2013 Lexus IS F - 10 Years Later, Is Japan's M3 Rival Worth Buying?
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
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Today, I drive the Lexus IS F. The first model in the "F" lineup, the IS F featured a naturally aspirated 5L V8 engine, eight-speed automatic gearbox and that classic Japanese craftsmanship. Reviews though would tell you to forget it, and buy a BMW instead - should you still?
#Lexus #V8 #ISF
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Absolutely loved mine, should never have sold it. Took it from 18k to 70k miles and nothing ever went wrong, not even a lightbulb and I hammered it every day. What a brilliant car this is.
Love it!
Lexus and IS RC G F just lovely things in the know. We aren’t racing our cars tracks so handling doesn’t matter. Soundtrack and Lexus quality does. I miss my F
Its funny because when I got my first Lexus nothing broke on it for years on end. Its only when you think about it that you remember how reliable these cars are. When I got a Jeep SRT I was at the shop at least once a month.
150k+ is the real test. I would expect the luxury features to start failing.
@@scottishd0g87 There is one with 270k miles on Misha Charouddins channel being trashed on the Nurburgring..
This is my car! 👍Thanks James! I am SO PROUD AND HUMBLED to be the custodian of this vehicle and the condition really is a testament to its previous owners and it will stay that way.
I thoroughly enjoy driving this car, especially when pressing on. I have wanted one since 2008 when I saw Clarkson hooning a pre-facelift around the topgear test track. From that point on I knew I wanted the underdog, the unusual. I spent 3-4 years seeking a suitable one out. I actually wanted the ivory interior to brighten it up as like james says it's abit dark and boring, but when this car became available I jumped. I must have watched this 6 times so far. I hope I'm contributing to your google Adsense revenue when it's the same person 😂. Also can you believe this thing does over 32MPG (UK IMPERIAL GALLONS) on a run! 12-14 around town perhaps ☺️
Thank-you for all the desperately kind compliments on the car guys.
Lovely car, and its now on my shortlist radar for sure. James keeps brining up comparisons with the BMW E90 M3, however I'm sure you wont be loosing any sleepless nights wondering when you will need a set of rod bearings, or VANOS units, or replacement throttle actuators etc etc.
I hope it's your forever car. Ultrasonic Blue is also the best color on these.
Thank you for your service. ❤
@Jw20000
I had one on Order, new back in 2011, did a down payment of 20k at the Lexus Dealer, sadly for some Reason the Delivery took twice as long as intended (over 1 Year) and i couldn't find one at Dealers in Germany that were the facelifted Model (with Daytime running Lights) so i sadly had to cancel the Order, i do still regret doing that and have been looking at a used one the past few Years every now and then as a Daily Driver (so would put lots of Kilometers/Miles on it.)
Like what are the Electronics like regarding Reliability? Since it's a Lexus i obviously trust the Engine etc. to be reliable, but Electronics (especially in Toyotas made Issues for me and Friends in the past)
Either way, great Car! Made me want to look even harder for a used one now
Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
great Lexus mate
Previously owned an ISF and I’m now in a GSF, absolute weapons 👌
@Vakushka Which of the two cars do you prefer? As JM seemed to not rate the GSF?
@@davidbloomfield8082 ??
@@davidbloomfield8082 isf is better, but both are great
Yes definitely worth buying. A BMW ,MB or Audi of this age will be an endless money pit.
Agreed. Rod rod knocking on heavens door.
So true but it’s a Lexus, I’d rather have the M3 journey which can be turbulent but if you take preventive measures you may mitigate problems and have a fulfilling M power ownership.
.......Is that you Scotty? 🤣🤣
@@simongray2533Shoddy Kilmer.
@@scott8919 🤣🤣
Very fair review. I’ve owned two IS-F’s, a grey 08 for 5 years and a blue 11 facelift for a year. Absolutely bombproof reliable, zero issues and immense once fitted with a Hayward and Scott catback. I even took the blue one on track at Donington, felt heavy but it was lots of fun with the lsd and all driver aids off. The Lexus dealers prices aren’t that bad at all, (used Lexus Stoke for 6 years and treated like I had an LFA) less than my GR Yaris.
Which is quicker ISF or yaris
@@ronanmcnamee2008 IS-F on a straight in the dry, GR Yaris in any type of twisty road wet/dry.
Lexus' customer service is on a completely different planet than BMW's. I recently bought a 2013 GS 450h from a private seller, and the dealership delivers the same level of service to me as if I had bought one brand new from their showroom. They have a complementary collect and return service and when my car comes back it has been washed and cleaned inside and out. Their maintenance also includes planned diff and transmission fluid changes so none of that lifetime fluid nonsense.
All in all, I'm quite impressed with both the quality of my car and the service provided to me.
I was surprised when Lexus told me on my gs 450h full service they changed the diff fluid as none of my previous cars ever had that even my old lemon money pit Audi 2.0 tfsi Quattro mk7. Lexus Sidcup is good.
@@riccccccardo yeah it's awesome. I still own an E46 convertible for summer fun/tinkering and my wife drives my old E61 turbodiesel xdrive. But for my own daily driver I'm never going back to BMW again.
@@fransb8543 glad I don’t rate bmw at all unreliable.
@@riccccccardo not unreliable as such but I've had a few niggles, though luckily I have never been stranded so far. But most are substantially more expensive and customer service doesn't come close.
I own a isf, never regret it, fun to drive and definitely an underrated performance car in the 2000s to 2010s era.
In North America, Lexus now has the IS500 which is basically an update of the IS-F. I would be really happy to own either one because they are basically like 8/10th M3s with amazing V8s and long term reliability that the Germans cannot dream of!
The IS500 is not an update to the IS-F, the IS-F is a full on F car that's made to excel on the road and track, IS500 is just designed for road use only.
it’s a shame it’s not coming to the uk
Yeah the is500 doesnt have the oil coolers the F has , neither the 6 pot brembos and many or performance bits , but its a cool looking car that can shred some tires and put a smile on your face anyway , shame europeans will never get to see it not even in a godamn hybrid...
Incorrect. The IS500 is a regular IS that just has the 5.0 L engine. For example, it does not have Brembo brakes or the F wide body/fenders etc. The IS500 is considered an F-Sport performance model. Not an F car. This is coming from Lexus. Not me.
@@sdlausen1 it also doesnt make F horsepower numbers and the transmission is tuned differently.
Buy a pre-facelift example and do coilovers and exhaust straight away then an LSD if you need it. You’ll die before it does.
Owner of an ‘08 ISF here. Bought in January this year. Daily driver doing 6-12 miles most days - done nearly 4000 miles overall this year. Absolutely love it. Effortlessly reliable, fairly economical for a 5 litre V8 - I get 21mpg around town and 30+ on motorway runs.
The secondary intake is incredibly addicting and not featured enough in this video. Floor it and you’ll hear nothing else (or want to either).
Prices are starting to climb a little so could be a future investment (fingers crossed).
Mine is on 83k miles now which is nothing for these. People track these in America well into double that mileage without issue.
I just need to get it cleaned up (front bumper suffered a lot of chips from country roads with the previous owner) and it’ll look as new as it feels. Had plenty of compliments on it, people asking what it is. One guy was stunned to find out it really is a 15 year old car. He was stunned again when I started it up 😂
It’s not for everyone - doing things differently is definitely the right description. But I’ve had the back out before and it is a lot of fun to drive.
Lovely write up, loved both of mine.
They go for over 40k in Australia for the early cars. Pre covid they were under 30k for 2012s
@@Low760 We had them at 15-20k euros, now they start from around 30 grand.
Every car i wanted to get gets more expensive.
Anything with the Lexus 5 litre V8 really should start to see increasing values in coming years.
@@LorandHungary Here in NZ, you can pick a decent JDM model up for what equates to about 18,000 euros. They are a bit compromised as JDM models they all have the stupid 180kph speed limiter and cruise control maxes out at 110kph - and they almost all stink of cigarette smoke as the Japanese seem to almost all smoke like chimneys - but a bit of work you can get rid of that easily enough. Only other issue is everything in the ICE is in Japanese, but there are places around that will update them to English for a few hundred dollars. Even the JDM ones are starting to climb now though.
Wow, this is my old car (M3WTF). I recognised it almost immediately. What a great car, I wished I had kept it. Great to see it on the channel. Keep up the great reviews Jay!
I'm still keeping her good. And again if you ever think about selling that reg. let me know. ISF is the perfect vehicle for that reg 😂
@@Jw20000 Good stuff Jacob, happy to know she’s being looked after 👌
I don't like Japanese interiors until very recent examples, they were behind the curve, but the way this car drives is exceptional. Like a modern feeling E39 M5. I have huge respect for Lexus after experiencing this car
It's about the driving experience, didn't matter about interior u can change that
The roads in Britain are so frigging bad, pot holes, cracks and patches everywhere. Skinny tyres are a nightmare
Most people will not track their cars, so the calculus of what makes a car...a good car...has to change. Is it reliable? Will it punish you as a daily? Does it illicit emotion? How's the design? Lexus may not be the best in any one particular category (except reliability), but they do everything WELL and I think that's worth a serious consideration. I wish you guys had the opportunity to test drive the IS 500, the ride is far superior to the IS F. Thanks for posting!
If it’s not a good track car, the answers to all your other questions is probably “no, it’s a boring econo-turd”.
Small brakes, skinny tires, weak suspension, boring alignment…. Look at the car with objective eyes of what you are buying.
@@fry.master I think my eyes and opinion are quite clear. 😎 If 98% of the time is spent in traffic or merging onto the highway or a once a month canyon carve with the twisties, this car is absolutely brilliant. So you expect people to buy a track weapon and only get to seriously open it up 2% of the time? Yeah…make that make sense, but you do you. 😉
@@blu_is500 Not everyone can handle driving a track weapon every day... but my life has been nothing but better for it. That's just my .02, not judging other povs just the nature as a whole.
@@fry.masternothing this heavy is ever going to be a “good track car”…..lap times aside….any car with leather, air con, and enough sound deadening for it to feel well built is going to be very heavy on tyres, brakes, fuel etc…..a full weight m3, c63, rs4, isf will easily chew through a set of £800 tyres, £400 brake pads and a tank or 2 of fuel and an expensive oil service in a single track day…..unless you’re being sympathetic to the car which is just disappointing…..in the mean time you’ll have 900kg 250bhp k swapped civics running rings around you, on the same £400 tyres they’ve used for 5 other track days and the same brake pads they fitted a year ago.
@@seshelbow336 👍🏽👏🏽
Purchased my 2008 in 2012 and I am about to cross 215k miles. Extremely reliable and maintenance costs are reasonable relative to what you get. OEM rotors and pads are a little pricey for a Lexus. My electric steering failed at 150k miles. Otherwise, no material issues. Agree with your review, which is spot on.
Had mine for nearly 5 years now. The engine is addictive. Love it.
10 years later its probably the only one in thay list without a tonne of electrical faults
There were a couple of no cost options - cream leather seats and different design alloys. Only cost option was the sunroof. My ISF was so equipped and that made a big difference to the interior feel of the car. Previous owner had fitted an electronic exhaust valve for those moments when you want to open up that NA V8 experience. 😁 Great car.
Before seeing Jays review, the consensus on this car seems to be the following. For a drivers car, it's inferior to all of its rivals. That said, the reliability makes people love the 1st gen IS F, and you can see that in their value
better drivers car than Audi, only europeans or Audi fanboys think otherwise
That's not the consensus. And consensus can be wrong.
From what I've seen, the point of the IS F (and indeed any Lexus with that god tier V8) has been the engine. An N/A V8 is an incredibly special thing these days and when coupled with a car that can more than handle it, makes for a great daily driver experience. M3/ C63 are better for a more spirited drive/ track days, but that's not how you're experiencing the car 90-98% of the time. Those times admittedly are probably about half the reason why you're buying a sports sedan and thus have a bigger impression, but if it isn't, then you can see why the Lexus becomes the better "driver's car" for others
@duanechristian2309 it's definitely more daily friendly than it's rivals. Usually I'll see people describing this as the "early car syndrome" or whatever, because the F brand had launched with this car, and lexus had yet to figure out where they wanted it to sit on the "luxury drivers car" scale
By 2011 with all the suspension revisions and LSD most people seem to say it drives better than rivals with maybe the exception of only the BMW
These are absolutely brilliant. Its as fast as the M3 and RS4 but wins against both in a shouting match. This rivals the C63 for V8 sound. They sound unreal at full chat. And it will run forever and only need regular maintenance like every other Lexus. They come with a mark levinson stereo too which is brilliant
Yes the mark lev on mines is amazing I think 800+ watts.
M3 yes. RS4 hmm.. nope.
@@riccccccardo My LS460 has 2400 watts and 23 speakers
@@DeathhAngel1 nice!
The 2013 IS update has an improved wheelbase and more space in front and back (not taxi like but usable) comes also with a V8 but Lexus stopped bringing the IS to Europe :( The hybrid version has very decent fuel economy.
Before the IS F there was a JDM first gen IS called the Altezza RS200. Basically an IS with the high revving 2.0 litre 3S-GE 154kW/207bhp motor. A wonderful little car.
I can't find a worthy replacement, which is why I still have mine. That in itself tells me enough about the ISF. One hell of a car.
Glad to hear this - I have a 2015 C63-S AMG and just got a 67k miles blue ISF. I think i will sell the C63 at this point, both so different but the ISF just feels like I can get in and drive it, without worry.
Yeah, why would anyone pick a Lexus over a Merc or BMW, aside from reliability, price, Toyota-level maintenance costs and build quality.
Brilliant review on a car I’d completely forgotten about
If I have a pint for every time James mentioned his long torso I would currently be at hospital waiting in emergency room for my 10th liver transplant.
Anyway, the IS F. While I'm a big M3 E9x fan, I got to admit I prefer the IS F when it comes to the 4-door version. Dunno why but it got that underdog-yet-angry factor that M3 does not have...
He'll probably be joining you in the emergency room if he keep on eating all the pies lol
11:12 I presume it feels more like 1.8t and not 1.7t because you're in it.
Really? You've watched the whole video and that is what you've come here to say?
That looks mint like new 😮
This would be a excellent replacement for my sorely missed LS 430 (someone running a red light you can guess the rest 😢) even my wife who is by no means a car person loved it.
I don't think it's a good replacement for an LS430. The ISF rides like it's on coilovers. It is NOT a plush ride.
@@sdlausen1 Thanks that’s good to know. I think I was more focused on its engine 😁
I'll never sell my ISF
Jacob bought this car from me! I really do miss it, one of the best cars I’ve owned. Glad to see it going and looking well still!!
I was trying to decide between this and a stinger,always loved the isf
It’s a great review Jayemm! It’s a great car and more unique than a c63 or M3. And no doubt more reliable
I have a 2014 Lexus ISF and I love it! Keeping it for life
86 unite! ;)
Bmw always end up in workshop, c'mon don't cover up guys, ppl buying it just for social status...
For me, I’d take the ISF as it’s something a little different. Though, for me I’d sooner take the newer GSF and is something I would very seriously consider if I decide to sell my 370z for something more grown up.
Yes yes and yes. Dead reliable, fast, economical and nicely build. I sometimes drive a standard IS250 from 2008 and its just a nice place to sit in.
I have wondered before: has anyone stuffed an ISF engine into a IS250C/350C, the hard top convertible? Dr. Frankensteins fast SC430
I think the gs-f is cool, what is the new large saloon lexus i see everywhere it looks really good!!!
My Dad bought his ISF brand new in 2012. It´s still going strong with 300.000+ Miles. Had to replace the waterpump at 150k , not because it was broken, but because it was recommended by Lexus. No other expenses except tires, brakes and oil. Absolute Beast! Made me buy a Lexus too😎
5:30 "I can just get into the back seat" yes you are not really the smallest or the thinnest for that of course, hey Scottish Highlander 😂😂😂😂
Not being funny but you are a bit big for rear seats for comfort even in a 5 series bmw!
Regret selling mine big time. Had a MTM supercharger on my rs4 B7, that was awesome but not supercharged I prefer the is f.
Not gonna lie, I own and track a 2008 ISF and I can tell you, it's better than an M3. I've seen it multiple time, + I just came back from a lapping night and someone broke his M3 aswell. Last year it was a E92 this time an E46.
I'm yet to find a C63 and try my luck with it. Very few is still running nowaday, the C63 is faster in straight line tough.
These are great and the GSF thats awesome too. 👍👍
I still own a 2011 IS350, after replacing it with a BMW 335is, and that with a BMW M235i. The cost of ownership over twelve years. is still less than half the 335is over 5 years, and about a third of the M235i over five years. The M235i actually sh*t the bed and had to have most of the top of the engine replaced so it was repaired and immediately sold. It had meticulous maintenence its whole life including 5000 mile oil changes at $250 a pop. didnt matter. The IS350 is still going strong, even after having been slightly neglected due to my BMW phase. Next car for me is a 2018+ used RCF. never buying anything but japanese again.
Own a 2008 ISF here in Tokyo. Bullet proof car, great engine.
Of that generation, I think it's probably behind the RS4 though; most hot Audis promise much and deliver little, but that RS4 has a similar level of build quality to the Lexus, but with that legendary Audi V8 that was in the R8.
That said, I've driven M3s and C63s of the time, and now that the cars are getting on a bit, they haven't held up anywhere near as well. The Lexus may not be as great on a 15 minute road test, but living with it every day now that it's 15 years old? An excellent car.
100% agree. RS4 was the best choice back then, but the ISF is the only choice today.
I’ve had my 2010 ISF just over 6 months and absolutely love it. Done 7000 miles in that time and it’s been brilliant.
All the points you make about driving are spot on. The ride is just too hard (I came from an M2 Comp which was like an S-class in comparison). I’m in the process of changing out the suspension for something softer/adjustable.
Running costs are incredibly cheap too, I paid £120 for an oil+filter service (me providing the parts) at a local garage. I’ve just changed the front discs and pads for £200 and I drove to Brugge and back in March and got 34mpg. Only issue is the tax at £690 a year.
I’m also 6ft and have no issue with space in the front at all and I’ve had 2 adults in the back who said it was ok.
Fantastic thing and I’ll be keeping it for a long time.
Yes I noticed on auto trader the tax is a massive killer. £200 sounds way to cheap for discs don’t make sense my gs 450 f sport discs from Lexus cost a bomb to do front I think £300 to £400 I forget.
@@riccccccardo Yep, Brembo front discs (OE Spec) were £150 off Autodoc and then genuine Lexus pads were £60 from Fensport. Fitted myself a few months ago 👍
@@TSM13 ahhh I didn’t even know u could put brembo on it I just paid Lexus to change them.
@@riccccccardo Unless the things got carbon discs, any disc from a reputable company will be fine. Brembo/Pagid etc are all OE suppliers.
Main dealerships always seem to love to gouge on brake stuff, even though the parts are usually pretty cheap and the labour shouldn't be that high. Like I'm not a mechanic but on a car I'm familiar with a pad and disc change can be about 15 minutes per side.
Funny, I just got a 2009 ISF and the ride is 3x more plush than my 2015 C63-S AMG lol. Maybe it's all relative...
1 minute in, got to pause the vid to credit the most excellent Blackadder reference!
Glad someone got it :)
Owned mine for 4 years now. From 58k to 83k miles, it's done the NC500 over a 2 week road trip holiday, on track, down to lands end. Never missed a beat, nothing has gone wrong and even manages 37mpg on a run. Don't agree on the point about the rear seat space, my 6ft 4 friend can fit behind my 6ft self.
Also you have to remember this was a skunk works project undertaken by a handful of engineers with a miniscule budget. There is a lot of untapped potential in this platform.
You also get 6 piston front and 2 piston rear monoblock Brembo brake calipers on an ISF. The E92 M3 still has floating calipers !! From new the M3 had 20mm wider tyres front back, on equal tyres the ISF is faster.
For me, it's the best of the 4 and the one for a petrolhead with a brain
What first class review.. very tempted, but I'm even longer of torso..almost comically so...
Always liked the idea of an RCF. Basically because it won’t go wrong and I can get it serviced at a Lexus dealers.
120k on the car and so far needed to replace battery and brake pads. Excellent car.
I was looking at the IS F a couple of years back, as I love its understated looks.
They were £13-18k back then!
I'm not sure I would spend £20k on one now, but still love the car!
yep back in 2016 was looking at one nearby in all black, 2009 year 30k miles for just under 20g, good luck finding one like that anywhere near that price now.
yep I had a 2008 ISF, I bought it around 2016 and payed £13.5k for it, sold it last year for £20k
I was looking into a 2014 IS-F. They cost at least 40.000€ with 90.000 kilometers here in Germany. For 50.000€ i can get a RS5 B8 AND a C63 W204. And im talking both cars. One can be have for 20K€. Theres literally zero reason to buy a IS-F here. If it was 20K with this mileage okay but fucking 40K? Complete nonsense. I can't admire enough how cheap those are in America and other countries. And if anything the RS5 is the better car in every way except the Maintenance. Let alone the C63 which is complete bollocks compared to both the RS5 and the IS-F. Its a 20.000€ car for me but not 40K ... its simply not worth it to spend it here for what it has. America/England prices are where i see the car realistically but damn over here there are so WILDly overpriced that a E92 M3 is cheaper with less miles.
It doesn’t matter if this car is or isn’t as good as it’s “rivals” in performance or driving dynamics…..the M3, C63, RS4 all have a good potential to break one day and leave you with a bill of nearly the value of the car to fix. This car doesn’t have that problem…..if you can afford the fuel and servicing…..you can take the plunge and more than likely have many years trouble free motoring.
I would rate Quality of Lexus way above, BMW Audi Mercedes and as for reliability Lexus again.
I have a Lexus CT200H and a Mercedes SL320 inline 6 1999
It's worth more than the BMW because it doesn't need a bottom end rebuild every 20k to 30k miles. BMW is trash.
Just remember that you’re saying atrocious piece of road, but that it’s not as good as bmw or mercedes c63.
But you ARE not driving back to back. Lexus all the way. Not as noisy as the other two either.
I only use my back seat for my 165 lb Bullmastiff. Beau would be completely comfortable back there as he's done about 150,000 miles in the back seat of a Prius.
i had a ‘12 Blue with white interior and the optional (wider) BBS wheels. Great car, and faultless during my ownership (More than can be said for my mates E90 that needed an engine rebuild at the same age). Perhaps biggest flaw is interior room as JayEmm said, they are great on a track but be prepared to have a sore neck from the zero headroom with a helmet on.
The later MYs with the proper LSD and revised suspension are the ones to go for
Go Jacob for making the review happen. Lovely car. Like you say in the review it’s puzzling why the rear legroom is so tight, a few Japanese cars suffer this. I have grown to appreciate in recent years the reliability/engineering & dealership customer service of Lexus/Toyota & Honda. Sensible head would not really stray from those.
An IS F has been on my want list for a very long time. I currently own a Lexus IS250 Manual (my second 2IS) which is a delight to daily drive. I can push on in the 2IS with quite the spirited foot and it really does hold it's own. It is true what they say about owning a Lexus though, once a Lexus owner, always a Lexus owner. The standard to which these cars are built to can only be dreamt of by the Germans.
Seems a pretty good car, but just too compromised in internal space. Thanks J! 🙏🙏
Great now ISFs are going to go up in price
Love mine! Currently FBO with 187k miles and hasn’t had any mechanical issues. Extremely reliable and underrated
Any car with a reliable V8 is worth buying 😂
8 years of isf heaven!! Legendary car !! 🙌
Hey quick question, r u long of torso by any chance?
HOW DID YOU GUESS
Looks like a great car and no doubt reliable if maintained unlike its Euro brethren. We have a 2016 IS200T which is no giant killer but a great daily with the best Mark Levinson stereo and a reasonable amount of grunt if you push it. Love a Lexus in the family lol
❤ Finally you’ve reviewed one. I love mine. Really like your review. As a performance car the ISF is not the best at everything, but it does everything well and has been built to last.
Someone here in the US has an ISF with 400k miles. All original drivetrain. It's not babied either.
I feel bad for the suspension
Too many pies lol
Here in the US, these 2nd gen IS are becoming rare. You basically cannot find a 20-11+ ISF or IS350. The 2011+ ISF are so sought after that even the worst, most beat up versions are still 25k+. One 2012 ISF with 200k miles listed at 25k near me. Ive been looking for one for around the past 5 years and the prices have consistently gone up.
I'm lucky. I have an Ultrasonic Blue 2011 IS350 FSport I picked up 5 years ago 1 owner for pennies. Also picked up an 09 ISF 3 years ago. Can you tell I love the second gen IS?
@@sdlausen1 I can't blame you, its an amazing package. People who have them simply never sell them once they find one. You simply cant find good ones anymore. Especially those 2011+ models.
@@sdlausen1 nice! I have a 2008 350 and 14 ISF I picked up last year
I have owned: F30 340i, F30 335i, E90 335d, E36 M3, E30 325is, W211 E320CDI and I must say my ISF feels EXTREMELY well put together in comparison to that bunch, even after 14 years. Recently purchased an 09 after fascinating over them for years and years! Transmission was extremely ahead of its time, V8 is a sweetheart and surprisingly efficient, interior materials are pretty good, extremely composed at speed, superb flat cornering, & all of that is backed by Toyota reliability. Best daily period.
I am 6ft 3in tall and I fit in the back. I've fit some big boys in my car and when I'm being more domestic I fit 2x rear facing child seats...and my mom up front and a full trunk full of groceries in the back.
You must be very big if you can't fit in the back.
If you want a very reliable sports sedan this is it...pretty much the only option. They are pretty much bullet proof.
I have had a 2012 version since 2013...continues to be my daily driver. I love it.
Love that era of small sports sedans with big normally aspirated V8's.
Lexus SC 430 needs revisiting. Great car, got slated unfairly, dirt cheap now.
Ive always felt that for lexus, reliability has always been a consolation prize for otherwise slower, less entertaining cars. Especially if you are a DIY'er. I do think the old ISF is pretty sharp though.
This was always the Lexus I wanted. Rare I've only seen one and I live in LA. Love this car.❤❤🔥❤️🔥😎🤑🏁👍
Redline of the ISF was 6700 rpm so that is inaccurate when it says 7300 rpm. It was not designed as a high-revving engine. That was the 2nd generation 2UR (90% different engine).
I saw the mistake he put up on the redline of the OG 2UR-GSE Silvertop and confused it with the Bluetop 2UR-GSE of the RCF,GSF,LC500......that being said your incorrect also the stock redline is 6,800........ Easy fix with a tune 😎mine now has a redline of 7,400 and the motor screams now kinda like a V8 VTEC after 6,800 rpm as it spins to the new redline of 7,400
@@gabeh7373 Yeah, what I meant when I said "designed as a high revving engine" was the internals were lightened to reduce rotational inertia, forged pistons, bigger throttle body and a lot of work in the re-design was done to make the engine rev faster, easier and sustain high rpm power over a long period of time. I believe, tune by Loi offers a 7600 rpm rev limit for the 2nd gen 2UR for RCF. Of course, tune could raise the redline, but my point is around there were a lot of inherent design decision went into designing it as a high -revving engine.
For sure agreed it's well documented what Lexus did to redesign the 2UR-GSE Bluetop for better breathing at higher RPM but with Loi coming on the scene and breathing new life into the OG 2UR-GSE just shows what the original Silvertop 2UR-GSE is capable of.
Once we had somebody able to tune the engine and transmission around different parameters (custom tune via VF Tuner) it's clearly capable of more and Lexus was being extremely conservative with how it left the factory in stock form, need we bring up the stock manifolds were a horrible design it's like breathing through coffee straws as opposed to putting a proper set of headers on the motor for both versions.
@@gabeh7373 Well said. Agreed. Lexus does over-engineer things. I have RR Racing tune on mine (which retains the stock rev limiter of 7300/7400 rpm) because I am a bit on the conservative side and mod my car for fun, but yeah Loi is doing some amazing stuff like you said. Cheers!
Interesting video, KiwiCarLife made the same comparison!
ISF is a great car, it just comes from a generation of greater cars.
I have a 2008 lexus isf that i rip on daily, 240k miles on the odometer and zero problems. Incredibly well built machine
prices went up bro , u think its worth puttin a carnote on it?
@@zayybelike3842 i’d say so, these cars are a blast and will be worth very well down the road
@@michaelmedina1719 appreciate it brotha, lookin to get one in like a yr or 2
Well, I'm 6'3 and own an XE20; it's quite spacious in the front so I don't get the complaint about the "cramped" front.
The thing with the XE20 is; the interior feels a bit coupe-ish and the lines support that.
Those Scottish roads are an embarrassment. I live in Edinburgh and have a GS450h, which is usually a soft luxurious ride. Unless you are in Scotland where if you drive at more than 3mph, your spinal cord comes through your brain.
Sweet dreams are made of Toyota V8s
Have owned my 2011 IS-F for 5 years. Its been a brilliant car, only needed a headlight bulb and set of front disc/pads in all that time. I had a switchable valve fitted to the exhaust for a bit more noise and also capped off the intake pipe so its open all the time, sounds great now aswell.
Any regrets on capping the intake? Did you just use a rubber hose cap?
I’ve had 3 ISFs. Over 250k miles, and 300 ring laps. No faults, never needed oil, and only required discs, pads and tyres. Also like that nobody else had one. Big, big, fan.
ruclips.net/video/9hKg2a7hD3Q/видео.html
is it worth puttin a note down on one bro? im tryna get one
Well, I like them and they should be more reliable than their equivalent rivals. I’d still buy one today. Please note, this is a personal opinion and does not constitute professional advice 😊
Be interesting to get used examples of each, put them on a Dyno and see how much power each is still producing. My gut says the lexus will be close to stock and the others may have lost a bit. Or set a lap on a track to see how well the suspensions have held up.
lol trying to put that together you’d have 40 ISF owners offering up their cars and……..that’s it.
If james may was turn in to M3 rival this would be it.
?
Too bad the ISF isn't slow. So... not really.
Love this car it's actually my dream car
Having recently driven a lovely is300 sportcross… the penny finally dropped on Lexus and I’ve been looking at these 😁 great timing for me this video! I’d love to test those rear seats as I think they could be ideal for little ones. Deal breaker for me is they still seem strong money… otherwise I’d put it on the list
I own a diesel one and i can say the rear seats are more than enough for childreen and normal sized adults . Sadly i dont think these cars will depreciate more than this , theres only 5000 units in the world and NA v8 will never come back so i think the prices of this will only go up
The only known problem these things have is cracking exhaust manifolds. I'll deal with that over the M3s list of known issues.
Interesting.. I am 184cm and I have the seat pretty far from the bottom and I don't experience any head clearance issues in my 2IS. That must be a pretty long torso you have. But the rear seat space crunch is real.
Be interesting to see how the exact same year of Merc C63 /BMW M3 /Audi RS4 have aged in comparison to the Lexus, Great video James as always !
I have a 2000 GS400 with 1UZFE. Lexus makes one sweet V8, I wish the V8 had remained an affordable option
I'm slightly taller than you are, and with the front seat set to my driving position I fit quite comfortably behind.
Intake noise from secondaries opening up around 3,800 rpm gives baritone sensation on F V8 and I often shift at 6,000 just so I can repeat it over and over.
It's very refreshing to watch a review of this car by someone who does real homework! Great job!
(Isf was discontinued in 2014, not 2013)
Lexus cars are well, fine. If you buy them new. Used, they are EXCELLENT cars, I mean unbeatable value for what you get
Great car. Long in torso and shorter in the leg? Celtic👍✌️💜😉
Correct indeed! Grandad's Irish
I own my 2012 ISF now on 46500 mileage, I wanted to keep the miles low, but after watching my oldest brother take his last breath, I figured to enjoy every moment I can with my Betsy-Lou (ISF). It's NA 2UR-GSE Yamaha V8 motor can be modified to go over 500Bhp or even more with extra $$$, It's fast not as fast as the Ms or Hellcats, or Benz, or EV performance cars.
Dated Tech still works, in reliability It's a toyota made to last long given the proper maintenance.
I'm keeping my Betsy-Lou, for as long as I am alive..
Viewing from Guam 🇬🇺, Hafa Adai....
Keeping the miles low is like never have sex with your girlfriend. Don't save your girl for the next guy. Slay that thang. lol I have almost 160k miles on mine and it just gets better with time.