Bro, your videos don't ever miss!! I literally considered both IS500 and M340i - test drove them both and prefer the M340i for sure. The IS 500 in the vector blue is fire though. I wish they kept the climate control buttons on the new M340is though
Climate control is always present on the touch screen. It requires no more "button" presses than if there was a physical button. Plus I generally just say "hey bmw, adjust temperature to xx" and I never have to touch anything.
your video has so much depth love the genuine review, actually like a breathe of fresh air, so tired of the other basic comparison videos being about speed and not other features... keep it up bro!!
Great video!! I bought a new 2024 M340i back in march, i absolutely love it. I added Valvetronics designs exhaust and its a 10/10 pairing. Now just waiting for my factory warranty to expire in a few years so I can load a tune.
BMW doesn't "down play" the power figures, it's about how car is setup through out the power and torque band. BMW has always been tuned to give you the quickest and the best results. I believe this explains why their engines either blow or require a lot of maintenance.
I agree with the 100% BMW used to be the ultimate driving machine, now they are all about being the ultimate Bragging machine. They are designed to give you bragging rights and that's about it. Their actual driving and owning experience is not what it used to be.
Idc if the beemer is quicker I will always go is500 over the m340i. 1. I buy cars and keep them for awhile, 2. Lexus reliability, 3. 4.2-4.3 sec 0-60 is plenty quick for me. 4. It’s such a beautiful looking car. The newer 340i to me doesn’t look the greatest. And 5. It’s a Lexus! You will not have any issues with that.
Awesome comparison! I have an IS 500 and was considering going to an M340i before I pulled the trigger on the Lexus, but after a year with it, I'm still in love. I feel that the M340i is the better car for most people, on paper, but I felt like it was almost too obvious of a choice if that makes sense. Besides, the return of the V-8 to the Lexus IS was too hype to pass up. As you stated, it is just a fun car, and while outdated, it's certainly interesting compared to an M340i.
Looks wise, the Lexus wins easily. The AWD of the BMW makes it practical for those who live in snowy climates, but the RWD and N/A V8 of the IS500 makes it worth the con of no AWD. As well as that sweet Lexus reliability.
Why? I could see if you wanted to leave room for tuning. On the other hand, the Lexus V8 will become more special as the years go by. No bad choice here.
I’m making over 500 hp on my IS500. I personally think the new BMW’s sound like crap. Mix of a popcorn machine and lawn mower. The performance is undeniable. But in reality who’s really tracking their car…. barely anyone. Another thing to consider is rarity, everyone has a bmw nowadays. The IS500 is rare. It’s a head turner. Also everyone can hate on the interior but the thing is that the fit and finish is perfection. And I personally love all the buttons instead of some big ass screen. If bmw still made their v8 m3’s I probably would’ve picked that over my 500 but I just can’t deal with their v6’s. They sound awful.
Excellent filming, great quality all round. Great attention to detail . I don't follow smaller channels like this, but i've made this one the exception
I would take Lexus. But I still wonder why Toyota doesn’t want to invest in how a car handle and feels to be close to lotus, bmw if Porsche is too far. They have what it takes for engineers. Otherwise you are gifted. I enjoyed watching. You are very promising. Such a talent. Keep up man
Two cars I cross shopped before getting the M340i. Once Lexus updates their interiors and performance, they'll become the cars to have. Love my girls 24 RX350h interior.
As a Lexus fan, and someone who loves their product. i hate to admit that the M340i is far superior to the IS500 for performance. I wish it wasn't, because I want the IS500 - lol.
It's not that BMW downplays their horsepower, but it's simply because BMW makes much better transmission and understand car dynamics better than the Japanese does. A lot of people put too much focus on the horsepower numbers, but they fail to realize that it doesn't matter how much horsepower your engine can produce, but it's all about how much power you can effectively and efficiently put it down to the tarmac that matters! That's how BMW (XDrive) is able to make their "only" 387hp machine runs faster than the Japanese 470hp machine. Germans understand car dynamics better, that's the reason. There are many videos on RU-vid showing how those 1200hp Supras make 0-60mph acceleration in a decade as their tires keep spinning for nothing all the time, and sometimes even just crashed.
The B58 makes great power but long term reliability is questionable IMO. BMW decided to use a very complex cooling system with a majority of parts made from plastic. Think about many heat cycles and you could imagine how brittle the plastic could be.
@@reddfoxx91Toyota/lexus call it what you want 🤷♂️ I’m a car guy and I like many different makes and models and in fact BMW was always one of my favorite brands but it doesn’t change the fact even looking at the used car market today. Toyota/lexus cars depreciate way less than their European counterparts.
@@MrDuboce they're probably just old and have back issues. It's a natural progression with age to switch to the comfy non sporty Lexus. Sold bmw for 10 years
Give me the is500….in my opinion this version of the IS has to be one of the best looking sedans on the market. The interior of Lexus feel superior in quality to me, even if it lacks the tech (the only tech I care about are heated and cooled seats, back up camera and apple CarPlay, maybe automatic wipers) the rest feels gimmicky. The is500 has a much better sounding exhaust note and it’s no slouch performance wise…. I guess if you 0:15 only have the means for one car I see why you’d want the m340i. Essentially it has more to offer over a wide range of options. But if I just want a fun sedan and I can own a legit sports car on the side… give me the is500 everyday of the week.
I might consider leasing the BMW, but I would PURCHASE the Lexus IS500 every time. That high revving, naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 is epic. This Lexus will become a classic, after driving it for over 2 decades. The Beemer will be an oversized paper weight by then.
Hit the well of greatness for my first watch of you❤ Superb presentation style. Odd man out - 500 for me. I give up tech and some performance. But doesn't fail tingling the soul.
Not really. The 500 series Lexus are handbuilt, and have tons of issues with fit and finish. Wind noise, transmission failure, just to name a few. Being a Lexus, these are not cheap to fix. That said, the BMW is hardly going to be more reliable, so take your pick. Both will need heavy maintenance, esp. if you tend to drive hard.
....................... Beemer is a MASSIVE Headache...everyone knows this & MASSIVE LOSS on Depreciation...Lexus does Not suffer your HUGE Loss and the Glorious V8 Sounds much better!
there ls no comparison here … 😂 of course BMW is way better car … looks better, drives better and has better technology. what is a point to compare these cars Toyota is a Toyota 🤘🤣🤘
another video to flatten the bmw owner ego. nevertheless as a m4 owner i consider to buy a Lexus IS for my family travels. but hey c'mon I've tried the m340i and it's really not so special.
@@rforracing True, but you can catch people sleeping. Also, the M340i doesn't look all that different from a 330i with the M Sport and Shadowline packages.
@@rforracingthe thing is that the 350 is a sexy car. The 500 just takes it a notch higher with the hood bulge and quad exhaust. I think the new m3 looks great but every other model looks horrible and bland. If they had a v8 in the m3 instead of a v6 popcorn machine/lawn mower I’d get that.
The same body but it’s easily recognizable by the quad exhaust. I live in Miami, and I’ve seen the IS500 only a handful of times. There are tons of IS 300s here though. Even IS350 is not that common. So, the IS500 is a very rare bird indeed.
Auf jeden Fall Lexus.Da ist die Technik Standfest auch nach Jahren.Von der besseren Verarbeitung abgesehen. Vor allem ist er exklusiver. Man sieht ihn nicht an jeder Ecke,hebt sich von der breiten Masse angenehm ab.
I test drove the IS500 and it was underwhelming. Well first of all, the interior is extremely small and tight so it’s not very comfortable for long drives. Second of all that V8 is underwhelming and pretty weak. It isn’t loud nor fun to drive and it’s way too polite. It doesn’t feel like you’re driving a RWD car and behaves like an AWD. Also the shifts are extremely slow and hurts the potential of the car. The M340i is a much better car for daily driving and B58 is one of the most reliable cars, has better fuel economy and way more sporty and fun to drive with insane handling.
Meh. I've driven my IS 500 on multiple longer trips and been just fine. You say it's cramped, but it also rides better than an M340i, making it a good cruiser. The IS 500 does not behave like AWD; that is one of the weirdest takes I've seen. Turn off traction control, and it'll become a drift machine.
I’m 6’5 240 lbs with very wide shoulders and do not feel cramped in my 500. Also you need to let the transmission warm up before throwing it into sport +. And with a 2-3k exhaust upgrade it will be one of the best sounding cars on the road besides supercars. This car is not a precise performance machine like a BMW. It just does absolutely everything great. The road presence is so much better than a 340i as well. You won’t turn heads with that car. With the 500 I guarantee you will. BMW is like a small town pretty girl who you can predict every move from, 500 is like the hot girl at school who is a little crazy but once you get with her will give you a lot of emotion.
Got my Wife an IS500. Finally got Her away from BMW after her last 4 cars were bimmers. BMW's depreciate way to much. 60k vehicle after 7 years of owner ship with 100k miles only worth $4k trade in value.
@@pierrecastanets1974 Nope paid off. Gave it to my teenaged Son. It is a 328d made in Germany. Fully loaded, with M sport package. One of the LED headlights went out, had to drop 4k for a new one. Replacing a rear wheel bearing now. Turner motor sports sent me the wrong one, so it is sitting on my lift waiting for the new part. Had to drop 600 bucks for pullers and installation tools, and a bearing kit. It was a PIA getting the bearing out.
NA V8 sounds great but after a while you start to want more. The torque isn't as instant as the I6 and it's not a daily driver for the northeast. The fanboys clearly have not watched savagegeese or driven an is500 hard. A big reason to not go Lexus is the lack of tuning and aftermarket support. The Lexus forms is a bunch of purity guys that question why you even changed out the oe wheels and the rest gatekeep all the performance mods they did that make real power. Even tuning a 2017+ IS is gatekept. Also gone are the days of a car that you can keep for some magical 30 years cause even Lexus is creating lemons with their turbo V6. After driving a 340i with just a downpipe and tune I knew Lexus was not even sitting at the same table. Saying that you will overpay for a fossil of a car for reliability at this point is pointless. I rather pay for a car I can use and enjoy what I spent than to start questioning my decisions and start car shopping again. If you want a car that lasts you, go buy an economy car and drive it light. No performance car is going to go without expensive repairs, you beat on it so you will pay to play. The cost of ownership on a Lexus and BMW are within spitting distance at this point so pick what makes you happy and not what others tell you to buy.
@KarlBrosef they run basically the same cost in basic maintenance as in wheels, brakes, and fluids. You'll have the odd issue here and there on the bmw but you're not seeing a large delta between them if you shopped for a service plan for 4 years. If you think spending an extra 1k or 2k is too much then you're not looking for a sports car. You're looking for a GT which is the IS500 and similar cars. The saying goes you have to pay to play and no performance car comes cheap if it's reliable enough. Look at the cost of ownership of a 718 or a 911, they are even more than a BMW and require more expertise to work on.
@@freewilly5073 Interesting, and you raise a good point about sports cars - as these costs are very much expected. But would you agree that this cost of ownership can also be driven more or less by driving style? Apart from what the general public’s assumption is on BMWs - more maintenance, I’m beginning to think that frequent maintenance is largely due to these cars being driven really hard as opposed to how almost every other car on the road is being driven.
@KarlBrosef very true. The driver ultimately determines what breaks. If you look at the cars that went 300k+ more than likely it wasn't beaten on, no aggressive throttle input, no mods, a lot of highway miles, and the biggest is actually fixing the car instead of turning up the music whenever something sounds funny. That's why you'll hear people dog bmw, audi, and Mercedes but you won't hear much on Porsche. Porsche owners are more apt to spend the money to fix it and from what I've seen drive their cars normally except the occasional track usage. If you drive a car like you stole it everyday the heat cycles will breakdown even metal overtime. But that's where people have to find what kind of driver they are and accept if they will have to open up their wallet or you tone it down cause you can't afford it. I personally know I can't drive an automatic without being able to control what gear I am driving in. Not even paddle shifters will do it because after a while it will auto upshift. I know I drive with a lead foot so a manual car or sports cars with the manual mode will keep me away from jail. If I want to wring it out I drop some gears and pass. That's why I personally know a NA car won't be satisfying cause I'm already wringing the piss out of my k20 engine and it's getting a bit old. I might not sell it but I definitely want a breath of fresh air.
The b58 isn't that great for mechanics. Engine out to change chain and a lot of plastic clips that may break easily when you change plugs. There are more. Read all the reviews of the supra from car care nut channel. Ive worked under the hood on bmws. Too much flimsy plastic. No thanks. I like the car but won't put up with inferior quality
I owned a 3rd gen IS350 and went for the M340i over the is500. It's literally the is350 with an engine swap. Same interior found in the early 2010s.... lexus couldnt even be bothered to give it wider front tires after significantly increasing the front weight with the v8.... to put it bluntly, the only thing that made me happy testing the is500 was putting the pedal down and hearing the V8. Literally everything else left me wanting more. Not to mention it's far more expensive than a used m340i with low miles. Don't even get me started on the trash transmission. The BMW however has amazing tech, interior, looks, handling, power and transmission. IF you wanna go and drop $1700~ in mods for the bmw it'll hit 500+ whp as well. Go for the BMW. unless you're just a lexus fan.
If you’re a professional driver and on the track very often then your arguments are fair, but if you’re a regular driver like 99% of us… idk bro i guess you have your preferences
@@KarlBrosef ill be real even driving around spirited can be painful in an IS. Imagine downshifting and counting to almost 2 Mississippi’s for the transmission to realize what you are trying to do (thats IF it even shifts at all). Ive owned a few IS’s and they are okay but somebody said they are an “old ladies idea of a sports car” and I couldn’t agree more lmao.
@@ChmojBoy That’s fair for spirited driving. I think the is 500 wasn’t even originally supposed to happen , but the engineers really just wanted to “me slap v8 in smol car” and leadership just went ahead and allowed it, hence why it’s called a parts bin car. I ordered one in April and I’m expecting to take delivery in a few weeks. Not really a professional so maybe the transmission isn’t gonna be that bad for me. I must say tho, the m340i and the liftback m440i were in the running for me a while back.
The Lexus is damn near good at everything, but the bmw has just a couple of things that give it the edge depending on who you ask and who’s buying it, if your on the market, take a good look at your needs and wants and you will have to ur answer between these two
Great Review. The IS 500 for reliability and would theoretically hold its value far better. Ive owned a 335i. Good luck with repairs costs pask the 100k mark. Lexus to own and BMW to lease. My 2 cents :). Also that V8 sound is worth the price of admission in my humble opinion.
IS500 all the way, That V8 is legendary and combined with rear wheel. My only wish they should have combined it with Manual. It would have completed this car. I would do Burn outs and Donuts on this car all day long. What a amazing car, Last of the V8's. Next Generation would never know what an amazing V8's were.
@@JacesOwnWorldlol How so? You're getting a very similar package to the M340i for basically the same price. It also competes well with the Audi S4 and is priced accordingly.
The is500 is goinf to retain it's value by a long margin given that V8s are very rare now a days and we see that even with the huge price increase of the 08-12 Lexus ISF
Hmm, buy a BMW after a year because it will loose 10g in value!! Lexus IS 500 for me. Give a natural engine, heated/cool seats and comfort. BMW, lease it so when the tech starts turning to shit, you can turn it in!!
The IS 500 is not really meant to be an M3 competitor. It is a lot less expensive to buy and doesn't have as big of brakes or cooling capacity or as wide of tires. It's more or less an M340i fighter.
V8 all day for fun. It could use a little tuning to speed up the transmission though. RR racing I think has a an engine tune that but it also speeds up shifts at least on the older tunes for the 3rd gens.
