According to a Q & A interview I read with one of the head production engineers - I forget where because I've read so many.



So you say mid 13s but if I find several articles with high 13s and low 14s does that make mid 13s impossible? No. It's just a question of if we're talking about average performance or 'best' performance. It's very possible that 13.7 @ 104 is a best case scenario and 14.5 @ 98 is a worst case scenario. I have no idea what to make of the weather conditions. I guess that makes the 13.7 all that much more impressive.
You do know Car & Driver is absolutely the most consistantly BMW-biased publication on the market, right? You do realize that in that test they had a myriad of random electrical failures, warning lights, and chimes, right? You do realize that even if the slowest time I've seen on the 'net for the IS350 is 'correct' and even if the fastest time I've seen for the 330 is 'correct', the IS350 is still faster, right?


10x??? That's an imazing quantitative measurement I never knew was possible. Especially from somebody who has never stepped foot in an IS.
Honestly I'm sure the 330 is more fun to take through the corners. The VDIM 'nanny' on the IS will not be appreciated by those who enjoy kicking the rear out around corners and squeeling the tires on every apex. However you can bet your *** that far more people will appreciate VDIM's conservative nature when they need it most - in a situation where they might potentially lose control, have a wreck, or have misjudged how fast they can take a corner. I'm not saying one is better than the other and I think Lexus is flat out retarded for not offering a VDIM defeat switch, but fortunately it has already been documented that if even one sensor that's a part of VDIM doesn't check out properly, the entire system goes offline. So I can imagine it's only a matter of time before the real gearheads develop a simple on/off defeat switch that just gives one un-needed sensor a misread so that they can have all the fun they want.

Fact is that Lexus has specifically stated that this car is meant to be luxury and sport in one. It is not intended to be primarily a sports sedan such as the 3-series is. Don't believe me? Go look at, for example, the dB ratings on the 3-series. On average a whopping 10dB higher noise levels at idle, cruise, acceleration, and all. That's huge. That's like the difference between limo-quiet and Honda Civic-quiet. I'd also garner that if you took quantitative measurements of ride control over bumps and such you'd find the IS to be much smoother. Is giving up some 'sport feel'/'fun' up for the extra safety, control, and luxury? That's a personal question. To me it is, to most magazines and gearheads, probably not. But at least appreciate the differences there.

That's nice but remember, again, what I said about Road and Track, and also remember that this is essentially the only reason they ranked the 3-series higher than the IS (by one point) because they felt better connected to it. That's a pretty subjective arguement that one should probably judge by more of a hands on test.
That's kinda like reading a review of a golf club that by the majority of the stats available was bested by a slight less expensive model, but the reviewer still personally prefers the more expensive lower-spec model because it just 'felt right' to him. Feeling right to him and feeling right to you aren't always going to correspond.

The prices are NOT that similar if you equip them similarly. Try it for yourself - I will in a bit if I have time.
Again - maybe I'll use a different approach: a lot of people would say a frikin Mazda Miata is more fun than a Corvette because of how much more responsive and nimble it is. That's great but that doesn't make it a superior car to the Vette. That's just one factor in many - a very subjective factor, at that.
I can understand the disappointment in there being no manual in the IS350- but the IS250 actually has better performance numbers AND better gas milage numbers from its 6-speed automatic, plus offers paddle shifters to boot. I'm well aware that isn't enough to convince somebody who wants a manual to get an auto, but Lexus just decided there wasn't enough of a market for a manual IS350 since they project IS250 RWDs and AWDs to make up 3/4s of their sales anyhow. No official statements have been made but it has been confirmed that Lexus has been tested a 5.0L V8 IS500 on various tracks around the world, and has registered the trademark for that name as well. Projected power output is about 400hp SAEII. If and when that comes out I'd bet my first born child it'll come with an available manual.



Yes, I've driven a 300C (V6) as well as a Magnum (hemi) and a Charger (hemi). All of them felt like boats in the ocean, especially the 300C. The hemi really pulled very nicely but then in what felt like the middle of its powerband, it shifted. It felt kinda like the old TPI f-body days where the motor just ran out of breath so it shifted. It needs to be given more room to rev IMO.



No, I brought up the GS. My point being that if my previous-generation GS feels nimble next to a brand new 300C, I can't even begin to imagine a 300C holding a candle to the current-generation IS (not only 1 generation newer than my car, but lighter and significantly sportier to boot). I only have to use that path of logic because I haven't driven the new IS, only sat inside of it. Point being that the 300C (non-SRT) is not competetive, nor do I think it was meant to be competetive with this class of cars. I can see you feeling that way since you own one, but it's just delusional.



31k? Yeah, that's the G35's base price, but have you looked at the list of options that come standard with the IS350 @ base price vs the G35? I'm not saying the G35 is flat out more expensive but if you equip them as comparably as possible in their options list and then look what each offers that the other doesn't, you'll find the G35 lacking quite a few features - ones which may or may not matter to you, but still...
Interior is obviously subjective but I can't imagine any editorial or unbiased profesional who would find the IS interior to be anything but night and day better than the G35 in terms of quality - a place where Lexus has always been praised and Infiniti has really suffered in recent years to say the least.
Safety features - well, do some reading on VDIM, precollision censors, rear backup camera, 10 standard airbags including dual chamber front airbags.

 

OK I did some pricing...

I just went to carpoint.com and equiped the 330i w/ all the comparable equipment that the IS350 comes with standard. The only thing I could find that the BMW had as equipped that the IS didn't was BMW's version of onstar. The 330i was still missing a few features here and there but overall was close enough to satisfy most comparison shoppers. Sticker price? $43,520 including destination.

Load it up with every option available on the IS350 and the 330i is still missing quite a few features that just aren't available for it... and you get a nice whopping sticker price of $49,670 including destination. That's about what the loaded to the hilt GS300/350 costs and that's poised to compete with the 5-series, not the 3-series. Whereas a loaded to the hilt IS has not been officially announced in pricing but prelim pricing has suggested no more than $42,000 for every option under the sun including 18" wheels, cooled/ventilated seating, adaptive front lighting with bixenon lights (normally only single xenon), rain sensing wipers, rear park assist w/ backup camera, the 13-speaker standard system is replaced by the 14-speaker 7.1 channel mark levinson system, the new 5th gen lexus nav system (which makes BMW's look downright silly in every respect), etc.

So we're talking about the 330i being roughly 7 to 8 thousand dollars more expensive option for option and still coming up short on quite a few features that just aren't available, and coming up short on power, predicted reliability, NVH/ride quality, safety features, etc.

But, but, but wait... the BMW makes the driver feel more connected to the machine!

Right... how long are people who prefer BMWs going to use that as a crutch?