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Is 250 Advance Or Is-F?


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Hi All,

Also posted this in the IS-F forums as would like to get views from both group owners.

Been debating between these two cars. For very little price difference between a new 250 Advance you can get an IS-F; the car will be a daily driver but only do about 4-5k miles a year.

Looking for some thoughts, comments on which to go for and why? At the moment I'm stuck with the typical thing of heart says IS-F and head IS 250, about half the insurance cost, half the Road Tax and better fuel etc. Prob be about £1-1.5k cheaper each year for the 250 (But I guess the depreciation on the 250 will more than make up for that extra cost)

Given their rarity haven't been able to test the IS-F yet but I haven't seen a single bad review really.

I guessing either of them are going to be useless once temps drop unless I fork out for a set of winter tyres.

Have your cars been reliable? Any issues or problems that would put you off owning another? Anyone got a baby seat in the back?

Moving from an Mercedes SLK 350 and have always liked fun cars. Other car is an RX and been so impressed with Lexus service (Croydon) really want next car to be another Lexus.

Thanks,

Matt

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I was in a similar situation before I decided to go into the company car scheme - my budget for a self-purchase would have afforded me a 3 year old IS-F, which was so so tempting, but in the end, I had to look beyond the noise, and speed, and think logically. Having driven the IS-F a couple of times I can say that it is an absolutely blinding car - the noise is intoxicating, but... and it's a big but... (I'm sure the F owners will confirm) running costs are huge: Tyres, road tax, fuel, servicing, pads, etc, etc - and if it's over 3 years old, you'll be out of manufacturers warranty. Although granted, probably not required... but it's always peace of mind.

Probably best to sit down, work out your budget, then take both for a drive. They'll be chalk and cheese of course.

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Many thanks for the reply David,

Must admit the one thing that impressed me about the IS-F is decent running costs (Not compared to the IS 250 of course but in comparing it to something like C63 AMG) which would also fall into the "dream cars" category.

Servicing is only slightly above that of the IS supposedly (approx £100 more than 250 according to dealer) guess the parts would be more though. Reading reviews on the web people say 30MPG is easy on run, it's very gentle on tyres (19,000 miles on set) but they are indeed expensive (£230 per corner)

How did you find the suspension on UK roads? Was it still able to cruise comfortably?

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First time was around the twists and turns of Loch Lomond. Have to say, I didn't notice the ride being harsh, although I understand Lexus did tweak the ride, so not sure what an earlt F would be like. I remember it being firm, but not uncomfortably so. Second time I drove it, the weather was monsoon like so wasn't able to drive it properly.

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Having had an IS250 SE-L from new and modified it to suit my taste, I then bought an IS-F in the same colour and trim (Cadoxton Slate), so was fortunate to have both for about a year trying to make up my mind as to which one to keep . It was a close decision as to be honest, the IS250 SE-L as modded was similar to drive as the IS-F in typical traffic conditions, and I preferred its looks over the 'F'.

Over the year I found myself using the IS250 for the occasional commute to my head office of 110 miles each way purely for the fuel costs, and using the F for every other journey. Now I work mostly from home and my mileage has dropped drastically, so even though I was very sad to see it go, the 250 was sold to a good home.

I suppose the drop in mileage was one factor, but the exclusitivity and extra power was the real decision maker. It's tempting to be a bit of a hooligan with the 'F', but using it to anything near its potential on public roads is an invitation to have your license taken away, so it's also used for the occasional track day.

I don't find the running costs to be prohibitive, although some of the consumables like pads are very expensive in comparison to the 250 so service costs are a little higher. I had 19" rims on the 250 that were slightly wider than the BBS's on the F, so no great difference in tyre cost apart from wearing out the rears a bit more rapidly. Road tax £460.00 per annum and insurance a little more, and I always maintain the extended warranty as I did with the 250. Don't believe the mpg figures, if you get 30 mpg out of the F then you may as well drive a 250. My average is around 24mpg combined, not counting track time as there I've managed to get it down to 4 mpg :ohmy: .

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Excellent info thanks Tango; the 30MPG was Extra Urban (Crusing along 70-30mph) is this realistic? If so and combined of 24 then it's prob about the same as my SLK (And better than the RX300 :) )

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Hi All,

Also posted this in the IS-F forums as would like to get views from both group owners.

Been debating between these two cars. For very little price difference between a new 250 Advance you can get an IS-F; the car will be a daily driver but only do about 4-5k miles a year.

Looking for some thoughts, comments on which to go for and why? At the moment I'm stuck with the typical thing of heart says IS-F and head IS 250, about half the insurance cost, half the Road Tax and better fuel etc. Prob be about £1-1.5k cheaper each year for the 250 (But I guess the depreciation on the 250 will more than make up for that extra cost)

Given their rarity haven't been able to test the IS-F yet but I haven't seen a single bad review really.

I guessing either of them are going to be useless once temps drop unless I fork out for a set of winter tyres.

Have your cars been reliable? Any issues or problems that would put you off owning another? Anyone got a baby seat in the back?

Moving from an Mercedes SLK 350 and have always liked fun cars. Other car is an RX and been so impressed with Lexus service (Croydon) really want next car to be another Lexus.

Thanks,

Matt

Being realistic, nobody needs an ISF - and yes it is useless in snow because of the low delicate front & winter tyres won't help with this although a good idea with winter temperatures. Great fun to drive in EVERY situation even if you can rarely use more than a fraction of its potential. Mine has been totally reliable and maybe my 5 year warranty wasn't worthwhile except major repairs could prove horrifyingly expensive. Insurance for me luckily proved only 10% more than the low figure I paid for my IS200 and 24ish mpg doesn't bother me. The £460 "Green" Road Tax annoys me because my low mileage means my carbon total is actually much less than for Ford Focus doing average mileage - but that is just a rant about the slightly unsound basis used to calculate the Tax. I would have genuinely been happier if the Government had just said they were stiffing me for buying an expensive(ish) car so must be able to afford to be screwed.

Sadly, the lovely V8 noise is not something the driver gets to properly hear even with all the windows down & the sun-roof open. It mainly entertains pedestrians and people in other cars. Probably the only disappointment.

But, and it is a big but. If you have to really consider price and running costs; the ISF isn't for you. It is the kind of car where you have to take the attitude that every penny you spend including the massive depreciation is throw-away money to go straight down the drain just to have the pleasure of it. An IS250 will do most of what you want, and the extra cost for the extra the ISF provides can't be justified in strict "value-for-money" terms.

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Excellent info thanks Tango; the 30MPG was Extra Urban (Crusing along 70-30mph) is this realistic? If so and combined of 24 then it's prob about the same as my SLK (And better than the RX300 :) )

Lets be blunt, there's absolutely no point in have an IS-F and driving it as you would a 250. Cruising on the motorway at a steady 70-80 mph may well return 30 mpg if you're happy being cut up by the world and his dog. I find myself using the acceleration to find myself some space, and in doing so the mpg drops quite drastically.

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Thanks all for the info, very useful!

Disappointed to hear the engine/exhaust noise is not that loud inside even with windows down...that was the thing I adored about the C63 was the rumbling noise :)

The 30MPG on motorway is just for those times have the family and it's a gentle luxury cruise....from reports it's one of the things that attracts me is the fact the IS-F can do so much (1 second be a full out track car the next cruise along albeit at a slightly more bumpy cruise :) ) I would be happy with 24MPG combined, at the moment live with the RX getting about 19-20MPG (Even if you nurse that on the motorway it's hard to get more than about 28/29)

The depreciation seems to be all cars (Looking at IS 250 Advance that would drop about £7k in the first year :( )

Suppose big question....anyone managed to get a 1yr+ baby seat in the back of one? :)

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We were invited to a Lexus open day where I got to have a good run in an IS-F and given the option I wouldn't think twice. The noise when they come on cam is worth every penny. Acceleration isn't to bike levels but for a car it's nice and strong. As with all current Lexus models the interior is lovely (and no wood, pretend or otherwise!).

Get it bought.

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