April 14th, 2009 by 
Derek
BMW has provided an outstanding motor for the E92 M3. It’s an able partner for a high-revving good time. Mated with BMW’s slick shifting six-speed manual, this engine provides true driving nirvana. Although it’s down a bit on torque when compared with the Lexus, the power delivery is smoother and the car feels quicker. I’m sure that some of this has to do with the slight horsepower increase provided by the Dinan exhaust system and the lower gearing in the rear end, but most of it is because of that flat, usable torque curve and the high-revving nature of the engine. It’s just too bad that BMW didn’t see fit to put twin turbos on this thing like in the 335i. Imagine what the aftermarket tuner guys could have done with that!
Handling
The IS-F is a car that is easy to drive fast. It has tremendous grip, stays relatively flat during the turns, and transitions well. With that in mind, it could use more steering feel and better turn-in. I could hear the tires clawing for traction before I felt it in the steering. Compared to the M3, turn-in was slow with the IS-F and sometimes it was difficult determining exactly what the car was doing. The 6-piston Brembo brakes scrub off speed faster than you can warn George of the Jungle to “watch out for that tree!”, but aren’t as easy to modulate as the M3. The ride itself is harsh during normal driving conditions. While this is a car that is easy to drive fast, it doesn’t inspire confidence when driven very fast.
The Dinan M3, on the other hand, is a car that inspires you to drive way beyond legal limits. Turn-in was sharp and accurate. This car goes where you point it and transitions without drama. I could feel what the car was doing and knew when I was approaching the limits of traction. The Dinan M3 felt solid and composed under all of the driving conditions present during our comparison. As a bonus, it was also a much better daily driver as there was none of the harshness associated with the IS-F. You could take this car to the track, drive hard all day long, and have a relaxing ride home.
Value
You are getting a lot of performance for your dollar with the IS-F and M3. For around $60k, you see the same performance as that of cars costing more than 2X ten years ago.
Conclusion
Lexus has made a commendable effort with the IS-F — amazing power and acceleration, good handling, and engaging driving dynamics. But I think they missed the mark with their intended target audience. Lexus attempted to match the M3, but forgot that when you shoot at a moving target you have to lead the target. The IS-F comes close to matching the M3, but falls just shy of the mark by a nose hair. We found the E92 M3 to be a tiny bit better than the IS-F in almost every category. The M3 is a better looking car in and out, the motor is more willing, it has better steering feel, transition and turn-in are more precise. In addition, the brakes are easier to modulate and the manual transmission is more fun. While doing all of this, we like how the M3 is also more comfortable as a daily driver. To be fair, the Lexus IS-F was being compared against a Dinan prepped M3 Coupe. But there is no doubt, without the mods, that the BMW M3 is a better car all-around. I think a rematch is in order. However, it will have to be something like a stock M3 sedan with the 7-speed DkG (Dual Clutch Gearbox). You know, an apples to apples thing.
In a nutshell, the IS-F is a car that is easy to drive fast and can make a driver of average skills look good, but the M3 is a car that is built to be driven very fast. It is predictable at the limits and inspires that confidence you need to explore those limits. You can feel the M3’s mission in its bones. Although the IS-F performs at a high level, the spirit of the Lexus IS-F falls below the BMW M3.
Rating
| Build | Interior | Performance | Handling | Styling | Overall | |
| Lexus IS-F |
5.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.9/B |
| BMW M3 |
5.0 | 4.0 |
5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.6/A- |
 www.bmwusa.com |
 www.lexus.com |
page 1 page 2
April 10th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
That’s pretty much what I figured… BMW still beats out Toyota.
May 10th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
For most people who cannot see past an M3, if i want a track car i would rather get a Cayman S or the GT-R(if i had more dough) and if i want a superfast Luxury saloon i would get the IS-F. It’s a simple choice as the Lex is anyday more comfortable and reliable than the M3 as a daily driver. For performance driving on the track or the road they are close, but if i want to take any car to the track it would be none other than the Porsche. I drove the Cayman S once and i would take it anyday over the M3 to the track. Hence i really do not see the point of the M3 apart from appreciating its great engineering and the fact that it inspired Lex to build a great superfast Luxury saloon.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I have owned previous generations M3s (E30 and two E36)and never had reliability problems. I haven’t purchased the current generation M3, so I cannot provide any insight with regards to long term reliability.
Looking at the Lexus, the IS-F is definitely less comfortable than the E90/E92 M3.IMO, the IS-F suspension is too stiff for being a daily driver and doesn’t absorb rough road surfaces very well. On long road trips, the occupants come out shaken, not stirred. The M3 has a much better ride quality and can be driven to its limits with more confidence because it communicates back to the driver much better than the IS-F.
The IS 350 upgrade with the F Sports parts is a nice compromise for people who are a fan of Lexus. They don’t get the growling 400+ hp V8, but the suspension and exhaust upgrades excellent. An IS 350 setup with F Sports upgrades behaves nicely on the street and on the track.
July 28th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
So, how much did BMW pay the author for this article…?
Don’t get me wrong, I love the styling of the M3 Coupe, its an excellent car, but the majority of the “pros” the author states the M3 has over the IS-F are subjective.
The Lexus is so much more suited as a daily driver than the M3. not to mention the Lexus is faster, has a waaay better interior, and sounds better than the M3.
The growl of the dual-stage Intake (not exhaust, does the author even know anything about cars?) is amazing! the Bmw sounds like a supped up V6, much like the previous gen.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Maybe the Lexus is better suited as a daily driver over the M3, but I have to disagree with the other points.
The Lexus IS-F is not faster than the M3 — even it was in stock trim. As stated in the review, we found the M3 was much better at the upper limits than the IS-F. In fact we had to back down a little when approaching the limits because the feedback from the car was not confidence inspiring. And the rumblings from the IS-F is good only until the 2nd stage opens up. When hard on the accelerator and revving over 4k, the rawkus from the dual stage intake is horrible.
And I have to bring up the 8-speed gearbox. The tranny was too busy shifting trying to find a sweet spot in the power band. Whereas the M3 had a much wider power band and smoother power delivery.
Admittedly, the Lexus interior is nice, but the aluminized trim looks like some aftermarket add-on that can be purchased from Pep Boys. Sheesh!