I've been drooling over the IS300 for years now and the time has come for me to decide if that's truely the car that I want. The other vehicle that I've also been contemplating is the BMW 325i Sedan (yes, I want another sedan). The pricing is about the same, the balance on the 325 is perfect 50/50 over the IS's 54f/46r. They weigh exactly the same: 3285lbs. The 325 gets 21c/29h mpg and the IS is at 18c/24h mpg.

325i Sedan:


IS300:


The bimmer has 215 hp @ 6250 rpm, 185 lb-ft torque @ 2750 rpm resulting in 0 to 60 in 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 130.

The IS has 215 hp @ 5,800 rpm, 218 lb-ft torque @ 3,800 rpm and VVT-i resulting in 0 to 60 in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 143.

325i Sedan spec sheet: http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/3/200...n/techdata.htm
IS300 spec sheet: http://www.lexus.com/models/is/eshif...fications.html

The BMW seems to have a lot more features than the IS. On the IS I'm going to be getting the LSD and VSC (http://www.lexus.com/models/is/eshif...e_options.html) so it should help it out a bit.

They're very comperable cars, just torn on this one. Input?

Please consider that I will not be doing mods that will void the warranty so "GO TURBO" is not an option at this point.