When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I am a bit biased for the Lexus brand but the IS was never a car that I would recommend to anyone based on it's size. It's so small you may as well just buy a 2 door sports coupe.
The dimensions of the ISF are nearly identical to my '13 G37 sedan and the new IS 500 F Sport Performance. If I'm honest, the IS 500 F Sport.... felt big to me and I like the way smaller cars feel/handle. That must mean I have just been driving the Leaf too long.
The dimensions of the ISF are nearly identical to my '13 G37 sedan and the new IS 500 F Sport Performance. If I'm honest, the IS 500 F Sport.... felt big to me and I like the way smaller cars feel/handle. That must mean I have just been driving the Leaf too long.
You are correct with regards to the ISF and G37 length (G has a few inches on the IS) and width (~69-70"). The newer IS350 is wider by a couple of inches. Maybe its the lower slope of the roof line that makes the IS feel tighter inside. Almost like a coupe with an extra set of doors.
I can count on two hands how many times someone has sat in the backseat of my G37 over the course of 10 years, so its not a deal breaker. Good looking car. How does the aftermarket look? I was a voyuer once or twice on the Club Lexus and my.is forums trying to get a read on the IS as a replacement for my G, and both seem like good communities.
The dimensions of the ISF are nearly identical to my '13 G37 sedan and the new IS 500 F Sport Performance. If I'm honest, the IS 500 F Sport.... felt big to me and I like the way smaller cars feel/handle. That must mean I have just been driving the Leaf too long.
It's not even close, the IS350/F was always smallest in its class. In the G I can fit the kids comfortably and an adult can sit there without complaining.
The Leaf got you all messed up
IS350
Rear head room 36.9 in.
Rear leg room 32.2 in.
G37
Rear head room 37.7 in.
Rear leg room 34.7 in.
My doctor just cleared me to drive stick shift again! Oh glorious day!!
And perfect timing for our Acura store to get its first blue Integra Type S. Wow, does this car look great in person! It has the ivory interior too which only works with a few exterior colors but looks good with the blue. This is actually the color combo I tried to order on Acura's pre-order special that sold out in roughly 13 seconds. There is just something about this blue color with the gray wheels that looks so right to me. Understated enough to hopefully not draw the attention of Johnny Law, but aggressively styled enough for those in the know. My interest in this Apex blue could be due to the fact that the store also got in three A-spec Integras and two TSX Type S in the same color. Apparently, Acura is making blue cars this month. I wonder how the red Type S looks in person. It almost looks like a darker red which I don't think I would like as much on this particular car compared to a bright red.
Counterpoint: There are only 2 problems with the Integra Type S. One is that the Civic Type R exists and it is about $8,000 less expensive. The styling (spoiler) of the Type S is a little better suited to my, ahem, age group, the stereo is better, the exhaust sounds better, and the ride is supposedly better. All good things for me, but I read that the suspension in both cars is the same, only the electronic tuning is different and supposedly can be changed. If that is true or the ride in the Type R is decent and I can get in and out of the seats ok, then I am sure I can improve or even swap a Type R exhaust for a Type S exhaust and still save lots and lots of money.
The other problem with the Type S is what seems to be a lack of value and rarity compared to the Civic Type R. It is still too early to tell for sure, but it sure seems like the Type R is a better value. Not only due to the initial price, but because most places are selling used Type R's for about $10k over MSRP. I don't see anything like that for the Type S yet which means the Civic Type R might be a $20,000 better option. The blue Type S that our store just got in is the 3rd Type S they got in less than 2 months and none of them were sold before they arrived. Our Honda store got one Type R early this year and does not think they will see another until next year. They also have yet to get in a Civic Si this year. Crazy! I wonder if Honda is pumping out more Type S cars compared to Civic Type R's because they make more money on the Acuras... I chose the picture below because currently these are my favorite colors for both cars.
Glad you hear you're not giving up on MT cars just yet. I drove my car yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks (out of the country on vaca), and the time away makes the experience rewarding.
I prefer the Honda in that pic. Not a fan of fender flares on the Acura.
It's not even close, the IS350/F was always smallest in its class. In the G I can fit the kids comfortably and an adult can sit there without complaining.
The Leaf got you all messed up
IS350
Rear head room 36.9 in.
Rear leg room 32.2 in.
G37
Rear head room 37.7 in.
Rear leg room 34.7 in.
You are right about the Leaf changing my perceptions, just in a different way. It is really making me realize how slow gas powered cars accelerate around town and how poorly most other FWD cars handle at the limit (due to weight distribution).
When you were comparing the size of the Lexus & G37 I did not realize you meant rear seat legroom only. I thought you were referring to L x W x H. That being said you have to take into account the entire picture, like front seat legroom and overall passenger volume. The Lexus actually has about an extra inch of front seat legroom so if I have the seat in the same position, I only give up a little over an inch of rear seat legroom. Stats also don't tell the entire story. The Acura Type S supposedly has almost 4 inches more rear seat legroom than my Leaf. But when I sit in the back seat of both cars with the front seat adjusted the same, the rear seat legroom differs by only about an inch.
The overall passenger volume of the IS 500 F Spo... is actually 2 entire cubic feet larger than the G37. I'll take 2 cubic feet in the entire cabin over 1 inch of legroom in the back any day. The Lexus is bigger inside than the G37 and much larger inside than the Leaf- nearly 9 cubic feet! So that huge difference combined with the Lexus being about 10 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the Leaf is why it felt big to me.
Glad you hear you're not giving up on MT cars just yet. I drove my car yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks (out of the country on vaca), and the time away makes the experience rewarding.
I prefer the Honda in that pic. Not a fan of fender flares on the Acura.
Me too! I was starting to look back at the Lexus IS 500 F Spo... and Audi S4 because I was afraid I would never be able to drive stick again. That's like telling me I have to turn in my man card and I can no longer associate with real enthusiasts. Scary stuff! I know exactly what you mean about how good it feels to drive a performance car again after being away for a while. When I drove the 40th anniversary I had so much fun just because it was a stick shift and I was so much more connected to the car and what it was doing compared to an A/T.
I agree with you on the cleaner fender lines of the Type R. When you look up close at the Acura you notice that the rear fender flare is tacked on, but the front is a new fender with a stamped flare. I wonder if they ran out of time and money to redo the rear quarter panel and figured they would put that crease in the front fender flare just to match.
I like the blue of the Integra better, and the stereo, heated seats, styling etc, but you sure do have to pay a premium for the handful of differences. I think I could maybe justify 8K, but 20K, nah, at that point I'd be looking at the CTR in black to tone down some of the styling.
Glad to hear the option of a 3 pedal car is still on the table.
I like the blue of the Integra better, and the stereo, heated seats, styling etc, but you sure do have to pay a premium for the handful of differences. I think I could maybe justify 8K, but 20K, nah, at that point I'd be looking at the CTR in black to tone down some of the styling.
Glad to hear the option of a 3 pedal car is still on the table.
Long story short: Get ready for a big comparison between the Type R, Type S, and GTI 380 you never expected- or maybe you did, you savy VW owner.
I'm not sure if you are comparing the blue of the Type R to the blue of the Type S, but if you are I totally agree. I have no choice what color Type R I get if I decide to go with that car so I have come to terms with the light blue and I "think" I am ok with it since the car will be amazing. Oddly, I never liked that light blue on cars like the last gen M3, CT4-V Blackwing, or especially the new M2, but I really like it on the Lexus IS 500 F Spo... Strange. I also like the black on the Civic Type R and it is probably my 2nd favorite color to red only because with the big wing and red seats I figure, why try to hide what this car really is.
I forgot about the heated seats you mentioned and the Acura Type S is available with a heated steering wheel. Those two things are small features, but big reasons I was so excited about the 40th anniversary GTI compared to my Leaf. Heated seats are easy to add and both cars are available with an alcantara steering wheel which is about as good in the winter and better in the summer than leather. The ELS stereo in the Type S is better than the Bose in the Type R, but the Bose is still pretty good. Styling is a tough one for me. Both cars look good and I like the understated look of the Type S with its lower spoiler, but like Rochester mentioned, the fender flares on the Type R look cleaner and it does look nice and aggressive. Inside I think I actually like the Type R better. Initially I was not so hot about the red seats and red carpet, but compared to the Type S the Type R seats look better and are more comfortable. Now about ease of getting in and out of those bright red seats every day... that's another story. I also like the long dash vent design, suede armrests, and aluminum shift **** of the Type R better. Subtle, I know, but it makes the interior of the Type R actually feel more premium. Both great cars though.
Here's another idea you might appreciate being a VW owner: If I weren't so damn practical I could totally write off this "special edition" GTI 380. I keep considering it because I missed out on the 40th anniversary and because you can get the 380 in an SE trim with the better stereo and moonroof I was missing as well as the intelligent key you mentioned earlier. The trade off is you give up the volume **** on the stereo that I really missed in my STI Type RA when I installed a much nicer Alpine stereo. I do like the wheels (without red stripes) and lack of body graphics on the 380 better than the 40th anniversary, but I do miss the Tornado red. Now I have to convince myself that dark gray or light gray would look cool with a black roof, black mirrors, and black wheels. Maybe. Or maybe a GTI 380 in black is not too much black with black wheels to boot.
The Honda and Acura are better cars than the GTI, no doubt. But I can't shake the feeling that with a Neuspeed shift kit and a decent tune the GTI would be just as fun to drive. The handling and braking is already nearly as good, I get a decent Harman Kardon stereo, a sunroof, heated seats, heated steering wheel, I can roll the windows down in the summer walking up to it (did this all the time with the G37), and with my discount the GTI is $20k less than the Acura and about $12k less than the Honda. It's hard to argue against that from a practicality perspective. The downside are the haptic controls in the GTI and the ok, but comparably cheaper looking interior. The only win for the GTI interior is that the dash graphics look better (speedo/tach) and at night the different interior colors are a nice touch. (The LED F1 style shift lights on the Type R are kind of neat though.)
Another lob I can throw the way of the Honda and Acura is that they just feel so special. You can tell someone spent a lot of time getting the things that really matter to driving enthusiasts right. And that might just be worth the extra coin. The GTI you can tell the time was unfortunately more focused on their screens and haptic controls when they should have stuck with buttons. The other thing is that the Honda and Acura will probably be better on a short track and my local go kart track just opened back up to lapping days. I think the Type R would absolutely dominate there. I would probably only be able to do that twice a year, but it is an absolute riot.
Wow, this post went on a lot longer than I thought. If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me as I type out all my random car thoughts today. Good therapy for us car enthusiasts, and clearly me.
Wait, I'm confused now. I thought you were getting the VW. Are you having second thoughts while waiting for it to arrive?
Sorry for any confusion. Let me fill in some gaps for you. The red GTI 40th anniversary got sold after I couldn't drive it. Not long after that I heard that our local go kart track opened back up for lapping days after not allowing them for years. That got me thinking about the Civic Type R and Integra Type S again. Then the news came out about the new GTI 380 edition which is even better than the long gone 40th anniversary edition so long as I can live without the Tornado red. I still think this car is probably the most bang for the buck for me as a daily driver. The debate in my head is if the money savings of the GTI is enough to overcome the differences between it and the Honda or Acura.
Glad you hear you're not giving up on MT cars just yet. I drove my car yesterday for the first time in 3 weeks (out of the country on vaca), and the time away makes the experience rewarding.
I prefer the Honda in that pic. Not a fan of fender flares on the Acura.
I tend to prefer the look of the Acura because the portion in the car ahead of the front wheels doesn't look as inherantly FWD as the Honda. It also looks a little more sophisticated and mature? Hard to look at the two objectively since I love that blue.
Here's another idea you might appreciate being a VW owner: If I weren't so damn practical I could totally write off this "special edition" GTI 380. I keep considering it because I missed out on the 40th anniversary and because you can get the 380 in an SE trim with the better stereo and moonroof I was missing as well as the intelligent key you mentioned earlier. The trade off is you give up the volume **** on the stereo that I really missed in my STI Type RA when I installed a much nicer Alpine stereo. I do like the wheels (without red stripes) and lack of body graphics on the 380 better than the 40th anniversary, but I do miss the Tornado red. Now I have to convince myself that dark gray or light gray would look cool with a black roof, black mirrors, and black wheels. Maybe. Or maybe a GTI 380 in black is not too much black with black wheels to boot.
Devils advocate, I almost never use the volume **** in my cars--I almost exclusively use the steering wheel controls. At least in my world, the volume **** is really just for the passenger. If you can get over the lack of climate control buttons, you can probably live without the volume ****.
Originally Posted by 4DRZ
The Honda and Acura are better cars than the GTI, no doubt. But I can't shake the feeling that with a Neuspeed shift kit and a decent tune the GTI would be just as fun to drive. The handling and braking is already nearly as good, I get a decent Harman Kardon stereo, a sunroof, heated seats, heated steering wheel, I can roll the windows down in the summer walking up to it (did this all the time with the G37), and with my discount the GTI is $20k less than the Acura and about $12k less than the Honda. It's hard to argue against that from a practicality perspective. The downside are the haptic controls in the GTI and the ok, but comparably cheaper looking interior. The only win for the GTI interior is that the dash graphics look better (speedo/tach) and at night the different interior colors are a nice touch. (The LED F1 style shift lights on the Type R are kind of neat though.)
Another lob I can throw the way of the Honda and Acura is that they just feel so special. You can tell someone spent a lot of time getting the things that really matter to driving enthusiasts right. And that might just be worth the extra coin. The GTI you can tell the time was unfortunately more focused on their screens and haptic controls when they should have stuck with buttons. The other thing is that the Honda and Acura will probably be better on a short track and my local go kart track just opened back up to lapping days. I think the Type R would absolutely dominate there. I would probably only be able to do that twice a year, but it is an absolute riot.
The Honda and Acura are better cars, but are they $12-20K better? And is that extra $$ going to put more a bigger smile on your face the couple times a year you throw a car around a go kart track vs the GTI?
Devils advocate, I almost never use the volume **** in my cars--I almost exclusively use the steering wheel controls. At least in my world, the volume **** is really just for the passenger. If you can get over the lack of climate control buttons, you can probably live without the volume ****.
Now that I think about it the lack of a volume **** drove me nuts in the Subaru because I think it didn't do anything if you held the button down. So you had to click it for each volume level change which took forever. Maybe I would get used to the haptic steering wheel controls in the GTI where I can slide my finger to change the volume 3 or 4 levels at a time. Yeah auto climate control works for me and I think the heated seats and steering wheel might also have an auto mode which is cool. It amazes me how many people have auto climate control in their cars and have no idea how it works.
Originally Posted by Lego_Maniac
The Honda and Acura are better cars, but are they $12-20K better? And is that extra $$ going to put more a bigger smile on your face the couple times a year you throw a car around a go kart track vs the GTI?
That's the million dollar question I have been trying to figure out. From a practical standpoint the answer is an unequivocal no and the GTI wins. I also lean toward the GTI because I tend to pick the underdog and then quietly upgrade my cars so the GTI would take down Type R's and Type S's. I have also wanted to get a GTI forever, I definitely have some GTI nostalgia, and this is the last manual which is cool to me. Probably won't make it any more valuable, but it's still a cool fact. So would you choose black, one of the grays, or a different color? I find it interesting that the unique color for the GTI 380 amounts to dark gray. How boring! I am usually not a fan of gray cars, but the dark metallic gray might look cool with a black roof, mirrors, and wheels.
The Honda and Acura are better out of the box and as I get older I find I am less interested in doing lots of mods like I did with my G37 (not that the GTI needs anything close to that). But you are right about the pricing. It becomes especially difficult since I get a sizeable discount on VW's, but next to nothing on Hondas & Acuras.
Not quite the right color gray, but I believe these are the right wheels.
09-12-2023, 06:21 PM
Scary stuff! I know exactly what you mean about how good it feels to drive a performance car again after being away for a while. When I drove the 40th anniversary I had so much fun just because it was a stick shift and I was so much more connected to the car and what it was doing compared to an A/T.
