Here Is What It's Like To Live With A 450+ hp Lexus IS-F

"Torque Affair" (torqueaffair)
03/18/2016 at 07:28 • Filed to: None

When most people see a 2008 Lexus IS-F, they think, “Oh, that’s a nice looking Camry,” and then immediately go back to checking Instagram on their phones as they continue driving down the freeway at 70 mph.

A five year old kid sitting in the back of a Sienna sees the IS-F, points to it, and says, “Mommy, look, I can point!”

Clearly, the vast majority of adults and children alike are impressed by a five year old’s ability to point and are also unable to recognize the IS-F as being anything special. But, to me, the IS-F stands out.

Admittedly, the differences between a normal Lexus IS350 and an IS-F are subtle. You could say it’s like comparing a pea pod with three peas to another one with three and a half peas. The IS-F is just a bit more aggressive-looking than the IS350 but I think that it’s nicely done. It’s the ultimate sleeper because aside from other car folks, no one would have a clue that the IS-F can be a howling 450+ hp V8 monster capable of going from a standstill to 60 mph in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

You might think that because my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is a 4-door Lexus, it might be the perfect grocery getter that gets you to the store and back very quickly and enjoyably. Unfortunately, it’s not. That’s because the ride quality of the IS-F is the same as sitting on a wooden cart with wooden wheels with no tires. Actually, it’s more like being on a wooden cart without wheels and then being dragged along on cobblestone by a horse.

I’ve owned this car for a few months now as my daily driver and I’m pretty sure that some of my teeth have come loose during this time. My joints hurt now as a result of living with the harshness of the IS-F. And nobody wants to ride with me. So I have three other perfectly good seats in the car that remain unused. When I sell the car, I hope to get a premium for it since the ad will state, “75% of the seats in the car are untouched and in showroom condition.”

But, the IS-F does start up like a champ every day and I’ve faced no issues–yet. I’m hoping that this car is as reliable as Lexuses are typically known for, but as the mileage creeps up–currently at 78,200 miles–the chances that something will break are slowly increasing.

Yes, I would say that there is a strong possibility that my back will break the next time I hit a pothole.

Hidden Buttons

Every day, my first order of business, as soon as I get into the IS-F, is to put it into sports mode. Sports mode is like Friday at 5 pm. It makes everything better. All of a sudden you have a reason to live when you realize that there are two whole days before you have to step back into hell again. Friday night is possibly the greatest night to ever exist. Sports mode is mostly like that because it fills you with joy. As soon as you enable it on the IS-F, the throttle is more responsive, the steering is tighter and the shifting is crisper. It’s great.

The problem with engaging this mode, however, is that the button that does this is invisible . Because Lexus did such an excellent job with ergonomics and decided to cover up the button completely with the steering wheel, I have to feel around for it. And so, every day, I caress my car–first thing in the morning.

There are other buttons I can’t see either because they’re behind the steering wheel, like the information center button and the parking sensor. When Lexus decided to put in the steering wheel last, they must have realized that they hid some of the most important buttons in the car, and decided to go with that design anyway, since the big boss said, “Do it, or we will send you over to the Corolla department!”

Manual Mode

After I engage sports mode, the next thing I do is bump the shift lever into manual mode. Automatic transmissions are so horribly boring, but in this car, the 8-speed auto transmission is buttery smooth and shifts quickly. Because of this, paddle-shifting is way more fun than I anticipated. Not having a standard transmission car isn’t a big deal at the moment. You have loads of torque and speed available to you at any time because a quick flick of the finger results in extremely quick rev-matched downshifts.

Harsh Ride

The acceleration and noise of the IS-F are tons of fun to experience, but you’re still faced with the reality of the car’s insanely rough ride. Not only is the stock suspension stiff, but add to that shorter springs and what you end up with is a ride that can give you a concussion. I skillfully demonstrate this fact in the video.

With every bump that jostles my internal organs, I feel compelled to slam the pedal to floor because it instantly takes away the pain. It provides the same kind of stress relief as taking a shot of Tequila when dealing with an out-of-control, two year old screaming child. Why do you think parents let their toddlers run around in a restaurant? It’s because they’re all drunk!

Having a lowered car is the worst. I’ll probably never do this again, because it’s impossible to go over speed bumps without scratching up the bottom of the car and you have be careful around everything you encounter on the road.

Because of this, I now have a yellow line across the bottom of the side paneling which adds some undesired graphics to my car.

Volume Button

Let’s say, you’re driving along, and all of a sudden a Selena Gomez song comes on. Of course, you’d want to increase the volume. Who wouldn’t? But because there are 60 increments on the volume control switch on the steering wheel with each click representing an ever-so-slight increase in volume, it takes forever to get the music loud enough to a point where you can sing along to Selena’s latest tunes. In the time it takes for you to adjust from low to medium volume, you can get all your dishes done, finish your laundry and even type up some comments on your most favorite Jalopnik articles.

Different Colored Wheels

There is so much brake dust generated that the front wheels will always be darker than the rear ones no matter how many times I try to clean them. There will be a guaranteed difference in the shade of grey. But that’s ok. I’ve come to accept it as a “signature” IS-F look.

Fake Quad Exhaust. I suspecte this before I bought the car but actually confirming it was disappointing. Unfortunately, the stacked quad exhaust look is all fake and the reality is that there are single pipes behind the deceitful facade. Oh well.

Thin Steering Wheel. You can never get a good grip on the steering wheel because it’s so thin which takes away from the handling experience and impacts your ability to steer. Oh well.

Despite some annoyances, I do enjoy the car–that is–if I’m able to drive aggressively. The exhaust note and the speed are awesome and the car itself is solid so you feel confident pushing it. Fortunately, it appears to be reliable so far and hopefully the car doesn’t create any problems other than an accelerated degradation of my physical self.

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is about exploring my fascination with cars. I’m always on the lookout for things that interest me in the car world.

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DISCUSSION (100)

AkursedX > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 07:41

I’m willing to bet that at least one nice thing about being rather subdued in the looks department is that you don’t get every kid with a fart cannon lowered on $250 coil overs trying to race you. As an owner of a ‘16 STi (with the wing), I wish my car had a more subdued exterior...

Torque Affair > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 07:49

You’re right! Also cops completely ignore me which is awesome.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:07

ot’s a Toyota basically , so it won’t break till the speedo has about 350K+ miles on it

V12 Jake- Hittin' Switches > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:08

Stealth performance cars are the best performance cars ! Police have never even so much as looked at me in my black S600, it just flies under the radar .

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:08

Great article. I lol’ed at the opening because my boss almost hit a LF-A in a parking lot at lunch the other day. When I was like !!OMGYOUALMOSTKILLEDA$300kCAR!! she was like “what, wasn’t that a Corolla?”

Tom McParland > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:29

Nice post! I was always curious about this car. I think many of us learned the hard way to leave stock suspensions alone. When I was young and dumb, I put some cheap coilovers in my 95 Prelude. Car could take turns at crazy speeds...but pot holes it was like a bucking bronco.

Roadster Man > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:36

I like the tailpipes.

m2m, apex detective > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:38

You can hardly fault your car for having a single oven exhaust pipe on each side when it does not carry the stock exhaust, though. IMO, the original setup is identical to this:

Kinja'd!!!

Each tip has one exhaust end aimed at it. They do not connect so the tips don’t heat up and melt your rear bumper ... also, to avoid big ol’ exhaust shake that ruins the tips’ accomodation in the bumper itself, as they cannot move freely.

Hey, Yamaha did the factory sound design/tuning, and I think they did a pretty good job acoustically. If anyone was really bothered, it would be a fairly possible thing to actually connect the endings and tips ... it just doesn’t make much sense here, as you would have to at least remove the panels holding the tips in place. Or, you know, let them melt all on their own.

I like the overdone shaking you suffer from riding over things ... but it’s probably accurate at most. 2010+ MY are friendlier and more compliant ride-wise, I heard, as Lexus had at that point reacted to lots of customer complaints.

How tall are you, if I might inquire so? I have no problem with the IS-F’s streering wheel at all, in fact, I found it a great bit, sad buttons aside. Maybe I’m just a dwarf, though, or have baby hands!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:53

It’s a total sleeper car though and that makes it awesome.

AkursedX > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 08:54

Yeah, these cars are tough to spot in the wild. Im not even sure I have ever seen one outside of a dealership.

Those front fenders are some of the sexiest fenders that have ever been put on a 4-door sedan though.

bob and john > m2m, apex detective
03/18/2016 at 09:16

I almost forgot his doesnt ave the stock exhaust.

but for the first couple of years, lexus DID do exahust what he was describing. then they went to a true quad set up/

Tatanko > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 09:40

Your boss can’t tell the difference between a supercar and a Corolla?

Even if she’s not a car enthusiast that’s... troubling.

mazda616 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 09:42

Excellent review! Great looking car, too. I have always admired those.

mazda616 > Tom McParland
03/18/2016 at 09:45

I have to agree. I lowered my former car (‘08 Mazda3) and the “cool” factor wore off quickly. Even though it was a mild drop (1.3 inches) on the Eibach springs I installed, driveways and speed bumps and crappy Kentucky roads around here were ALL major pains. Now that I’m back in a stock ride height car, it’s nice to not have to worry about stuff like that.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Tatanko
03/18/2016 at 10:04

1) she’s like 60 and knows nothing about cars

2) have you SEEN a LFA in person? It really isn’t flashy, especially in black (this one was). It could easily be confused with a BRZ at quick glance.

Kinja'd!!!

Shankems > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:23

First, you have excellent taste in vehicles.

Second, those tips are a travesty. I remember the first time I saw one from behind and immediately looked for what I thought would be a neat little arrangement. :-(

I am also sorry to hear that the ride is so poor. Ever think about sacrificing that beautiful wheel gap for your spines sake? My previous vehicle had everything stiffened up and I thought it was good. But now I’ve got 3rd gen mag ride on my ‘16 Chevy SS and my mind has been blown. I will now never buy a car without mag ride. EVER.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:35

And nobody wants to ride with me.

How this is a problem, I will never know.

Thanks for the solid write up, I’ve always been so curious about the IS-F.

Textured Soy Protein > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:36

You should be able to fix the brake dust by going to a different pad. My old Mazdaspeed6 had incredibly dusty OEM front brake pads, but when I went to EBC Redstuff at all 4 corners, I got more braking power and they were almost dust-free.

Vlan1 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:37

Always liked these things. Just a shame that the aftermarket for them is borderline non-existent.

Patronsilver > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:38

I think we can all agree that Selena Gomez is the issue here.

Tatanko > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 10:38

I’ve never seen a Corolla that fancy.

Art > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:41

I remember beating one of this IsF models with my 2011 Mustang GT. I was surprise a guy in a Lexus wanted to test the waters. I left that poor IsF behind a cloud of smoke. For some reason he wanted another go, the result was worst as he roast the tires to defeat. Nice cars but 450 hp in a heavy sedan is not as fast as I thought it was going to be, then again my GT was modified with suspension, 305 tires a tune and some exhaust work and 395 whp, dyno tested. 12.2 at 117 at the quarter mile

BeaterGT > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 10:42

This is exactly why I got a Legacy GT.

BeaterGT > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:44

I’m echoing the others when saying I was always curious about how this car performed so thanks for sharing!

Art > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 10:45

you said it, just have that wing removed. I have a thing for Subaru’s so I don’t care for the wing at all. Maybe in my 50s I will feel a bit weird driving a car with a huge wing however I am still in my 20s.

drdude > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 10:48

As someone that also had that issue, and is now hidden from view with a silver BMW... I can tell you, its much nicer. You can actually go faster, and if theres a “OOPS, THERES A COP!” moment... they still dont notice you.
Also, its funny beating a fart-cannon ride or even a nice 350/370z while you have your wife and your dog in the car.

Travis M. Cotton > Tatanko
03/18/2016 at 10:48

I choked on my coffee. Thanks :P

Fleetwood T. Brougham > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:48

Kinja'd!!!

idriveayak > pip bip - choose Corrour
03/18/2016 at 10:51

*odo

move-over-peasant-I-have-an-M5-in-the-shop > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:53

I feel the vast majority of your pain. Other than the thin steering wheel. The M5's is nice and beefy. Setting up the car as soon as you get in, the volume knob seeming to do absolutely nothing, potholes ("comfort mode" on the EDC is a misnomer)

Hired Help > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:54

I was driving my ‘06 GTO while in a 55 mph zone doing 64 mph because duh. One of these pulled up next to me. He had a challenge face on. I took it. 64 mph, blip shift from 5th to 3rd, pedal to the floor, and he walked away. I gave up around 120+ mph and said “wtf was that...”

Almostthe4th > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:55

Pretty sure you can just hold down the volume button to lower/raise the volume.

Golfs in a Golf > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:56

But have you taken it to lime creek?

Art > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 10:57

No BRZ looks or sounds as good as the LFA. Toyota should of cut the LFA engine half and slap it into the FRS though.

C-Ki > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 10:57

I saw one yesterday on my way to picking up my kid.

Unlike most people, i knew exactly what i was looking at. I even tried to thumb up the driver, but he left me with the V8 roar...

If i ever get a hold of one, i will rebadge it as a Toyota Corolla iF, because even a Corolla will “absorb” more attention from the general population than an IS-F will ever... Signs of the time that Toyota is doing a lot better than before...

Art > Textured Soy Protein
03/18/2016 at 10:58

Yeah, any good replacement pads will eliminate dust almost 100%

killerhurtalot4 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:00

Oh man.... I didn’t realize these are so cheap now...

Some good quality ones 2008 models are available for around 28k with under 50k miles on them too.

barreto > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:00

Good article. Just some constructive criticism on the writing style- Jalopnik already has one Doug Demuro. This reads like a less-funny version of his writing style and humor.

killerhurtalot4 > Tom McParland
03/18/2016 at 11:01

Some car’s suspensions are just terribly factory though.

My 135i’s stock M sport suspension is too harsh for daily driving and too soft for spirited driving and track days :/

But just like his IS-F, the wheel gap is almost perfect lol.

Manufacturer needs to make up its mind on if a car is going to be sporty or comfortable when you have normal spring suspension...

cmusic > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:03

I’ve got a 2006 IS250 and is it exactly like the IS-F except for the engine, transmission, and suspension. I’ve only got 204 HP but I do get 33-34 mpg on the highway using 93 octane. (I get about 28-29 if I use any octane less.) I agree with all the nitpicks on the interior but I really like this car. When I bought it I was coming off of three straight GM cars (1991 Pontiac Grand Prix bought used in 1993, 1996 Cavalier Z24 bought new, and a 2001 Monte Carlo SS bought new) and all three had problems after two years of use. I got rid of them all within 5 years because they were constantly having problems. The Monte Carlo was traded off with 51,000 miles and a dead engine management computer. After over 10 years with my IS250 I have not had one major problem. It still drives almost as well as the day I bought it with 14 miles on it. It has almost 99,000 miles on it now. The only times it has been in the garage was for normal services and for factory recalls. It’s had no major problems. Come to think of it is has not had too many minor problems either, a bad tail light switch on the brake pedal is about it. It’s no sports sedan, but that was not what I bought it for. I wanted a entry level luxury car with good milage that would last me 8-10 years of daily use. It’s not my dream car but my IS250 has met my car needs perfectly.

thedangler > Art
03/18/2016 at 11:06

On the 2016 STI Limited you can order it with a small lip spoiler instead of the wing. I went the Silver WRX Limited (non-STI) route instead, hoping to blend in.

shurkon93 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:06

So please help me out here. Did you buy the car naturally lowered or are you just riding around in the car in sport mode all the time? If its been lowered and your complaing about the ride that’s not the car’s fault. My father has a GS-F sport and the sport+ ride is really harsh but made more so by NE Ohio terrible roads. So I can see why the complaints but I don’t think its all the car.

HudsonGreens > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:06

"Actually, it’s more like being on a wooden cart without wheels and then being dragged along on cobblestone by a horse." - This made me LOL

AkursedX > Art
03/18/2016 at 11:07

I have been watching the trunk swap thread on nasioc to find someone with a pearl blue mica WRX that I can swap trunks with.

You can get the STI limited without the wing but that package is about 5k more than the base.

And I’m in my 30's and married with 2 kids, so I’m too old to deal with the whole street racing stuff, but I’m not old enough to put comfort ahead of performance, which is why I have an sti over something more ‘sensible’ or ‘grown up’

Bg8780 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:07

My mom has been driving her 2008 IS-F for a long time now and she still plans to never get rid of it. Blizzaks in the winter and Pilot Super Sports in the summer she dailies this thing everywhere. She’s still under 50k mi and constantly gets offers to buy it off her when she’s at the dealer. I’m not a huge fan of the car as it’s handling characteristics are lacking but she loves it and the torque is very addicting. The transmission is quick and smooth especially for being pretty dated by today’s dual clutch standards.

Despite all the understeer and it’s abysmal efforts to hide it’s weight, it is still a very capable daily driver and a ton of fun when you want it to be. Also, the bright white and black interior look great with the electric blue. Add on Toyota’s reliability and we have a winner. I don’t think she’ll ever sell it.

Kinja'd!!!

killerhurtalot4 > mazda616
03/18/2016 at 11:08

But that’s what the Mazda3 was built for... You wouldn’t expect the springs on the Mazda3 to be that harsh though and you’re also not expecting to be driving the mazda3 to be that great on the track/or at spirited driving...

I wish more cars came with magnetic suspension though. I’d pay that extra $2-3k to be able to be comfortable for daily driving and be able to instantly stiffen it up when I’m on the back roads/track.

evodad > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 11:08

cleanest looking 300zx I’ve seen in a long time!

Matt Trakker > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 11:10

STi with giant wing? I thought those teenage stoplight challenges come standard with the package?

HansKlues > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:11

Replace it with an E90 M3 and all of your gripes (aside from the brake dust) are solved.

GrannyShifter (don't judge my Hofmeister kink) > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 11:12

I don’t know about mistaking one for a Corolla, but I was shocked at how tiny the LF-A looks in person. They are very low, and seem very small for a supercar.

SgtFancypants > pip bip - choose Corrour
03/18/2016 at 11:14

As a Toyota owner I have to say..... their reliability is greatly exaggerated. This doesn't mean that they aren't very reliable cars, but things do wear out and break long before you hit that 350k mark.

RWD-by-the-Sea > Tom McParland
03/18/2016 at 11:16

Count me part of that club. Teenage, young and dumb. Tein S-Tech springs were my drug of choice, and the 2.2" drop lasted all of 3 months before I swapped to taller (but still “lowering”) springs. I think I went through 3 or 4 lowering spring + strut combos on that car before I realized A) lowering springs are mostly for looks, B) ride quality was generally shit, C) in some cases the stock suspension actually handled better.

Phil > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:16

You wrote an entire article complaining about how chopping up your suspension makes the ride harsher?

ShutUpandShift > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 11:17

I just turned 50 this past summer and am still loving the shit outta my 14 WRX. Actually just lowered it a bit (Tanabe GF210's) to eliminate some gap and it feels awesome. I'm probably the oldest person in history to drive and love a WRX but..... whatever. Heart wants what it wants!

windadvisory > barreto
03/18/2016 at 11:18

I came here prepared to make the same observation and then I decided to breeze through the comments to insure someone hadn’t beat me to it.

The hyperbole really gets old.

Art > thedangler
03/18/2016 at 11:19

My old neighbor bought a regular wrx. I have to admit I was a bit jealous mainly because for some reason the WRX fits my adventurous personality. My 2011 Mustang GT serves the same purpose although in a different way. With that being said, a wrx has a more hipster, roof rack, surf boards type of appeal that my Mustang doesn’t have. I like them both and if I was to buy one I will go with the lip spoiler, I think my neighbors does have a small lip I think he added it to it. It also has fins on the roof like the Evos, not sure if those came with the car.

BrendanKennedy > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:20

I’ve been trying to decide between an IS-F and an S4 for awhile now. A friend of mine whose owned two IS-F’s was adamant though that I spring the extra coin for a 2011+ due to the reworked suspension. His 2008 was also harsh as shit.

Vintage1982Benz > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 11:22

As an owner of a ‘16 STi (with the wing), I wish my car had a more subdued exterior...

I thought as of model year 2016 you could do no spoiler as an option on the STi?

caddyshack > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:23

Mee thinks a better set of coil overs would fix some of the harshness mover bumps. Some KW’s or something else that’s not total junk might improve things.

Oppo! > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:25

Is this a turing test?

RatMR2 > GrannyShifter (don't judge my Hofmeister kink)
03/18/2016 at 11:25

Generally speaking, I’ve found that in person, most supercars seem really small. The Veyron, for example, is about 4 inches shorter than a Corolla sedan, which you really wouldn't expect when you see it in pictures.

STAYone_benz > Tom McParland
03/18/2016 at 11:26

When I was a kid it didn’t bother me. “Who cares! I’m awesome!”
Then I had a jeep, and a truck, and a volvo, then I picked up a w124 E320 and decided to lower it. Looks great. I hate it.
I hate it so, so much.. I hate it. No one wants to ride with me, and I dont blame them.. I dont want to ride with me.
I hate it..
I’m about to pick up an e90 and if one day I decide to go lower.. It will be on airbags.

ShutUpandShift > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:27

Never minded this cars subtle performance appearance. Similar to the tasteful differences between an A4, S4, RS4. Actually, those might be a bit too tasteful!

Art > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 11:28

or you can just have it replace with a lip spoiler, although I am sure that’s one hell of a job. I removed my 2011 mustang GT and i was one hell of a job, I then went back to my regular oem spoiler and since it hasn’t been glue back, it kind of flexes a bit leaving a small gap in between so perhaps you are better off keeping the wing :)

LJ909 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:38

These things are holding their value solidly. Just hate how the exhaust tips werent really connected to the exhaust. This and the last gen V8 M3 sedan are on my short list.

jumpmanjay > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:40

Luckily, most of your complaints were addressed in later years. I have a 2013, and the ride is far more compliant than the early models. It’s about on par with a TL-S, and more compliant than an STi/Evo.

For the volume, I found that to better match the volume of the radio, I have to bump up the volume of my phone. I set a Tasker profile to bump it up when I connect to my car’s bluetooth.

CalBearsFan99 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:41

If I had one of these, I’d consider just dual pipes for the exhaust, make it even more of a sleeper.

SwimBikeRun > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:48

I looked into getting an IS-F several years back and he hit it dead on in terms of the car’s stiffness. Would love to have it as a weekend car, but for daily driver, the regular IS is sufficient enough. Poorly maintained LA streets is not a good match for this car.

Warlord of Crud > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:00

Kinja'd!!!

I would rather have the rims I had on my IS250. They are the same width as the ISF, but have a little more meat (and look better IMO).

Kinetis > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:01

Do the volume buttons work when holding it down? My volume buttons seem to move through the range pretty quickly when holding the buttons down.

Negative459 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:04

Just for clarification, when you say it's lowered do you mean you have an aftermarket suspension on it, or are you just comparing it the IS250/350?

jimmy-buffett > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:05

I sat in a new GS-F the other day while at the dealership, and it’s pretty much the IS-F in handling/exterior looks except the seats are a lot more unique than what you’ve got in the IS-F (are those just standard IS seats?). Even if the grill wasn’t terrible on the GS-F, even if they hadn’t moved the nav onto the hood and taken away the touch screen, I still can’t see myself in one.

I bought an ‘11 GS460's last year, and I positively love it. More like a BMW 550 than M5 on the ride / comfort front. It’s one of the rarest cars at Cars & Coffee (after ‘08, around 50 a year came to the US ) and nobody ever sees it coming. The dealership service writers always do a double-take at the sheet because they know it exists, but they’ve never seen one (Colorado). Except for the badge, there’s really nothing to distinguish it from the army of AWD GS350's here.

I love Lexus as a brand, I’ve had three (‘08 IS350, ‘07 LS460 and now the ‘11 GS460) but they really dropped the ball on the current generation. The reliability is still there, but I can seriously do without their take on edgy with that front grill. Hopefully they fix that in the next generation, or I’ll be going 300K+ on the GS.

thedangler > Art
03/18/2016 at 12:06

Yeah the fins are an option for like $100 or something, I passed on them. If I didn’t live in the northeast, it would have been a new Mustang GT. Needing AWD/4WD was my deciding factor.

My biggest disappointment on the car that is still in transit is the lack of roof mounts on the 2015+ WRX for a roof rack. You have to use the style that clamps on to the roof, not a bolt-on solution.

Rod S > AkursedX
03/18/2016 at 12:13

Gave up my ‘05 STI when I could no longer stand the Mustang/Camaro/Civic/Genesis bros on every freeway everywhere. Still miss the car.

RedWhine > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:20

I have a friend with an IS-F that uses it as a DD and a track toy. Even after countless track days, he has never had one issue. While the styling may not be everybody’s cup of tea, and it may not be the M3 fighter we all wanted, it still does the Lexus thing very well.

YegNate > BeaterGT
03/18/2016 at 12:23

Man I love my Legacy wagon for this exact reason. I hardly get a second glance from anyone and the 275hp is nice enough to have some fun. Even being RHD doesn’t get the looks that you would expect.

BeaterGT > YegNate
03/18/2016 at 12:25

Out of the grey, boy! I’m assuming you don’t live down under and you have an imported wagon?

Pinkslip > Tom McParland
03/18/2016 at 12:28

I learned a different lesson: get QUALITY aftermarket suspension.

My last car (Audi S5) had Ohlins coilovers and it was amazing! It rode better than stock, handled incredibly well, and was height adjustable so I could choose how low I wanted to go. When I returned the car to stock, I was blown away at how poorly it road and handled, compared to what I had become accustomed to over the previous three years.

I’ll never do a spring/shock combo ever again (made that mistake before). Nor will I do an inexpensive coilover. But you can be sure if I had a car like an early ISF, I would be putting Ohlins (if available) or something of equivalent quality on it ASAP.

(I’ve also had three motorcycles with either factory or aftermarket Ohlins suspension, so my infatuation with the brand isn’t due to a single personal example).

Torque Affair: You needs to look into Ohlins coilovers. This would be the answer to your prayers.

Sith Lord Sexy Pants > Textured Soy Protein
03/18/2016 at 12:31

I second the recommendation for EBC red stuff.

The OEM semi metallics on my CTS wagon would coat my polished wheels after about 10 miles post washing. Drove me nuts. Switched to the EBCs and now my front wheels match the rears between washes. Great performance too.

Sith Lord Sexy Pants > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:36

I can sympathize with your identity crisis. This is not a new problem for IS owners. My 2003 IS 300 was mistaken for a Corolla by my clueless boss of the time. Not that I gave a shit what he thought.

Undefeckable > Vintage1982Benz
03/18/2016 at 12:42

Wing delete only on the STi limited model. STi base still has the wing. So, basically to remove the wing you have to buy leather and whole bunch of other stuff you may not need.

Vintage1982Benz > Undefeckable
03/18/2016 at 12:48

Ah ha.

Textured Soy Protein > Art
03/18/2016 at 12:49

I wouldn’t say any good replacement pad will eliminate dust. I’ve had other performance pads that made loads of dust. Hawk HP+ were extremely dusty.

The Compromiser > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:50

That’s because the ride quality of the IS-F is the same as sitting on a wooden cart with wooden wheels with no tires. Actually, it’s more like being on a wooden cart without wheels and then being dragged along on cobblestone by a horse.

Question: Can the horse have The wooden wheels then?

Textured Soy Protein > Sith Lord Sexy Pants
03/18/2016 at 12:51

They’re my favorite street performance pad. Good braking, long life, low dust & noise.

citizennick > barreto
03/18/2016 at 12:55

He writes in OppositeLock, not his fault it got shared to Jalopnik. We like him over there.

R W > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:55

so sleepy

nickt93 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 12:56

Kinja'd!!!

I get it. Take off your “car guy” glasses and tell me you don’t see three of the same car ^.

GTguy88 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 12:56

I honestly have never thought of these IS-F’s to be hard to spot. I could always spot them from a mile away. Compared to the regular IS of this generation, this car is completely different looking. Especially the nose with its extra 36" of length. (joke, but seriously this car is so easy to spot)

citizennick > Shankems
03/18/2016 at 12:57

I recently got my first car with mag ride. Amazing. Previous car had coilovers. Never want to go through that again.

tacotruk > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 13:00

All I kept thinking through this whole video was, “I get it, but what a whiney little bitch.”

Jason Adrian > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 13:03

How was the ride quality before you lowered it?

Josh Bailey > killerhurtalot4
03/18/2016 at 13:03

The magnetic suspension is amazing! In Touring mode it feels a bit smoother than your normal everyday car. In Sport mode you get a bit more road feel from the suspensions. Then if you put it in Track mode your organs start bouncing around inside your body.

507Edition > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
03/18/2016 at 13:03

I agree with you. My neighbour has a black LFA and it really doesn't look that spectacular or stand 'outish'. I wouldn't blame someone with little-no car knowledge for mistaking it for a BRZ/FRS.

BRyan31122 > mazda616
03/18/2016 at 13:04

Serious question, did you live in Louisville? Or more specifically, did you drive around the highview area by Manslick and Vaughn Mill/Pennsylvania Run rd? I remember years ago there was a guy driving around in a dark grey, possibly blacked out lights, lowered Mazda 3 who on one occasion nearly ditched it on a bump under heavy acceleration coming off Manslick. I would shit a brick if that was you..

GTVR6 > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 13:04

I’ve always like the IS-F....bummer about that exhaust. When I first heard about it, it took me back to my childhood and finding out about that there’s no Santa Clause....

One question, could the lowering springs have caused the harsher ride? Have you thought about changing the shocks/struts? I’m getting FSDs for my 335i. Just a thought....

jpinsmyrna > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 13:06

o-60 in under 4 seconds? Who’s the driver that can do that in this car? Magneto?

Dake > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 13:08

The wheel solution is simple. Rotate your tires, then never clean your rims. Eventually what were previously at the rear will get covered in brake dust too and everything will match.

mazda616 > BRyan31122
03/18/2016 at 13:09

I don't live in Louisville, but I travel there frequently since my best friend lives there. Alas, that wasn't me. My 3 was red.

put-some-turbo-on-meeeee > barreto
03/18/2016 at 13:09

Personally, I don’t think it’s funny when DD tries to emulate Clarkson.

This guy emulating DD emulating Clarkson is just too much.