Out with the old, in with the new

[yakkosmurf]

Well Monday was the big day. My wife and I traded in her old '95 Mercury Mystique for a new IS300 5-speed. So far so good. The new car is definitely much nicer than the old one. She has always wanted a Jaguar, but confessed being very disappointed with her test drive of the S-Type. She's really loving the Lexus, and I enjoy driving it when we go places together.

My favorite thing about the IS is the way it feels when you drive it. The steering is very responsive and not mushy like my Type R and the TSX were. It's very crisp with just the right amount of firmness. I've also found that the torque of the IS has made the break in period more interesting. It's easy to keep the car under 4k rpm when the torque peak is at 3800, and 218 ft-lbs is more than I'm used to on a regular basis.

The inside is very comfy, and the two seat memory positions are perfect for the two of us being 5 inches apart in height. I would prefer a tad more headroom, but she really likes the sunroof, and it's not a problem for me. Bottom line, I think we got the right car.

Btw, it's graphite with the base wheels. She also really wanted a spoiler, so we got one of those too.

[aZnTrD2k]

congrats:thumbup: with the new car :)

[TRD GT-S]

Originally posted by aZnTrD2k
congrats:thumbup: with the new car :)
and :worthless

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by TRD GT-S
and :worthless
That's a very good point. My wife got the car on Monday and had to go out of town two days later, so we haven't gotten any pictures of it yet. I'll post some when she gets back. The nice thing has been that I get to drive it to work with her gone. :D

[FriedRice]

u get a spoiler with the 5 speed standard.

did u mean the non-lip spoiler? the one that has a gap under it is a nice option, but the stock lip spoiler that comes with 5-speeds is nice too....



thats how i used to be able to tell the diff between manual and e-shift versions, but now a lotta people are opting for the spoiler

[larryd]

congrats on the new purchase.

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by FriedRice
u get a spoiler with the 5 speed standard.

did u mean the non-lip spoiler? the one that has a gap under it is a nice option, but the stock lip spoiler that comes with 5-speeds is nice too....



thats how i used to be able to tell the diff between manual and e-shift versions, but now a lotta people are opting for the spoiler
The spoiler is not standard on the 5-speed. Nothing is different on the 5-speed over the auto except for the transmission and a few thousand dollars. Maybe it was standard before, but not for 2004.

The spoiler we got is the lip one with the integrated tail light. I think it looks nice, but it wasn't necessary for the car to look good (as with the Celica).

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by larryd
congrats on the new purchase.
Thanks. The IS is not bad to drive at all. I think I could get a 15.0 out of it in the quarter mile. The handling is also excellent, although it does feel like a 3000 lb car when you start tossing it a little.

[FriedRice]

Originally posted by yakkosmurf
The spoiler is not standard on the 5-speed. Nothing is different on the 5-speed over the auto except for the transmission and a few thousand dollars. Maybe it was standard before, but not for 2004.

The spoiler we got is the lip one with the integrated tail light. I think it looks nice, but it wasn't necessary for the car to look good (as with the Celica).

for some reason they ALWAYS came together. could be regional packaging. but every manual is300 has the lip spoiler, and lsd

[pnoygts]

congrats!

[Brian00GTS]

Congrats, and good choice! After having my Celica hit at lunch the other day and totalled :wtc:, I'm picking up my GGP IS300 tomorrow afternoon. :) I'm glad to hear that you like yours!

[SF GT]

congrats

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by FriedRice
for some reason they ALWAYS came together. could be regional packaging. but every manual is300 has the lip spoiler, and lsd
I could see it being a regional thing. I don't think I got the LSD (it was on the option list of what I could get), and I know the spoiler didn't come with it.

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by Brian00GTS
Congrats, and good choice! After having my Celica hit at lunch the other day and totalled :wtc:, I'm picking up my GGP IS300 tomorrow afternoon. :) I'm glad to hear that you like yours!
I hope you enjoy yours as well. I've got two more days of enjoyment before my wife comes back and will want to drive it everyday. By then, I'll almost have it broken in. :(

[AkUmA]

congrats on the new ride. if i had the extra $$$, for a daily cruiser, i'd really think about an is300 also. love the styling of the car inside and out. but i know if i got one... somewhere down the line, i'd be tuning it up...:p:

enjoy

[marc]

the IS300 spoiler is DOPE!

Glad you chose a manual, too many people are going auto these days.

That's a really great car - despite its weight, some suspension upgrades turn the sharp steering into good grip.

And that engine is so nice.

[100to5]

IS300=:thumbup:

[SuuPaSeDan]

Originally posted by 100to5
IS300=:thumbup:

[Chiznarles]

nice dude.. maybe i can convince my gf to get an IS or something.. or G35 coupe.

[555 SOUL]

great ride...
my gf's cousin let me be the first to drive his IS 300, after him of course. let's just say no one will be able to drive his IS anymore...except for him. YeA!

[NightCelica]

congrats on the new IS.

just FYI, jaguars nowadays are cheap b/c ever since ford bought em out, they started making jags affordable (s-type, x-type). basically the only jaguar i would buy is the xj8 :drool:

[TRD Liquid Silver]

CONGRATS! are you planning on doing anything to her car?

damn, i can't wait to get mine. i'm giving myself 3 months cause everytime i see a black IS it makes me want to trade my car instead of selling it privately.