considering the new ISF, few questions for you ISF owners

3173 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by old$parts, Jul 18, 2008

WP1234

Discussion Starter · Jul 16, 2008 (Edited)

I currently have a 2005 E46 M3 ZCP as well as a 2000 Lexus ES300.

coming from the audi platform to the bmw platform, i have been fortunate enough to have driven relatively fast cars over the last few years. Up and till now, none of the Lexus vehicles have caught my eye. simply put, i have many friends who own the 350 and the performance is marginal at best, not to my standards.

I had a chance to test drive the ISF today and was decently impressed. car accelerates well, seats are very comfortable, very quiet until you step on the throttle and get the revs past about 3600Rpms.

I am also looking at the C63 AMG namely. owning a BMW, i want something different, thus not considering the new M3 with DCT at this time. i had a b5 stage 3 s4 before the M3 so im not looking at audi. plus, their residual is horrible, almost as bad as AMG mercedes. i would like to trade in the ES300 towards this car but i have a few questions for you guys.

1. how is maintanence? any quirks/problems that i should be worried about? obv BMW has the 4yrs/50k maintanence plan, although in one of these other threads some guy said u can purchase a maintanence plan for lexus that covers all maintanence. if so, how much is that?

2. any lease incentives? if any of you lease the ISF, im interested in if you guys got any incentives. when i worked with the finance rep, we were looking over the money factory and lease rates. i have good credit (mid 700s FICO) and he said that with a 5k driveoff, i could get a 36 month lease with 10k miles a year with payments around $885/month. thats with 5k driveoff, and a residual around 50-52 percent for 3 years. Thats with a buyout of around $31k after the lease term expires. how does that compare with some of the deals you guys have?

3. the wheels. the car comes stock with 225/255 PS2s or Potenzas. Is that enough rubber for you guys to launch the car or take turns hard? hows the suspension with hard cornering? i was able to push the car in the straights when i test drove it today but did not get a chance to push it into a corner. I would like to know if you can go wider and if so how much? my M3 runs on 275/285 PS2s with DINAN wheels.

basically narrowed it down to this and the C63 AMG. pros and cons for each are as follows.

Lexus ISF Pros: good overall package, M. Levinson sound system is amazing, reasonable price, hopefully lexus reliability, better on gas than its counterparts.
Lexus ISF Cons: little less torque then MB, Lexus first shot at a performance vehicle, not sure about longterm reliability

C63 AMG Pros: amazing motor, 451hp/443ftlbs, handles great, looks sleek.
C63 AMG Cons: Price is about 12k more than the ISF fully lodaed, very very thirsty (6.3LAMG V8)

Overall, in looks outside id give the nod to the C63 AMG. even for as heavy as it is they make the car look very sleek. interior, i give the nod tolexus. more comfortable seats, more comfortable suspension, quieter.

its a really tough decision and im really kind of split.

thats about it for now. thanks

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pat.ross

· #2 · Jul 17, 2008

I have a little over 8k miles on my F. Not one problem thus far, but a too small of a sample to know reliability. My first impression is that it will be little or no different than any of the other Lexus vehicles.

2. Purchased not leased so no comment

3. PS2s are "stickier" than Potenzas, but I would suspect that the Potenzas will last longer. The 25 Fs at the Lexus Performance Driving Academy in Atlanta last weekend were on PS2s and the Michellin (sp?) rep was there pimping the PS2s. Unless you are racing I don't see any need for wider tires.
The only way I have found to really light up the rear tires on acceleration is to totally turn off the VDIM and Traction Control, power break and then launch.

4. Gas mileage. I have averaged 20.1 mpg since new. Much of my driving is on Houston's Beltway 8. I have averaged 21+ mpg for the last 5-6 tanks of gas. I don't "stand on it" all of the time, but I don't hesitate to go WOT at least 3-4 times each day. One of the other members just drove his from Houston to Colorado and claims he got 29.5 on the trip. (See his post yesterday).

Good luck on making your decision.

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sizquik

· #3 · Jul 17, 2008

For a lease comparison, check out leasecompare.com I think you can get better numbers depending on what you can get the car for.

Also, I am STRONGLY considering taking a break from German cars for a while and stepping into an IS-F. Compared to the competition it seems like it's the better all-around package.

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ChrisH

· #4 · Jul 17, 2008

WP1234 said:
I currently have a 2005 E46 M3 ZCP as well as a 2000 Lexus ES300.

Wow, sounds just like me...

I have an 2007 E92 335i that I traded out of a 2006 E46 M3 ZCP. I like the 335i better than the M3 for a daily driver, and it's about 95% as fast as the old M3.

But alas, the reliability of the 335 has caused me to look at the Lexus as well. Nothing but electrical problems since I got it and I just got it back from the shop for a steering wheel lock problem.

I am currently in negotiations for a blue IS-F that is due into my dealer next week. The Lease he quoted me was near $1k per month (36mo @12K per year) with a couple of grand down, but I have no idea what the money factor is on it.

I too would like the Michelin rubber, but you don't really get to pick if you buy new. I have heard that the wheels on the IS-F are about $2500 each, but that is unconfirmed.

I have had 4 other lexus model and 3 toyota's in the last 10 years, and none of them haven given me any trouble. I love my Bimmer but I am afraid I may have to give up on the Germans for a while.

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pat.ross

· #5 · Jul 17, 2008

The ISF wheels are about $1,900 each, but you can buy insurance that replaces them if there is structural (not cosmetic) damage. The insurance for 5 years costs about $675. I bought it.

My wife has a new BMW 335i conv, and I have the ISF. I hope that I don't have as many problems with her 335i as you have had with your BMWs. My son has a 330ci (parked in the garage with a blown head gasket or cracked head, we don't know which). I was on the fence about buying the extended warantee and he told me not to buy the 335i without it, that I would surely need something major fixed between 50k and 100k miles. I listened and bought the extended coverage.

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old$parts

· #6 · Jul 17, 2008

My thoughts on the wheel insurance.....

1. Cosmetic damage isn't covered.

2. Most any damage other than cosmetic, probably will be covered by my zero deductible, which was only a few dollars more than a $500 deductible.

3. Any manufactures defects would most likely be covered by Lexus.

4. Net result is a 90% chance of saving the $675 add on insurance for wheels. I'm inclined to gamble on those odds.

old$parts

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WP1234

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 17, 2008

i look at it like this. my 2000 lexus has 83k miles and has been in the shop twice outside of routine maintenence in almost 8 years.

my BMW has been in the shop about 8 times for this and that over less than 3years. reliability wise, its a no brainer. as Bmw is getting to be like Mercedes benz, you would be out of your god damn mind to own that car outside of warranty.

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pat.ross

· #8 · Jul 17, 2008

Sounds just like what my son said. He also said that any repairs were d__n expensive.

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old$parts

· #9 · Jul 18, 2008 (Edited)

Lexus Value

The Lexus has a stellar reputation and has proved itself in the past twenty years as a healthy contender in all facets of the car market. Now that Lexus has entered the arena of fast sports cars, it once again will be a very strong contender. The IFS has already obtained one of the highest residual values of any car on the market. That said, facts such as quality, phenomenal performance, styling and handling characteristics combined with very low production numbers will serve to maintain the IFS as an excellent resale value for years to come. Considering the above mention facts alone, superbly qualifies the IFS as a sound leader in the field of quality sports cars.

Garnering from all experience with limited production vehicles, I can tell you that I have always fared well, compared to owning vehicles that are being mass produced. Take for instance, the BMW or MERCEDES BENZ comparable vehicles, they are being produced in massive proportions with questionable reliability and thusly will reflect in their residual and retail values in the future.

old$parts

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