F owners Survey-level of happiness w/ your F

7606 Views 27 Replies 19 Participants Last post by AuroraISF, Feb 3, 2009

rotaz

Discussion Starter · Jan 21, 2009

Could you rate how happy you are with your F (1 to 5, 1 being you are ready to dump it, 5 you wouldn't buy any other car) and reasoning.

Please note if you had any issues with the car.

Please note your current mileage.

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

UNK

· #2 · Jan 21, 2009

I give my F a 4.

I currently have about 850 miles. I know it's still early but the reason I didn't give a five was for the following reasons:
1. I think the inside of the roof panels should be suede
2. Steering wheel should be way bigger and thicker
3. They should've not put so much chrome on the car. It's a sports car and should have at least black window trims.
4. My breaks are squeaky
5. A little too much rattle.

Im being picky but definetly enjoying the car. Just curious to know if i'll be able to love it for the rest of my lease.....

Jeff Taylor

· #3 · Jan 21, 2009

I'd rate the F at 4.5/5.0 only for a couple of reasons:

1) I'd consider a C63 or M3 next time around, just for something different

2) It would be nice to have an adjustable suspension like on the M3 to make the in town ride a little smoother. Not a big deal, though.

The only problem I've had is some rattling of my windows. Silicone lubricant seems to solve that problem. I had the same problem with my 2004 Acura TL

Things I love:

1) The sound of the engine
2) The 8 speed transmission - great (relatively to C63/M3) fuel economy with excellent performance
3) I personally love the Mark Levinson sound system. Others will disagree.
4) Excellent handling

I have 6300 miles on my F and still love it. I highly recommend it!

Jeff
08 Smoky Granite Mica IS-F

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micaISF

· #4 · Jan 21, 2009

i will give a 4.
there are a few minor issues with the F that i wish could be improved such as ergonomics, stereo system, no real manual transmission, ease of use with navigation and blue tooth phone.

rotaz

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 21, 2009

micaISF said:
i will give a 4.
there are a few minor issues with the F that i wish could be improved such as ergonomics, stereo system, no real manual transmission, ease of use with navigation and blue tooth phone.

Just curious, what's wrong w/ the navi and bluetooth?

UNK

· #6 · Jan 21, 2009

Don't know about the navi other than not using while driving but compare to my other cars the bluetooth sucks for people on the other end!!!!!!!

rotaz said:
Just curious, what's wrong w/ the navi and bluetooth?

BigMikeISF

· #7 · Jan 22, 2009

I would give mine a 4.5 out of 5. I currently have 7600 miles on it and am loving it.

Some pros:
1)I love the sound of the engine, especially once the second intake opens up.
2) The speed, acceleration and braking power of the F is plenty (not crazy fast but definitely not slow).
3) To me, it is a car that definitely stands out in a crowd.
4) I'm also pretty impressed with the gas mileage of a car of this magnitude.
5)I really like the transmission and the way the car rides. Granted it can get a little rough when the roads are in bad shape but overall I enjoy it. I really like the looks of the car.

Some cons:
1) I've noticed a little bit of rattling going on inside the car but it doesn't bother be too much, I just accelerate and drive faster.
2) I haven't made up my mind on the ML system yet, sometimes it sounds like crap and other times I don't mind it.
3) I wish the steering wheel was thicker and it came with cooled seats.

I'm just being nitpicky. I'm really enjoying my F and it's the perfect car for me at this point in my life so I can't really complain.

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F'n around

· #8 · Jan 22, 2009

UNK said:
Don't know about the navi other than not using while driving but compare to my other cars the bluetooth sucks for people on the other end!!!!!!!

I have a different opinion on this. Most of the people I have questioned about how it sounds and they say it is really good. I am skeptical about hands free clarity, but this one seems to work like it is supposed to. The only time I have a problem is if the other person is on hands free too. If this is the case we have problems with our noise cancelling overdoing it and missing bits of the first part of what is said sometimes.

I use my hands free alot for conference calls and it seems to work great for me.

crazee

· #9 · Jan 22, 2009

Just curious why would you guys prefer manual transmission? Another is now that you've experienced paddles shifter which do you think is better and faster at shifting manual or paddle? This is from my personal experience manual transmission is horrible if you live in a big city and there's always traffic. Another is that you don't have a free hand for smoking, drinking, eating, or even hold hand with your significant other. However, only thing I can say that manual transmission is good because you kind of get some sort of bonding with the vehicle when you shift gears. Just my 2 cents. Sorry in advance if I offended any manual transmission fans.

micaISF

· #10 · Jan 22, 2009

rotaz said:
Just curious, what's wrong w/ the navi and bluetooth?

nothing seriously wrong. i just feel Acura systems are more user friendly and intuitive.

Dean

· #11 · Jan 22, 2009

I would rate it a solid 4 !

I have almost 19K miles on mine and have had it one week short of a year

Pros:

Decent HP, though it could use 100HP more and it should NOT be connected to the steering input(more on this later)

nice under the radar kind of car that can seat 4 and has a trunk.

Though it took awhile for this old manual kind of guy to learn to use it, the tranny is great though again I'd wish they let us have more control and take some of the control away from the computer. I KNOW when I want to downshift in relation to the upcoming corner, the computer can't!

Cons:

The ML Sounds system is JUNK and a total waste of money.

Could use the 19mm rear sway bar and the hard rubber bushings standard up front as OEM parts.

Could use another 100 HP

They NEED to take away from the computer it's control of the HP in relationship to the steering input!! That's for the driver to decide, not the computer!

Car needs to be a bit louder and freer breathing from the factory.

Deeper, more supportive front seats would be nice

All in all it's a very nice four seater and I'm very HAPPY it doesn't have "I Drive" as I would never buy a car with "I Drive"... Hate it.......

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Jeff Taylor

· #12 · Jan 22, 2009

micaISF said:
nothing seriously wrong. i just feel Acura systems are more user friendly and intuitive.

I agree that the Acura HandsFreeLink is a bit more intuitive. I think my F has better sound quality though (at least than my previous 04 TL).

Jeff
08 Smoky Granite Mica IS-F

nj1IS-F

· #13 · Jan 22, 2009

1. why is a car with 6kmiles have squeaky breaks its embarassing? 2. car isnt that fast. 3. handling could be better. 4. and this is my opinion , i think the M3 is an all around better car. i know alot of people work hard and to have a 62k car we should be thankful, so im not knocking anyone, i just think as a performance car the m3 is all around better. looking to get rid of mine , trying to get into 2009 m3. but still am enjoying the f. though a bit cold here in New Jersey.

micaISF

· #14 · Jan 22, 2009

crazee said:
Just curious why would you guys prefer manual transmission? Another is now that you've experienced paddles shifter which do you think is better and faster at shifting manual or paddle? This is from my personal experience manual transmission is horrible if you live in a big city and there's always traffic. Another is that you don't have a free hand for smoking, drinking, eating, or even hold hand with your significant other. However, only thing I can say that manual transmission is good because you kind of get some sort of bonding with the vehicle when you shift gears. Just my 2 cents. Sorry in advance if I offended any manual transmission fans.

while shifting gears on my own may not be faster than the automatic transmission( manual mode), it gives me much more direct control of timing and skipping gear to gear. i dont disagree that a lot of it may be psychological and "bonding," but that's what makes driving sports cars fun; one actually gets to define control and dictate everything the car does instead of having the car doing it for the driver. let me give you an example, yesterday, i wanted to pass a car on freeway, i had to shift down from 8->7->6->5->4->3 ,asuming each gear takes only 0.15 seconds, it would require 0.75 seconds before i was in 3rd gear and able to blast off. with manual transmission, i could have changed directly from 6th to 3rd in one shift. not a big deal in terms of difference in time, but it feels like a long time waiting for all those shifts.
in my 20+ years of driving manual transmission in the new york, houston, and SF bay area, i rarely regreted having manual transmission. the only times were when i was ill and just didn't feel like driving at all. For me, shifting is second nature and a brain is not even required ( which free it up for other more important tasks such as talking on the phone or drinking coffee.

)

personally, i would opt for a manual transmission any day. for any given sports car, i believe it improves the fun factor by at least 50% easy.

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Rickk

· #15 · Jan 22, 2009

Well some interesting opinions on the ISF. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own likes and dislikes about any vehicle. I have 19K on mine and have been driving it since last Feb. I owned a 06 GS430 and a 99 GS400 before the ISF. I am a devote Lexus fan and feel the ISF delivers the best balance between sports car and daily driver, possibly the best of both worlds. In all honesty does anyone really need a faster car? I have pegged the spedo in sixth gear @ 6400 RPM and an indicated 175MPH. The car hit the rev limiter like a brick wall. There is much more. 416 HP, 4.2 0-60, 12.7 1/4 mile, room for 4 and 4 set's of clubs, compliant ride and up to 24 MPG. C'mon can it get any better? Outside of this one must decide between a full blown sports car or luxury sedan I personally feel this is the best example of "Best of Both Worlds". I would give mine a 5. I will teel you though I want a R8 V10. This however will not be a daily driver. For the majority of complaints low cost solutions are available. I have ordered both the Intake pipe and true dual exhaust from the garage of Joe-Z. I really like the change in sound these products produce and will enjoy the extra 25HP. The ISF was not built for the masses and will not please everbody. I am very meticulous about my car's and this one is washed twice a week. I run synthetic oil in the car and it changed every 8K. To this point I have no rattles, or annoying ghost noises. I know there will be at some time. Both of my other cars developed them over time and were not nearly as tight as the ISF. As far as reliability NO automaker is better. Lexus has the lowest repairs per thousand than any other carmaker. As mentioned in one thread and last time I checked 60K was alot of money and for that I want a well engineered piece of machinery.

The ISF will always have a place in my garage!

RWK

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Flipside909

· #16 · Jan 22, 2009 (Edited)

Well said Rickk. Being a previous 3GS (07 GS350) owner, I have the same sentinments.

Lexus is definitely my favorite. My IS F is a 5 in my books. I drive it so much, I just hit 4k miles on my 09 tonight!

BigMikeISF

· #17 · Jan 22, 2009

Rickk said:
Well some interesting opinions on the ISF. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own likes and dislikes about any vehicle. I have 19K on mine and have been driving it since last Feb. I owned a 06 GS430 and a 99 GS400 before the ISF. I am a devote Lexus fan and feel the ISF delivers the best balance between sports car and daily driver, possibly the best of both worlds. In all honesty does anyone really need a faster car? I have pegged the spedo in sixth gear @ 6400 RPM and an indicated 175MPH. The car hit the rev limiter like a brick wall. There is much more. 416 HP, 4.2 0-60, 12.7 1/4 mile, room for 4 and 4 set's of clubs, compliant ride and up to 24 MPG. C'mon can it get any better? Outside of this one must decide between a full blown sports car or luxury sedan I personally feel this is the best example of "Best of Both Worlds". I would give mine a 5. I will teel you though I want a R8 V10. This however will not be a daily driver. For the majority of complaints low cost solutions are available. I have ordered both the Intake pipe and true dual exhaust from the garage of Joe-Z. I really like the change in sound these products produce and will enjoy the extra 25HP. The ISF was not built for the masses and will not please everbody. I am very meticulous about my car's and this one is washed twice a week. I run synthetic oil in the car and it changed every 8K. To this point I have no rattles, or annoying ghost noises. I know there will be at some time. Both of my other cars developed them over time and were not nearly as tight as the ISF. As far as reliability NO automaker is better. Lexus has the lowest repairs per thousand than any other carmaker. As mentioned in one thread and last time I checked 60K was alot of money and for that I want a well engineered piece of machinery.

The ISF will always have a place in my garage!

RWK

You have a Private Message Rick

FChampOH

· #18 · Jan 22, 2009

Rickk,
Well spoken and Thank You! Obviosuly, I am a big fan of the IS-F and I want everyone to love it like I do. Not everyone is as biased as I am though. ALL cars will develop little "issues" here and there and it's easy to nit pick. But, when you look at the big picture as far as what a car offers and the big factor, reliability, Lexus is again proving themselves as a world class Sports-Luxury car maker. It is making a huge impression in this niche market of vehicles. I am stepping down from the podium now, next!

mondo540

· #19 · Jan 22, 2009 (Edited)

I won't repeat a lot of what I said in my "first impressions" thread, but agree with a lot of stuff here...just 2 things I'd like to touch on.

- we def. need an EDC type of suspension...anyone who says this ride is compliant has a spine made of titanium, lol.

- I am going to look a little OCD on this one, but I cannot bring myself to buy any car, no matter how good it may be (M3) if it doesn't have a way for ME to check the oil on my own with no electronic BS involved. These are high perf. cars and I can't fathom relying on some sensor (in a car known for not having great electronics from the get go) to tell me when my oil is low or needs changed....

SuperFreak

· #20 · Jan 22, 2009

crazee said:
Just curious why would you guys prefer manual transmission? Another is now that you've experienced paddles shifter which do you think is better and faster at shifting manual or paddle? This is from my personal experience manual transmission is horrible if you live in a big city and there's always traffic. Another is that you don't have a free hand for smoking, drinking, eating, or even hold hand with your significant other. However, only thing I can say that manual transmission is good because you kind of get some sort of bonding with the vehicle when you shift gears. Just my 2 cents. Sorry in advance if I offended any manual transmission fans.

I love manuals and have always had at least one, but I can't shift within 0.10 of a second like this one does. I also love the throttle blip upon downshift, that doesn't require me to heel-and-toe to prevent rear lock-up. This tranny changed my mind about manumatics, so I would have to agree with you

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