IS300 as an alternative to s2000
08-25-2004, 09:08 AM
#11
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I have mixed feelings about the IS300 as well...
In my book, the pros are that the car handles very nicely for a sedan, and has decent power and acceleration. It feels lighter and more nimble than I would have expected.
The cons are that the interior does feel a little cheap. Build quality is fine, it's the materials themselves that leave some room for improvement.
I'm kind of neutral when it comes to the clutch and transmission. Both are very light and easy to operate, but there isn't much feedback in either. Stepping on the clutch is like stepping through air.
Overall it's a good choice IMO. Not as much power, luxury, or as nice of a transmission as comparable cars like the '04 Acura TL, but is RWD and handles better.
Give the G35C a look also... I drove one of those and loved it. The interior is only so-so (nicer than the IS300 though), but it's a total blast to drive.
In my book, the pros are that the car handles very nicely for a sedan, and has decent power and acceleration. It feels lighter and more nimble than I would have expected.
The cons are that the interior does feel a little cheap. Build quality is fine, it's the materials themselves that leave some room for improvement.
I'm kind of neutral when it comes to the clutch and transmission. Both are very light and easy to operate, but there isn't much feedback in either. Stepping on the clutch is like stepping through air.
Overall it's a good choice IMO. Not as much power, luxury, or as nice of a transmission as comparable cars like the '04 Acura TL, but is RWD and handles better.
Give the G35C a look also... I drove one of those and loved it. The interior is only so-so (nicer than the IS300 though), but it's a total blast to drive.
08-25-2004, 09:26 AM
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[QUOTE=MaxGeek,Aug 25 2004, 06:06 AM] I bought a 2001 CL-S because it was a better deal. It had leather and navi and more power for less.
Few months later I test drove a few other IS300's and the car felt slow and disconnected to the road. Soft Suspension. Its a fun car but I like a car that feels more connected to the road. Steering was good though.
IS300's need FI to be fast if thats what you want. NA mods don't do much for it. Automatics dyno ~175hp and H/I/E don't give you big gains. Stock five speeds do about 15.3 in the 1/4 mile.
I personally don't really like the interior. The 2002+ models have better materials but overall I thought the interior still felt cheap. Most of the plastic was hard and it wasn't the interior of a "semi-luxury" car.
Few months later I test drove a few other IS300's and the car felt slow and disconnected to the road. Soft Suspension. Its a fun car but I like a car that feels more connected to the road. Steering was good though.
IS300's need FI to be fast if thats what you want. NA mods don't do much for it. Automatics dyno ~175hp and H/I/E don't give you big gains. Stock five speeds do about 15.3 in the 1/4 mile.
I personally don't really like the interior. The 2002+ models have better materials but overall I thought the interior still felt cheap. Most of the plastic was hard and it wasn't the interior of a "semi-luxury" car.
08-25-2004, 03:43 PM
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I considered buying an IS300 for a daily driver not too long ago. As far as my test drive impressions (I drove a 5spd), I thought it was a very smooth car with a slightly floaty ride, at least compared to an E46 BMW. The car had two big turnoffs for me: 1) gas mileage (18/24) very poor for the size/performance of the car, and 2) no folding rear seats, which meant limited cargo carrying capacity. I mountain bike and folding rear seats were a must-have option for me so I can drag my bike around.
IMHO, a 325i with sport package is a better alternative to the IS300. You get similar if not better performance, better handling, available folding rear seats and better fuel economy for about the same price.
IMHO, a 325i with sport package is a better alternative to the IS300. You get similar if not better performance, better handling, available folding rear seats and better fuel economy for about the same price.
08-25-2004, 06:09 PM
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Excellent, unloved car that's available at reasonable prices.
Actually the most comparable car I've driven to the IS300 is, actually, the Acura TSX, which though FWD has that outstanding "drive-me-to-my-limits" feeling that I used to get from Preludes. The IS has more grunt but it costs more and IMO is a bit less elegant on the inside. I consider the two a very even matchup. I do not know what a TSX costs to insure.
I don't feel that the TL is in the same league as these cars - it's a torquey car all right, but it just feels very big, boatish. The IS and TSX are the nimble entry level lux sedans on the market.
Another option to toss out to the peanut gallery - a Pontiac GTO. It's even more unloved than the IS, and dealers are starting to recognize this so prices are dropping. You get a pretty damn well assembled car, with a surprisingly luxurious and elegant interior, that will blow the doors off the cars we're talking about here. With the '05s soon arriving with the 400hp LS2 and hood scoops, the vanilla intro GTO likely will be available at great prices. You just have to live with that sedate styling. Again, I don't know how expensive a GTO is to insure.
Actually the most comparable car I've driven to the IS300 is, actually, the Acura TSX, which though FWD has that outstanding "drive-me-to-my-limits" feeling that I used to get from Preludes. The IS has more grunt but it costs more and IMO is a bit less elegant on the inside. I consider the two a very even matchup. I do not know what a TSX costs to insure.
I don't feel that the TL is in the same league as these cars - it's a torquey car all right, but it just feels very big, boatish. The IS and TSX are the nimble entry level lux sedans on the market.
Another option to toss out to the peanut gallery - a Pontiac GTO. It's even more unloved than the IS, and dealers are starting to recognize this so prices are dropping. You get a pretty damn well assembled car, with a surprisingly luxurious and elegant interior, that will blow the doors off the cars we're talking about here. With the '05s soon arriving with the 400hp LS2 and hood scoops, the vanilla intro GTO likely will be available at great prices. You just have to live with that sedate styling. Again, I don't know how expensive a GTO is to insure.
08-25-2004, 06:17 PM
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Originally Posted by TeCKis300,Aug 25 2004, 09:26 AM
I do not find the luxury lacking at all and can do without some cumbersome weight adding features. It's really got all that is necessary... heated seats, supple leather, memory seats (2004+), power everything, NAV, 6disc changer, HIDs. Dunno what else you want... as I can happily make do without bluetooth, dual zone climate (this isn't a huge luxury barge btw and it would be pointless and add weight). One thing that would be nice is steering wheel mounted stereo controls.
I'm not saying the car's got NO luxury, but I can't really complain since they classify the car as a SPORT sedan and not a LUXURY sedan.
08-25-2004, 06:24 PM
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There is a guy in Ny selling a super clean stave 3 turbo Is300 from Peter Farrel Supercars for around 30K, he is the second owner, the first put about 60 into it. Fully built motor done the right way by a great company!!! go to www.is300.net for more info!!
MAtt
ps I had 2 is's one man one auto, loved them both, good resale, just not enough hp for me for the $. very comfy
MAtt
ps I had 2 is's one man one auto, loved them both, good resale, just not enough hp for me for the $. very comfy
08-25-2004, 11:16 PM
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legacy is nice but i hear interior is crappy and no HIDS! i agree s2k and is300 is not comparable i was just looking for an alternative since the s2k is an unattainable treasure ^^ also i would like to enjoy the fun of an RWD car, FWD is just boring
i would like the 330 or 325 but getting the 325 is like getting an rsx base vs rsx-s and the 330 is a bit to expensive i think a bit too much for a 19 year old---
EVO and STI again very nice cars but the sti's looks turn me off and the EVO is great but once again interiors is shabby i hear and mitsubishi aint doing too well as a whole company
g35 would be my perfect car but once again i think the price is a little to high
350z does not offer much utility over s2k
i love the fact that s2k ooffers such great miles per gallons for the performance it gives
i dont know its hard to find alternatives ahhh mind boggling, rx8 seems okay but i hear those get even worse milege like 15-20 because of ecu issues or something ahhhh the choices, or lack of...
i would like the 330 or 325 but getting the 325 is like getting an rsx base vs rsx-s and the 330 is a bit to expensive i think a bit too much for a 19 year old---
EVO and STI again very nice cars but the sti's looks turn me off and the EVO is great but once again interiors is shabby i hear and mitsubishi aint doing too well as a whole company
g35 would be my perfect car but once again i think the price is a little to high
350z does not offer much utility over s2k
i love the fact that s2k ooffers such great miles per gallons for the performance it gives
i dont know its hard to find alternatives ahhh mind boggling, rx8 seems okay but i hear those get even worse milege like 15-20 because of ecu issues or something ahhhh the choices, or lack of...
08-26-2004, 08:10 AM
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If you've given even passing thought to the G35C, Legacy GT, or Evo and STi, I would strongly recommend at least test driving them before making your final decision. It's true that none of those cars (except the G35C) has as nice of an interior as the IS300, but they are absolutely loads of fun to drive!
The G35C looks and drives - as expected - very, very much like a 350Z. It has a nice shifter, lots of power, and handles well. Interior isn't as nice as other luxury cars of the same price, but it sure is a whole lot more fun to drive. You can probably find a lightly used one for about the same price as a new IS300 (I saw a few used ones with asking prices of $35k at the local dealer last year).
I haven't driven the STi personally, but a buddy has an Evo, so I've driven that a lot. It's a total blast. It's fast, handles well and is forgiving when it comes to driver error, and has that great turbo rush. Interior does feel almost identical to a regular Lancer, but it doesn't bother me at all. The car is so much fun that it doesn't matter. My friend took the enormous wing off his and is currently spoilerless, and that improves the looks IMO. If you're so inclined, you can put Katzkin or similar leather seats in to spiff it up a little.
I drove the Legacy GT this past weekend, and it's a lot of fun too. The interior has a lot of cheap plastic pieces lining the doors, but the leather seats are nice. It's also the least expensive out of all the cars that have been mentioned here. The top of the line model had an asking price of just under $29k I believe. I saw a few other cars with fewer options for around $26k sticker. The turbo in this car is loud! Sounds real nice for a stock turbo. The shifter is probably the least refined out of all these cars, though. It's definitely more performance than luxury oriented.
It's true that none of those cars (except the G35C) has as nice of an interior as the IS300, but they are absolutely loads of fun to drive!The G35C looks and drives - as expected - very, very much like a 350Z. It has a nice shifter, lots of power, and handles well. Interior isn't as nice as other luxury cars of the same price, but it sure is a whole lot more fun to drive. You can probably find a lightly used one for about the same price as a new IS300 (I saw a few used ones with asking prices of $35k at the local dealer last year).
I haven't driven the STi personally, but a buddy has an Evo, so I've driven that a lot. It's a total blast. It's fast, handles well and is forgiving when it comes to driver error, and has that great turbo rush. Interior does feel almost identical to a regular Lancer, but it doesn't bother me at all. The car is so much fun that it doesn't matter. My friend took the enormous wing off his and is currently spoilerless, and that improves the looks IMO. If you're so inclined, you can put Katzkin or similar leather seats in to spiff it up a little.
I drove the Legacy GT this past weekend, and it's a lot of fun too. The interior has a lot of cheap plastic pieces lining the doors, but the leather seats are nice. It's also the least expensive out of all the cars that have been mentioned here. The top of the line model had an asking price of just under $29k I believe. I saw a few other cars with fewer options for around $26k sticker. The turbo in this car is loud! Sounds real nice for a stock turbo. The shifter is probably the least refined out of all these cars, though. It's definitely more performance than luxury oriented.
