#BMW #LexusIS #LexusIS500

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Here we have what could be considered opposite ends of the spectrum within the same segment.

On one hand we have a thoroughly modern BMW that’s got a turbocharged engine and stiffer chassis

And on the other hand we have an old-school N/A Lexus that doesn’t seem interested in anything other than looking incredible

But is there any overlap between these two?

Age before beauty means the BMW goes first and we’ve been in this many times before.

The benchmark entry level sports sedan takes itself seriously if not a bit too seriously.

The turbocharged 4 cylinder is down on HP by over 50, but still manages to get to 60 a whole half second quicker than the Lexus.

That’s what peak torque at 1500 RPM will do in a launch.

The ZF 8 speed gearbox is tuned to the point that its damn near tlepathic - BMW might do the best tuning of a torque converted gearbox in the world.

It’s chassis is also over 30% stiffer than the previous generation and the balance is an eyelash away from 50/50

What this results in then is a car this seems to have found the sweet spot in power, transmission, and chassis balancing. Now for the Lexus.

The IS 350 come switch a 3.5L N/A V6 - that’s two more cylinders and 1.5 more liters than the BMW and it still gets dusted off the line. That’s for 2 reasons

1 transmission. The 8 speed Lexus box is lazy in my experience even in their F cars

Second, and most importantly, is that snailshell. The BMW makes peak torque at under 2000 RPM and the Lexus doesnt get there until almost 5000.

Another annoying thing is the gauge cluster doesn’t slide over in sport mode like you get in the LC...i guess that’s fair….

Now you do have a multilink rear suspension so it’s not liike this thing handles poorly,

you just have to rev it out and when you do it sounds better. Not as good as the 5.0s but better than the Bimmer

However the biggest indication that this isnt a sport sedan has to do with this button here
Gesture to stability control*

You have to have stability control off anytime you approach a corner. If you go anywhere near the throttle mid corner the computer throws a tantrum and cuts power

So it’s not like the Lexus isn’t fun to drive, but it’s just not as dynamic or responsive as the BMW...shocking. But let’s talk about some more Lexus-y things

I want to start with exterior design and I know lexus has a reputation for overstyling their cars, but my god this thing looks amazing.

I was getting Broll of this the other day and was staggered by the looks.

The front is sharp and aggressive, the wheels fit perfectly with the silver paint and the rear hips are wide and sporty.

All it’s missing is a V8 and quad stacked tips, but we’ll get those soon

The BMW on the other hand is very german and in essence very classic BMW.

Understated and handsome design with kidney grilles that aren’t the size of a planet.

Profile is perfect proportions and has the typical kink in the rear window and then around back it’s subtle and simple.

But with the BMW it’s like trying to find a math equation sexy

However, regardless of what revs your engine it’s easy to see the Lexus is making a comeback with scoring big points in the looks department.

Now we have to step inside and again we’ll start with Japan.

Here’s the highlights: back seat room is big enough for adults, nice
Stark red interior isn’t my first choice but ok
Seats are comfy, but cockpit feels small and tight
Infotainment is the old gen unit not the all touch unit in the leaked NX

But here’s where Lexus makes its value prop - it’s in the build materials. The fit and finish and the fact that each car’s interior is unique to the rest of it’s lineup. It just feels more special

And on that note let’s jump into the BMW

Again gunna hit you with the highlights: rear seat is liveable for adults
Seats are comfy, but not lexus comfy
Interior feels bigger, but more sterile
Technology and implementation is worlds better

And then there’s the finer details. The build, fit and finish is decent and honestly better than MErcedes. BUt there’s a significant flaw for me. Every BMW interior is a clone. So the 150k 7 series interior is damn near identical to what yo get here in the 3. I’m not mad about it in the 3, but if I paid what they want for a 7 series I’d be a little peeved.

There’s also things to be considered like Lexus’s reliability, especially with an NA engine, then there’s BMW’s potential to get more out of the car with simple modifications.