2021+ 3rd Generation Lexus IS (300, 350, 500) Megathread

Go to article
yosafbridge

yosafbridge

Fan
Messages
58
Reactions
124
Ismelllikepoop said:
Handling deficit?
Click to expand...

It's been widely acknowledged by motoring magazines that ever since 2014, when the 3rd Gen Lexus IS came out, the IS has been out-handling and out-driving the 3 series.

See Car and Driver, Road and Track and EveryDayDriver's comparo of the IS350 vs 335i. Only thing 3 series had in its favor was its power train.

Perhaps the G20 3 series has improved sufficiently over the F30 version to catch up with the Lexus IS in bodycontrol and handling but the 2021 IS has further upped the game in suspension and chassis stiffness over the 2020 version so.....
 
Last edited:
I

Ismelllikepoop

Fan
Messages
46
Reactions
42
yosafbridge said:
It's been widely acknowledged by motoring magazines that ever since 2014, when the 3rd Gen Lexus IS came out, the IS has been out-handling and out-driving the 3 series.

See Car and Driver, Road and Track and EveryDayDriver's comparo of the IS350 vs 335i. Only thing 3 series had in its favor was its power train.

Perhaps the G20 3 series has improved sufficiently over the F30 version to catch up with the Lexus IS in bodycontrol and handling but the 2021 IS has further upped the game in suspension and chassis stiffness over the 2020 version so.....
Click to expand...
Just did a quick search? All the comparos were from 7 years ago and didn't exactly see anything about superior lexus handling, most talked about bmw great chassis and balance ? Anyways not sure why you're trying to compare a 2013 f30 to a 2021 is
 
J

jelly1928

Fan
Messages
26
Reactions
38
mikeavelli said:
Saw it in silver today and it’s just a damn good looking car! Note this one has the standard carbon fiber lip DHP cars come equipped with.

Click to expand...

sheesh almost looks as good as the infrared.


Ismelllikepoop said:
Just did a quick search? All the comparos were from 7 years ago and didn't exactly see anything about superior lexus handling, most talked about bmw great chassis and balance ? Anyways not sure why you're trying to compare a 2013 f30 to a 2021 is
Click to expand...


i'd rather have power than handling lol
 
yosafbridge

yosafbridge

Fan
Messages
58
Reactions
124
Ismelllikepoop said:
Just did a quick search? All the comparos were from 7 years ago and didn't exactly see anything about superior lexus handling, most talked about bmw great chassis and balance ? Anyways not sure why you're trying to compare a 2013 f30 to a 2021 is
Click to expand...

Car and Driver :

https://www.caranddriver.com/review...-36-2014-lexus-is350-f-sport-comparison-test/

Road and Track :

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a5213/the-comparison-65-3-roa1013/

EveryDayDriver : see 8:39 of this comparison video




These comparisons are still relevant because the 2021 IS is still built on the superior chassis of the 3rd Generation IS except with extensive further improvements to the chassis and suspension.

The gulf in handling between the Lexus IS and BMW 3 series was so great that all 3 major outlets remarked on it if you read or listened carefully to the articles or video.

My point is that the M340i which is G20 based has to be very significantly improved from the F30 if it wants to catch up with the IS in the handling stakes. And Lexus just made it that much harder for BMW by the 2021's extensive improvements to the already great 3rd Gen IS chassis. As far as I'm concerned, BMW may have the powertrain but it's playing catchup when it comes to chassis and suspension. It's not 1980s/90s anymore when BMW truly had great chassis and suspension tuning but it's 2020 where BMW is living off past glories and Lexus is eating its lunch.

The relatively unknown Big Story here is that since 2012/2013, Lexus' mainstream RWD sedans handle better and are better driver's cars than BMW's mainstream RWD sedans but mainstream market users like you haven't caught up with the latest reality yet.


For a more recent comparison of the 2021 IS to the current G20 3 series , see Alex on Auto's review :



Alex on Autos' verbatim assessment at 13:29 - 14:34 of the video :

"Even though the Lexus IS is a little bit heavier than some of the German competition but where the IS really shines is the suspension tuning, the steering feel and the handling ability because the IS has a level of steering and handling precision that we simply don't find anymore in the Germans.

BMW has definitely been taking their product line up market and that has meant turning the 3 series into I guess the new Mercedes in some ways and they've certainly given up handling precision. As a result if you have this out on a track or out on your favorite winding mountain road and you start pushing this harder and you're driving a BMW 3 series along the same road,this definitely has a handling precision and handling feel that is not matched currently in the German lineup for the same price.

Now clearly there are going to be some excellent performing German options out there but they're going to be a lot more expensive.Of course the tricky thing is that if you are out on an autocross track or a larger track then the German options are still going to be faster because they're
going to be able to accelerate. They're going to be faster in the straight lines. This will catch up in the corners but ultimately those other options are going to be a bit quicker but if you're looking for something with a bit more steering feel, a better on-center feel I think and just better handling dynamics in general that's certainly going to be the Lexus."

HIS WORDS, not mine :)
 
Last edited:
L

Levi

Expert
Messages
2,870
Reactions
3,307
A sad reminder (at least with regards to the European market), the BMW M340i that is so fast and so amazing that everybody choses it over the slow IS 350 (never on sale in Europe) is only the the Internet, in real life very very few of them are sold, most are low powered engines (relative to top version) and are not better than Toyota GR Sports, slow but with fast body kit.

Unfortunately all rival premiums have been slow, if simply not present when the power boom started, and if there were any, too expensive before being established.
 
S

ssun30

Expert
Messages
3,551
Reactions
7,796
How could anyone have difficulty choosing from IS350 vs M340i? These are completely different levels. If budget allows of course go for the 340i.

I think between the IS and 3-series it's really easy to choose depending on budget level. As a standalone product the IS350 has no problem on its own. I don't understand why people keep blaming the IS350 when the real problem is there's nothing above it.

M340i's biggest problem is Tesla Model 3 which sells at similar price and is quicker.
 
J

jelly1928

Fan
Messages
26
Reactions
38
ssun30 said:
How could anyone have difficulty choosing from IS350 vs M340i? These are completely different levels. If budget allows of course go for the 340i.

I think between the IS and 3-series it's really easy to choose depending on budget level. As a standalone product the IS350 has no problem on its own. I don't understand why people keep blaming the IS350 when the real problem is there's nothing above it.

M340i's biggest problem is Tesla Model 3 which sells at similar price and is quicker.
Click to expand...


M340's biggest problem is one of the top fastest cars on earth 😂😂😂 where as the IS350's is how to keep up with the 330i ( in weight )
 
I

Ismelllikepoop

Fan
Messages
46
Reactions
42
I guess that's why people are annoyed with lexus. You have to use a comparo from 2013 to prove your point about a supposedly huge refresh 7 years later.
 
yosafbridge

yosafbridge

Fan
Messages
58
Reactions
124
Ismelllikepoop said:
I guess that's why people are annoyed with lexus. You have to use a comparo from 2013 to prove your point about a supposedly huge refresh 7 years later.
Click to expand...

Did you miss the review I posted that came out last week comparing the 2021 IS to the G20 3 series? Seems pretty current lol.


"where the IS really shines is the suspension tuning, the steering feel and the handling ability because the IS has a level of steering and handling precision that we simply don't find anymore in the Germans.

BMW has definitely been taking their product line up market and that has meant turning the 3 series into I guess the new Mercedes in some ways and they've certainly given up handling precision

This definitely has a handling precision and handling feel that is not matched currently in the German lineup for the same price.

if you're looking for something with a bit more steering feel, a better on-center feel I think and just better handling dynamics in general that's certainly going to be the Lexus."

Seems really sad that BMW's latest and best 3 series still can't beat a 7 year old IS platform for chassis control, handling and steering feel.
 
Last edited:
Tragic Bronson

Tragic Bronson

Expert
Messages
2,979
Reactions
3,599

A lot of the conversation is "that's why the IS isn't new" now because the money is with the crossovers, which we expect to see in the all new NX and RX coming out in the next year or two.
 
Last edited:
L

Levi

Expert
Messages
2,870
Reactions
3,307
In love. The stance, presence is second to none. The exterior is so good, that you forget the interior (or on the contrary remember it? haha).

Like the LC that looks like a supercar, this looks like a supersedan.


Imagine if Lexus went all crazy like Alfa with the Giulia GTAm and made an IS F with TTV8, AWD with TVDs and AWS?
 
L

Levi

Expert
Messages
2,870
Reactions
3,307
mikeavelli said:
Thank you. Lexus debuted it in Miami, I was tasked to put something together in a week! I’ll talk more about it soon. Exhausted just got back to Atlanta. Excited to see the energy for the vehicle.

This is one of the most beautiful cars on the market today.

Click to expand...


Haha, saw that blue Mustang driver looking at the Lexus?

Lexus managed to make a compact sedan a headturner as a Lamborgini.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.