Thread: Lexus IS F

Just wondering what opinions of the IS F are. I know that's a pretty basic question, but I'm wondering in terms of overall daily driving, transmission, comfort, etc.

I haven't owned one but I have driven a couple. I do not care for the transmission in it. Comfort is as you would expect from a performance orientated sedan. It did have some muscle to it but for the money I think I would lean more towards a CTS-V sedan.

I always forget about the CTS V when comparing this segment of vehicles (M3, C63, etc). I will take a look.

The IS F is cool but I really do not like the IS platform. Visibility, entry/exit, a transmission bulge near the drivers-side right leg, and the logic behind some of the controls make the car feel not as refined as its competitors. And after I learned how the stability control program works in snow, I don't trust it either.

I can speak from a reliability standpoint we had one of the first 2008's in NY when it was introduced and its been in the stable of promo cars since. Never a missed beat and the car still performs strong. Nothing more than scheduled maintenance and upgraded wheels every year!

lol

As others have said, the basic design for the car dates back to 2006 so of course the interior feels dated in spots, however if you find a good deal on one, I wouldn't let that be a major deterrent.

If I can help more lemme know.

Just gonna leave this here:

I really put the ISF in last place behind all the luxury sport coupe's. CTSV, RS5, M3, C63AMG are all ahead of the ISF.

Sorry I don't have any real input to what you are asking though...

I really like the ISF but you dont know what it is until you drive it. Lexus needed to change how people look at them, they did have the product but not the marketing. If you want to be a premium brand like BMW and Mercedes-Benz then you need driver and enthusiast focused marketing. Just look at BMW and Mercedes Benz. Lexus doesent even use their slogan, "The Prusuit of Perfection" or "Engineering the Impossible". Everyone knows Mercedes Benz slogan only a couple of weeks after they changed it "The Best or Nothing".

Back to the ISF. Its a great machine, the 5.0 litre V8 is a piece of art and the transmission is superb. The car feels easy to control and very, very fun to slide just like the M3. The M3 is just a bit more focused but I dont see that as a reason to choose the M3 over the ISF, the ISF still is a very nice car and it doesent lack anything. I love the driving position, love the rear seats and love the steering feel. A very comfortable car, specially on longer cruises.

I´d choose it over the CTSV and RS5 any day. The C63 is my personal favourite but its more like a muscle car rather than a driver focused car so I´d say the M3 and ISF are much more similar in terms of steering feeling, engine character, sunspension and comfort.

It is a perfect daily that you can have fun with on your local twists or the local track and you can also travel longer distances eaisly with that 8-speed transmission. And remember, it is a Toyota after all and that means it wont break

I can tell you I went from a Z06 to an 08 ISF. I drove the M3, the C63, and the CTS-V before I made my decision and all of them were great in one way or another. For me the F had the most comfortable interior, and the 8 speed transmission always keeps you in the torque curve which is nice. It really is the fastest shifting transmission I have ever felt in auto mode. I am not the kind of guy that craves attention, I just like cars. But, with that said everyone loves it at some point. I cannot count how many times people have pulled up next to me at a light and asked what kind of Lexus that is, that they have never seen a Lexus like that before and basically were blown away that it came from Lexus like this. The power is much smoother then the vette ever was even before I put the turbos on. I mean you look down and your doing 120 mph and in the vette you felt like you were doing that when you were going 80 mph.

Now to the things I would change. The ride is a bit tough sometimes, but I can assure you it is no worse then what I had in the vette. It wish the paddle shifters were a bit longer like those in a Lambo, I place my hands higher on the wheel and the angle and length of the shifters is awkward and you get jammed up trying to pull it sometimes (not sure if that makes sense without driving it). In the end it should always come down to personnel preference and not what the masses say you should LIKE and DRIVE. I miss the raw visceral feeling of the vette sometimes, but as I have matured so has my taste in how I get around quickly when I need to.....

Well that is my two cents, I hope it helps. Make sure you drive everything first before you make a decision!!

If I remember correctly the CTS-V is the reigning champ of sedans. But I do agree that the Yamaha Skunk Works 5.0 in the F is a little gem, just like the M5's V10 from the last generation

Originally Posted by adanmtxt1

The IS F is cool but I really do not like the IS platform. Visibility, entry/exit, a transmission bulge near the drivers-side right leg, and the logic behind some of the controls make the car feel not as refined as its competitors. And after I learned how the stability control program works in snow, I don't trust it either.

I just want to point out that you only have the footwell bulge in the AWD models. The F is only available in RWD and therefore the driver's legroom is pretty comfortable.