Now that the the new IS-series has been released by Lexus, I must say it is quite an impressive car.
It really looks like Lexus finally has a legitimate competitor to the BMW 3-series.
From a looks standpoint I give a slight edge to the new IS over the new 3. Mainly becuase the rear of the 3 looks so Infiniti G20-ish and wrecks the look of the car in my opinion. When you see the IS and 3 in real life we think you'll agree.
The new IS is more refined, modern and more expensive looking.
The 3-series is not bad looking, in fact it's a solid 'B' effort in our opinion.
It just doesn't stand out as much as it used to anymore, compared to the competitors.
And in this game, every new generation car needs to be an 'A+' effort, to stay ahead of the others.
When older 3-series cars were released they always looked head and shoulders better than everything else. This time, it just blends in as a reasonable choice in a sea of good looking, lots of bang for the buck alternatives.
On the inside, it's no contest.
The IS interior looks like it's worth double the price.
Even the MINI looks more expensive inside than the new 3. And it's half the price!
BMW. Do us a favor and pull in a couple of the MINI interior designers for your next cars. The MINI’s look special compared to everything else out there.
Performance.
That where the line blurs here and BMW retains its one advantage.
NOTHING drives as good as BMW.
But will that be enough this time for it to hold market share.
We predict NO.
Why?
Because the new IS will offer a lot more horsepower, bang for the buck, Lexus reliability and the superior dealer customer service experience.
And most customers aren't saavy enough to appreciate the finite advantages of the BMW. People tend to only see what's on the surface and first impressions mean a lot.
Are we predicting the IS will overtake the 3 in sales?
NO.
But that’s not their goal today.
All they want is to do 10-15K units in the first year and the damage will be done.
The goal is to methodically and carefully erode the 3-series share, little by little.
Like water torture.
Trust us, they intend to make it painful.
The Spies predict when you look back in 18 months, we’ll all say mission accomplished, Lexus.
Tick, Tick, Tick