Lexus IS350 Luxury Package

[colinxx235]

Looking to do a vehicle change/purchase here. Considering mostly 07-09's. S4/335i/IS350/G37 basically.

I've found a few decent IS350's in AB/BC and usually a decent price difference between the luxury package or navigation addition.

Was curious for those who have driven both/knowledgeable (maybe I should direct it at redlyne as I believe he's worked at lexus) if it is really worth the price difference. Looks like its equipped with a different screen, rear-view camera, upgraded speakers and a few other perks. Not sure of any other differences.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

[dimi]

IS350 has a wicked interior, but its very cramped IMO, auto slushbox isn't as good as the competition IMO. Feels very dated too.

G37 is great value for money. Don't like the engine, seems very rough, and the interior is a bit plasticky.

335 has a wicked engine, and will eat the others for lunch. I raced an auto 335xi vs a B6 S4 6M and got a few car lengths on him. Its the most expensive and might leave you stranded w/o a fuel pump though. The RWD one is the sportier version (250lb lighter, better handling, less power loss), though AWD is a fucking tank in the winter. Don't get it out of warranty.

S4 has a wicked V8 growl. It drinks A LOT of gas though. I like the look of the B7s.

If you can afford a new S4 (supercharged V6) that's the car to have, if not 335i WITH SPORT PACKAGE (oil cooler is key if you want to add mods).

[Xtrema]

I tested IS350, I find it ok, nothing crazy. Interior is well done but not to crazy to the design. Very 90s-ish. And a few button and switches seems to be out of place in the Lexus and should be in a Corolla. The real deal breaker is the transmission and lack of space in the rear seat.

When they bore out the VQ for G37, the refinement is gone. Exhaust still sounds good and interior is not bad.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I've driven all those cars multiple times and owned the S4.

I picked the S4, so obviously that is my #1 choice of all those cars (Unmatched interior, AWD, more reliable than a 335, and the V8 sold me).

The Lexus is typical "Lexus" fairly uninteresting, but reliable as hell and will hold it's value. The automatic is pretty bad IMO, and there is no manual transmission option. Definitely the least fun of all the cars on your list.

I would take a G35/G37 "S" over the Lexus IS350 any day of the week. Outstanding automatic transmission with rev-matched downshifts and proper paddles (left-down, right-up). I didn't think the engine was rough, and it's a solid motor at least. The manual transmission in those cars is quite poor IMO. Something is just not right, and the shift lever vibrates like hell (makes my hand go numb). Auto is the way to go in the G35 IMO. 2007+ G35's are night and day better than the previous gen, and interior is much bettrer.

The 335i is awesome, definitely my #2 pick. Fuel pump issues, and having to worry about turbo/intercooler plumbing issues down the road turned me off a bit. Super fun car though, not much bad to say about them other than reliability issues. Cars that people don't want to own outside of warranty scare me a bit. I hated the step-tronic manual shifting of the automatic but the 6spd is the way to go anyways.

S4 is what I bought when I was in the exact same position as you 2 years ago. Amazing 6spd transmission, AWD, unmatched interior, V8 power & sound, and I like Audi's haha. Not quite as fast as a 335 but it's still plenty fast, plus you get all the other stuff. Amazing winter car with AWD & a very effective stability control. Very solid car too. In 2 years, not a SINGLE problem.

The V8 S4 isn't nearly as bad on gas as some people think. I got ~380-400km/tank in the city, ~550-600km/tank on the highway. Fill up is around 55-60L, and only takes premium (just like everything else on this list). Less if you drive it really hard, just like anything. It's no Prius, but there is far, far, worse cars out there for mileage.

Anyways, you can't really go wrong with your choices but I'd take anything on this list before an IS350.

I'd take a 2010+ S4 over all of these options if you can afford it, though. As for 6spd vs DSG, I don't know if they have improved the DSG reliability over that of the VW product or not. If not, can't go wrong with the 6spd manual.

[dirtsniffer]

my bro has a 335d. fucking sweet car, 425 lb ft or torque. he drives it pretty hard and still gets better than 10L / 100km. they also sell like crap, he got a fully loaded, executive driven (so 1 year old about 10k km) for like 45,000. which was over 20 grand off sticker

[ddduke]

I don't understand why people keep saying that the is350 has a nice interior. I found it to be cheap and cramped, I felt like I was in a fully loaded toyota (which is pretty much what it is).

I also looked at 5 series that were in the same price range and they were 10 times the car. The C-class also left me more impressed.

[jongc]

Originally posted by dirtsniffer
my bro has a 335d. fucking sweet car, 425 lb ft or torque. he drives it pretty hard and still gets better than 10L / 100km. they also sell like crap, he got a fully loaded, executive driven (so 1 year old about 10k km) for like 45,000. which was over 20 grand off sticker

l vote for 335d as well! :burnout:

[colinxx235]

Originally posted by jongc


l vote for 335d as well! :burnout:

Then i'll come find your mazda and beat you worse than I already do in cod ;) hahahaha :burnout:


All this feedback is really killing me. If I had a huge budget it wouldn't be an issue to find a 335xi or S4 with low km's (I would buy a '10 S4 in a heartbeat).

I found a really nice 08 G37s coupe with low kms/fully loaded that really caught my attention, it is manual, but the issues 3000gt pointed out are worrying.

Also a 08 is350 with luxury + nav package. But also has transmission/space annoyances to many.

Thankfully i'm not a very big guy so personal space typically isnt an issue as long as the seats are wide enough for my shoulders/back

It seems the G37coupe rear is one of the worst? Plus a very small trunk?

Might have to just spend the time finding a 335xi or S4 to get the better of the scope. Its hard to tell how winter would go in either the 335i/is350/g37 as I have never owned a rwd car.

While I know people seem to often say the g37/350 aren't exciting enough, I believe whats attracting me the most is the reliability. Also why I was considering a 3rd Gen TL (just by far the least exciting of them all)

I just don't know how much I would expect to spend every year or say over a 2-3 year span for an 07-08 S4/335. I know dealing with glenmore audi was a headache for my younger brother.

[Troll-ol]

look at that 335d, its way better on gas and still had 286 hp and like 400 something torque

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by colinxx235


I just don't know how much I would expect to spend every year or say over a 2-3 year span for an 07-08 S4/335. I know dealing with glenmore audi was a headache for my younger brother.

In two years I spend exactly $0.00 on my 2006 S4. They are very solid cars. My warranty expired not long after I bought it, but I didn't make any warranty claims either outside the scheduled maintenance in the owners manual, which was free.

I've also dealt with Glenmore audi on multiple occasions and only been impressed. They even did an extra service for me (one of the recommended ones in the manual) when I didn't need it but because the warranty was about to expire. Royal Oak wouldn't do it, bu Glenmore would.

It depends a lot on the individual you deal with, I think.

Anyways if you don't want to spend a ton of money, have a look at 2007-2008 G35s Sedans. They are quite a bit nicer than the coupes anyways, IMO (plus more room if you care). In 2008 you could get a G35xs which would be my pick for a G35, in an automatic of course. The "X" is obviously AWD, and the "S" gets you better suspension, wheels, etc. The suspension difference is most noticeable. I drove a G35 and G37 back to back and couldn't tell a difference in power or anything, but the 37 does have a tad more. Otherwise they are virtually identical, so you could save money and get a 35 of some kind.

RWD cars are no problem in the winter with winter tires & common sense. All the ones on your list have stability control and all that sort of thing. AWD is obviously better, though.

TL's are nice but make sure you get the manual if you go that route. I've driven a bunch of them and the automatic is brutal. Great stereos though, and are reliable cars. The FWD part sucks, and they have bad torque steer until they fixed it in I believe 2007. They aren't even in the same league as a G35 IMO, and probably 1/10 or less are manual transmissions.

The best advice is the most obvious, just get out and drive all these cars, over and over again if you have to. That should help make up your mind the fastest.

[Xtrema]

If budget is an issue, I would do G35/37 coupe/sedan.

Sedan is good for 4. Coupe is good for 2 adult and 2 kids, there is no headroom for anyone over 5'5" in the back. Legroom is decent tho.

Coupe's trunk is good for 2 golf bags but not much else. It's very shallow.

[colinxx235]

*Mitsu

Yah I know we discussed a lot in PM about your S4, seemed like you had great luck. I know my brother's 02-04 A4's were all nightmares but thats a different class of vehicle. He did like Glenmore (Boris was a great guy), just had issues with how backed up they often were (or told him) and took a while depending. My fear is purchasing a 07 with a little higher km's and running into tons of maintenance/repair issues on the cost side, and also on the "I told you side" from the family. In discussions I tried to explain S4 vs A4, V8 vs 1.8T, Manual vs Auto, but it seemed hard to get past the bills my brother surmounted.

I already know the S4/335xi are my top for wanted, it becomes a price vs km issue. Sorath has pretty much the exact car I'd like(with the exception I love the cinammon interior), but I noticed he's put on ~12K in 2 months. I've been trying to figure a good km point that I want. The G37 coupe/IS350 I have my eye on are both 38-43K km range.

If I go infiniti, only the coupe. I personally can't take the look of the sedan (no offence to anyone). I'm ~5'9" so height never an issue in cars haha, maybe that rear will prevent annoying friends from bumming rides.

All the info users post is greatly appreciated for the record, as I know many people own the cars I'm going after. I'm curious who else owns a B7 S4 to chime in, hopefully others have had a positive experience like Mitsu3000

The whole RWD thing is more that some people seem to think its a death wish in calgary (stupid I know). But I will admit I have 0 experience with it. Last 8 years I've driven 07 cobalt SS (with winters), 04 durango SLT, 06 cherokee hemi and 08 escalade during winter time, so my habits will reflect that of a AWD user. But I no longer have to drive from mckenzie to U of C 5x a week ever again, so I'm trying to weigh in on how much RWD would be an issue. Worst case for about another 12-16 months I have a GLK350 on hand if I purchase a RWD and find it difficult given scary conditions.


I will begin test driving very very soon. I'm just a well prepared person who between reading reliability reports/cost spread spreets/forum etc, would like to know exactly what I'm aiming for as to not waste my time or a dealers/private sellers. I've already done some online insurance quotes through meloche monnex and although some results inconsitent (ie IS350 cheaper than IS250AWD), most are in a pretty similar range.

[Mitsu3000gt]

If you can afford not too, don't settle for a high KM car.

High KM kills resale, and likely means you will have more problems than average (unless it's all highway).

I don't buy cars with more than 10,000-15,000 KM per year on them, that is a good guide. 20,000+ KM per year is average, so you want below average.

I also won't buy a car that's been in an accident unless I know exactly what it is and it was minor. It doesn't take long to rack up a $10,000 bill these days, but make sure you have all the details. A couple headlight assemblies on these cars could be $5,000, so if you just look at the dollar amount, it can appear worse than it is.

Whether it makes sense or not, a LOT of people have a mental block at 100,000 KM. Even the people I know who know nothing about cars think after 100,000 KM the car is worthless. I know that is completely unreasonable, but if they are the buyer, it affects you.

I personally have a bit of a mental block at 100,000 KM, but it's easy enough to find cars with low KM that it isn't an issue.

If you don't absolutely need to buy something ASAP, be patient and wait until you find a mint, low KM car for a fair price.

As for dealing with Glenmore Audi, if you buy a car off warranty or almost off warranty, most if not all your dealings will/should be with George @ Tune Dub anyways, and he is an absolute pleasure to deal with. Have George inspect any car you're about to buy as well - if it has issues, he will find them. It also wouldn't hurt to scan the car with VCDS (VW/Audi diagnostic tool) first (I own one, as do a few others on here).

For insurance, I was paying $160/mo for the S4 with full coverage, low deductibles, grand touring, and accident forgiveness through Meloche Monnex. I was 24/25 years old when I had that car (26 now).

If you buy a 2006 S4, I believe only the ones with build dates of November and newer had the latest quattro with the 40/60 front/rear torque split.

[Xtrema]

I'm sure dealer offers CPO warranty if that helps peace of mind. But don't expect them to be cheap.