vApor

any inputs?

its more about the IS250 vs. 325i, but i thought id just stick the g35c in just for kicks since i like it more than the g35sedan

yiksing

Is350

HaidzRX8

the IS350 is a sweet car and fast but the only problem is it only comes in auto i think , the 3 looks like a civic and interior suxs and the g35's interior also sucs and not confortable i think

playdoh43

i have a g35 coupe with a mod called Mrev which adds 20whp and 30wtq for 450 bucks. now im running toe to toe with my dad's M3.
My mom recenetly got a used 2004 325i, the performance difference between the Gcoupe and 325i is pretty big. stiffer suspension, less body roll, better interior, 19 inch wheels, much much faster.. etc... unforunately if you get a sun roof and premium packadge and appearance packadge etc, price is in the high 30ks... after taxes it might easily climb over 40k.

for low 30k price range.... as far as 325i vs is250... id say 325i because is250 isnt very sporty, its suspension is no where near as good as the bmw. I drove the is350 on an autox track during on of lexus' testdrive events, it couldnt hold a candle vs the bmw 330i they had there. The 3 series is a drivers car... IS250 on the other hand got the best interior in its class, most luxurious and best quality of material, best sound deadening, touch screen Nav, ventilated seats etc. if performance/sportyness is not a big deal to you id definetly go IS250.

if you are willing to pay high 30ks for a car though, id suggest you wait for the new G sedan or the bmw 335 twin turbo thats coming out later this year, both of which will be better drivers cars and offer more power than the is350. (only comes in 6spd automatic)

Renesis_8

Hehe, I am starting to imagine you and your parents line up at the stop light and GUN IT at green.

The IS250 gets the win in exterior for me, but for around the same price, the choice seems easy, BMW!
________
VAPORIZER HERB BLENDS

playdoh43

lol the funny thing is, my mom could care less about cars, yet she got a manual 325i. the M3 is getting sold soon before resale value goes to crap once the new one comes out. Me personally, I suck *** at shifting, went to the drag strip once and got lucky to get a 14.3 (still not a good time), and a bunch of 15s runs lol. embarassing... tires just keeps spinning during the launch and cant catch traction.

we just got the 325i at the end of March, was looking at the TSX 6spd mt at first, test drove it and liked it, but they wouldnt give a good price. Then test drove the 325i and never looked back. The Euro R have all kinds of pretty gadgets and colorful gauges and wood trims, not unlike the IS250. but once you drive the 325i its just such a great drivers car, the decision was easy despite its bland interior and monotone orange gauges.

yiksing

I don't mind a Sequential Manual Transmission.

zaglo6204

what the hell are you smoking???

PoorCollegeKid

The IS has a slushbox, IIRC, unless you're talking about something else

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

i see those cataracts have become a problem. perhaps you should look into some corrective surgery.

the 3 series in no way looks like a civic, and the interior is far from 'sucking'.

yiksing

Last time I check it out in a magazine, its a SMT (non torque converter) something like BMW's SMG or VW's DSG. Plus BMI showed the same thing and deactivate all the safety devices and the car behave entirely differently, its a driver's car in my opinion after seeing the drift king drove it.

Japan8

Deactiving all the saftey devices won't make up for a heavy car with a soft suspension and less responsive steering. In the case of the IS250... underpowered too. The 325 is easily faster than the IS250.

PoorCollegeKid

I actually haven't seen a mention of a SMT, even from Lexus' website. I haven't been looking very hard, though, so maybe I just overlooked it. I thought the transmission code was an automatic one like all of their other automatics...

edit: A quick Google popped this up: "Grab the beefy steering wheel of the IS350 and your fingers almost automatically curl around a pair of hard plastic shift paddles artfully crafted to look and feel like brushed aluminum. Alas, Lexus hasn't developed a sequential manual gearbox like BMW or Audi, nor does the slick-shifting six-speed automatic do the Infiniti blip-on-downshift thing. Then again, with 277 lb-ft of torque available at 4800 rpm, who cares?"

playdoh43

^^^i drove the IS350 at lexus' test of lexus event at fedex field. Its most definetly a slushbox, it should be pretty simular to the 06 auto rx8s. also even in manual mode, the computer has a tendency to automatically shift for you! i really didnt like that when the computer upshifted the car when i was trying to rev up while speeding around the autox course.

yiksing

Apparently it made quite a difference after all the deactivation so I'm assuming the safety devices were very intrusive. I was sure it wasn't just a slushbox, maybe its an option but what do I know. Regarding the soft suspension, maybe the IS250 and IS350 have different parts as well, unless you'd driven the latter you can't tell for sure. I'm just telling what I saw/read so my opinions are not credible as well.

playdoh43

the is350 and is250 both share the same suspension system and there is a sport suspension option for both. the regular suspension is extremely soft, and the sport suspension is the one that I drove and all the magazines tested with. its still softer than g35, and bmw with more bodyroll. However the rx8 also have relatively a lot more body roll than the g35 and bmw 330i, so as far as i can tell, the sports suspension option has about the same amount of body roll as the rx8. please keep in mind when i say soft, its relative to the g35c and bmw 330i's sport suspension. Its stiffer than most cars on the road.

there is no sequential manual gearing option for the 6spd paddle shift slushbox. it is what it is, and its not that bad just because its not SMG. the intrusive computer that forces shifts on you is what sucks about it. furthermore, he is not even looking at the IS350, hes looking at the IS250 which has the option to get Manaul transmission.

BTW despite the huge difference in acceleration, i was able to lap the autox course much quicker with the 330i than the IS350, the 330i had more predictable handling and quicker steering response resulting in an overall much better handling car.

yiksing

I know he's looking at the IS250, I don't recommend it since the car is too heavy and I doubt the 2.5 litre can move it swiftly but that's just my opinion so don't take me seriously.

playdoh43

I actually recommend the IS250 over the IS350, because if I getting the IS, its because I like the design and the technologies and the class leading interior and reliability. If you are looking for overall performance IS350 only has accleration going for it, its handling is not on par with the G35 and bmw3 series.

Theres better options out there, especially with the new bmw 335 twin turbo and redesigned G35 sedan coming out later this year. There is going to be an even bigger chasm between the IS and its competitors in terms of performance after its current power advantage becomes a weakness in a few months from now.
Im not trying to knock on the IS or anything, i think its a great car. its just more of a Acura TL, Benz C class kind of car than a driver's car.


Personally If i am buying an IS, i would rather buy the IS250. but 325i is still my top choice because i value performance over technology and gagets.

yiksing

You prefer the IS250 because the extra performance of the IS350 is not a big deal to you but the 325i is still your top choice because you value performance over ... ?

irfan

i think you can get the is250 in a stick... i drove the auto.. its SLOW. i drove it IMMEDIATELY after driving a 2006 325i sedan. ... the bmw drives and powers SO much better. of course the bmw was a 5 speed. the lexus, tho ridiculously nice on the inside for a 35K car was jsut too annoying to drive. the engine was really straining with 4 people in the car. i didnt try the 350. i went testing with my younger brother, he's looking to get one. my older brother has a 2004 325 coupe which i also love.

the g35 has tons of power... but the current model sucks interiorly and it just feels bloated. the new resdesign looks better on the inside. i loved the torque, hated the "feel".. i drove it right after the rx8 and the power wasnt enough to convince me to switch preferences.

have u seen the new 3 series coupe? the 328 (yes its a 328 again) will be 220HP, the 335 will be 300hp twin turbo i-6.

http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/futur...3coupe/default

Driving wise my ranks: bmw (Good power, very good handling & drive), infinity (LOTs of power), lexus (neither)

Interior: lexus.... almost perfect gauges/controls/style..needs better seats tho,bmw(dull and dark..sports package = holy hell these are terrific seats. improved gauges vs last year), infinity(cheap and chunky looking controls/gauges/etc, good drivers seat tho... redesigned for 07 tho to look more like the m45 which is good)/

exterior: bmw (sporty, looks agile and aggressive if u get the sports package... looks boring and pedestrian with 16's), lexus (classy), infinity (looks fat but mean...again will be redesigned for 07 facelift)


if ur leasing u can usually get good rates on bmws, they hold resale very well. if i did it again i just might have to get a 3 series myself instead of another rx8

playdoh43

yes, thats correct if you factor in the price difference between the is250/325i vs IS350.
meaning if performance is a big priority I wouldnt get the IS. if performance is not a priority then I would rather save the money and get the IS250 over the IS350.

spork

From what I'm told....

BMW = Clear winner as a driver's car.
Lexus = Clear winner as a passenger's car.

So if you want to the car because you love the process of driving, then BMW is a clear winner from the two. If you want the car because you want to cruise in comfort, Lexus is the one you want.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

I'd get the IS and upgrade the suspension... not a fan of the bmw exterior or interior