Did It Make The Grade? IS-F Long-Term Road Test

You basically didn't have anything to say.....WTH

revised....

This car is definitely a shift in the right direction for Lexus and stands out as a true competitor although it didn't quite win over the market

— Mason3Robert (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 10:55:17 AM | | Votes: 4   

"This car is definitely a shift for lexus but still fails to standout amongst its competitors!"

says the euro-only fan...

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 10:58:06 AM | | Votes: 5   

I see your feelings all through out the comment so I'll just put you in the "don't pay attention" box.....null and void.

Learn to give credit where it's due and stop acting like a spoiled little infant.

— Mason3Robert (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 11:08:15 AM | | Votes: 1   

It is better than M3 in everyway, the only thing those wusses at C/D can complain about is ride quality. Stiff springs will buck and heave even on a high riding car. The problem isn't the car, it's the damn road. You hear people in california complaining about driving modified cars year round? NOPE!! Only losers in Detroit and their crappyarse roads.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:13:45 PM | | Votes: -4   

"it will bob like an apple over a seemingly good freeway."

- That doesn't sound like they were trying to imply that the road was bad. They are saying that ths IS-F's suspension is bad. Reality is hard to accept sometimes.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:37:12 PM | | Votes: 2   

"It is better than M3 in everyway"

Riiiiiiiight...

— JRobUSC (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 2:47:09 PM | | Votes: -2   

"seemingly good highway" means their perception is on crack and not real. The IS-F is so full of feedback and relay the truth while C/D staffers were relying on their flawed perception. Instead of blaming themselves, they blame the car. Don't trust druggies.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 11:49:43 AM | | Votes: 2   

Is this one of the keys to Lexus reliability - more scheduled servicing?

"Lexus requires more than twice as many scheduled visits as any of those other three might have something to do with that."

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:16:50 PM | | Votes: 0   

It's the M3 that needs a suspension consultant, too soft with too much body roll, car sits too high looks dorky. It was built for wusses in mind, not performance enthusiasts. Take out the V8 and the M3 is nothing but another softy 328. The same is not true if IS-F didn't have a thundering V8.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:18:12 PM | | Votes: -6   

Badgewhore, are you really saying the M3 handling isn't sporty?

— Joe_Limon (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:43:35 PM | | Votes: 6   

Take the V8 out of the IS-F and you will have an IS-350 with a wide-body kit. People who are serious about driving prefer the BMW. Not only does the BMW kick the Lexuses ass around the racetrack. The BMW beats it while offering a more comfortable ride. Which is something that Lexus has yet to figure out. Give me the BMW anyday.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 12:44:41 PM | | Votes: 2   

Badgewhore

If what you're saying is true, why does the M3 beat the IS-F on the track every time?!

— M53R (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 4:53:26 PM | | Votes: 3   

I have to agree with the suspension comment. Even the Evo X MR feels vastly more sophisticated and refined as far as chassis tuning.

— sizquik (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 7:20:05 PM | | Votes: 1   

I only hear C/D claiming M3 beat IS-F, not everytime. C/Ds problem seems to come from the fact that they can't seem to figure how to drive the car right. I totally understand as 8 gear is a bit much for softies to figure out. IS-F has more torque down low and shifts faster and a more planted suspension for track use than M3, only humans are to be blamed for IF-S not dominating. But we need not argue this anymore, the blame here is and always have been C/Ds bias towards whatever they feel like. C/D has had a long history of prefering softy cars to a superior performing car.

- Civic SI loses to softy GTI
- Lotus Exige loses to Cayman
- GT-R loses to M3
- G37 loses to 328

Surprisingly the harse riding EVO beats softy GTI and STi. Moral of story? Don't trust drug addicts.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:03:02 PM | | Votes: 1   

I'm not saying M3 isn't sporty, IS-F is just more sporty than M3. Anytime you have a car that's more sporty than another, it will most likely ride firmer, that's just the way things go. An example, the 370Z will destroy a Porsche Cayman, but it'll ride harder, a Cayman S will match the Z handling and ride similarly rough, totally acceptable. But IS-F crossed the line as far as C/D is willing to accept for a 4dr sedan. If a 2seater sportscar ride, drives and perform like the IS-F, C/D staffers will it's too soft. It's a matter of perception based on looks and what segment the car was intended.

M3 suspension is better suited for street use, but it's a much bigger gas guzzler than IS-F due to low torque and poor tuning. Both IS-F and M3 are confused vehicles. M3 has track engine matched to a street suspension, IS-F has track suspension matched to a torquey street engine and easy to live with auto tranny. See the problem?

Anyone serious about sport or track, get a real sportscar and stop compramising, these two heavyarse tiny 4dr sedans ain't gonna cut it, they only make you want to act like a street racer snob. Get a softy economical sedan like a camry for a daily driver to calm oneself down so one doesn't feel the need to race on the street. That way, one won't get called a Ricer by internet dumbarses.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:24:24 PM | | Votes: 0   

Badgewhore,

The EVO X isn't harsh riding. Or at least the MR doesn't ride harsh. I own a evo x mr and it is far from harsh. It rides about the same as my old sports-suspension equiped 2001 BMW 330i.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 1:42:25 PM | | Votes: 1   

An old lexus looks like an old toyota. Warped body panels, body panel seems expand, faded paint. while the BMW's still look tight. Don't even get me started on the lexus IS-F's interior which have the cheap corolla power window switches and the radio from the Camry. Not acceptable for a car that cost $60k.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 1:00:31 PM | | Votes: 4   

I meant "seams", not "seems". I should have paid more attention in school :-(

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 2:05:13 PM | | Votes: 2   

Why didn't the 2009 model IS-F come with an LSD?

It was stupid for lexus to not include an LSD in such a powerful car. They got it wrong by not equipping the 09 model with an LSD so now they are correctin it. Who knows what else Lexus forgot? BMW was smart enough to equip the M3 with an LSD from day one. Why didn't Lexus?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 2:48:18 PM | | Votes: 0   

"As usual the German cars fall apart quickly as time goes on. They may look good in a new car review but they are never meant to last for more than a year. Lexus cars on the other hand are built to last for a life time."


Bullshit. These stupid generalizations based on what a review says really means nothing. So what if the M3 had some transmission problems? Maybe the car was pushed harder over those 40,000 miles than the IS-F? A long term road test can only tell you something about a specific individual car, not an entire fleet or the brand.

Oh, and I have owned several German cars and I've never had any major problems with them. None.

— Willis (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 3:29:46 PM | | Votes: 2   

Lots of what if's and maybe's but the hard facts presented by the tests are still there.

This is what a long-term test is what about (versus a new car review)--to see how a car holds up over time. Both cars underwent the same abusive performance tests by the same crazy C&D drivers. The Lexus is as good as new after a year, while the BMW feels already "tired". The test simply confirms what all of us (who are not blind) already knew about the two makes from other studies. BMW sacrifices quality to eke out performance. Lexus makes sure that quality and durability comes first no matter what they do.

— FanboyOfTheTruth (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 4:06:52 PM | | Votes: 4   

This is what a long-term test is all about*

— FanboyOfTheTruth (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 4:07:25 PM | | Votes: 5   

Freshseth83,

Why didn't the 2009 model IS-F come with an LSD?

It was stupid for lexus to not include an LSD in such a powerful car. They got it wrong by not equipping the 09 model with an LSD so now they are correctin it. Who knows what else Lexus forgot? BMW was smart enough to equip the M3 with an LSD from day one. Why didn't Lexus?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/24/2009 2:54:33 PM | | Votes: 4   

Like how BMW didn't equipped the 335 with oil coolers and car was going into limp mode? I guess car wasn't intended for track use, but dumbfans who bought into BMWs marketing BS thought they were buying a track car. Now BMW is forced to install expensive oil coolers to thousands of cars that'll never see track use.

But to be fair, Nissan forgot to do the same for the 370z. That's totally unacceptable as the G37 coupe didn't have that problem.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:35:33 PM | | Votes: 3   

BMW not equipping the 335 with an oil cooler doesn't excuse Lexus for not giving the IS-F an LSD. I thought Lexus was better than that? I guess not. It's Ok that the IS-F isn't as good as an M3. As always, Lexus falls shy of the mark. That may be hard for Lexus fans to accept but facts are facts. Lexus consistantly falls short of the mark.

Infiniti builds
better sports sedans than lexus. Maybe that's who Lexus should go after. Because god knows that Lexus cannot build a sports sedan as good as the BMW M3.

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 1:54:14 PM | | Votes: -1   

look here at what wiki say "In November 2008, the Lexus IS F was named Best New Sports / Performance Car over CDN$50,000 for the year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), beating out the rival BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG in track test evaluation.[38] In October 2008, the IS F received a Good Design Award from the Japanese Industrial Design organization.[39] In 2008, Evo's test of the IS F awarded the vehicle the magazine's highest rating of five stars.[40] That same year, CAR magazine named the IS F as a finalist for its Performance Car of the Year award" this was in 08, that car hasn't changed until now, the 2010 model with the LSD. It wasn't even supposed to be. The IS F was made by a few people, wasn't hardly backed by Lexus and wasn't even smiled upon by the parent company. Now that they sell just as much as the M3 they are continuing on with it. You gotta start somewhere.

— freshseth83 (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 3:09:32 PM | | Votes: 1   

and a 400+ thundering smooth V8 engine crammed into a little car the size of an M3?

Of course the superior reliability, lower fuel consumption and still solid as new feeling after 40,000 of hard thrashing is nothing new.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:39:04 PM | | Votes: 4   

How about superior reliability, solid as new feeling after 40K of thrashing by crack heads, superior fuel economy, superior auto tranny, superior interior quality and design? M3 lacks all of these and has Hondalike torque. I think the IS-F is worth easily an extra 20grand.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:45:11 PM | | Votes: 3   

I agree, but that was done on purpose to pi$$ the snobs off when tacky IS-F blows pass them.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 12:47:09 PM | | Votes: 1   

it's tacky, agreed. but it was not "done on purpose to piss the snobs off." lexus actually thinks this is good design. sad.

— enthusiastx11 (View Profile)

Posted on 8/25/2009 1:05:17 PM | | Votes: 1