Lexus IS300 vs. 330i?

I know, I know, the BMW was doing “330s” first. That aside, I’m trying to make a good buying decision here and could use some advice. BMW is … well, BMWs are BMWs and that’s saying a lot. But the 2003 IS300 is very tempting – lower cost, sportier look, great reputation. So I guess I’m leaning toward Lexus but always saw myself driving a BMW when I could finally afford one. Any thoughts?

My last car was IS300 and sold it for 330i. I went with the IS since looked just as good on paper and saved some money, but owning the car is a different story. Since I sold my IS and got my 330, I havent missed the 330 one day. Well worth the extra money to get the "real deal".

Isn't the IS300 a souped up, luxury version of a Toyota Camry?

Have you test drove both cars?

Nothing against Lexus', - there's a real market for luxury type cars, but BMW's are funner to drive in my opinion.

The IS300 is not a Camry LOL. Its the Toyota Altezza from Japan, sold in the US as a Lexus. It is a very sporty car meant to be driven, and is funner to drive than my 330 in some ways. Its hard to be dissapointed with the IS. Just depends on your expectations. Stereotype - it seems like the IS is targeted for the 20 to 25 "boy racer" market and the 330 is the 30+ "yuppie".

"Funner"

I thinks it is aimed at the 20-25 english class flunkie.

The IS was modelled on the E36 BMW, which is the current 3-series' predecessor. That should tell you something about the underpinnings of each car. The BMW's engine and thus performance is far superior, the handling is more composed, and as you said, it's a BMW. It will be more expensive, but you might just find its worth it. I dont know about resale values in the US but here in the UK the BM would hold up a lot better too, so you'd make up some of the extra purchasing cost when you resell.. or should i say, if you resell. ive driven a 330 and was blown back. fantastic car

If you want a more solid feel, a no non-sense style and a more reputable name-badge go for the BMW 330i. Performance wise the BMW is a hair on top of the IS300. Test driving the 330i, it accelerates, stops and corners a bit better then the IS300. It felt like a more solid car.

However, the Lexus IS300 is a better value. About $5k cheaper you get a car that is of near equal performance. Not to mention how reliable Lexus is. My 330i is only a year old and already been in the shop twice, costing me a fortune. Sometimes I regret I should of gottin the Lexus. I've also seen a lot of Beemers stranded on freeways. The only turn-off about the IS-300 in my opinion is the cheesy rear styling and the cheap plastic interior. Besides its looks the Lexus is a great buy. I'm just a bit on the conservative side, of course everyones taste is different.

Please... performance isnt "a bit better" in the 330i :rolleyes:

More power, more torque, 2 full seconds quicker to 60, and higher top speed! And you know what, BMW threw in better fuel consumption too!
The IS300 is a good car but is justifiably at a discount to the 330, in fact the 330 is probably better value overall considering the above points, the fact its a BMW and its higher quality interior, not to mention residuals. In terms of reliability my family's experience with Beamers in the last decade is blemish-free, apart from an overheating 7 in the 80's :D

If you preffer a transvestite over a real woman, take the IS 300.:smoka:

I also looked at the IS300 before buying my BMW. I found that the IS300 has a very cheap looking interior and did not handle like a gocart as did the 330 I considered purchasing. The Lexus however does become very fun to drive after adding 2500 dollars worth of suspension. My buddy has an IS300 with several mods and tweeks. The car is a blast to drive, but the money Lexus invests in making the car luxuriuos leaves a lot to be desired. You may not be looking for luxury, but instead for a well thought of name plate. The BMW is the whole package and you will probably never want to get rid of the car. I opted for a two year old 540I 6spd my dealer had over the three series because I found out my wife was pregnant and I thought it made since to have the extra room, but I fall in love with my car every time I sit in it.

It's like comparing Hugo Boss to Tommy Hilfiger. No comparison really :D

Originally posted by digimay
Not to mention how reliable Lexus is. My 330i is only a year old and already been in the shop twice, costing me a fortune. Sometimes I regret I should of gottin the Lexus. I've also seen a lot of Beemers stranded on freeways.

What kind of things could put a BMW 330Ci in the shop costing you a fortune? Everything on the car is under warranty. I have had a broken power window unit and what not but everything down to topping off the oil is covered for up to 3 years on the free maint and 4 years on the actual warranty. So I am curious to know what kind of out of pocket repairs you have had done to your car. Living down here in little Silicon valley there are BMW's everywhere, but I don't see them stranded. And they all have roadside assistance so if it is, it won't be there long.

I'll also vouch for BMW's reliability. In 6 years of ownership, our last 5-series caused us one problem, it wouldnt start one morning. That was it, all the trouble we ever had with it.

I would have to go with the 330i because it is similarly priced and it excels in most performance categories. Some may argue that the IS has better handling, but if one ever gets the chance to drive a manual 330i throgh some twisty roads they will agree that it is more composed and rewarding at the limit. In addition, the IS cannot compare to the 330i in straight-line performance. I know the stepping on the gas until you can't go any faster is no way to measure the overall performance of a car, but it is important if one has ever had to merge onto a highway and the other cars were going close to 30mph faster than you.

Lexus
0-60 7.4 (automatic) 6.8 (claimed)

Bimmer
0-60 6.7 (automatic) 6.2 (clamied)

These firgures are only really important to the true street racers and the 13 year olds looking at this site from the family computer, but they are part of the overall package. Maybe, if the IS had some more power it would be able to compete, but currently the Infiniti G35 sedan is the car that is giving the 330i a run for its money.

In the end, I would buy any one of these cars, but if I could afford the BMW I would splurge.

Sorry, when I said claimed nest to the acceleration numbers i meant clamied for the manual version of the IS. The times for the BMW are were taken from a comparison tests done by Motortrend, roadandtrack, and car and driver.

Originally posted by digimay
However, the Lexus IS300 is a better value. About $5k cheaper you get a car that is of near equal performance. Not to mention how reliable Lexus is. My 330i is only a year old and already been in the shop twice, costing me a fortune. Sometimes I regret I should of gottin the Lexus. I've also seen a lot of Beemers stranded on freeways. The only turn-off about the IS-300 in my opinion is the cheesy rear styling and the cheap plastic interior. Besides its looks the Lexus is a great buy. I'm just a bit on the conservative side, of course everyones taste is different.

:rolleyes: Yeah, I'm sure about that, a lot of BMWs stranded on freeways, what planet are you from. The only things I see stranded are Fords. BMW will out match any yamamoto hentai machine anyday. I'm a living testament of BMW safety, having survived a high speed crash in one, and having another BMW with over 400,000 miles, with an automatic transmission, and the only part that broke was the alternator.
Something smells about you, BMWs are covered under warrantee, there's no reason you should put money on repairs, and if you really had a BMW you wouldn't be writing this nonsense"gee the Lexus is a far better value" crap.:mad: Its amazing how easily people can type any bull they want on the internet and tarnish the reputation of a company.

That's a tough choice, but I've been shopping around too and I'm torn between a 325i and the new IS sport design. I hope you're able to finally decide. I found an offer online that's giving a free subscription to media week and a few other magazines, for test driving the IS, here, check out these links

http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/index.jsp

http://www.adweek.com/aw/index.jsp

http://www.brandweek.com/brandweek/index.jsp

IM SORRY PEOPLE BUT THERES MUCH MORE TO CARS THEN JUST THAT AND THE GAS PEDAL. FIRST OF ALL THE U.S BASED LEXUS IS300'S COME WITH THE SUPRA MOTOR , YES FELLAS, THE SUPRA , WHICH WAS STOPPED IN PRODUCTION AROUND 1999. THE LEXUS IN JAPAN COMES EQUIPPED WITH A FOUR CYLINDER TURBO,( I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY DIDNT RELEASE IT IN AMERICA) BUT THE JAPANEESE VERSION FLIES OVER ANY BEEMER M3. BUT COMING BACK TO THE U.S BASED, SUPRA VERSION, THIS MOTOR HAS EXTREMELY STRONG PISTONS , CONNECTING RODS AND A CRANK SHAFT THAT CAN HANDLY 600 HORSE POWER ,DAILY DRIVING WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. NOT TO MENTION, THE STOCK MOTOR IS ALREADY EXTREMELY QUICK. I HAVE TAKEN VIRTUALLY MUSTANG SVT'S OFF THE LINE TILL ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF 3RD GEAR. THE CARS TORQUE IS IMPRESSIVE, IT HANDLES LIKE ITS APART OF YOUR BODY. I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE AND I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE CAR FOR THE FACT I HAVE BEATEN SO MANY CARS. EVERYONE RUSHES TO GIVE ME COMPLIMENTS, NOT A SINGLE DAY GOES BY WHERE I HEAR," BAD ASS CAR" FROM ANYONE. I HAVE PIX OF MY CAR IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE BUT MAN, I RECCOMEND THE IS300 OVER ANY BMW, NO BEEMER WILL RUN 600 DAILY DRIVEN HORSES, I CAN VOUCH THAT.

First of all if you have to put your car in D than you are not a true performance finatic. Second of all there are 600 HP BMWs I have 3 friends that drive them. Third of all my 540 would smoke your IS300 through all 6 gears( I race against my buddies and beat him up and down the street). I can say that his car handles a little better. Not to rag against the Lexus, because I considered buying one myself. For you to say we are mindless idiots! You do not know who we are, what we do, or how much we know. I have included some links of a 600HP E36 M3, a link for a 1000 HP M5.

http://www.bmwcarmagazine.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5878

http://www.lenzmotorentechnikusa.com/LenzBMW.htm#BMW5

http://www.cartech.net/bmwm3turbo.htm

http://www.activeautowerke.com/cars/Silver98M/Default.asp

Please bring some intelligence to the topic.

I own a 2000 Lexus RX300 and a 2002 BMW 525i. I (more correctly, my wife) wanted the Lexus at the time. I thought I was buying a luxury SUV but after 50,000 miles, I now realize I bought a Toyota with some Lexus badging. When I take the Lexus to the dealer for servicing and drive a loaner, I often find myself in a Camry and the similarities on the inside are far more than coincidental. If you really want to drive a car and feel like you're driving something "special", go with the 330i. If you want reliable, sporty transportation, the Lexus is a good second-best. The Lexus simply has no soul....!:comprage1

600 hp? So what!?!?!? the Lexus IS300 is still an inferior car to the BMW, and it's quoted in ALL the major car magazines, how many people that drive Lexuses actually want 600hp?!?! stupid :rolleyes:

Agreed. The real competition to the 330i/Ci is the G35 sedan and coupe from Infiniti. Having driven my friend's very very impressive 330Ci, I want to drive the G35 for comparison. It has won some "Car of the Year" awards, so its probably pretty good. Both of these cars walk all over the IS300 in quality and performance.

Although the 330i would instantly leap from the lips of most die hard motorheads, you can't deny that the IS300 is a good car for the price. It handles worse, is a little slower, and the inside looks a bit cheaper but then again, it is. About 5k cheaper. Now, you could go and swap the suspension for some stiffer springs ($250), strut towers ($500), maybe even a sway bar ($250 again). Maybe screw all that and just get a new set of coil overs (2k). Either way you lose the handling disadvantage. That still leaves the speed, which, considering the targeted buyer and the engine installed, would most likely come in the form of a turbo (5k, if not more). That brings you to the price of the BMW. So your car handles the same as the BMW, probably is a little faster and still has a cheap interior, not to mention that the 330i will still be naturally aspirated, losing that horrendous turbo lag.

The BMW is probably more suited towards the older, more mature buyers looking for something that can handle well while the is300 is for the younger, more "my car is faster than your car" crowd. I know which car I'd take on a twisty, and it ain't from Japan.

you know what too? i just dont like how most all japanese cars are soooo quiet. . . i like to hear the engine, it is something to be treasured at 5k rpm, not something to muffle. . .

Originally posted by Cookie
Now, you could go and swap the suspension for some stiffer springs ($250), strut towers ($500), maybe even a sway bar ($250 again). Maybe screw all that and just get a new set of coil overs (2k). Either way you lose the handling disadvantage. That still leaves the speed, which, considering the targeted buyer and the engine installed, would most likely come in the form of a turbo (5k, if not more). That brings you to the price of the BMW. So your car handles the same as the BMW, probably is a little faster and still has a cheap interior, not to mention that the 330i will still be naturally aspirated, losing that horrendous turbo lag.

And how many people that buy Lexuses actually work on their own car? Hiring a mechanic to do the work would cost $5000. The only people I see driving a Lexus are Jewish, Asian, or people that hate Germans.

i plan on getting an IS300 sometime b4 the end of the year....the selling point for me was the styling. i had always wanted a 323i but when i say the IS i nolonger wanted the BMW. the only thing about the BMW that i do not care for is itz lack of styling or should i say change of style. i haven't driven the 323i but have road in it many of times and itz great. but the IS is something different. doesn't have all the "luxeries" the BMW has probably b/c itz at the bottom of the totem poll in Lexus' line-up and they treat it as such. But i've heard nothing but great things about their maintenance dept and i know my buddy has been given the run-around many times at BMW...but i'm sure each case is different. but i love the looks and the interior of the IS...and someone mentioned that the ride of these cars is too quiet. i couldn't agree with you more. when i went on a test drive, i took it up to 110mph and it was so quiet....it was kinda funny b/c i kinda didn't know when to shift b/c i usually go by the sound of the engine rather than the tach....but the IS has my choice...i guess i fall in that catagory of "boy racers" seeing that i'm 24....too bad they don't/ didn't offer the IS200 here:frown:

Originally posted by BLU CIVIC
but i love the looks and the interior of the IS...

yes, you will get the looks with the Lexus, the karaoke styled Altezza tail lights are the bench mark of good taste.

Originally posted by ugly kid jon


yes, you will get the looks with the Lexus, the karaoke styled Altezza tail lights are the bench mark of good taste.

that was never the case until....well we all know what happened:rolleyes:

I dunno. The bmw styles seem to be just "timeless" My dad's old 318i (something like '84) still looks damn good, if not a little boxy.

Yes, the lexus is quiet. But when i'm buying a luxury-sports car i want some noise, some feedback from the car. If i'm gonna cruise i'd buy a mercedes, but for shear gasoline burning fun i'd take the 330.

Maintenance is merely a reflection of the dealer. I happen to shop in beverly hills so all the rich people seem to spend enough to demand 1st class service for all customers :bigthumb:.

neverless the lexus is still a good car. Most likely more reliable than the BMW (it's japanese... can't argue with that), just not quite the machine i'm looking for.

The 330 is just flat out a better car. Yes it may cost more but I think the many times I've pulled off IS300s or just passed by one in a hard turn are definately worth the money (not to mention its a BMW-much better quality--reliability could go either way)

The IS300 was designed to beat the 328 --Toyota didn't even expect a 3.0 liter from Bimmer-- so the IS300 is really no match for a 330.

I think an IS should be compared to a 325 or 328

Digimay--330 in the shop twice- you prob messed something up under the hood or got a -what were the problems? why werent they covered by 50k-4 year warrantee?

I have NEVER wished i had an IS300 over my 330 it just can't compare

you might think im bias but dont get me wrong im also a loyal toyota owner but Lexus doesn't build a car that beats the 330

I have driven both cars and I agree that the 330i is the better drivers car. The IS300 is very good; much closer to a BMW than any other Lexus, but it's not quite there. Handling and power is pretty good, but the interior is kinda cheap (esp. by Lexus standards) and the gauges are a joke. It compares better to a 320i, which negates the price difference. The 3 series is still the best in their class; the closest 2 cars are the A4 and the IS300.

this weekend.....completely O/T

i test drove a 7401, 525i and a 540i for a friend....i did not want to get in my civic.....they also had a $140k Z8 Adina...rolling on stock 20" rims and sporting a big SOLD sign:tongue:

I recently purchased my first BMW, a certified used 2001 330i. As a car nut and enthusiast, I can say without a doubt that this is the best car I have ever owned and worth every penny of the substantial monthly payment. My advice is to not get the Lexus. It is a fad. BMWs are timeless/classic/sophisticated. I know how to drive through a corner pretty fast and believe me... this car is the ultimate driving machine (with the possible exception of porsche and ferrari but those are much more expensive. Get the 330i and you wont be disappointed. I drove in the lexus in a press car and that car is a piece of shit

how can an IS be a fad:confused: the is was ment for 30-40 yr olds and is ment to compete with the 325i/328i....like the website says....so you can't very well compare it to a car that it isn't ment to compete with. but i hold my ground in saying i preger the IS to the 3 series....except the M3:wink: