Back in an IS from a new '17 A4

[corradoMR2]

It was a record for my Sales rep and for me. He's never had a new car traded in with just 850 miles in 25 years and I never owned a brand new car for just 6 weeks.

As quickly as I purchased the A4 6 weeks ago, she is gone now. It was like a relationship that on paper had all the right ingredients to work, yet one key and most important one was missing.

The redesigned '17 A4 is the epitome of a perfectly well-rounded car: cleanly styled, quality interior, latest tech, efficiently smooth and powerful engine, sporty yet compliant ride and handling, and competitively priced. (See here for my comparison.) So where did it all fall apart?

Excitement. Or my lack thereof. Rarely did I do any double-takes when walking away from her. Rarely did I feel the need to just take her out for a spin. Rarely did I feel excited driving the car. Never did I have the inkling to spend time on modding her with my own personal touch. And... wife and kids never warmed up to the car nagging about its conservative styling. (Disclaimer, they love Lexus' aggressively unique styling of late and quite frankly, so do I)

So for my first taste of Europe, nice, but I'm left wanting more. And so I turn back to what I know will put a smile on my face and that's back home at Lexus.

From the perfectly bolstered F Sport seats and driving position, to the V6 engine's response and aural pleasures, to the feel of the balanced RWD platform, the IS has all the intangibles that excite. Then add a sculpted exterior bod, double-takes and smiles come naturally.

So my Lexus passion pursues in the refreshed IS with many bright days ahead. Mods already in the works - wheels and springs already on order.

 

[RAL]

Sometimes you have to leave home to find out: "there's no place like home!"

 

[corradoMR2]

Sometimes you have to leave home to find out: "there's no place like home!"

Good analogy! Despite the depreciation loss, I would have never known how much of a better fit the IS is had I not bought the A4.

 

[DFGeneer]

German cars are way over hyped.
I once in a while drive a modern turbocharged German rentals and each time I sit back in my 2003 IS300, it feels like another universe - tons of steering and road feedback, instant throttle response, much smoother engine note. None of the modern cars can compete on these qualities.

 

[mikeavelli]

Wow thats crazy!!! Welcome back mahn!

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I gotta say, I read your comparison over on CL and came away not understanding why you were driving the A4. I see you came to the same conclusion Congrats, and keep the pics coming when the mods go on!

 

[mmcartalk]

I gotta say, I read your comparison over on CL

CL, though, perhaps not surprisingly, seemed split on the issue. Some were very supportive of the decision to trade the virtually brand-new Audi in on an IS...others felt it was an unnecessary bath. This forum, overall, so far, seems more supportive.