- Comfort
- Handling
- Stock Stereo
- 17 in Wheels
- Power
- Too much more to say! FIVE STAR RATING IN MY BOOK

- Trunk space
- No fold down seats, only pass through
- Attracts teens in there pimped out civics who want to race you

I went through about 6 months of car purchacing hell and the day i strolled across lexus's website, i instantly fell in love. I was very into the bmw 3 series and test drove a 325i and definatly liked the ride. When i went to test drive the IS300 though, the bmw went right out of my mind. Everything about the IS300 is incredible, from the chronograph dash, to the in dash six cd changer. I think the escane/leather combo seats are awsome. They hold you in when you are in a hard corner and boy does this car handle well in those hard corners. The acceleration is impressive though not the top i have seen. The 330i beats it in 0-60 but bear in mind the lexus only comes in automatic. I have strong feelings that the 2002 manual will beat the bmw in road tests. Overall i am incredibly happy with this car and trust me, the happy feeling when you first get this car, never seems to go away. It is definatly a head turner.

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The only car that came close was the 3 series bmw. Nothing else compares.

The power sucks you back into the seat and your body thanks you because the seats are unbelievably comfortable.
The styling is headturner.
Corners like it's on rails and stops on a dime.
Stereo sounds better than my Bose Lifestyle home unit.
Did I mention the styling? and oh so smooooooth!

17" tires mean snow = no go.
Could be a little better at the pumps.
Could use an arm rest between the front seats.

I use two words to describe this car...Bad Ass! It's everything I was looking for and more. All this comes from someone with regular access to the Benz C280, Audi A4, and the previously coveted BMW 328ci. It's back to the drawing board for those fellas.

Interior
Your bottom and your back will thank you. The leather seats couldn't be any better. And there's plenty of room up front, I'm 6'1" 240 and have no problems. Of course, I've yet to sit in the back cause that would mean that I'm not driving. The instrumentation takes some getting used to, but after about 5 minutes behind the wheel I was fine with it. The stereo pumps out some serious tune quality, and the in dash six disc changer allows changing hours of music without pulling over and hanging out in the trunk.

Exterior Styling
What's not to love? The exterior is a real head turner. I frequently have the IS300 parked next to the afore mentioned pretenders and it always solicites the most comments from passers by. One guy offered to buy it on the spot. I think I've given several innocent observers serious whiplash as I've blown by. Which brings me to my next point...

Performance
Rocket-like...this car throws you back into your seat and makes your heart skip a beat as soon as you step on the accelerator. It's lose your license good. The 17" rubber sticks to the road like glue and when they don't, the traction control kicks in. Throw in the suspension and you have the best handling car in the group. The E shift tranny is smooth as silk in automatic yet still allows you to take control with the manual option. Only the Bimmer is in the same league...for 8 g's more, comprably equiped and a much harder ride.

Overall
"It doesn't get any better than this!"
If you're in the market for a sport sedan, don't even waste your time. Proceed directly to your nearest Lexus dealer for the thrill of a lifetime.

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Mercedes Benz C280 Sport
Audi A4
BMW 328ci
Volvo S70

style, interior, wheels

small backseat.

try to go get a BMW with leather, kickass stereo, heated seats, moonroof for $30,269. Thats what i paid for my black/black Is300. if you go get the BMW with the same options, get ready to pay 40 grand. And in my opinion the Lexus is a hotter looking car and its not played out like the BMW's. Rather be in this Lexus then a BMW 3 series. I love the car, draws alot of attention. I really dont care about a manual transmission, very happy with the automatic. I dare anyone to find a better car for 30 grand, I bet you can't.

Smooth quiet ride, Good torque range and ample power. The IS300 has great styling and is fun to drive around town. Yellow really turns heads around town also.

No armrest, lacking of a Manual transmission to really get the engine going. Nav system as seen on the IS200!!

For those that are looking for performance I would recommend waiting for the 2002 model which will come equipped with a 5/6 MT and should beat the crap out of the competition in performance. Besides that, this car is a very good buy for all the standard features that come with it. Ride quality is fairly good considering the 17" wheels and low profile tires that come with it. The car's styling and toys should reach its target audience of young males from 25 - 35 (which is me). But for about $35K you can't beat its value. Should have waited for the MT but love the car either way. If you get this car, be ready for all the young guns out there who will try to get you to race with them. If you're looking for a luxury car get the Lexus ES300, Acura's, or Mercedes. But if you want a car that's fun to drive then choose the IS300.

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Acura 3.2TL, BMW 300i, Audi 1.8T & V6.

Good stereo, very solid, high-performance, love the automatic transmission

gas milege, no wood trim

For 36K out the door, you can't beat a car that is first in quality and fun to drive.

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Acura CL, MB C-class

1- Exterior apperance 2- Acceleration 3-Brakes 4-Interior Design
5- the E-Shift function

1- More horsepowers!
2- A 5/6 spd manual gearbox could make it more fun
3- Rear legroom

If you are looking for a sport sedan like Audi A4, BMW 3-Series,MB C-Class, Acura TL...etc.. make sure you test drive this one also.....

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Toyota Camry 93' , BMW 323i 99'

Striking good looks, 17" alloys standard, great standard stereo (in dash 6 disc changer), unique interior and gauges, and above all the power.

Occasional gear slip, poor gas mileage, and sun shade things seem cheap.

Overall, the Lexus is just is amazing. Aside from bringing back the fun in driving, I have had more comments on my car in the last week than I did when I borrowed my buddy's Jaguar XK-8.
I'm glad that I got a chance to test drive the BMW first, because once I hopped into the cockpit of the IS 300, there was to be only one negotiation that day.
The handling is superb, the brakes are excellent, the 215 horse power runs more like 230, and ride can be as fun as you want it to be. In the city I can turn on my classical music and make it to a meeting in style, or pump the music up and prepare for a fun night at the clubs. The Lexus IS 300 very versatile car with a name behind it that has a history of proven quality.
No other cars in it's class can compare.

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I test drove the BMW 325 and it did not even come close to comparing. The Lexus is more powerful, more fun, better handling, and unique. The air conditioning is awesome too, important for us Arizona natives.

OOh, where should I start????????? This is the car of my dreams. There is almost nothing wrong with it. The power is poised and ready to jump and your every whim. The trademark Lexus smoothness is there and the acceleration is mind boggling. The sound system is spectacular, even better than some "hooked-up" cars.

The interior is a whole other level. It has this damn nice shifter and great sports pedals. The sporty chronograph style display unit is unique and nice. The six disc in-dash is a great accessory when you don't feel like going to the trunk to load it up which is all the time for me.

The only thing I don't like is the rear leg room space. It is extremely cramped in the back for anyone over 5'5. If you have a large family, then this car might be too small for you. Other than that, this car is beautiful.

I would definitely reccomend this car to anyone that loves to race, or just anyone that loves to drive a wonderful car. This car can turn aggressively but easily at 70 mph. It also can stop on a dime. This car is reccomended 110%.

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BMW 328i- Similar but overpriced compared to IS 300.

Great looks, RWD, Size is right, 4 door practicality, both auto/stick good for our traffic, Lexus paint, build quality, very quiet, smooth, Handles great, stereo very nice and I'm picky about them.

Power low for price.
Auto trans more luxury than sports car
Crappy fuel milage (too much gear?)
Elec seat adjustments lacking on non-leather
Wacky speedo/tach - hard to read a glance
Engine compartment a bit cramped looking, also ugly. Why can't they at least make it cool looking like a Vette or take yer pick of other cars?

Bumpin' stereo, decent amount of room without the car being a boat, rides smooth,
very quiet, handles really well, interesting shift
possibilities with the Eshift thing. Doors shut
with authority, good sightlines, super
driveability.

Downside was the gauge package was lacking
readability, tach on wrong side and small, interior
was a bit Toyota looking, especially the sun
shades, they looked like they were out of a Tercel.
Trunk a bit on small side, but full size spare.
The tires will be pricey to replace, but par for
the course on that sort of car. Also don't
understand the crappy fuel mileage (18/23?) for
such a car. If it had 275hp or something I'd
understand sucking gas. But it doesn't. I could
not get the tires to light up (Torsen rear optional
and probably not on the "base" car I drove) even
with the traction control off. But the car DOES
haul ass pretty well in a luxury peformance sort of
way. Not a fan of automatics in sports sedans,
but for 90% of the driving it would be fine. The
e-shift thing is OK, but I found the transmission's
shifting to be too much luxury smooth and not
enough performance crisp. Too much slipping and
oozing when you get it. The car's chassis is very
responsive and super, but the engine is better
suited to a camery or something, needs to be pumped
up a little.

Wonder who will buy this car if its not a threat
with that 215 hp engine? I mean the Maxima with
less $$ has 222hp, and prob. less LBS. I give five
stars on smooth ride, interior, fit & finish,
dealer, standard equipment. Drivetrain gets 3.5
stars for being proven, smooth and flexible, but
not hot enough for the promise of the chassis.

Bottom Line:

Too much Lexus, not enough BMW

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Volvo, VW, Olds, Prelude, old sports cars

Where I work BMW 328ci's are the norm. Almost bought one ...
I've often asked why people buy there BMW's. I always hear
"hey it's a BMW man." Then I noticed this guy with a Lexus IS300.
Asked him too. "This car is fun to drive." was his response.
So I test drove the two cars ... and yes the Lexus IS300 IS fun
to drive!! Nothing against the BMW 3-series but when it comes
to speed, performance and curve-hugging this thing blows the
3-series away. My mechanic who races cars as a hobby laughed
when I mentioned the BMW. But when I mentioned the IS300 he
told me that he just lost a race to some "small new Lexus". Turned
out it was the IS300.

Well, needless to say I bought one and have never been so happy (2000k so far) and love it more every time I drive it.

Have to mention that the six cd one-slot cd sound system rocks with
240 watts standard.

Little rear leg room.

Don't take my word for it!!! Please, Please, before spending
your hard earned money on a new vehicle, you need to at least
test drive this thing. Be sure to see the instrument panel
at night. Very nice!!

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BMW 328ci