IS350 C&D stats
 

in the C&D $35K sedans comparo
IS350 0-60 = 5.1 seconds
1/4 mile = 13.7 seconds

we are talking M3 territory acceleration here or very close. Im pretty impressed with this 6 spd automatic only sedan.

I think 5.1 is a little optimistic, and its a totally different car than the M3. Apples to oranges.

Im a Lexus fan and like it a lot, but you really cant compare em. Faster than a new 330i? I think so.

they are definetly apples and oranges, but stats is stats. its recorded by C&D, they might not be the best car mag, they have no reason to make up any fake numbers. As far as straightline accleration goes im very impressed with it. C&D seems to have some of the the fastest times out of all the magazines, most magazines ive read have rx8's 0-60 time in the low 6 seconds while C&D managed high 5 seconds. Maybe they use different measuring technique or just have more skilled drivers? but their times are credible to the extent that Im pretty sure they arnt fake. again, id like to reiterate that the IS350 is no M3, not even close. But the acceleration is very impressive none the less for a 3500lb+ 4 door sedan.

so no 6sp stick only auto?

Not the first year but I bet it comes later.

Most of BMW lure is brand image brainwashing. I haven't seen the article but I won't be surprised if it accelerates, handles and brakes with the M3. I am sure it will beat BMW in the reliability category

IS350 does not handle or brake with the M3, according to all the reviews and impressions out so far from various publications the electronic nannying cannot be turned off. resulting in very unsporty handling. in otherwords, it still handles and drives like a typical lexus, not a bmw.

C&D usually gets the highest numbers cuz they rag the hell out of the car to get them. Don't get me wrong, those are still impressive, but I would focus on the 5-60 number they list as a better indication of what you could get with a street start that won't destroy your tranny.

I wonder how high they brake torqued to launch for those numbers.

I agree, but those numbers are still very impressive even under those circumstances

is this comparo in the most recent issue? I haven't gotten mine yet. also- did they mention if it was a still pre pro model? Cause i was at the lexus dealer and they don't get thim till october.

yes its the newest issue, and no they didnt mention anything about it being a pre production model.

cool, hopefully its in the mailbox when i get home!- curious, what other cars were in the comparo, and who won? i.e., did the IS top the 3 series?

hey dudes, yeah i'm really interested in seeing this is350, may take'er for a test drive...those are some pretty impressive numbers, also read that the 306 hp that lexus is quoting is using the SAE HP measurement system which is a definite plus when you see that a lot of companies like acura who sold their TL model as a 270 hp beast, are now tucking their tails between their legs....

thank you, i couldnt' have said it better. all the reviews say it doesn't even handle like 330i, how do you people compare it to M3???????????

these are all sedans obviously,

8th place Saab 9-3 Aero Manual
7th place Volvo S60R AWD Manual
6th place Cadillac CTS Manual
5th place Audi A4 3.2 Quattro Auto
4th place Acura TL Manual
3rd place Infiniti G35 Manual
2nd Place Lexus IS350 Auto
1st Place BMW 330i Sport Manual no active steering

If there is enough demand, Lexas will likely make a manual version of the IS350, like they did the IS300

personally its nice to see the 3 japanese companies right on bmw's tail. if not for the unsporty handling and lack of the IS350 and the lack of 6mt it would have won 1st place based on the interior, power and many other attributes. BMW has got some serious compeitition now, its going to be interesting when the new redisigned G35 comes out in 2007 with the next tune of the vq35 engine.

i dont know if the hp rating of the is350 is based on the new SAE ratings. I do know that the 280hp avalon with the same engine lost about 20hp under the new SAE ratings.

I sold my IS300 to buy the RX-8. I'm sure the new IS handles better, is faster, etc, etc, etc. But Lexus can't get around the fact that its still a sedan. Lexus builds excellent cars for people that like to be driven. Mazda builds cars for people that like to drive. No matter how fast it goes a sedan is NOT a light weight zoom-zoom sports car like the RX-8. I can promise that there is NO CHANCE I'll ever trade my RX for an IS!

commercial propaganda working at its finest :p
zoom zoom zoom, zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom

Im actually curious, if this is a 35K comparo, how they got the IS350, and the 330i under 35K. Was at BOTH dealerships recently, and BASE price for both is higher than 35K. (330 and is350, i know the 325i, and is250 have lower base prices)

that is correct, the base price for a 330i is 36,600 and the one in the story has sport packadge, which should end up around 38,000. the IS350's costs is up there too, im not sure exctly what the price limit is

the is350's stated 306HP, according to car and driver.com tech "chat", is based on the new SAE. they have a weekly chat on a car, and their techs answer questions readers submit.

the big ???? for me is price. For me, the IS350 needs to be cheaper than the 330 to make it a winner given its difference in handling and performance feel. There's no doubt its a sweet looking ride, and has great numbers. Im just curious how muchy

yeah the new SAE ratings would sort of explain the great stats it got.

according to a previous impression on C&D, 0-60 was 5.9 seconds. hand timed
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

lexus' site says 5.6
http://thenewis.com/index.html

autoweek said the IS350 starts at 35k. about 1000 bucks lower than 330i
http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102879

its not very good loooking imo

Well the Volvo S60R in the comparo came in at a as tested price of $47K so I dont think the price was that big of a deal, even though it is called the $35K comparo . . . Anyway, from reading the article the Lexus should have won, it was better in every category (as was the G35) except the famous Gotta Have It and Fun To Drive sections (which are both subjective) where the BMW scores just enough points to beat the IS350 by 1 point. What is even more interesting is that the IS350 was faster, handled better, had far less problems, was more comfortable and quieter than the 3. The three had a bigger back seat, the ABS broke, Airbag light came on, AC barely worked and it still won . . . do these guy get kickback from BMW or something? In the same issues the pontiac solstice beats out the new MX-5 also, even though the mazda wins everything except styling . . .

Just test it out for yourself.

www.tasteoflexus.com


Cheers!

does anyone know if they still do that mazda rev it up thing?

yup
 

it's called zoom zoom live now (personally I thought RevIt Up was a much better name)

www.zoomzoomlive.com

best part...it's free!

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...=1#post1466783
article scanned post #82

It didnt handle better, which is one of the reasons it will keep playing 2nd fiddle to the 3.

No, they dont get kickbacks. :rolleyes: It's simple; the 3 will continue to beat the little toyota because 1) power isnt everything and that's the IS's only major advantage over the 3, and B) no one has figured out how to make a car in this class anywhere near as fun to drive.

BMW all the way.......Lexus is for girls or guys that think they are.

i think he's referring to slalom and skidpad numbers. Of course handling is subjective which is why the 3 won. interestingly enough the fwd TL pulled faster slalom and skidpad than all of the cars. again, proving that handling is a complicated 'thing' to 'measure'. i agree the 3 is still the benchmark. the fun to drive thing is so intangible, but will say the others pack a lot more 'features' for the price.

Regardless, the 3's skidpad and emergency lane change (not slalom) numbers were better, as is its feel obviously since everyone prefers its driving dynamics over the others.

The TL handles like an accord with bigger wheels and slightly stiffer suspension, so this also proves numbers dont mean jack and its all about 'feel'.

Not in the case of the IS. Take a 330i with no options and a 350 with no options: with the 3, you at least get adaptive HID's, sunroof, and premium stereo (all of which is lumped into a big option package on the toyota) for ~1000k difference. They aren't playing the super-saver value game like nissan anymore.

totally, not disagreeing here.
i actually was surprised the IS was 'estimated' at 40K. I have a feeling it will be in the 43s, or so completely loaded, which to me hurts it big time. too hard a price point.I always said that if the IS came out, but was say, TL priced, then it could be a huge hit. But its not quite their yet in terms of knockin the 3 off its throne if its priced in the 40s.

I'll give credit where credit is due, but you sound like a die hard Lexus Fanboi.

Don't get me wrong Toyota/Lexus produce very good cars, but they are more luxury than sport, where as BMW is more sport oriented mixed with luxury.

Personally I think that the new IS looks too much like a pimped out Mazda3.

As I stated, the IS would have won the comparison had the subjective ratings not been thrown in. I own a BMW so I know it is a far more "fun" car to drive, but as far as reliability and quality, it is JUNK!

We're on our second E46 and I totally disagree. My experience with them has been nothing short of amazing. Not a single problem.

In my experience and my friends', either you have no problems whatsoever or you have nothing but from day 1.

my dads E46 M3 has had some electrical problems that cost him a lot to fix. The drive train has been very reliable with no problem what so ever. Then again its not his daily driver, so he dosnt really drive it much. I think I drive it more than he does :p. I think bmw is the most reliable brand from germany besides porche, its pretty reliable overall, but not problem free like lexus cars that are the paradigm of reliability. Im just not a fan of lexus because of their floating technology filled coffins, too boring for my taste. IS350 is a step in the right direction but theyve got a lot of work ahead of them

im not a lexus fanboy at all, lol. Im a fan boy of good performance cars. I drive a 2005 G35 coupe and would not get any of the current lexus cars. But i gotta give credit where its due too, its got some incredible stats, and Id love to test drive it and see what the fuzz is all about.

speaking of bmw, im waiting for someone to do a g35 coupe 6mt vs bmw 330i 6mt comparison. The 6mt g35's driving dynamic with neutral weight distribution during corning and stiff sport suspention is totally different from the rest of the g35 line in terms of driving dynamics.

got to drive the new is350 and must say i was impressed. i was looking for the dissapointment in performance like i had in the previous is300. the 6speed paddle shift was pretty cool but the delayed reaction was pretty lame, the car looks 10x better in person than in pictures. all in all fun car to drive, major improvements all around. they are supposed to be working on the delayed shifts, its good to have family who works for toyota corp north america and drive these cars 6 months before they come out. im waiting to get the loaner lexus lfa aka the return of the supra.

i'm not sure which issue it was in, but automobile mag did an article about status and reliability of germany's automobiles. obviously, the beemer, merc, and porsche all rated highly in status, but all 3 were at or near the bottom as far as reliability and customer satisfaction (including VW/audi). conversely, the major asian brands had lower status ratings, but almost all were rated higher in customer satisfaction and reliability (testing was done by the german version of AAA according to the article).

my question is what is lexus going to produce as it's new flagship engine, being that this new 3.5 6-banger has more hp than it's current 4.3 v8? espescially with honda supposedly upping the ante with a *rumored* v10 for the nsx replacement....

Wow. This IS350 seems like it's a really amazing vehicle. But the BMW must be an even more amazing vehicle. Either that or C&D is strongly biased towards BMW. Why do I say this? Because the BMW came in first even though "The BMW's ABS failed during testing" and they had to use the braking results from their April 2005 roadtest. The car nearly made a 360 spin at 70mph. But does this bother C&D? Nope. Aside from reliability issues with the BMW during the test, the Lexus was in fact TIED with the BMW. It appears they made a math error when they were adding up the points and they gave the BMW one extra point. Don't believe me? Go ahead and do the math for yourself.