The wife and I were getting sick of our Subarus. Not that they were bad cars by any means, but they were getting a little stale. So very very early in the month, we went shopping. Not surprisingly, she was looking for a Rav. After doing some digging and test driving, she ended up in a Tiguan. It’s nice, fits the kids, and is rather fun to drive considering its bland compact SUV class.
So I immediately got jealous and had to one up her. While she was signing the papers, I decided top sneak over to the Lexus dealer and grab myself one of these.
2016 IS350 Fsport AWD.
I actually didn’t just make the decision that quick, I was searching for a nice sedan for the family for a long time. Checked out the ATS, Q50S, and the mighty 3 series. All great cars, but this particular one had a place in my heart. I really wanted a turbo manual, but this car just drove. After many many hours of reading, watching, and re-reading, I kept seeing this one on the top of the list. Not because of the numbers like 0-60, skidpad, or any other measured performance attribute, but because it was the most fun to just drive. The cabin is my favorite part of any car, and the seats just suck you into the “cockpit” placing you in the best position to enjoy the drive. I love all the features except the user interface. The mouse type setup was very difficult to learn compared to the i drive - and the competitors touch screens, but I am starting to become very accustomed to it and it is more intuitive than I first thought.
The Fsport package gives you Sport and S+ mode which increases dampening and stiffens up the trans, and a more aggressive front end with brake cooling ducts and no fog lights. Also added is the Nav package, LED headlamps, and much better seats. Turning all the nanny assists off while putting it in manual mode, the paddle shifters give a somewhat rev-matched downshift and let you bounce it off the rev limiter for extra joy. 306hp NA v6 is good, but by no means fast. The chassis is the shining star here. So tight, very strong, and very safe.
Say what you want about the “Predator mandibles” grill, and Nike swoosh driving lights, but I love it. I love the entire style and shape of the car, the swooping body lines, and the staggered tires. It just looks awesome in my opinion.
I opted for the AWD because I am a pussy and didn’t want to have to cart the kids around in the snow in RWD. That deleted the 8 speed trans and got me a paltry 6 speed. Waah.
But in all honesty, I am glad I did…
She is every bit as good as my old Legacy GT was in the snow.
This can’t be good for cooling…
Talk about stuffing your face.
Classy black on black interior.
That nifty shifting tach bezel showing a mini display behind it.
Centered
And to the right
Sorry for all the pics, Just enjoying the hell out if this thing! Thanks for looking!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the Lexus enform app…It really is an accessory worth having and I constantly use it.
Bottom line is that After almost a month with it, I am very very satisfied. The heated steering wheel is an option I thought was meh, but after using it, I am never going to want a vehicle without it. Man that makes me feel like an old man. I bet the ventilated seats will be stellar in the summer.