Very luxurious, smooth, quiet--all of the things you expect from Lexus. This car looks great, drives great, feels great, sounds great.

I wish it had a little more power. The should make a fully manual 5 spd

This car just feels great. Everything in the car is so tight and put together well. The stereo is really cool. It has one slot where you can put 6 cds in. The system sounds great. the seats were real nice and firm...8 way adjustable. The instrument cluster is really cool-I even got a carbon fiber dash kit that looks wonderful. Everything about the car is a hit. I just wish they could have made it a little more powerful...maybe an aftermarket exhaust will help that. Test drive this car!

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None

Excellent balance between handling and comfort.
Good performance and excellent braking.
Creative styling.

The Electronic Throttle Control System has the potential for delaying "dethrottling" after releasing the accelerator following sudden, heavy acceleration. I have experienced this situation on four occasions. Lexus’ calls this a “hesitation,” and their current position is that it is simply a characteristic of the car. I would recommend that anyone considering this car delay their purchase until the problem has been corrected.

My final purchase decision was between the 328i and the IS300. I found performance and handling to be similar. Interior of the BMW is more refined. I was won over by the lower price and sportier styling of the IS. I was concerned about the risk in purchasing a new model and am currently dealing with such an issue. My major disappointment is Lexus' current unwillingness to formally acknowledge that they have a problem with the ETCS component and effect a recall.

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BMW328i

New design
Sporty styling
Smooth strong engine
Good fit and finish
Sharp handling, good road grip, very tight chassis, fun to drive, lots of personality for a sedan.
Comfortable sport steering wheel. Daring design. Quality stereo. Strong air conditioning. Powerful xenon headlights.
Nice chrome touches in the interior.
Strong braking.
Reasonable price.

Some might feel this car may be a bit overstyled in order to create that sports car image. Lexus may have stepped one foot too far to break their image of conservative styling. Boy racer look may not appeal to all.
Interior materials and look fall short of other cars in it's class in terms of quality and luxury--notably Audi and BMW. Back seat space less than it's competition. Sport wheels not practical to use in snow.

I've had my 330i for 2 months now and each time I see a Lexus IS300, I remember the 5 test drives with the car and the time I brought the car up to the curvy mountainous roads and made the back passenger nauseous and my girlfriend scream fume by tossing the car around the tight curves. I loved tight and instantaneous handling. On one drive, I pulled off the side of a road after driving like a maniac so I could check out the xenon lights and yellow fog lights, there was a burning smell from the engine after having driven a brand new IS300 hard up the mountain. I drove this car hard!!! I love my Bimmer, but in some way I wish I had the IS300. I miss it's character, a fun, not serious nature, unlike the BMW, which feels like a business sports sedan all the time, if that makes any sense.

The IS300 is a very good car, but in my opnion it has yet to achieve greatness. Perhaps in it's future iteration, it will. I chose to go with the 330i for it's classic styling, which needs no outlandish trim to convey a sporty, aggressive nature--unlike what the IS300 uses, such as the Lexus' silver rear headlight fixutres. The BMW has styling that I felt was more mature. I'm interested as to how the Lexus look will wear over time. Will it still stay fresh after 2 years? Or will it appear passe and gimmicky?

If you're looking to purchase a car in this segment. Drive as many cars as you can, as what did. The IS does shine in areas that others don't.

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I spent 5 months testing and reading before I settled on a purchase. I went to Lexus 5 times to drive the IS300. I also drove the Audi A4, Nissan Maxima SE, VW Passat, Acura CL type S, Mercedes Benz C320 and C230, BMW 325, BMW 323, and BMW 330i and 330ci. It came down to basically 3 choices: BMW, Lexus, and Audi. I really liked the Audi A4 2.8--it's a beautiful, solid car, with a sporty nature combined with luxurious interior, but it was difficult to consider it since Audi will introduce a new generation A4 this year. The Acura CL type S was a tremendous value almost too hard to ignore even though it's styling being modern and svelte was too generic and soft. The Lexus was very tempting and I came so close in buying a black one with a black interior (my girlfriend really liked yellow with black leather), but my final purchase was the BMW 330i sedan (black with black leather).

Handling, acceleration, appearance, seats/comfort, interior, ride, quality, stereo, brakes, very quiet, virtually no body-roll, & that sweet Lexus smoooothness

slight hiss that comes from the stereo regardless of volume
rear seat legroom

This car rocks. Everything about it is amazing. As a former 3.2TL driver, I can tell you that although the Tl was a great car, the IS300 blows it away.

Where to start..

Handling- this thing handles great. I can take turns at stop signs full throttle and there is no loss of traction or tire squealing. The 17" low profile tires really do the trick. There is little to no body roll as well. I have yet to feel threatened when oushing his car while driving. It is stable and handles whatever I throw at it.

Engine- the engine is great. It is so smooth and quiet. It will growl when you punch the gas but that is a good thing. As for the power it has, oh my. This car hauls. Off the line it gets going. Punch the gas to pass soemone and you'll be hitting some crazy speeds real fast and what makes that oh so much sweeter is that it is so damn quiet and poised.

Transmission- playing with the e-shift buttons is fairly fun. While I think I prefer the manual shift mdoe of the TL (I liked having the stick to change gears with) a little more, both systems are about equal in performance. As for the tranny, it is so damn smooth it is crazy. Upshifts are seamless and downshifts are hardly felt. A great tranny that continues the Lexus traditon of near perfect trannies.

Appearance- this has to be one of the best looking sedans on the road. Not one person that I know who has seen the car has said it looked bad. Everyone is sort of in awe of how great it looks. I think the clincher for them are the 17" 5 spoke wheels and the low profile tires. That combo is the first thing people really notice and comment on. While there are many people who will say the BMW 3series sedans look better, I don't think they do. I personally feel that the 3 series cars look good but they are from the typical BMW cookie cutter design which bothers me. Every BMW sedan looks the same. Get some originality there BMW.

Interior- the interior is great. While it may not be the tradional Lexus interior, it still is good. The instrument cluster is awesome. I really like the chronograph design. The controls are easy to use and are have that typical Lexus ergonomic greatness. The seats are comfortable and very supportive. I suggest getting the leather/ecsaine package because they add to the overall look and comfort of the seats.

Stereo- the stereo in this car is amazing and very powerful. I would even go as far to say it is the best stereo in a car found around this price. There is no sub but the bass output is crazy. It will in fact blow most subs found in most factory systems. As for the rest of the audio spectrum, it comes in great. Clear highs, great midrange. The 6 CD single feed player is neat too. It takes a little while to load the CDs but after that it is pretty fast to change CDS. The radio seems to be good. It has this RDS technology that is pretty cool.

Brakes- the brakes are bloody strong. Slam on the brakes and the car comes to a stop very quickly and does it without any nose dive and comes to a stop in a straight line. Great brakes and I'd be willing to bet the brake system in this car is one of the finest of any porduction car in the world.

Price- I live in Canada and the price of the fully loaded IS I got was 47025 CDN. That is about 31711 in U.S. dollars. A BMW 328 with basically the same features costs 55000 here so as you can see, the IS is a great price when compared to its main competition. The 328 is not worth the extra 8 grand.

My advice is that if you are looking at a 328 or an Audi A4 that you go check out the IS300. We all have different opinions regarding cars so maybe someone won't think the same as me, but I do know this car should appeal to anyone who wants a fun car to boot around in. I have read a few reviews that say it doesn't handle quite as good as the 328 but comes close. I have no idea if that is true but I do know I'll take the Lexus reliability and quality with slightly less handling anyday over the BMW.

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Acura 3.2 TL

Great Looks
Great Handling
Good Power
Superb comfort
best build quality

nada

There are very few cars that can compare to the level of luxury and exhiliration that this car provides. Lexus is known for the build quality of it's cars and for me that is imporatant. Honestly I drive my car very hard, almost to the limit and without fail the is300 always performs. Besides it's ability for speed it excels in comfort, and control. Every aspect of this car is superb and every detail is crisp. Not even my old bmw was this much fun to drive!!!

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bmw 325i

Awesome Acceleration, exterior is stylish, 17" wheels, handling A++, stops on a dime

interiot could use a little work. Mileage isn't great.

This car packs a punch. The acceleration is smooth and the engine purrs like a cat. You can make turns as if you were floating. The only trouble with this car is if you have the performance tires you need to change them into snow tires before driving in the snow. You may make frequent trips to the gas pump with this car. This is a great car for any young kid who likes speed or just wants to show off.

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Maxima, 3 series

Aggressive styling
Good acceleration
Lexus quality of ride and comfort
High Intensity Discharge headlights (MUCH better than halogens)
Great stereo system

First-year kind of issues. There are some bugs that need to be worked out, like in any car in the first year of its release. There is a plastic undercarriage that a number of people have had come off, and the electronic transmission needs to be fine-tuned to handle accelerating from a slow roll.

I researched my new car purchase for over a month, considering and rejecting a number of different makes and models. I settled on the IS300 for a number of reasons. It is quite different, which makes it stand out from the pack of other sports sedans, especially when you get it in Solar Yellow like I did. The liked the seats, which were like the sports seats of the Contour SE I had driven for five years. The Maxima felt larger (which it is), and I had less of a feel for where the car was on the road than with the IS300. While most in my age group (I'm 37) seem to lean toward the BMW 3 series when you're talking about this kind of car, I think the quality of Lexus service will show that this is a good purchase.

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Test drove '01 Maxima SE. The Maxima is a nice car, but the IS300 felt more responsive and offered some features not available on the Maxima.

Braking
Steering feel
Handling
Sharp and agressive body lines
Ecsaine/leather seats grip well
2JZGE motor is a very strong foundation to build on
Visual appeal inside/outside
Available in Yellow!!!!

No complaints!

When the IS300 were first spawned, editors and enthusiasts laughed about it being a 3Series competitor. Now they have realized, it IS a true competitor. The IS300's steering feel and handling is much better than a 3Series in my opinion. The braking of the 3Series is no match for the IS300. The reason I got (traded my E36 M3 for it) the IS300 over the 3Series was its unique styling and value, there's no other car in its category that is as good of a value for the money. Test drive one, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Also, a lot of people do not like the interior of the IS300. As for me, I love it, very unique, and the ecsaine/leather seat grips VERY WELL. I've had this car for almost nine months now, no regrets. My other cars are fun to drive also, nothing can beat a car that can pack 4-5 people and still go around corners doing a little fish tailing!:)

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3series, audi a4 1.8t, mercedes c class, TL

This car is totally the bomb!!! I am only 20 years old. I have the solar yellow..and the car is totally pimped out now. It drives so nice and smooth. People can't believe it is like a sports/luxary sedan. Everyone is so impressed. The system is definitely nice..but if you are like me..u always want better. I put in a kenwood mp3 player, with an equalizer. And a customized box with 2 10's in the back. With the amp mounted on the side. Did not take much room at all. The car is definitely sexy and appealing to the eye. The clear lights and the slick look is so nice. I've tinted mine out, as well as added a spoiler. This car is amazing, and i couldn't ask for anything better...so fast. I used to drive a Toyota Rav4, my dad has a Lex, my bro has a lex....i got the best lex tho.

Back seats are small, not too small tho, and the arm rest is low for the driver..but you get used to it...if you sit low like me..your arm is perfect fot that rest. Another weakness..i can't stop driving it...so i put a hella miles on it

The car is the bomb!!!

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The 3 series is very similar..but the lex is a lot better

This is our first car in this price range, so we're still starstruck. Coming from cars costing half as much tends to make us a little biased.

Fit and finish: What can we say. No squeeks or rattles. Very non-Detroit...

HID headlights: Very cool, very bright. The way headlight should have been all along. Now everything else looks "dim."

Wheels: Best I've seen on a factory car. Open and elegant, easy to clean. I never liked wheels with 37 spokes. How do you wash in between? Five spokes gives an open, light look, and the color looks exactly right on our grey exterior. I guess the best complement would be, these wheels are what I would have bought aftermarket to replace some ugly factory ones. The IS has the right ones straight from the factory.

Steering wheel: Again, this leather-covered wheel is exactly what I would have bought after market to add to a sports car.

Firm ride. Both my wife and I get motion sickness, and driving a true luxury sedan over bumps tends to feel riding a boat over waves, with that sickening back and forth rolling motion. The IS-300 had a firm ride when after a bump, it's over and done with, no pendulum motion.

The goofy availability of heated seats in Southern California. What drove us nuts was they tied the heated seat option together with the Torsen limited-slip differential. They explained it was something of a cold weather package, in that, if it snows, and you want LSD, then you probably want heated seats too.

The most annoying thing was that the above package WAS available, but only if you wanted... what do I call it... that gross "butter" colored interior. That we could never figure out. What, you only get cold, or slide around corners, with a "butter" colored interior?

Go figure how corporate marketing works... BTW, we could get any or all options we wanted, but then they threatened it would take 90-120 days and we would pay MSRP.

Oh, and lazy salesmen. We love the car, but it was like pulling teeth/babysitting that we finally got what we wanted.

It came down to either the Acura or the IS-300. Both the BMW and Mercedes dropped out because I was concered about expensive upkeep. What difference does it matter if they might be better, if they are more expensive to maintain, and are in the shop more often? I wasn't able to find any proof of this, but it all came down to asking, "Who will make a more reliable car, BMW, Mercedes, or Lexus?"

Deciding between the Lexus and Acura was tougher. I hate to say it, but, looks do count. I openly admit that on paper, the Acura wins hands down. You get more for less. But the looks. I suppose some like it, but it was just too plain for me. And I wasn't about to spend good money after bad replacing the wheels. If the Lexus deal had fallen through, we would have gone for the Acura. It was just that, "She has great features and such ho-hum looks... just hope she knows how to cook..."

We can sum it all up with this: We feel like some rich person accidentally left their car in our driveway. We're just happy to own such a fine piece of machinery.

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This was the first time we were to buy a car in this class. So, driving any of these, a BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Acura was a little overwhelming (like, what the h*ll are we doing here). You know, that feeling you get on the Mercedes lot that someone is going to ask you to wash their car... and be quick about it.

Mercedes: The only one we could afford was the "baby" Benz, C230. That made me wonder if, in Mercedes effort to make an entry-level car, they might have cut some corners on their normal excellence. I was most concerned about reliability and expensive upkeep. Plus, it was more of a luxury car, and we got a little of the Queen-Mary-in-a-corner feel.

Acura 3.2 CL S-type: Very very close call on getting this one instead. It came loaded with virtually everything, even things the IS300 didn't have. More power, memory seats, heated seats. As I drove slowly during the test drive, I couldn't tell what it was like at the limit, but I did get a sense of a great deal of weight at the front end (being front wheel drive.) Also, I had enough of long noses, after owning a Camaro Z28. I liked the IS-300's short hood, giving a sense of being quick to change directions.

BMW 328: Again, I don't push things when I test drive. The ride was very similar to the IS, better I suppose, but that wasn't what made up our decision. It was how BMW practically has a separate line item for every option. Sure the 328 might be available for $29K, but that's stripped. After adding everything the IS (and Acura) have, it changes into a staggering $38K or so. Yes it may handle better, and have a better engine, but that's because it costs more. Is this a surprise?