12 years later i bet this exact test car is still running (assuming no accidents...) lets see how a BWM M3 from the same year is going... oh wait nvm :-D
The ISF has a solid feel to it. I tracked the car from 9am all the way to 4.30pm one day, zero brake fade or problems. I washed the car, vacuumed the interior and voila, it's back to the comfortable cruiser that my wife loves. I know other owners that have put 80,000 miles on the car and it still looks and feels the same as it did rolling out of the dealer's driveway. Very well built car.
I know this is an old video but it sums up why people stopped watching terrestrial TV. "It won't change down when you want" Yeah....because you are at way too high revs and the car doesn't want to explode the gearbox by putting 9000rpm so you can't shift into first. This car gives you the gear you want every single time unless you are already in the lowest possible gear for the engine speed. Also, the beeps on the upshift are not even remotely intrusive or annoying. They are really useful.
I remember when Jeremy Clarkson talked shit about the 8 speed hear box only to see literally every single car maker adopt more gears in the years to come.
@@MP-ym5jc I never said the original NSX had a V8. I did state that it was high revving and reliable, insuating that the E92 M3 simply lacked quality engineering, as did the E60 M5 with its glorious 8,250rpm V-10.
@@colby3333 Revs allow a smaller engine to make similar peak horsepower as a larger engine, though less torque of course (M3 is 4.0L, ISF is 5.0L, both had nearly rated HP). And of course a high revver feels more racecar like.
@@a-hvlogs2046 in other words , using crank hp as a guideline is practically useless since whp will actually be actually used, crank hp sells cars , whp/'wtq wins races
1st gen Lexus iS300. Gets you a base 2JZ (non turbo ofcourse but still 220 hp). Although most of them sold with automatics, not surprising. Could still get a manual however.
Do a couple of track days in this car and you start to appreciate the bleep. When you're concentrating on following the racing line, the bleep allows you to keep your eyes on the road. It's also deliberately loud enough to be heard even with a helmet on. I love the feature on my 2012 ISF.
This car revs fast and the beep is a nice way to key you in before you’re bouncing off the rev limiter. Ask any of my friends that have codriven my car
I own one and all I can say awesome, great power, handling, luxury and looks all in a best bang for you buck. Granted the M3, C63, RS4 and CTS-V are great cars in there segment either choice is a win win. Unfortunately in the car mag industry they dont give the ISF the credit it deserves very M3 biased.
@@akazi1582 I don't remember writing this but man, you're right. I was wrong, too - the E90 M3's V8 sounds awesome. 10 years from now I doubt we'll have engine sounds at all so I guess I should probably appreciate the Godawful noise the F30 M3 makes too.
I still have my 08 Lexus isf. Has 140k miles and it’s been through a valley plate gasket and a fuel pump. Not a single other pet has failed. Just regular maintenance.
Fuck it, Tiff. If your near 6000 rpm and you want to shift down, it’s pretty clear the car refuses to do that. And thank god, the car stays in the rev limiter instead of shifting up automatically. That’s how it should work, so why complaining about a few beeps?
I also have one and it is awesome. It can be quiet, really quiet and comfy and stealthy. And of course, it can also be loud and fast. I bought the blue 2011. I kinda regret though getting the the white leather seats since it easily gets stained. The white seats are now kinda bluish from the indigo that bleeds from my jeans.
I'm sure some aftermarket tuner will come up with a way to remove the beeps, just as Tiff said.. Awesome car, it might have faults, but considering this a first from Lexus, its got some headroom for improvement and is acceptable.
I think it does have a rev light, is an adjustable ring light on the tachometer, unless it was added on later models. The same for maximum speed warning ring, well, for the speedometer, adjustable as well.
well i still have my old car that i had before the ISF, which is a Land Rover Defender 110SW 1992...it was my first car...paid 6000 quid for it, second hand, fully restored all ecomentallists hate me :D
here's the deal with performance cars the engines are under alot of stress, even well built performance cars need regular service just to keep them in a safe condition the makers spent alot of time making shure it handles in a way so their customers dont kill themselves with a performance car you MUST rely on a good dealer network to keep your car happy and going with a tuned car, you're at the mercy of woever glued it together and when something breaks, you're on your own with fixing it
Redline an RX-8 and that beep will all be put into perspective. The RX-8 doesn't even beep, it just gives a constant piercing tone even though the car NEEDS to be redlined regularly.
PS: the only tuning i like is rally spec tuning where the results are apparent...i dont like it when people glue all kinds of body kit parafernalia to a car and say its tuned
Actually it is! If you read the facts sheet on the LS600 and LS600h, they both have 5.0L V8s (slight modified for the hybrid of course), this is the same engine just in a smaller car but it still is an exhilarating car!! I used to work for Lexus so I know this for a fact!
you are so true it is is the first go lexus has had and i reckon the car is amazing and there is a few faults but i reckon that can be changed very eisly in the next one i really do think the next one is going to be epic it is a juts s sex machine loll
i own this car. i tested the m3 and m5, but this car always left me smiling.. BMW's are good....but this car is me. big, bulbous, loud, mean, fast, and sweet, plus the exhaust is amazing. its loud, but not... just listen. .. !!! plus the car will last. the m5 will fall apart. i love the look of the bmw....but i love my lexus isf. sweet car. even better than the mercedes e55amg. u guys rock !!! i need a 600 hp ISF in 2012 !!!!!
@@b58forever totally agree an e55 would make mince meat out of this and they are reliable my dream motor.... out of the lexus is range I would prefer the is350 and just supercharge it
Yes it is and is not a waste of time. The bleeping means you're too high of an RPM to shift down. Good for saving your engine from over revving. It also bleeps when you reach the REV limit, so you can concentrate on the road instead of having to look down on the RPM meter. Brilliant! Same thing with 8 speed transmission which the new BMW's will now have. Funny how when the ISF first came out some people said it had too many gears. Now they are copying it. Toyota for the Win!
The transmission needs to replace on many IS 250. My IS 250 needed new transmission $5000, water pump $450, alternator $650, electric steering $1200 and headlight $1500. Yes headlights cost $1500 a piece and have their own computer to move the headlights. Also I can not see how fast my car is going or see my tachometer because the needle is a led light and does not work. I live in Arizona where it get hot and if I drive somewhere the car does not start sometimes. The dealer says they can not find the problem. I would think it is a sensor in the brake but they claim they can not fix it because they can not duplicate the problem. JUNK
well its not a truck and its not an suv...its a 4x4...THE 4x4....its actually quite economical...it has a 2.0 engine out of the Ford Transit van...ok you wont break any land speed records but it can cruise along arround 70-80mph
i used to like that tuning malarky when i was a teen...then i reached the age of reason to be honest, tuned cars over here in the UK staple you as a delinquent and people think you have a criminal record
...in an NSF game maybe the real world looks different...you'll be at the side of the road with your toy car smoking and leaking oil while, for the sake of comedic argument, i drive past in my well built ISF, which will never break, because its a toyota, laughing and taking pictures with my phone :D
nah i dont mean that type of tuning that's ricing lol. Like even though i have my ISF, i still have the supra my uncle gave me which was 220 or 250 stock, i forget what the 97 TT came with. But it's now with 750 @W.
@arche024 Different crowd mate. M3 is for hooligans and youngsters, a very lively car, gets the blood boiling. Lexus is the old ppl luxury really, people approach it with that view, and that dampens all the experience. Good car, it just needs more pedigree, maybe if they make more cars like this and the LFA theyll set their name in stone for the years to come. I went C63 myself.
Ok i agree with you with the 8 gears being ok, but the drive, a enthusiast will listen to the engine an will know when to change up or down... He doesn't want some bleep telling him when he's right or wrong.
As well as they do me :) I'm just like look the day they make faster electric cars that can do 0-60 in under 6 seconds, not expensive like hell and with a good looking body then i'll buy one. Until then move out of my way cause this lex is hungry for octane 93. You know i never liked the shape of those damn trucks. Some one who lives near me has a 1992 or 1995, around there rover. I dont have a fav SUV though.... i do how ever like the tundra and the old ram.
If your 24 then and be into such performance cars how is it that you don't have one ounce of tuner in you? Yea i got the traditional blue with black, mine was used too. I think brand new was a little too much but a big jump from the 350 even though the 350 wasn't a push over. Not like that wack ass 250. I hate it when people ask how can i make my 250 faster. I paid 37,450 they don't sell too high in NYC since they need to get rid of them faster, too many pot holes.
15 years later. I still prefer an 08 ISF over a new M4. Once a Lexus lover, always a Lexus lover😎😎
12 years later i bet this exact test car is still running (assuming no accidents...) lets see how a BWM M3 from the same year is going... oh wait nvm :-D
Lol
They all spun rod bearing 😂
The ISF has a solid feel to it. I tracked the car from 9am all the way to 4.30pm one day, zero brake fade or problems. I washed the car, vacuumed the interior and voila, it's back to the comfortable cruiser that my wife loves. I know other owners that have put 80,000 miles on the car and it still looks and feels the same as it did rolling out of the dealer's driveway. Very well built car.
Have one and fully agree with what you say mate.
Zero brake fade? That’s not possible
Elgin Lam I’ve seen one with 330k miles on it
Wade H, yeah the rotors are prone to cracking near the holes.
🍪
I know this is an old video but it sums up why people stopped watching terrestrial TV. "It won't change down when you want"
Yeah....because you are at way too high revs and the car doesn't want to explode the gearbox by putting 9000rpm so you can't shift into first. This car gives you the gear you want every single time unless you are already in the lowest possible gear for the engine speed.
Also, the beeps on the upshift are not even remotely intrusive or annoying. They are really useful.
I remember when Jeremy Clarkson talked shit about the 8 speed hear box only to see literally every single car maker adopt more gears in the years to come.
It has Japanese car reliability and the good customer service of Lexus. Win...win....
And performance of German sport cars (Ms and AMGs) win...win...win!
I had the chance to drive this (300 mikes uk roads) and boy is it better than bmw m3. And nobody battered an eye lid until i started it up.
Had my isF for about a month and wow!!!!! This car just always gives me a smile when I drive it... ❤️ Toyota
hows the reliability
The lexus is the only car you can own for a long time, reliability wise and maintanance, its a normal N/A V8 and not high revving like a M3
It's not that high revving is bad, it's that the quality was lacking. Honda NSX's had no problem revving to 8000+ since 1989.
@@michaelangelo5783 NSX a v8? Its not compatible and NSX still not have that reliability.
@@MP-ym5jc
I never said the original NSX had a V8. I did state that it was high revving and reliable, insuating that the E92 M3 simply lacked quality engineering, as did the E60 M5 with its glorious 8,250rpm V-10.
What did high revving do for the car?
@@colby3333
Revs allow a smaller engine to make similar peak horsepower as a larger engine, though less torque of course (M3 is 4.0L, ISF is 5.0L, both had nearly rated HP). And of course a high revver feels more racecar like.
Some bolt-ons and maybe an ECU flash and you get 500hp at the crank and no compromised reliability.
I only care about whp, I'd love to see a dyno of intake exhaust cam and a tune , bet you could see about 450-475rwhp
@@7Logik are you high? getting more at the crank will translate? please tell me a way to gain WHP without gaining anything at the crank..
@@a-hvlogs2046 in other words , using crank hp as a guideline is practically useless since whp will actually be actually used, crank hp sells cars , whp/'wtq wins races
@@7Logik the most ive seen is444rwhp on e30, headers, exhaust, tune and intake, nobody makes cams or upgraded valvetrain
@@lordoftherims436 what about ported manifold and throttlebody?
Im lucky enough to own one of these - What a machine! best car ive owned! I think its time to go out and burn rubber!
To some, Lexus never meant boring, is = altezza, altezza was legendary.
Right! The good one was JDM only though, so it’s strictly for the heads!
1st gen Lexus iS300. Gets you a base 2JZ (non turbo ofcourse but still 220 hp). Although most of them sold with automatics, not surprising. Could still get a manual however.
Do a couple of track days in this car and you start to appreciate the bleep. When you're concentrating on following the racing line, the bleep allows you to keep your eyes on the road. It's also deliberately loud enough to be heard even with a helmet on. I love the feature on my 2012 ISF.
If you can't tell you're at the redline just by the engine note you don't belong anywhere near a track
@@B__L you are obviously new to motorsports. Redline beeps are extremely common and were used way before the ISF.
@@SharkbaitOhLala Still doesn’t change my point
This car revs fast and the beep is a nice way to key you in before you’re bouncing off the rev limiter. Ask any of my friends that have codriven my car
I own one and all I can say awesome, great power, handling, luxury and looks all in a best bang for you buck. Granted the M3, C63, RS4 and CTS-V are great cars in there segment either choice is a win win. Unfortunately in the car mag industry they dont give the ISF the credit it deserves very M3 biased.
The best is the F
the cheif designer worked on the supra...he knows whats up.
gotta be one of my favourite sounding engines
Yeah, Yamaha knows a thing or two about sound.
If only he reviewed the 2010 and up with the limited slip diff
Love my ISF 🙏🏾🙏🏾
My 09 is FBO has been trouble free. Just oil changes, brake pads and tires.
Best sounding V8 in a luxury saloon since the S62 in the E39 M5. The new M3's V8 sounds like a Honda.
9 year old comment that didn’t age well. Wait till past you sees what happened to cars. Lol
@@akazi1582 I don't remember writing this but man, you're right. I was wrong, too - the E90 M3's V8 sounds awesome.
10 years from now I doubt we'll have engine sounds at all so I guess I should probably appreciate the Godawful noise the F30 M3 makes too.
I still have my 08 Lexus isf. Has 140k miles and it’s been through a valley plate gasket and a fuel pump. Not a single other pet has failed. Just regular maintenance.
Hi, how much for the valley plate ? And how many kilometers ?
@@melniv7971 it cost me $1800 usd, I started to smell and see drops of coolant around 110k miles.
The Lexus isf is really sleep on car
Fuck it, Tiff. If your near 6000 rpm and you want to shift down, it’s pretty clear the car refuses to do that. And thank god, the car stays in the rev limiter instead of shifting up automatically. That’s how it should work, so why complaining about a few beeps?
I also have one and it is awesome. It can be quiet, really quiet and comfy and stealthy. And of course, it can also be loud and fast. I bought the blue 2011. I kinda regret though getting the the white leather seats since it easily gets stained. The white seats are now kinda bluish from the indigo that bleeds from my jeans.
IS-F > C63 > M3
Performance wise c63 is way ahead
@@MrExtr1234 but Not the quallity
Tiff is awesome
You are completely right.
I really miss that show!
I'm sure some aftermarket tuner will come up with a way to remove the beeps, just as Tiff said..
Awesome car, it might have faults, but considering this a first from Lexus, its got some headroom for improvement and is acceptable.
Tiff is funny as hell!!!
I wish the exhaust are all true. But, this is superb.
i love this car!!!!!!!
Oh hi, I see you watch top gear, you must know a lot about cars! *Rolls his eyes*
@faketrucz still kicks ass cuz it has paddle shifters, which is better than standard
Best car ever made ❤❤❤
I think it does have a rev light, is an adjustable ring light on the tachometer, unless it was added on later models. The same for maximum speed warning ring, well, for the speedometer, adjustable as well.
yes
No
Funny how people made fun of Lexus for having 8 gears back then...
Amazing car best in the world number 1 ❤
I love my ISF
i hope lexus keep making fun cars. i hate that audi is so front heavy id take this any day lol
whats the point of the padel shift if it wont give u what u want.
Lol! great review.
Yes same here, why on EARTH would it beep like that? Is there no way to turn it off? I was really keen on this car until I saw that.
i like
@arche024 The M3 is the benchmark so what do you expect.
I do and I do!
Real car guys agree. I agree.
@faketrucz Honestly with how much power this beast has, I'm not sure I'd WANT it to be a manual...
its a little tail happy
I think only the F line of Lexus cars make that beeping noise. The LFA makes that exact same beeping noise when upshifting and downshifting.
enthusiASSts lol.
Who here is a ISF owner?
I want to be
@@is_manny_7648 bro. Just buy it.
I am. Mines obsidian black only done 52k km.. beautiful car!!
✋
well i still have my old car that i had before the ISF, which is a Land Rover Defender 110SW 1992...it was my first car...paid 6000 quid for it, second hand, fully restored
all ecomentallists hate me :D
Let me see BMW M3 DCT clutch system. Multiple problems talked about in the BMW forums. Now BMW has mastered it LOL.
here's the deal with performance cars
the engines are under alot of stress, even well built performance cars need regular service just to keep them in a safe condition
the makers spent alot of time making shure it handles in a way so their customers dont kill themselves
with a performance car you MUST rely on a good dealer network to keep your car happy and going
with a tuned car, you're at the mercy of woever glued it together and when something breaks, you're on your own with fixing it
Redline an RX-8 and that beep will all be put into perspective. The RX-8 doesn't even beep, it just gives a constant piercing tone even though the car NEEDS to be redlined regularly.
Hot ass car
PS:
the only tuning i like is rally spec tuning where the results are apparent...i dont like it when people glue all kinds of body kit parafernalia to a car and say its tuned
Actually it is! If you read the facts sheet on the LS600 and LS600h, they both have 5.0L V8s (slight modified for the hybrid of course), this is the same engine just in a smaller car but it still is an exhilarating car!! I used to work for Lexus so I know this for a fact!
Great Car! But why the beeps...
@faketrucz Can you imagine that manual?
Early ISF's has an open diff?
08-10. Throw in an LSD. Simple. I prefer the stiffer suspension.
@arche024 If God wills, I'm going to buy one soon. I currently drive a Mazdaspeed 6, and it will be a nice upgrade.
Did you ever get it?
you are so true it is is the first go lexus has had and i reckon the car is amazing and there is a few faults but i reckon that can be changed very eisly in the next one i really do think the next one is going to be epic it is a juts s sex machine loll
i own this car. i tested the m3 and m5, but this car always left me smiling.. BMW's are good....but this car is me. big, bulbous, loud, mean, fast, and sweet, plus the exhaust is amazing. its loud, but not... just listen. .. !!! plus the car will last. the m5 will fall apart. i love the look of the bmw....but i love my lexus isf. sweet car. even better than the mercedes e55amg. u guys rock !!! i need a 600 hp ISF in 2012 !!!!!
freeflymonkey an e55 will destroy you toyota..lol
@@b58forever totally agree an e55 would make mince meat out of this and they are reliable my dream motor.... out of the lexus is range I would prefer the is350 and just supercharge it
Yes it is and is not a waste of time. The bleeping means you're too high of an RPM to shift down. Good for saving your engine from over revving. It also bleeps when you reach the REV limit, so you can concentrate on the road instead of having to look down on the RPM meter. Brilliant! Same thing with 8 speed transmission which the new BMW's will now have. Funny how when the ISF first came out some people said it had too many gears. Now they are copying it. Toyota for the Win!
@Frewarz
///M Power
I love Fifth Gear :)
whats a C63?
Go ahead then. You think I, and anyone else for that matter, care? LOL.
@ICONTROLCARS
as a review yes but they dont blow stuff up all the time on 5th gear. so,
top gear> 5th gear.
*beep*
Lexus cars never turn on ? Well ask the owners of Lexus i got one and its a great car
The transmission needs to replace on many IS 250. My IS 250 needed new transmission $5000, water pump $450, alternator $650, electric steering $1200 and headlight $1500. Yes headlights cost $1500 a piece and have their own computer to move the headlights. Also I can not see how fast my car is going or see my tachometer because the needle is a led light and does not work. I live in Arizona where it get hot and if I drive somewhere the car does not start sometimes. The dealer says they can not find the problem. I would think it is a sensor in the brake but they claim they can not fix it because they can not duplicate the problem. JUNK
@@5818fa1 is250 are known to be shitty cars. The is f have a better build.
@@5818fa1 how old is it? Most manufacturers have a few lemons but your story is not a common one.
probably wasn’t taken care of either lacking basic maintenance or high miles or both
well its not a truck and its not an suv...its a 4x4...THE 4x4....its actually quite economical...it has a 2.0 engine out of the Ford Transit van...ok you wont break any land speed records but it can cruise along arround 70-80mph
nice car it just needs a double clutch gear box and the beep needs to go away
iskman it's got 8 speed. It doesn't need dsg
i used to like that tuning malarky when i was a teen...then i reached the age of reason
to be honest, tuned cars over here in the UK staple you as a delinquent and people think you have a criminal record
What planet do you live on 😂😂😂
you do? great car isnt it? mine's white with black detailing...got it second hand for 40.000 quid :)
im 24
I want one off these.. Ahh well maybe some day :)
One thing I despise are those fake tailpipes. Fortunately the RC-F does have real pipes as well as being the same style
Maqsud Rezwan fake?
Ivan Drago yes the IS-F exhaust tips are actually part of the bumper.
Maqsud Rezwan every other car has this now? The integrated exhaustsystem i mean
zlopy well that was an issue back then and now you can get them attached to the entire exhaust system as seen on the GSF and Alfa Giulia QV
Maqsud Rezwan okay =)
what on earth was possibly good about the supra?
Wat
Craving. lyger zero
...in an NSF game maybe
the real world looks different...you'll be at the side of the road with your toy car smoking and leaking oil
while, for the sake of comedic argument, i drive past in my well built ISF, which will never break, because its a toyota, laughing and taking pictures with my phone :D
of course you can turn it off
@KPKaccountt
The core reason why people get the E92/E90 M3 over the ISF is the overall performance and the fact that it offers manual
LEXUS IS-F have 7 gears ?
nah i dont mean that type of tuning that's ricing lol.
Like even though i have my ISF, i still have the supra my uncle gave me which was 220 or 250 stock, i forget what the 97 TT came with. But it's now with 750 @W.
You've got to be deaf in order not to hear the engine or the beep. Not sure what you're point is.
@arche024 Different crowd mate. M3 is for hooligans and youngsters, a very lively car, gets the blood boiling. Lexus is the old ppl luxury really, people approach it with that view, and that dampens all the experience. Good car, it just needs more pedigree, maybe if they make more cars like this and the LFA theyll set their name in stone for the years to come. I went C63 myself.
Ok i agree with you with the 8 gears being ok, but the drive, a enthusiast will listen to the engine an will know when to change up or down... He doesn't want some bleep telling him when he's right or wrong.
you'd be surprised.
i tested both and I think the M3 is much more fun to drive at the circuit,but at the road,the Lexus is much more fun to drive.
Ummm... last time i checked toyota makes supras and i own an ISF too, sooooo..... what was your point again? How old are you?
:D :D
LHD WTF?
they need to stop messing around and bring that supra back.
As well as they do me :)
I'm just like look the day they make faster electric cars that can do 0-60 in under 6 seconds, not expensive like hell and with a good looking body then i'll buy one. Until then move out of my way cause this lex is hungry for octane 93.
You know i never liked the shape of those damn trucks. Some one who lives near me has a 1992 or 1995, around there rover. I dont have a fav SUV though.... i do how ever like the tundra and the old ram.
Peopl who can afford them LOL.
If your 24 then and be into such performance cars how is it that you don't have one ounce of tuner in you?
Yea i got the traditional blue with black, mine was used too. I think brand new was a little too much but a big jump from the 350 even though the 350 wasn't a push over. Not like that wack ass 250. I hate it when people ask how can i make my 250 faster. I paid 37,450 they don't sell too high in NYC since they need to get rid of them faster, too many pot holes.