Went to the Auto Show yesterday, and...

[MMMorish]

I got a chance to sit in the IS-F for the first time and to be honest, I don't think I would ever even consider one. I mean, the interior dials and buttons felt all second rate and the finish was pure Toyota Corolla.

Funny thing, in the 3 minutes that I spent checking out the interior, 3 sets of people all came by to check out the specs on the car and when they saw the MSRP, they all said the same thing; "tough sell, I'd rather have an M3".

Just thought I'd share.

[pmeloche]

Interesting. I saw the IS-F from the outside but did not check the interior. The exterior does not work for me.

[M3 vert]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

I got a chance to sit in the IS-F for the first time and to be honest, I don't think I would ever even consider one. I mean, the interior dials and buttons felt all second rate and the finish was pure Toyota Corolla.

Funny thing, in the 3 minutes that I spent checking out the interior, 3 sets of people all came by to check out the specs on the car and when they saw the MSRP, they all said the same thing; "tough sell, I'd rather have an M3".

Just thought I'd share.

Nick, thats a bit harsh

The fit and finish in most lexus vehicles are really good.

Even the regular IS is nice.

I think the interior of the C63 I sat in would be my personal choice over the ISF.

However, the ISF interior is ok

[M3 vert]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

I got a chance to sit in the IS-F for the first time and to be honest, I don't think I would ever even consider one. I mean, the interior dials and buttons felt all second rate and the finish was pure Toyota Corolla.

Funny thing, in the 3 minutes that I spent checking out the interior, 3 sets of people all came by to check out the specs on the car and when they saw the MSRP, they all said the same thing; "tough sell, I'd rather have an M3".

Just thought I'd share.

Oh btw I was there at the autoshow too, however was it me or did you get the feeling the auto manufacturers had scaled back and only shown a handful models.

I didnt see the M3 the X5M & X6M were there

Rolls Royce, Porsche, Aston Martin and Bentley werent even present.

There were 2 lambos, and 2 ferraris and i think 3 maseratis.

I remember when I went back in 2008, they had the full line-up for all these exotic marques.

[immiketoo]

I just went to ours, and it was definitely low budget. And the ISF is cheap inside. Kinda cool tech but feels plasticky.

[M3twins]

I previously owned an ISF and I thought the interior was actually a strong point on the car .. In the end I decided to trade it in because the handling and suspension was sub-par.. If the ISF was a little lighter and the handling was just as good as an ///M3, I'd still own one.. AND Lexus service is way better than BMW.

[niqui]

i drove the car quite extensively, and really enjoyed it actually.
i hated the center stack though. the interior was a let down for me.

[DevJ]

^+1 on the interior. One of my favorite parts of the car..Lexus actually comes to my house to pick up my car for service (~60miles away from the closest dealership)

[dimabimmer]

Here in NY- Manhattan auto show is always loaded since we have most potential customers here. When it comes around, I will make sure to do some serious photo-reporting and post/share it here afterwards...

[MMMorish]

Originally Posted by M3 vert

Oh btw I was there at the autoshow too, however was it me or did you get the feeling the auto manufacturers had scaled back and only shown a handful models.

I didnt see the M3 the X5M & X6M were there

Rolls Royce, Porsche, Aston Martin and Bentley werent even present.

There were 2 lambos, and 2 ferraris and i think 3 maseratis.

I remember when I went back in 2008, they had the full line-up for all these exotic marques.

The M3 was there, but it had all kinds of BMW Driver training decals on it. They didn't have any sedans or verts, just a coupe. BMW's display sucked real bad. On the other hand, I thought the Mercedes display was one of the best at the show. Luckily I drove one of the family Benzo's down to the show and I had my key fob with me which allowed me to go upstairs into the MB VIP and had a coffee and some refreshments.

You're right, I did feel that the show was really bad. My brother in law and I saw the whole show in under 2 hours. We both made comments on the lack of brand presence. I was very dissappointed in the show this year.

But back to the IS-F, the interior wasn't bad but it was more of the little things in there that made it feel like a done up Corolla to me.

[Jaypod]

I went today - show was definitely a disappointment. I thought the Shelby exhibit was the best part. Seeing the Plethore in person wasnt so bad either (production starts in March, they have 10 preorders and expect to deliver 5 by fall)

[J-9]

I'd walk by an IS-F on the way out to my car from work and though it looked pretty good...until I did my homework and drove an M3.

[Cdnrockies]

Originally Posted by MMMorish

I got a chance to sit in the IS-F for the first time and to be honest, I don't think I would ever even consider one. I mean, the interior dials and buttons felt all second rate and the finish was pure Toyota Corolla.

Funny thing, in the 3 minutes that I spent checking out the interior, 3 sets of people all came by to check out the specs on the car and when they saw the MSRP, they all said the same thing; "tough sell, I'd rather have an M3".

Just thought I'd share.

Not sure what you're trying to say with the MSRP comment?

With you also being from Canada, you should be aware that a comparably equipped M3 sedan is $15K more than the IS F.

I don't expect anyone on an M3 forum to say their car doesn't have the best interior as the fanboism here is rampant, but outside of this forum....BMW interior's are not viewed as luxury. Spartan and cold are the most commonly used terms.

I'll certainly acknowledge that the steering and handling is better in the M3....as I did consider one instead of my X5....but the cockpit is not one of BMW's strengths.

Originally Posted by M3twins

I previously owned an ISF and I thought the interior was actually a strong point on the car .. In the end I decided to trade it in because the handling and suspension was sub-par.. If the ISF was a little lighter and the handling was just as good as an ///M3, I'd still own one.. AND Lexus service is way better than BMW.

Glad to hear you're still enjoying your new M3. Ironically, I've been getting much better service at the local BMW dealership than the Lexus one.

[Serious]

Im not sure I want to be owning a 400+hp toyota at the moment.

[CATCH_M3]

Originally Posted by seriousm3

Im not sure I want to be owning a 400+hp toyota at the moment.

LOL.
Yeah, I was expecting more from Lexus interior when I went to the Toronto Show. Maybe it would look different in accessory mode because the guages, etc. are supposed to be all pretty & cute & space age.

Out of the RS, M3, C63, ISF competition I truly believe other than Audi, we have the best interior.. And when I first sat in the audi interior a couple years ago I was WOW'd (A5), but now that I have sat in it a few times and really experienced it I dont think it is MILES better.. Just marginally better. Despite how everyone says BMW & Porsche (911) interior is boring.. I really like them.

Did anyone else notice the total change in feel from the south building exhibit, and north building exhibit? (especially once you got to the audi, bmw, mercedes, jaguar showcasings.)

The guy from BMW Durham let us into the locked X6M, and he's like 'k we gotta lock the doors while we sit inside becuase everyone will clamour in if we don't.' True enough, right when we opned the doors to go outside, a kid rushed to get in the driver seat of the X6M and the salesman I heard him mutter 'sh*t!' loll