I'm the proud owner of the pretty Lexus (pictured above).
Who wins the pot? 
Seriously though, thank all of you for your help. I think I checked out every suggestion in the thread. I'll grab some pics tomorrow.
I'm the proud owner of the pretty Lexus (pictured above).
Who wins the pot?
Seriously though, thank all of you for your help. I think I checked out every suggestion in the thread. I'll grab some pics tomorrow.
Excellent choice. Congrats!
Well that was easy. So does it ride like a slab of granite? That would be a deal breaker for me.
BradLTL wrote: I'm the proud owner of the pretty Lexus (pictured above). Who wins the pot?
11th post from the start. 
You are going to love that car, congrats man!
Now about this pot you speak of......
So I take it the backseat is usable?
unevolved wrote: So I take it the backseat is usable?
Ish. It's snug behind my driving position but I can squeeze in (for reference I'm a lanky 6'3"). It's bigger than the C-class MB, obviously smaller than the 5-Series BMW.
It shouldn't be an issue for the school run or trip to Costco, but we aren't planning any long road trips with it either.
How does it drive compared to a CTS-V?
Congratulations - the ISF is on my nearly attainable ahead of the Lotus Exige... Need more input on the comparison to the other beasts discussed that you drove recently. Overall sportiness versus fit and finish?
Congratulations - the ISF is on my nearly attainable list ahead of the Lotus Exige... Need more input on the comparison to the other beasts discussed that you drove recently. Overall sportiness versus fit and finish?
I remember reading that the harsh ride on the first year IS-F was vastly improved in later versions.
I think I checked out every suggestion in the thread.
That makes you pretty much the best person.
Honestly, when someone asks for help picking a car and then spends every post telling everyone else why they are wrong, i want to kick them off the internet.
BradLTL wrote: I'm the proud owner of the pretty Lexus (pictured above). Who wins the pot?
Congrats, you'll like it. I know I was shocked when I pulled 22mpg out of mine the first few tanks.
Time to start modding!
The newer suspension bits bolt in, I\h\e will get you right at 400whp, and you can retrofit the steering PCM (located under the battery) for MUCH better steering feel...though you'll still need access to techstream in order to calibrate it.
Do yourself a favor and at least get an intake. The stock piece makes the most power, but this motor makes glorious, glorious noises when it's uncorked.
edit: When it's oil change time, check and make sure the water pump isn't leaking, that's pretty much the only thing that goes wrong.
Knurled wrote:irish44j wrote: Off the wall? Legacy GT.There was a thread about that here not too long ago. Big ball of nope regarding the EJ255 engine, made me reconsider the EJ255-into-1st gen Forester thing. Apparently there is a screen on the turbo's oil inlet that plugs, which kills the turbo, which sends junk into the engine that can never be cleaned out short of a rebuild, which kills the engine, which sends junk to the turbo, which kills the turbo... seesaw effect usually stops there because the car gets scrapped. I've certainly seen enough Legacies for sale on their second/third turbo to believe it.
That's a fix that ranges from FREE to $90 (remove screen or get a braided turbo oil supply line). Seriously, what's with the Subaru hate all over the place, here? There is nothing wrong with an EJ255 or EJ257 if you aren't trying to run more than 400 crank HP or 20psi on stock pistons. Yes, they all need a retune, but what driving nut gets a turbo car and doesn't get a retune?
The subaru hate is all over the place here because there has been a huge number of blown motors. Even in stock form.
The kind of enthusiast that buys a turbo car and doesn't get a retune is the kind that bought a turbo car that doesn't NEED a retune to have a hope in hell of making it to 50k miles.
Ok, some impressions from the cars that looked at during shopping.
The CTS-V is big and powerful, but compared to the other cars feels lazy and heavy. Plus it has tons of chrome, that's great if you are into that sort of thing. I'm not. The back seat has plenty of room. It would have been ok, but not great. Honestly, if you are going to get a CTS, just get a base save the cash and gas.
The C class is nice. Some of the interior bits could be better materials, but they are still above most American car plastics. I didn't get to drive the C63, but the back seat was too small for me to seriously consider it. Which is a shame because I really wanted it to be the winner.
The Audi A4, well it's not really in the same class as the other cars despite being so pretty. The back seat is a bit bigger than the C class. I had a friend from APR tell me that I will get a new friend in the form of CEL.
To be continued...
Personally I dislike the way Subaru's sound and they seem overrated. Just a personal opinion is all.
The Legacy and SHO were only internet reviews. I really liked the Legacy, I wanted to drive one but there wasn't one for sale within 500 miles of me. I think if the opportunity had been there, I would have liked it and just went with it. The SHO, I didn't give enough attention after driving the IS-F. So, I may have missed that one.
Ok, the M5. It's awesome. It drives amazing, it's full of features (a lot of which aren't even options on most cars). The car is a whole different level of fast. It pulls through 5th gear as fast as 2nd. It really is effortless. When it's not being stupid fast, it's a 5 series and has all the comforts and practicality that they are known for. The only knock on the car (my issues aside) is the SMG transmission. It's not terrible but it's not what you expect either. It's a manual transmission, the clutch and actual shift are done for you when you click a paddle. If you can wrap your head around that, you'll be fine. It's really the daddy of the super saloons. I would recommend one, even if I liked you.
Finally the IS-F. Well here's mine:
So, it's a different car from the others. Where the Bimmer and Benz are luxury cars with big engines, the Lexus goes the other way. It's not your Mom's ES. It's a sports car with 4 doors and a Lexus badge. The back seat isn't as spacious as I would like, but I can squeeze in behind myself... just. It's seems close to the A4 and bigger than the C class, that may have to do with seating position than actual space. For a family of 3 it will work. The transmission is great, manual shifts are quick and smooth. Downshifts blip the throttle for you. It's what you imagine a paddle shift is like, and it has another party piece, it's a pretty great automatic as well. The engine makes all the right noises. Even at startup it has a nice growl, but is quiet on the interstate cruising. The car is fast, but not M5 fast. 0-60 they are close but pulling through 3rd and 4th you notice the lack of 100hp. It's still fast, just drive a slower car around first. Yes, the ride is firm, not unbearable and really it doesn't bother me or the toddler. The wife has not cast an opinion yet. I do dodge potholes and go slow over the big bumps.
Overall the car feels nimble and powerful. It has all the toys and gadgets you would expect and comes with Toyota reliability. Added bonus, my wife has a Toyota Venza so she is already familiar with all the controls. It's makes it a lot less intimidating for her. She enjoyed driving the IS-F but was freaked out and hated the M5.
So, 35 miles in I think I made a good purchase. Plus I know the PO and the car was very well taken care of with no issues.
What year is it? '08?
Yes, 62k miles.
This thread got me very interested in the new SHO. I have always liked the Focus ST but the back seat is a little too small and I'm not a huge FWD fan. The SHO ticks both of those boxes. Then I saw that it weighs 4327 lbs. Now the GTO feels pretty heavy at 3700. 600 lbs more weight and 50 ft/lbs less torque... I think you made the right call with the IS-F.
Loving the review sir - I haven't test driven a number of these cars as I was afraid of how much I would like them 
Armitage wrote: This thread got me very interested in the new SHO. I have always liked the Focus ST but the back seat is a little too small and I'm not a huge FWD fan. The SHO ticks both of those boxes. Then I saw that it weighs 4327 lbs. Now the GTO feels pretty heavy at 3700. 600 lbs more weight and 50 ft/lbs less torque... I think you made the right call with the IS-F.
I made the same comparison of the Focus St and the SHO before buying. The ST was just too small. I couldn't fit two kid seats in the back. The SHO is large enough that the whole family can cruise in comfort AND it has a cavernous trunk. I could put two or three good sized bodies in the back. The AWD is very nice.
It is a heavy beast. 4400lbs is nothing to sneeze at. It is large so having such a large car with a low weight may defy the laws of gravity. I don't track the car so the only time I notice it's heft is when..almost never. I will say I don't miss any torque with the ecoboost V6. All the torque that car has is on the chart by 1200-1500 rpms. It really is amazing. Consider that it also still gets mid 20's in my driving and a bit higher on the interstate cruise.
You owe yourself at least a test drive.
Xceler8x wrote: I made the same comparison of the Focus St and the SHO before buying. The ST was just too small. I couldn't fit two kid seats in the back. The SHO is large enough that the whole family can cruise in comfort AND it has a cavernous trunk. I could put two or three good sized bodies in the back. The AWD is very nice. It is a heavy beast. 4400lbs is nothing to sneeze at. It is large so having such a large car with a low weight may defy the laws of gravity. I don't track the car so the only time I notice it's heft is when..almost never. I will say I don't miss any torque with the ecoboost V6. All the torque that car has is on the chart by 1200-1500 rpms. It really is amazing. Consider that it also still gets mid 20's in my driving and a bit higher on the interstate cruise. You owe yourself at least a test drive.
It doesn't take much to convince me to take a test drive :) Maybe this weekend. I honestly don't know how this one flew under my radar for so long. I really knew nothing about it until this thread.
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