I might be buying a new car soon.. what does the misc think? (13k+)

[55]

BMWs are the king of being unreliable after the warranty is up. Out of that list I would go with the ISF. Have you considered the new Evos? I've owned an 8 and a 2010 Evo and I love it. Things are beasts on the track.

I had an Evo 8, looking for something else but I know what you mean. Fun cars.

ISF = 15-20mpg.... i feel like im missing something here, isnt the purpose of a daily driver to not waste shitloads of gas?

My commute is 20 miles round trip, and my gf lives a block from my job. No biggie.

[training4life1]

If it's a weekend car then...

[LoseTheKeg]

Of your list, get the M3. The Viper is not really daily drivable, and the M3 is plenty fast.

Personally, I'd consider a Camaro SS 1LE test drive before buying.

Former car dealer if you need any help. Always respond to PMs.

[GhostBreh]

Love the E92
The ISF if just boring lol for a luxury sports car lol

Would never get the Viper even if given to me. Maintenance costs, overall performance is not that great compared to 2010+ cars

[55]

Of your list, get the M3. The Viper is not really daily drivable, and the M3 is plenty fast.

Personally, I'd consider a Camaro SS 1LE test drive before buying.

Former car dealer if you need any help. Always respond to PMs.

Viper wouldn't be a daily driver.

Love the E92
The ISF if just boring lol for a luxury sports car lol

Would never get the Viper even if given to me. Maintenance costs, overall performance is not that great compared to 2010+ cars

Not sure if you know what you're talking about in regards to maintenance and performance. The Viper is significantly faster than both the 08+ M3 and 08+ ISF.

[sixstarchlo]

LOL @ people ITT saying ISF is boring to drive.

99.9% of you have never stepped anywhere near, in, or around the vicinity of the vehicle.

[SuperBlack350z]

LOL @ people ITT saying ISF is boring to drive.

99.9% of you have never stepped anywhere near, in, or around the vicinity of the vehicle.

+1 lol

[55]

LOL @ people ITT saying ISF is boring to drive.

99.9% of you have never stepped anywhere near, in, or around the vicinity of the vehicle.

Yes, I realize the car is well received and that's why its on my short list. The reliability of a Toyota is intriguing with that kind of performance.

[SuperBlack350z]

I was in the same boat. e92 m3. drove one, felt slow as crap. no torque until 5-6 rpm. feels really slow around town, even worse when i had the AC on. there was an ISF on the lot, never even crossed my mind, i thought they were slow from reviews. Boy was i wrong. It feels like a rocket in every gear. driving around town, feels and sounds like a strong muscle car. i can get 28-38 mpg depending if i dont press sport mode. i have pics of my gas meter but not enough post to post up here yet. I love my ISF. although now, the e92 has a lot of aftermarket parts available for upgrades, im still happy with my choice.

btw, i ran a 12.8 stock time with my F at the track. currently have the joe z exhaust, people are running 12.5-12.6. follow me on instagram if you want to see my F. "fpoweredlexus"

[namechange]

get an m3...

/thread

[GnarlySheen]

If it's a weekend car then...

sex

[55]

I was in the same boat. e92 m3. drove one, felt slow as crap. no torque until 5-6 rpm. feels really slow around town, even worse when i had the AC on. there was an ISF on the lot, never even crossed my mind, i thought they were slow from reviews. Boy was i wrong. It feels like a rocket in every gear. driving around town, feels and sounds like a strong muscle car. i can get 28-38 mpg depending if i dont press sport mode. i have pics of my gas meter but not enough post to post up here yet. I love my ISF. although now, the e92 has a lot of aftermarket parts available for upgrades, im still happy with my choice.

btw, i ran a 12.8 stock time with my F at the track. currently have the joe z exhaust, people are running 12.5-12.6. follow me on instagram if you want to see my F. "fpoweredlexus"

Thanks for the input, a reliable 12 second car, that's the intrigue. Viper status would be saying **** it only one life. M3, not sold on yet, between ISF and M3 I'm leaning towards ISF, Viper may happen depending on how good my bonus is this year, so far looking good.

[squareznboxez]

I think you will need to factor in resale value and how long you will be holding onto these 'stepping stone' cars, with an end goal of a GTR/Porshe -i would be minimizing costs like having 2 cars (Viper/Acura) and consolidating into 1 do-it-all drive

Financially the ISF will hold its value a bit better, just due to the sort of people who buy them as well as it being a 4-door sedan (M3 is also available in 4-doors but just not as marketable as the ISF and the M3 Coupe)

Not speaking from experience, but it would just seem that the ISF priorities would be 1. Daily driving refinement 2. Performance & driver orientation

Where as the M3 would seem to prioritize Driver orientation slightly over Daily driving refinement over the ISF

Back to resale value, daily driving an M3 would drive down the price compared to a daily driven ISF - as the majority of second-hand M3s are low-mileage weekend cars, where as ISF's are more likely to be daily driven meaning you will have an easier sell with the ISF

[sixstarchlo]

Thanks for the input, a reliable 12 second car, that's the intrigue. Viper status would be saying **** it only one life. M3, not sold on yet, between ISF and M3 I'm leaning towards ISF, Viper may happen depending on how good my bonus is this year, so far looking good.

I would say get an ISF. Yes, biased, but I have owned other cars in the past and can honestly say Lexus (quality, value, reliability) > ANY other manufacturer.

I have a Lexus and it's unbelievable how maintenance free they are. I haven't had ANY issues at all with it. The quality is impeccable; interior and exterior. Drive the car at a dealership and you'll see how insane the handling is.

My advice is drive all 3 vehicles, see which one feels the best for you, and then make your decision.

[re4l]

Audi RS4 with a tune and it will rape

[55]

I think you will need to factor in resale value and how long you will be holding onto these 'stepping stone' cars, with an end goal of a GTR/Porshe -i would be minimizing costs like having 2 cars (Viper/Acura) and consolidating into 1 do-it-all drive

Financially the ISF will hold its value a bit better, just due to the sort of people who buy them as well as it being a 4-door sedan (M3 is also available in 4-doors but just not as marketable as the ISF and the M3 Coupe)

Not speaking from experience, but it would just seem that the ISF priorities would be 1. Daily driving refinement 2. Performance & driver orientation

Where as the M3 would seem to prioritize Driver orientation slightly over Daily driving refinement over the ISF

Back to resale value, daily driving an M3 would drive down the price compared to a daily driven ISF - as the majority of second-hand M3s are low-mileage weekend cars, where as ISF's are more likely to be daily driven meaning you will have an easier sell with the ISF

Thanks for the input. The Acura is pretty much paid off, very low maint and very low insurance. But yes resale value will be a factor because I will be looking to upgrade in a year or so. I've been doing the boring comfy reliable car thing for 5+ years and have put myself in the position to have some fun, so why not?

[55]

I would say get an ISF. Yes, biased, but I have owned other cars in the past and can honestly say Lexus (quality, value, reliability) > ANY other manufacturer.

I have a Lexus and it's unbelievable how maintenance free they are. I haven't had ANY issues at all with it. The quality is impeccable; interior and exterior. Drive the car at a dealership and you'll see how insane the handling is.

My advice is drive all 3 vehicles, see which one feels the best for you, and then make your decision.

This is exactly what I will do before purchasing, I was just looking for owner/enthusiast input.

[SuperBlack350z]

Thanks for the input, a reliable 12 second car, that's the intrigue. Viper status would be saying **** it only one life. M3, not sold on yet, between ISF and M3 I'm leaning towards ISF, Viper may happen depending on how good my bonus is this year, so far looking good.

those year vipers, the interior looks like a dodge neon compared to either the isf/m3. also the gas, you literally will see the needle go down idling.

here are a few pros of the ISF to the m3 that i did before making my purchase as well.


-ISF has better interior..blue led gauges that has an open ceremony upon start up.
- Touch screen nav is much better than the m3 idrive system
-14 speaker mark levinson sound system with subwoofer and plays DVD through the screen
- rear view cam
- blue stitching on interior, better bolsters that hold you tight
-has about 100 lbs more torque than m3. i have a dyno of my car at 365whp 345wtq
- 30+ mpg
-fastest shifting auto tranny that has no torque converter after first gear in sport mode .001 of a sec shift times.
-without sport mode, its the perfect daily driver, smooth, quiet, nice smooth tranny, great gas. with sport mode, all hp/tq, fast shifts, sensitive throttlte, all out beast. 2 personalities
-there are no known problems with the ISF, its ridiculous. if you are on the lexus forums, people beat on these cars all day and nothing breaks.
- 0-60 4.4 secs 12.8 quarter mile stock , top speed 178mph limited, fast as hell after 100mph and doesn't stop
-5.0 v8, big jap engine compared to e92 4.0 v8 that performance is maxed out and is working harder to make power.
- with bolt on mods, the car's ecu will retune itself for proper air fuel ratios and every bolt on gets great power. intake and exhaust, 410-420whp 380wtq good for 11.9-12.0 quarter times with no tune needed
-comes with huge 6 piston brembo brakes front and 2 piston rear and the m6 comes with ugly 2 piece regular calipers
-nothing breaks
-Lexus fixes your car even out of warranty from what ive read since ISF is their first performance car so they take care of the ISF owners for future purchases. try this with a bmw.

ISF just feels like a more advanced technology car , the m3 more of a raw sports coupe with notihng really anything feeling luxury besides ugly leather seats. dare i say, the e46 m3 had a better interior than the e92.

[Napalmjoe]

-ISF has better interior..blue led gauges that has an open ceremony upon start up.

No. Just no.
Look at that pics m8. One looks like your average cheap ricecooker, the other one has class.




Right about the iDrive, tho. Can be pretty annoying.

[Bezzz]

Yea i know its a dodge but dat v10, might also consider z06. Why not just m3 for weekend/fun car? Would you daily drive it? Worried about maint/reliability, maybe I'm just being dumb

If your looking for a real V10 and a possible DD while still enjoying the BMW ///M Division.... Go with an E60 M5



I have a non ///M E60 and it's an amazing car... Can only imagine what an M is like to drive

[sixstarchlo]

No. Just no.
Look at that pics m8. One looks like your average cheap ricecooker, the other one has class.




Right about the iDrive, tho. Can be pretty annoying.

LMAO, 1) that looks like the interior of the F-Sport package on a regular ISx50, not the ISF

also, you pick the entry level package interior and worst colour combinations, and compare it with the best colour combination/luxury package on the BMW.

Equal comparison amirite?

[realjones888]

Great place to buy a used m3 is actually Carmax because they will sell you a seven year warranty for like $2500. For a $75 deductible you can have it serviced at a BMW dealership too. Hell it might even be cheaper to buy a $55K m3 that still has a year of warranty/maintenance on it and sell it in a year than buy an out of warranty $45K m3. Rates are so low these days that the cost of ownership is really buy price - sell price + maintenance ya know (+gas/insurance obviously).

Another option is to buy a cheaper "stepping stone" car that won't depreciate as much in the year you own it : e46 m3, s2000, NSX, etc.

A third option would be to buyout a lease of a m3, ISF, etc so you know exactly what your costs will be.

[lebowski951]

Op, A CTS-V is in your price range. these cars are faster than an M3 (they have 550 HP, 0-60 in 3.9), as luxurious as an M5 (have went 265 km/h in complete silence) and are very reliable.

drive one, you'd be surprised.

Only downside is that you may see poverty cts or cts-4's driving around

[SuperBlack350z]

No. Just no.
Look at that pics m8. One looks like your average cheap ricecooker, the other one has class.



Right about the iDrive, tho. Can be pretty annoying.

lol, what is that? sit it both and come back and compare. lets not sit behind the computer and look at google pics all day.

If your looking for a real V10 and a possible DD while still enjoying the BMW ///M Division.... Go with an E60 M5



I have a non ///M E60 and it's an amazing car... Can only imagine what an M is like to drive

i drive a bmw m6 as well. i would say stay away. the s85 has been nothing but problems. expensive. it beats the isf about 3-4 car lengths from 0-160 though, nice interior and feel but not worth the problems. engine sounds great though and launch control works well. SMG on these cars doesnt compare to newer DCT trans from bmw.

Op, A CTS-V is in your price range. these cars are faster than an M3 (they have 550 HP, 0-60 in 3.9), as luxurious as an M5 (have went 265 km/h in complete silence) and are very reliable.

drive one, you'd be surprised.

Only downside is that you may see poverty cts or cts-4's driving around

yes, this is an awesome car. nice interior, luxury, fast as a camaro zl1 and can be modded so easily to be in low 11s high 10s in the quarter mile. i would of looked at these more but something about an asian guy in an american car just doesn't look right.

[namechange]

LMAO, 1) that looks like the interior of the F-Sport package on a regular ISx50, not the ISF

also, you pick the entry level package interior and worst colour combinations, and compare it with the best colour combination/luxury package on the BMW.

Equal comparison amirite?

If you think your toyota has a better interior than a bmw I don't really know what to say...

[sixstarchlo]

If you think your toyota has a better interior than a bmw I don't really know what to say...

No, it's not something that I think, it's something that I know.

Why the **** does the 3 series have 3 million cup holders on the front dash? The leather feels like **** and looks like imitation leather. My mother drives a 2010 328xi and its interior is garbage.
Not to mention the bi-monthly trips she makes to dealer for repairs.

[SuperBlack350z]

If you think your toyota has a better interior than a bmw I don't really know what to say...

bmw has nice interior for most of their models (besides the 2014 328i) i had as lease. but for this instance, ISF vs e92 m3, ISF wins for sure. you just have to sit in one. my 2006 m6 plastic steering wheel is chipping away, leather fading, interior panels scratch easy. but the extended leather on this car looks superb. also the lay out.

[mdorty]

2004 IIRC. Its like I described above. Its like driving a race car. Just super raw and not fun to drive.

Get a Z06 bro. No comparison

That's the appeal of the viper, IMO. Z06 definitely is easier and more comfortable to drive, and could be a DD because of that.
For a fun weekend car, I would go with a viper. But to each their own, obviously

[Rufflez]

m3 all day

[jujuB]

all are nice cars.

depends on how deep your pockets are for maintenance. everything listed will take lots of $$ to just keep it running nice.