| Author |
Message |
William Huber (Solipsist)
Member
Username: Solipsist
Post Number: 466
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 05, 2002 - 8:37 pm: | |
LEXUS IS 300 with manual transmission only. I'm not a fan of E shift automatic (PLAY STATION style shifting)
|
ty (360mode)
Junior Member
Username: 360mode
Post Number: 80
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 4:56 pm: | |
thanks for the input... i was leaning more towards the 325ia (she can't drive a standard, believe me, she just can't). even though i'm not a fan of the IS (think it looks a bit too rice burner-ish) it does seem to be a much better deal, esp on a slightly used one. i think it will end up on which model i find a good used one first. money is an issue for her as i'm already going to be helping her out just to buy what i've listed... thanks.
ps - i hear you though, i cna't believe how much a decked out 330 is, amazing. |
Dave (Maranelloman)
Member
Username: Maranelloman
Post Number: 525
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 12:53 pm: | |
Rob is correct on all points, IMHO. My 1997 M3 has 240 HP, 236 lb-ft. The current 330 has, I believe, 225 HP--close enough for government work. HOWEVER (and this is a big however), the 330 has relatively weak brakes compared to my older M3. This should not be an issue unless your sister plans to take her car on the track... Still, for average non-enthusiast driving, I would still get the IS300 with the stick shift over a new 325 or 330, if for no other reason than that BMW has sold a whole sh!tload of new cars in the last 3 years or so, but their dealers have the same ol' service bays (with a few exceptions). Thsi means that it is VERY hard to get a service appointment at a BMW dealership in a major metropolitan area in a timely manner. This is based on my personal observation (thus my avoidance of dealers for the last 3 years) as well as that of many othger fellow BMW owners. However, Lexus service is about the best there is, and they bend over backwards to accommodate your every whim. For this reason alone, I would buy the Lexus. |
Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator
Username: Rob328gts
Post Number: 2602
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 10:57 am: | |
IS300 by far is the best value dollar for return, and that's coming from Dave and I, both BMW owners. However, if money isn't as much a concern I would get the 330, in my mind, no doubt the 330 is the best overall car, just maybe not worth the extra money. I did the all day IS300 comparison test drive with the BMW and Audi. Even though the marketing was slanted, I still came out of there liking the BMW and that was even the old 328. The 330 has the same 17" wheels and about the same HP as Dave's E36 M3. |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 336
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 10:54 am: | |
V8 is400 comes out soon. |
Dave (Maranelloman)
Member
Username: Maranelloman
Post Number: 524
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 10:31 am: | |
IS300: a BMW at 2/3 the price--with higher reliability & top-notch Lexus service. |
Joseph (Mojo)
Junior Member
Username: Mojo
Post Number: 86
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 10:04 am: | |
325ia's are great looking
IS300's are toyota reliable. |
Noelrp (Noelrp)
Junior Member
Username: Noelrp
Post Number: 99
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 9:39 am: | |
I would recommend the 325ia too. |
Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Member
Username: Mlemus
Post Number: 332
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 9:18 am: | |
325ia |
ty (360mode)
Junior Member
Username: 360mode
Post Number: 77
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2002 - 8:12 am: | |
my sister is looking for a car. we've narrowed it down to the following:
1. 325ia
2. A4 - 1.8t quattro
3. c240
4. IS300
i've never owned any of these so i don't have any real opinions, just stuff i've read, looks of the cars, and my general bias towards mercedes. any experiences/thoughts would be appreciated. thanks! |