The brake modulation could be better. Stopping distances from 70 mph are stellar-- 166 feet -- but on track and road, the brakes have an on/off digital feel. It was tough to ease off the brakes as we steered the IS F into corners. They're by no means awful, but this is a shortcoming the Lexus has and the M3 doesn't.
The IS F's handling, however, is hard to fault. There's a confidence to the chassis that inspires the driver to push it up to, and sometimes over, the limit. Lateral grip is good at 0.92 g, but on the track we found ourselves entering corners faster than the tires could handle, an indication of the bravery the Lexus's stability encourages. Coming out of corners, the IS F could use a mechanical limited-slip differential because the inside wheel has a tendency to spin when accelerating hard. Lexus relies on the stability-and-traction-control systems to counter that trait, but it's too intrusive for track use, so we shut if off.
On twisty, lumpy Carmel Valley Road, precipitous drop-offs and the instinct for self-preservation meant we left the driver aids engaged. There the systems proved less bothersome than on the track, and we enjoyed the IS F's electrically assisted steering and taut suspension but again wished for better brake modulation. Although the Lexus can feel at times a bit stiff in the knees, the bumps did little to upset the chassis. Both cars were astonishingly good on this 30-mile stretch and effortlessly soaked up the bumps while clearly communicating the wavy pavement to the driver.
In a few areas, the Lexus excelled. It's quieter at 70 mph, the relationship between the driver's seat and the controls is about perfect, and it scored points for not having BMW's infuriating iDrive.
We'd never kick this car out of our garage, and for a first swing, it's impressive, but there's a better choice.
2008 BMW M3 || Free Price Quote
In case anyone has forgotten that the "M" in BMW stands for "motor," let the M3's stunning V-8 be your reminder. This is a fantastic engine that surpasses expectations.
"The engine's power band is amazing," wrote Csere in the logbook. The 414-hp peak occurs at a lofty 8300 rpm, and that suggests a fussy, peaky mill that requires constant gearbox rowing to keep it on the boil. But it's just the opposite. The torque peak of 295 pound-feet comes at 3900 rpm, and excellent thrust is available from there to the 8400-rpm rev cutoff.
The magic gear for this car is third; it's the right ratio almost everywhere. Around Laguna's 2.2 miles and 11 turns, we shifted only four times: once into second gear for Turn Eleven, up to fourth on the front straight, then back to third for Turn Two, where it remained for the rest of the lap. There were a few places where we might have geared down to second, but the result would have been a greater chance for wheelspin and little if any speed difference.
The M3 blasted to 60 in 4.1 seconds, 0.3 second quicker than the Lexus and 0.1 quicker than the M3 coupe we tested last December, a surprising outcome since this sedan, which is not available with the coupe's carbon-fiber roof, was 109 pounds heavier.
Of course, the M3 is not just an engine. There's a chassis that's just as marvelous. Our car had adjustable shocks that offer three settings: comfort, normal, and sport. In sport mode, they remain at a fixed stiff setting; they adjust on the fly in the two others. On the recommendation of the M3 project manager, Bernd Limmer, we left the shocks in normal because, when selected, the computer reacts to various inputs from steering-wheel angle and wheel-speed sensors and might stiffen the shocks to an even greater degree than the sport mode would. The only time we noticed a difference was when we switched to sport on public roads and the normally firm ride became downright uncomfortable.
On the track, the M3 is decidedly livelier than the Lexus, more flickable yet every bit a confidence builder. One can seemingly plant this car anywhere, thanks to progressive brakes and steering that’s a benchmark of feel.
The steering effort has two modes: sport and normal. Sport increases the effort slightly and offers no performance benefit -- it's a matter of personal preference.
Electronics, it seems, are taking over this driver's car, but that's not all bad, particularly when it comes to the stability-control system. Again, there are three modes (on, M Dynamic, and off), but what's noteworthy is how transparently this system operates. In M Dynamic, it reacts subtly and recovers quickly, adjusting the car's trajectory almost imperceptibly. It's an ally on challenging roads, and we turned it off only during testing.
In every performance test of note, the M3 outgunned the Lexus, yet it didn't trail in refinement or comfort. The BMW's suspension, like the Lexus's, will never be accused of pampering its driver, but it absorbed every bump without upsetting the chassis.
The only way to get the adjustable shocks is to opt for the $3250 Technology package, which includes iDrive and its usual frustrations. The menu structure is cumbersome, and it's sometimes at odds with the dash buttons. For example, use iDrive to switch stability control off, and the system still operates. A press of a button is required to turn the system off.
Maybe BMW hasn't gotten this generation of iDrive right, but the rest of the car has no equal among many peers.
