GS-F vs RC-F vs IS-F

[GMB]

It's a bit like a song from the originator, it sets the tone and the standard. Everything else is compared to the original "yardstick" and usually nothing can match it. That's why the ISF is the epitome of the genre.

Nothing else comes close.

[Jgtcracer]

1 hour ago, GMB said:

Nothing else comes close.

Having owned an RCF and ISF, im not convinced that the RCF or GSF are in any way lesser cars….

If anything, the RCF and GSF are improved evolutions of the original ISF.  History will look kindly on them all….

[RichGS11]

Depends on what you consider important but all three are much of the same.

If I was to start again I'd look at VED as that's something that will always creep up, and any car before 2017 will be on a collision course with £1k a year in the not to distant future. If running costs are a concern that is. As for fuel, the F range is kind on fuel considering the engine capacity.

Styling will always be a decider and the spindle grill is like marmite, and something that put me off of the newer vehicles. It's not my bag so I went with the ISF which was also kinder when it came to garage space. Perfect 4 door for my family and because I'm someone that likes to play with cars, a platform that has some pretty good support for modifications, mainly overseas.

The only issue is the fact that all three models are pretty much the same performance wise, the ISF being the lightest out of the three, including the RCF track edition, which is still heavier than the first ever F car! There's no head and shoulders performer, unless you modify them, which is where I'm at now with my ISF. I thought about chopping it in for one of the other models, but everything else would be a lot slower than where I'm at now with the ISF and they can't really do anything better than what I have, bar a nicer interior which seems to have delamination issues with its carbon trim! This is fundamentally why the F range is so unappealing to anyone outside of it. Lexus just don't push the boat out or go all in, they play safe and all the cars have kept almost identical performance figures over the years, whilst the competition have moved on.

I'd certainly look at the competition and see what's out there too. There's some good cars kicking around like the M8 competition, which for the price looks like an animal.

Good luck with your hunt.

[GMB]

Just trying to qualify my comments about the original usually being the best. I bought a very expensive boxed set of classical music ( I dare not mention the composer ) many years ago. A new digitally enhanced upgrade came out. - It was not a patch on the original. Never play it, always the original Georg Solti version from the 60's.

How do you improve on perfection? Or is that a silly question? They got it right first time with the ISF model range ( once they got the diff sorted ).  The later models - RCF, GSF, are great and I would have one any day but the original has a certain cachet or quality that makes it special, or maybe just me being biased?

[Bluethunder]

1 hour ago, GMB said:

Just trying to qualify my comments about the original usually being the best. I bought a very expensive boxed set of classical music ( I dare not mention the composer ) many years ago. A new digitally enhanced upgrade came out. - It was not a patch on the original. Never play it, always the original Georg Solti version from the 60's.

How do you improve on perfection? Or is that a silly question? They got it right first time with the ISF model range ( once they got the diff sorted ).  The later models - RCF, GSF, are great and I would have one any day but the original has a certain cachet or quality that makes it special, or maybe just me being biased?

Yes you are being biased! 🙂 I owned a ISF for 2 years before "upgrading" to the RCF. Both great cars.

[GMB]

I must admit I do like the ISF but RCFs are becoming reasonably priced so I would certainly consider buying one but not to replace the ISF, that's a keeper. AND the RCF tax can be cheaper too🙂!