious offering from the world's most reliable and sought after manufacturer (if you believe the quality surveys from around the world)

I'd certainly be looking at this 1st before putting money down on any R VW .... get some real quality and some real customer service .... from everybody I know who has a Lexus the customer service is exceptional.

First drive: Lexus IS350 F Sport

[Spyda]

Haha reliable ey? Didn't lexus and toyota just recall like 10 million car world wide

[Buller_Scott]

Haha reliable ey? Didn't lexus and toyota just recall like 10 million car world wide

yeah that's what i thought...

are you thinking of trading in your r-beating tiggy for that toyota avalon? (dont dispute this, in japan, they're seen as the same ****).

[bombsquad21]

350 should be nice, but it's very late in arriving. Lexus's are in no way related to avalons. I would say a worldwide recall is not a sign of unreliability?? Regardless, the 350 is a well balance package..

I'm of to see the LFA next saturday at Maroochydore, will be attending in an ISF (like a camry sportivo i guess??)
Oh and I agree with the OP regarding service, my experiences have been good or exceptional.

[maca]

yeah that's what i thought...

are you thinking of trading in your r-beating tiggy for that toyota avalon? (dont dispute this, in japan, they're seen as the same ****).

*Camry.

It's an IS, not a GS.

[Buller_Scott]

*Camry.

It's an IS, not a GS.

it's all the same ****.

when each manufacturer in japan is putting out 2-5 different cars for each car class, trust me.... no run-of-the-mill N/A 6 cyl. sub 250kw low-torque mini sedan comes into the mix as a "performance car".

lol. dude... even with the last altezza, the top of the line versions were spunked over as bmw 3 series crushers here, but over there, they were but a cheap option to get before forking out for a late model decked out celsior......

alls i can say is this.... (from what i've seen on this forum):

diesels are hilariously slow and useless, as proven in le mans 24 hour..... where they won, and the commentators were saying that the top petrol teams were aspiring to "one day" finish in the top five.....

vw's are completely inferior to fords and holdens when it comes to speed, both in a straight line and around a track, as proven with a forum member's 4.68sec golf r, as opposed to a tuned fpv f6 4.93..... oh, and the nearest big-boy V8 being TWENTY ****ING SECONDS SLOWER PER LAP AROUND THE TRACK

this toyota lancer / altezza with a massaged rav4 engine and superior 15mm "lowered suspension" is superior to a .:R, as proven by.... oh wait. any man and his dog from this forum, tiguans included, will likely be despatching them left right and center once they're on the road...

***k.... i drive a POLO. DIESEL.

POLO. DIESEL. DIESEL. POLO. SLOW. PATHETIC. USELESS. and my car with two people, and a folded-down back seat full of snow gear (boots, bindings, boards, outerwear, spare bindings, etc) still took less than a kilometer to despatch the previous-to-now is250, going UP mt buller, past traffic control....

so yeah. jump on board the camry/avalon/aurion/altezza bandwagon if you must....

just dont expect a lot. buy a car that SUPPOSEDLY shoits on VW's. crap on about it to a VW forum. tune it with a professional tuning house. rag on VW's back to said VW forum. watch it burn at next year's motor hot tuning shoot out, for the THIRD year in a row..... (for those who want so desperately hard to forget, a ****ing polo beat EVERY forced induction ford/holden v6 / v8 around the track last year....)

yeah. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

yeah. VW is crap eh?

[Sharkie]

Buller_Scott .... there's more to life than being able to claim who's the quickest around a track ....

Don't take my post being anti-VW, I'm a VW fan and going on #9 now .... however I'm also a car enthusiast and appreciate goodness from many brands .... we have had a number Toyota's (and BMWs) and I respect the brand greatly for reliability, not so much for driving greatness.

According to all accounts I've heard Lexus customer service is the best out there, nobody (even the best German brands) comes close.

No IS models have been recalled as far as I'm aware, only the shared platform cars (the ones based on Toyotas to some extent).

The IS's are unique to Lexus and are real RWD sedans aimed at the prestige luxury sport sedan market, with the emphasis on luxury and prestige, in both areas they cream VW and the other German brands. VW is only an entry premium brand anyway and could never even come close to Lexus' prestige and luxury. The IS range however (in Australia) did not have a really sporty sedan to date. The ISF and now the IS350 are addressing this ... albeit a bit late in the game.

So, the IS350, a 233kw/378NM 3.5V6 (more power and torque than a R36 from a smaller engine) in RWD and 0-100 in 5.6s is actually performance wise a very good thing ... and anybody with $65K to spend on a R36/Golf R should be looking at it as well.

Will I buy 1?, I'd certainly consider it if I was looking for a premium small sedan. And my list would only include a C-Class, 3series, A4 and the IS350, no VW in it .... my needs are different though .... Boxster different ....

[AusScare]

Agreed the IS350 looks like a sweet car and you're also right about their customer service being the best of any manufacturer.

[Spyda]

As it was put by Robert De Niro put it. Lexus? Whats that like a Toyota?

[VWEAPN]

comes down to what everyones needs are, everyones situation is different. personally i prefer the golf R as its quicker and much more efficient & better handling although the lexus is a smoother drive, more luxury items & its a bigger car...your paying the same money for a sedan not a hot hatch.

[Leagle]

Before I bought my Passat CC v6 (same engine as R36), I seriously looked at quite a few cars including the BMW 335i/135i (too exxy/too small) and is250 convertible (nice but gutless). I liked the idea of a convertible if I could buy a decent performing one for less than $100k (Eos too small) and would have bought the is350c if it was out in Australia. However I still prefer the Passat CC to the is350 sedan for two main reasons: 1. The Passat has a better and classier interior and 2. the CC looks vastly better than the boxy shaped Lexus. Given that claimed 0-100 performance is near identical (mid 5s) - the Lexus has slightly more power but the VW has faster transmission - I otherwise agree they are close competition. If the is350c comes out however..... Of course what I would really like to see is a Passat CC convertible.

[Manaz]

So, the IS350, a 233kw/378NM 3.5V6 (more power and torque than a R36 from a smaller engine) in RWD and 0-100 in 5.6s is actually performance wise a very good thing ... and anybody with $65K to spend on a R36/Golf R should be looking at it as well.

Different market segments - Golf R is a premium hatch. Passat is a mid-sized sedan/wagon. IS is a small sedan, it wouldn't be much bigger than a Jetta...

[WABIT]

As it was put by Robert De Niro put it. Lexus? Whats that like a Toyota?

quality post, most productive one yet!

[Mountainman]

Different market segments - Golf R is a premium hatch. Passat is a mid-sized sedan/wagon. IS is a small sedan, it wouldn't be much bigger than a Jetta...

I think you will find that the IS250/350 is at least the size of a Passat externally but with less legroom in the back. My sister has an IS250 and my brother has a Jetta and when they are parked together the Lexus is in a different class size. And even my brother admits it is a better drive with a classier interior and refinement.

[shakespeare]

Some dimensions, the IS is closer in size to a Jetta or 3 series, though for the money I'd prefer the CC or an R36 Lexus just does not do it for me, looks prestigous, is quite good looking but not my type

Cars are IS350; Passat CC; Jetta; 335i 4 dr