RE: Lexus IS-F | Spotted

[NGK210]

Also worth considering that unlike the Germans’ GDI-only engines, the IS-F’s V8 has direct and port injection – ergo, no reduced BHP, no increased MPG, no increased pollution (potential MOT failure), no risk of a blown engine due to inlet valves being stuck.

[GeniusOfLove]

NGK210 said:

Also worth considering that unlike the Germans’ GDI-only engines, the IS-F’s V8 has direct and port injection – ergo, no reduced BHP, no increased MPG, no increased pollution (potential MOT failure), no risk of a blown engine due to inlet valves being stuck.

Almost like Lexus actually give a st about how the thing lasts outside of warranty or something.

[Antipodes]

Similar mileage cars in Aus circa $40k. Friend has had one since new, was attracted to the understated nature. Good and rare alternative to the 2 Germans. I admire it, have enjoyed driving it and if your accept that it is more a ‘fast cross country dash’ type machine as opposed to ‘on the door handles’ type car then they make a strong case for themselves. Acquits itself well on an open fast circuit too, given its firm suspension setup. His is now north of 200,000km and not an issue outside servicing and consumable. OEM front brake rotors and pads $4k here. Build quality makes an E39 feel tinny. Class act.

[WhyOne]

andy43 said:

.....ISF has the wrong badge to have wider appeal. Shame, but thats the way it is....

Edited by andy43 on Thursday 23 May 20:09

Folks who prioritise the badge on the bonnet over engineering integrity deserve everything they get - the likes of BMW and Mercedes have been exploiting this weakness for years.

[NGK210]

WhyOne said:

Folks who prioritise the badge on the bonnet over engineering integrity deserve everything they get - the likes of BMW and Mercedes have been exploiting this weakness for years.

^This.

[Twistedheat02]

I've got one. Owned it for just under 2 years.

It's an amazing car. Looks amazing in pearl white, sounds incredible with its hayward and scott exhaust.

It has been reliable so far, returns a comfy mid 30 mpg on a run.

The isf gets lots of compliments! People that know, know!

I did research into the c63 and e90m3 before getting the ISF but being totally honest I didn't have the balls or want the worry of headbolts/ rod bearings/ throttle actuators on a daily family car.

Quite interesting reading the comments in this thread its largely, those that have one, or have owned one love it. Those that haven't had one, never experienced one don't get it, think it's over priced. I think that says it all

[Court_S]

Robertb said:

Dombilano said:

Looks every bit the £15k to £20k it's realistically worth. Only thing that put me off when I was V8 shopping a few years back was the lack of DAB radio on the pre facelift ones.

I wonder how easy it is to replace the satnav with a retrofit unit with CarPlay and DAB.

It’s relatively easy when I looked into it. There are a few aftermarket companies who make solutions for CarPlay etc.

[CarlosSainz100]

The dealers got a good reputation. He started selling cars from his drive a few years back.

[Baldchap]

Standard PH: They're a bit like winter tyres in that some people don't think they're that good, other people have firsthand experience of them.

[Dr_Rick]

Baldchap said:

Standard PH: They're a bit like winter tyres in that some people don't think they're that good, other people have firsthand experience of them.

My ISF came with a set of Bridgestone winters to go with the summer Potenzas. Worked fine for me (except when snow blocked the radar cruise).

Couple of audio clips from mine:

[TEKNOPUG]

British Beef said:

Cups Renault said:

It's a 16 year old Japanese saloon closing in on six figures mileage.

It should be far nearer 5/6k than the delusional 20k
Wasn't special new, has never been acclaimed as a great of it's era. Comical pricing and defence of the price here.

I agree, throw into equation the £700 year a tax and I would not touch one.

For similar money (plus £3k) you can get a 10 year newer M3 with lower mileage...... no brainer.

No you can't. The cheapest 2018 M3 (that isn't Cat N/S) on Autotrader is ~£30k

[TEKNOPUG]

WhyOne said:

Beautifully engineered things and for all those moaning about the cost and pointing at the obvious BMW and Mercedes (and Bentley!!! ) alternatives....I'd wager running one of these (even with a £20k purchase price) for 3 years would cost you one hell of a lot less after runing costs and depreciation.

Edited by WhyOne on Thursday 23 May 17:25

This. Buy an equivalent M3/C63 for £15k. Run it for 3 years and 30k miles. Then add up running costs and depreciation over that period and then see which one has cost more to own. People just look at purchase price and don't factor running costs/depreciation. The sort of people who can just about afford a £15k loan for an M3 and then run it on a shoestring because they don't understand that it still has £60k running costs....

Add in UK supply & demand and the market has set the price accordingly. They are still valued at £13k+ in Japan, where there are far greater supply of cars.

Edited by TEKNOPUG on Friday 24th May 10:19

[JJJ.]

T_S_M said:

I've had my 2010 ISF for 16 months now and did 16k miles in the first year, and it's been fantastic. I've modified/improved mine slightly with an exhaust and some coilovers (the standard ride is atrocious) and it hasn't put a foot wrong. Cruises down the motorway with ease due to the 8-speed gearbox, and sounds awesome once you put your foot down.

Tax aside (£735 now!) it is one of the cheapest performance cars to run I've ever had.

It does 35mpg on a run.
I replaced all 4 discs and pads myself for £350.
Oil and filter service is £120 at my local specialist (I provide the materials).
Most consumables/parts are just from the other V8s in the Lexus range and loads of parts available from the states which are dirt cheap.

Hardly anyone knows what it is either. I get the odd nod of approval or thumbs up but most people haven't got a clue what it is.

Edited by T_S_M on Thursday 23 May 12:12

Great to hear an owners viewpoint.
And yep, I'd have one over a similarly priced M3 all day long.

[Skaben]

Dr_Rick said:

Baldchap said:

Standard PH: They're a bit like winter tyres in that some people don't think they're that good, other people have firsthand experience of them.

My ISF came with a set of Bridgestone winters to go with the summer Potenzas. Worked fine for me (except when snow blocked the radar cruise).

Couple of audio clips from mine:

I'll take it! The valved exhaust sounded great. Do you miss it at all?

[HawthornBowTie]

In UK it's not really expensive compared to the rest of the market, in Germany or France you won't find a LHD one for less than £30k..

[llcoolmac]

NGK210 said:

Grom thingy gets terrible user reviews.
Does yours actually work reliably and consistently?
How long have you had it?
Ta

I've had it about 2 years now. It works well 90% of the time. It was a little glitchy at first but seems fine now. No issues in a long time. The touch screen on the radio had to be changed which I originally thought was an issue with the Grom but it wasn't.

[scottos]

They offered me 11.5k for mine 3 years ago, how times change!

Excellent cars, daylied one for around a year. Would do 32mpg on a run and 24 round the doors, sounded incredible, handled great, magnificent engine.

Edited by scottos on Friday 24th May 13:42

[SkinnyPete]

Always like these because they are not German, and therefore do not suffer from terrible unreliability.

Watching acceleration videos on YouTube there isn’t a single fart to be heard in between gear changes; just pure V8 power. Very classy.

[biggbn]

I think you can buy an RC-F for the same money? Much as I adore the IS-F, my money would go on the coupe which seems criminally undervalued

[Nik Gnashers]

95% of the positive comments about this, are basically the same. It's reliable.

Reliability is obviously a factor, but so many more things come above that, when buying what is supposed to be an exciting & sporty car.
Looks has to be top 3, and while this doesn't look 'bad', it's just a bit bland for such a 'special' car. The wheels are that far inside the arches they look lost.
The slightly wider arches aside, it doesn't look any different to the standard models.
You could argue that a German car of the same category and price range, is too shouty and trying too hard, but I'd bet the vast majority of people looking for an exciting and sporty saloon would prefer something which does actually look exciting and sporty, and stands out from the lesser models.
This is almost certainly why the M3, RS4, C63, etc sell many times more.
The point about the M3 (for example) interior being almost the same as the 118 just with a few bits of carbon fibre included would hold more weight, if the 118 interior wasn't already a much nicer and more special place to be than this top of the range Lexus.
I don't dislike this Lexus, I just find it a bit 'meh' and appeals to less number of car buyers than German cars, similar to a Jaguar I suppose.
I'm not saying an M3 is a significantly better car, just that there are reasons why they sell more. An M3 would make each journey (even a boring one) feel much more special and exciting I think.