re: Is the Lexus IS fun to drive? If not, what is?

I'll get downvoted, but you asked for an opinion, so here's mine: One of the most fun little cars I've ever driven and owned was a turbocharged mini cooper s with a 6 speed in it. Paid cash money for it with 15k miles on the odo.

That little bastard would TOTE THE MAIL and get 39 mpg doing it. It also had an INCREDIBLE sound system in it.

Unfortunately it was a POS, or more appropriately, it had POS sensors on it that constantly threw codes when nothing was actually wrong, but in the process it'd put the car into limp mode. Eventually I got tired of clearing the codes and sold it.

If not for that, I'd still own it, but it'd have a towing package welded to the rear frame because the car was heavy as a tank (relatively speaking) and could easily tow a utility trailer full of, say, mulch if needed.

I miss that little scream demon so much that I'm probably going to buy another soon. The S model I had/want is completely impractical for hauling much of anything inside the car (groceries, etc. are fine, but don't go Christmas shopping in it with more than 1 passenger), but I'll be damned if it wasn't an exhilarating experience to strike out on a 6 hour road trip and on the way hunt for the curviest of roads, the smallest of parking spaces (and back in said parking space just, "because") and lust for 70 mph bumper-to-bumper interstate traffic...and only pay pennies in gas to get there.

After owning a mini, I'm privy to the fact that Mini owners are kind of like jeep (real jeep) owners: you love em or hate em, but mostly even the haters still loved em when they did. There are so many mods you can do to them, but the tradeoff is...well, there are tradeoffs to the fun and love of owning one where most vehicles it just ain't so. It's a love/hate relationship, but the fun factor is too much to overcome.

I vote a Turbocharged Mini S with a 6 speed, baw.

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Define fun to drive. BMW is better at performance but is not as reliable as a Lexus.

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The question wasn't about reliability. So unless you consider "fun" and "reliable" to be synonyms, it's not really relevant.

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And when a BMW breaks and you are out of warranty get ready to pay a lot. Also regular maintenance such as LOF and brakes are a lot more expensive.

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You can say that about a lot of cars. My BMWs rarely had issues, and they were all within warranty, so I never had a problem with BMW.

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Buy a Tesla.

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While i agree, if thats in your price range there are quite a few other cars to consider.

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The Lexus IS series has always been in my mind as an affordable car that doesn't look like a grocery wagon, but also 'appears' to be a driver's car. Agree/Disagree? Any other recommendations?

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I absolutely agree, but that is a stacked segment. Small sports sedans have long been a very competitive segment and the pendulum swings from manufacturer to manufacturer as to who has the best at any given time. If you are asking about used then the years you are looking at has to be established and if you are buying new two years from now the landscape will most likely have changed.

Of the current crop, the BMW 3 series is probably the best drivers car but that only applies to the current model year. You can cross off the Acuras since they are FWD.

There are over a dozen cars in the segment and a lot more of your wants and needs plus budget would have to be considered. Coming from a truck all of them will be much more "sporty" and the IS will fit the bill if you want an extremely reliable car that doesn't have to be large and you don't require the most up to date technology.

If you haven't driven this segment of cars recently or ever you need to get out and drive them.


A loose determination of the segment contains:

BMW 2, 3 and 4 series
Audi A4/5
Genesis G70
Mercedes C, CLA, A
Kia Stinger
Volvo S60
Alfa Giulia
Infiniti Q50/60
Lexus IS/RC
Acura ILX
Cadillac ATS
Jaguar XE

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was really surprised by how much fun these were to drive. I'm not exactly looking to trade the GTR for it, but in the price range its a lot of car for the money.

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This car is a sleeper. Tons of power and you can get one with over 400hp that beats a lot of cars off the line.

I am a weapons-grade car nerd/enthusiast.

I dearly love the new Honda Accord, specifically the Sport, EX-L or Touring with the 2.0L turbo-4. That engine comes standard with a 10-speed automatic, which is just excellent. Super smooth and tightly geared. You can even get a 6-speed manual with that engine in the Sport.

Very athletic and balanced chassis, excellent steering, turn-in is immediate, and these cars are rockets with the 2.0T. 5.5s to 60, 100 mph in the 1/4 mile, and they feel faster than that in real life. They’re also huge cars, with a giant back seat, a big trunk and a ton of space in general. Great seats too.

Sure, they’re FWD, but who gives a frick? It’s not like you’re doing any drifting anyway.

I would have one of these cars if I didn’t live in Montana, where 275 hp to the front wheels is a bit much in the snow/ice.

I’m not a Honda shill. I just love these damn Accords. They feel alive and athletic in a way that almost no other “normal” car does, and Honda is to be praised for making them that way.

See Car and Driver’s long term review of one of these exact cars. 40k miles with 2018 Accord 2.0T

Cereal?

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Lexus IS

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Save money. Buy the Toyota version.

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I am a weapons-grade car nerd/enthusiast.

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I dearly love the new Honda Accord

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Sure, they’re FWD, but who gives a frick?

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God no. Get a BMW