Type R/ITS vs Lexus IS500

[VarmintCong]

in 18 months I'll need to buy a car, has to seat 4 and be fun to drive. We will also buy a 5 seat SUV so it won't be the primary car, just for picking up kids from school, going to sports etc. I expect the (field service) company to give me a company car, but if they give me a stipend (unlikely), then I probably have to get something I can beat on like a Civic Si or Sport hatch.

These three are all I can come up with, the IS500 is already pushing out of my comfort range on price, so something like a CT4 Blackwing is not in the cards.

I'd not normally consider the Lexus since it's an automatic, but with governments pushing IC cars off the cliff, it would be awesome to have a V8 in the garage, and my wife hates muscle cars. Also I love the cockpit feel of sitting in the IS, it has an awesome stereo and very comfortable back seat.

But I suspect I'd enjoy a manual car (with boring sounding engine) more than an automatic with a great sounding V8. I really enjoyed even my 2017 Sport hatch 6mT. My Focus ST-Line is a much better car but isn't as fun to drive thanks to the automatic.

ITS is really only on the table if 2025 still has markups on the Type R. If I can get one for MSRP I'll take the Type R.

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[Fanatic]

I like this comparison...

IS500 will have less quirks and rattles. IS500 will be more comfortable. V8 will have more consistent and stronger power, although more bulkier feel.

FL5 will be a more track oriented driving experience. Maybe less comfortable and more performance focused tuning and suspension.

Perhaps the IS350 F Sport would be a better bet while staying more comfortable in your price range.

I wouldn't get hung up on the manual vs auto transmission too much.

Lexus will have better reliability for the car, and better service at the dealership.

Good luck with the decision.

 

[Shrapnel]

You’ll get bored with the IS500. The FL5 is/will be far more engaging and enjoyable to drive. And it’s both more practical and cheaper to run than an IS500.

 

[VarmintCong]

You’ll get bored with the IS500. The FL5 is/will be far more engaging and enjoyable to drive. And it’s both more practical and cheaper to run than an IS500.

Yes, but I wonder in Massachusetts if there's places to drive that will do justice to the FL5. If I lived in Switzerland or even Montana with mountain roads to drive on and few cars, it would be amazing. But a cruiser might suit where I live better. There's always a car in front of you, and in Mass you can never see past the next corner cause everything is woods.

But I'll just be happy to get out of Taiwan. Terrible place to drive. Very low speed limits, speed cameras, and there's scooters everywhere who will video tape you and report you. We get tickets in the mail every few months cause I didn't signal turning left (in a left turn only lane) or turned left coming out of our own parking garage.

Even the mountain roads kind of suck for some reason, probably cause the speed limits are so low, and you gotta worry about hitting a tour bus head on every corner.

 

[Robert.C]

I still don’t believe it’s possible to test drive the Type R, but you might be able to test drive the Integra and Lexus. That could help. If you’re essentially looking for a sporty commuter, I think the naturally aspirated V8 in the Lexus would be hard to beat. 90+ hp/liter all-motor when everything under the sun is going turbocharged is something to celebrate.

 

[Fanatic]

How about this one... ; )

 

[Pekingduck]

in 18 months I'll need to buy a car, has to seat 4 and be fun to drive. We will also buy a 5 seat SUV so it won't be the primary car, just for picking up kids from school, going to sports etc. I expect the (field service) company to give me a company car, but if they give me a stipend (unlikely), then I probably have to get something I can beat on like a Civic Si or Sport hatch.

These three are all I can come up with, the IS500 is already pushing out of my comfort range on price, so something like a CT4 Blackwing is not in the cards.

I'd not normally consider the Lexus since it's an automatic, but with governments pushing IC cars off the cliff, it would be awesome to have a V8 in the garage, and my wife hates muscle cars. Also I love the cockpit feel of sitting in the IS, it has an awesome stereo and very comfortable back seat.

But I suspect I'd enjoy a manual car (with boring sounding engine) more than an automatic with a great sounding V8. I really enjoyed even my 2017 Sport hatch 6mT. My Focus ST-Line is a much better car but isn't as fun to drive thanks to the automatic.

ITS is really only on the table if 2025 still has markups on the Type R. If I can get one for MSRP I'll take the Type R.

I used both of course I have fl5 and got to semi live with is500. I think you might look into a bmw 340i as well. The fl5 is use it for daily and kinda sad about how many miles I put on it. I think the fl5 doesn’t force you to learn the limits as oppose to rwd car and having to know those limits can be enjoyable to some or important to me. But for non driving portion the civic better. It hard to put a kids seat behind the is500 if it rear facing compared to fl5. Interior better to a certain degree but some portion feel cheap in the is500. Mpg terrible on the is500 I was getting 22mpg mix and fl5 I am getting about 24mpg. Both are great cars but if I only had to have one I would get is500. Is500 is what a sport compact car should be, rwd. In fairness I already have a rwd car also that why I got the fl5.

 

[VarmintCong]

How about this one... ; )

aren’t those like 6 figures?

 

[VT Skier]

I've driven both IS500 F Sport and CTR and they're completely different. You really have to experience them for yourself before deciding.

If you can't find a CTR to drive, you might have more luck with an ITS. The biggest immediate difference between those two will be the seats, which are much better in the Honda, but the driving experience will be similar enough to help with your Lexus/Honda comparison.

I agree with Albert in that I'd also recommend looking at an M340i.

 

[VarmintCong]

I used both of course I have fl5 and got to semi live with is500. I think you might look into a bmw 340i as well. The fl5 is use it for daily and kinda sad about how many miles I put on it. I think the fl5 doesn’t force you to learn the limits as oppose to rwd car and having to know those limits can be enjoyable to some or important to me. But for non driving portion the civic better. It hard to put a kids seat behind the is500 if it rear facing compared to fl5. Interior better to a certain degree but some portion feel cheap in the is500. Mpg terrible on the is500 I was getting 22mpg mix and fl5 I am getting about 24mpg. Both are great cars but if I only had to have one I would get is500. Is500 is what a sport compact car should be, rwd. In fairness I already have a rwd car also that why I got the fl5.

thanks yeah I had two rear drive BMWs so I do like rear drive but never had an automatic rear drive car. 22 mpg is not bad, our Subaru Ascent got 19 mpg even on the highway.

my kids are older so no car seats but legroom is an issue. They’d hate no center arm rest though, that’s a pet peeve of mine.

we plan to get a Mazda CX5 or CX70 so they’ll ride in that on long trips.

 

[VarmintCong]

I've driven both IS500 F Sport and CTR and they're completely different. You really have to experience them for yourself before deciding.

If you can't find a CTR to drive, you might have more luck with an ITS. The biggest immediate difference between those two will be the seats, which are much better in the Honda, but the driving experience will be similar enough to help with your Lexus/Honda comparison.

I agree with Albert in that I'd also recommend looking at an M340i.

thanks, will try to do some test driving when we’re home for a month this summer.

I can’t get excited about today’s BMWs for some reason, maybe a previous gen M3 or a previous gen M2c but my wife wouldn’t go for the combo of $50k+ and high maintenance.

 

[VarmintCong]

Saw a video that there’s 200 IS500s in the US and everyone one is $67-68k. But some are discounted $2500 or so.

That’s a lot of coin.

 

[ThreeD]

Close friend has IS500.
I have a FL5
They are completely, completely different cars.
Both are unique and should hold value.

IS500 feels more old school. Great V8. Bouncy rev limiter. Annoying transmission. Heavy car. Can be described as floaty. Can drift. Chassis still communicates well. Good RWD action. No manual transmission. Comfy. More $$.

FL5. Not as luxurious. Not as comfy. More buttoned down suspension. Way stiffer chassis. Manual, one of the best. FWD turbo -- lacks character compared to V8. Feels more new school. Can't drift. Cheaper.

Just read, you are in Taiwan. Lots of traffic. Minimal opportunity to push it. I would favor the FL5. Much more interesting to drive at normal speeds, than the IS500, with a manual transmission and a more responsive chassis.

 

[VarmintCong]

Close friend has IS500.
I have a FL5
They are completely, completely different cars.
Both are unique and should hold value.

IS500 feels more old school. Great V8. Bouncy rev limiter. Annoying transmission. Heavy car. Can be described as floaty. Can drift. Chassis still communicates well. Good RWD action. No manual transmission. Comfy. More $$.

FL5. Not as luxurious. Not as comfy. More buttoned down suspension. Way stiffer chassis. Manual, one of the best. FWD turbo -- lacks character compared to V8. Feels more new school. Can't drift. Cheaper.

Just read, you are in Taiwan. Lots of traffic. Minimal opportunity to push it. I would favor the FL5. Much more interesting to drive at normal speeds, than the IS500, with a manual transmission and a more responsive chassis.

good input thanks. I think what attracts me to the Type R is that it’ll be enjoyable even at normal speeds. I loved shifting in my 2020 Si and the car was fun even tooling around. Hell I’d buy an Si if it came in hatch form, I think the sedan is also a bit too sedate this gen too.

I’m in Taiwan but this is for our return to the US. I don’t think either car exists in Taiwan although you can import US cars here. If I’d known that we’d have imported a car for our 3 year assignment.

 

[Ac12]

That Yamaha blessed V8 might be the last of it's kind. Plus this..

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