Lexus IS-F saloon long-term test review

"And it was amazing just how little of the white snuff was needed to render the IS-F completely immobile.".... "Suddenly Audi’s all-wheel drive RS philosophy is looking rather appealing"

I laughed. :-)

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:14:23 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

There are only 5 cars on my next purchase list and the IS-F is 2nd. Ist choice for me is an 05 GS430 because it's roomier inside but both cars are awesome and are extremly durable. Man an IS-F is becoming more of a "gotta have it" factor. Trust me the word is getting out there about this car more than you guys think. Just think for a moment...........The LF-A will strike terror when it comes. Trust me that thing is going to be on a lot of front pages of everything. Imagine driving a real Formula 1 V10(muffled down to keep it street legal)inside a hot candy apple red convertible roadster w/ 600hp and a red line of 9500rpms...talkin bout wickedness...Man the day of reckoning is swiftly approaching.

— lexworld (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:26:07 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Big whoop. Now it's just a hard-boiled egg. Put it up against a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and we'll see who lives to tell the story.

— Jordanski (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:29:14 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

LF is referring to the L-Finesse design scheme.

A refers to the fastest car I believe. The Alpha.

It will probably something else once it finally comes out... IF it does.

— adamsaf723 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:55:48 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujsZJPY4nVM

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 1:33:58 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

For poeple who are iterested to see the ISF VS AMG C tested by germans, here is the link part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzp7xHaC4NA&feature=related

Part2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV-OE6xgpxg&feature=related

— LE34 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 11:29:43 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Mr Bratwurst, wtf are you smoking the IS is based on the Totata Altezza.
If you are going to voice any supposed opinion you think you have. Do a search and learn before you type. FYI, All Lexus are Toyota's re badged to be marketed in the US and Europe. for Gods sake even wikipedia has this info. How much do you not know???

— EIII (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:09:50 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

also the RS4 is a B7 chassis the 96 + - to 01 A4 is a B5, VW used the Audi B5 chassis for the 98 to 05 Passat.All benifit to the consumer.
The W8 passat was a vr or narrow angle w8 and the comparo ifn't that bad when you consider that the passat was a people mover sedan not a hot 4 door
Beside this the IS-f will be discontinued by 2012
Please store this it can help you in the future

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

— EIII (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:17:30 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Mrbratworst

A Lexus IS shares platform components with a Toyota Corola, so please allow me to laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1HIwdkYoI

Please take a look at this video, you will notice at 0:40 how much the IS-F wiggles while the Audi follows completely composed. Also Lexus needs a 5.0 engine to develop 414hp, while Audi needs only a 4.2 to create 420hp. You know what's that called, that's called engineering.
Yes, the skid pad is better and yes it is slghtly faster on the slalom, but marginaly, like the RS is slightly faster on 0-60. Those are small differences, that could be negated at any time, by either a different weather, a different driver or different tyres and those could go both ways.
Above $60K, you can't really go wrong, either of those cars, same with the M3 or the CTS-V. I am sorry "little Brat" that my comment offended you, I just read and quote the article, so you took offense, proving that YOU are the fanboi, and also proving your inferiority complex.

Here is TTAC, the Audi still finishes before the Corola. keep in mind that the B6-7 platform was already quite "old" compared to the other cars in that test.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/comparobmw-m3-vs-audi-rs4-vs-cadillac-cts-v-vs-lexus-is-f-vs-mercedes-c63-amg/

Should I keep going?

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 12:31:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

Why the hell can't people just leave Lexus alone?

Imagine the entire Lexus lineup branded as "Toyota". Would the cars be any less good? No. So why act as though seeing the Toyota name on a Lexus starter motor is akin to proof of some grand conspiracy against you and your fanboy crew?

Does anyone think the folks at Toyota/Lexus are trying to fool people into thinking that Lexus has nothing to do with Toyota? No.

Contrary to the ignorant, fanboy, immature, and repetitive nonsense displayed by so many autospies posters, the fact that Toyota DNA/parts/whatever makeup Lexus is a GOOD THING.

A lot of people here seem to relish in letting all of us know that Lexus is a part of Toyota. Welcome to 1989 guys. We all know this. You're not proving anything by repeating common knowledge. You're just displaying your douchebag personality.

If you don't like Lexus cars fine. You can say you don't like the way they drive, don't like the way the leather smells, or whatever other reason you pull out of your rectum. Not everyone likes everything.

But, you can't use the excuse that "Lexus are just Toyotas". Why? Because it doesn't friggin' matter.

— answer (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 1:24:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

evlaudi,
I'm completely flabbergasted that a RWD car might have problems driving in snow. Here's the rest of the quote that you conveniently left out, but why let facts ruin a good lie right?

"It’s not just the Lexus that’s been suffering in this weather though. Every car I’ve seen in trouble in the last few days has been rear-wheel drive car, mostly BMWs, and most struggling with snow that wouldn’t give a Focus driver any concern at all"

I laughed at the part that said "mostly BMWs".


Replaced M3 with BMW and that's how this sentence should really read.
"Perhaps that it’s not just another M3 is part of the appeal for him as much as it is for me."

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 1:49:02 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

Bratwurst,
Nice work on calling out Agent69 there. But comeon, those are genuine German fake exhausts, that's what makes German cars handle so damn well! It's what makes the "feel" so "magical".

— huu76 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 1:51:11 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

— 1evlaudi

in case you haven't read the article till the end. The tester loves the ISF. And you can see here the comparision between ISF and AMG by german magazine. I cannot undersatant when we germans prefer the ISF and find it better than our über luxury cars why you non germans insiste do prove the oposite? We allways between us laugh about this fanatisme of non germans about our cars.

— LE34 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 2:18:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

LE34
I would take a minute to really try to understand people and their "love" for lexus. I worked for Lexus, and I work for a German brand now. There is no way I can explain in words what people fail to see in the Lexus brand and line-up. It would take pages and bore most of you guys. If we could post pictures directly on this site, then that would be easier. Or I could post a video walkaround comparing a Lexus to say, an Audi.
there is more to a luxury vehicle than a badge and pure performance numbers. There is the built quality, the attention to details, the fit and finish. A trunk liner should not be attached to the trunk with Velcro (Lexus IS). Manufacturing a car is "deep inside", far from what eyes can see. And that is the problem with most of the fanbois on this site, they judge on what they can see only. They don't look inside or underneath, they probably never drove those cars neither. I did, that's what I do for a living. I am no journalist, and I do appreciate the opinion of any professional but I do dot make my opinion based on reviews or marketing campaigns. I go sit my arse in the cars, I drive them, I inspect them from top to bottom, under the hood, under the carpet, how the hinges are built, how the wirings are put together, so on and so forth.
And even if a IS is a decent car, it is lacking overall value. It's a decent car, nothing less, nothing more.

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 2:49:00 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Wimmer,
here your translation;
''Of which test do you speak at all? And where the tester says that it prefers the IS-F?''

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 2:52:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Before buying my last car I asked some mechanics I know for recommendation. They both declined to recommend any car, what to pick was "personal preference". I then asked what to avoid. Both said avoid BMW and Mercedes because quote "the German cars don't have the quality they used to" and "parts for BMW and Mercedes cost 3 times as much". Edmunds.com echoed the parts price difference. I bought a IS 350 ( not the F). I'm very happy with it. The nicest feature is the "speed alarm". You can set it to go off when you reach a particular speed, then you speedometer lights up with an orange ring around it. I'm sure it's saved me more than one ticket. The car very easily drives far faster than I have any business doing on public roads. I'm sure other cards will go faster still, but I don't want to make the news for getting caught street racing and losing my license, which is what happens at a measly 150km per hour in Ontario. Pity, all these lovely cars that will go so much faster, but no place to drive them. I occasionally wish I'd bought the IS-F, or an M3, but the extra $20,000 to $30,000 pays for some other nice toys, or retiring 6 months earlier.


Get a nice car you enjoy and
then go enjoy driving it.
Have fun all.
J.K.

— HappyDriver (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 4:29:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

Happydriver
you have a very valid point. However it is amazing that you think that the "nicest feature is the speed warning". Do not take offense in my comment. but this is so typical of "Japanese near luxury" vehicles owners. Some little gizmo will impress you guys, even if there is a complete lack of engineering deep inside. (see previous post). And even if German cars had that feature a long time ago. My 2001 TT had speed warning.
This is the perfect example, and I am in no way attacking you Happydriver. I just used your story as an example.

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 4:38:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

case in point. ;-)

— 1evlaudi (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 7:41:14 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I was driving near a new M5 the other day, kinda getting bored of it nd the 10 Cyl doesn't have bass...Then happened to come up to an IS-F, now thats kinda different nd unique. IS-F is starting to look hott.

— StickShiftCamry (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 10:51:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

You know what I think is hilarious, are the people who "own" a certain product or "worked" for the maker of said product, which means they can't be biased against said product or brand. It's even funnier considering that most of them on an internet board have neither owned nor worked for the brand.

The IS-F is a great car, especially considering it's coming from Lexus. It's on par with the C63, M3, and RS4. Would I say that it's better? Personally, I think at this point it all depends on one's preference. At this point, all four of these cars are excellent.

— NEPatriots7 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/29/2009 11:02:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

its not a POS just not better than the competition. die hard fans love it but i've seen more x6's on the road than is-f's!

— vman1013 (View Profile)

Posted on 3/31/2009 9:35:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Here's my take. M3, C63, RS4, IS-F all fantastic cars. I had the money to get anyone of these, so how did I end up with the IS-F? You may be lucky where you live, but here is Seattle you have to deal with BMW of Bellevue. Their sales and service is legendary here so that ruled out the M3. M3 reliability is not good at the moment. A common theme is a blown rear diff. The car is about the total experience - well for me it is. C63, sorry but 12 MPG in the city, there's no excuse for that. And, no test drive allowed here. RS4, very nice and AWD which is handy here - liked that car a great deal. But you can only get it fully loaded and at $80k and that's just too much coin. What is undeniable is the Lexus service and after care. And more importantly, it's a car you can live with, it's my daily commuter. The only downside to the IS-F is being continually photographed by other drivers with their cell phone and I am not b.s-ing here. Favorite bit, the paddle shift in 0.1 s. It will snap your neck, well the wife's if she is not ready for it :P

And when you see the German Touring Car Driver Tim Schrick compliment it, wow. I'd never thought I would see the day a German would do that. http://lexusenthusiast.com/2008/11/07/d-motor-comparison-lexus-is-f-vs-mercedes-c63/

And BMW haters? I don't get it. I have only got thumbs up from M3 owners, and I politely wave back indicating they have nice ride too.

May be we could have some mutual respect here? Seems to work better for Obama than it did Bush.

— ISFOWNER (View Profile)

Posted on 4/3/2009 3:43:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1