Latest Officlal Lexus IS-F Survey Shows Strong Youth Demographic

Interesting I guess...but I wonder as well of those surveyed and in their 20's, how many of them could afford this car...many of the participants, if owners of the older IS, many of these owners have a car that was cheaper to afford when new and many used IS's have become aftermarket customizations.... Maybe it should have been opened up to a variety of people. I have to agree, the blue is my favorite color on this car. Well here is to the 100 comments on BMW vs Lexus again! LOL!

Well if Lexus prices the car cheaply enough, then they can get a younger market in the fold.

This strategy would then allow them to upgrade to larger "F" models as they become available and never move "up" to the M Series. With Lexus' current resale rate, a killer lease program would keep the payment low and encourage that demographic to take the plunge.

They could, but the likeliness of Lexus doing this is zero I am sure. This car will be sold out I predict anyway for the first year, for those wanting something that is new on the market (as will the first run of M3's)I own a BMW and I really like the IS. It's one Lexus that I think has presense on the road. Now the hood of the F version is hideous, otherwise looks nice. THis Lexus survey was more to show who is dreaming of owning such a car I guess. Since most 20 somethings are in college or just out and trying to get a place going in life.

Great. So does this mean we're going to get a bunch of trust fund kids driving these things around? I hope Lexus prices it out of their reach...it needs to be exclusive if they want to take part in the AMG/M/RS fold. The simple fact that they want to limit production doesn't automatically make it an exclusive car. It has to not only be desired by all but attainable to a certain few.

um, no, people in their 20s won't be able to afford a $50,000 car. most don't even earn that much in a year. so what's the point of the survey?

and could you guys at autospies be any more in bed with lexus marketing?

A good lease program could nullify the payment issue, but then there is the insurance aspect.

There will be no good lease program on a car of which only 1000 will be built. Here in the Bay area alone, there are thousands of twenty somethings who earn 2-300 thousand per year.

Sorry, people in their 20's can afford nice cars. I bought my B6 when I was 24...and from my other comment you can guarantee I'm no trustfund squatter. But you're right, there's only a small percent that can afford it. And in that small percent, an even smaller percent that are true car enthusiasts. So their target audience ought to be 35+...which doesn't really explain their polling audience.

I am 21, a Full time student and small business owner. I Purchased a $40,0000 CTS all by my lonesome. I have a lot of freinds who have the same spending/buying power as me, the majority of them rather have a 335 for the same price as the ISf. Personally, I rather have a stock IS 350 without all that s*itty cladding. I would assume the next car im looking at will be in the 50k+ area and this won't be on my list.

those 20-somethings who can afford a $50,000 car are a tiny minority. as a result, the average buyers of cars in this price range are typically well into their 30s and 40s...and older.

mitch:

and those earning $250k a year in san fran need it to survive. a crappy house in that market costs over a $1MM. you can't have it all when you're trying to buy your first home in san fran. whereas people in their 30s and 40s often have typcially owned for a while and have far more disposable income for things like...cars.

you're missing the point guys. the VAST MAJORITY of 20-somethings cannot afford a car that's $50k+. there will always be exceptions. but they're 3 standard deviations out from the median.

yep, sorry to say there won't be any great leases on the IS-F, I looked all over the place for a great lease on a IS350 to no avail.

What exactly does this mean? Nothing. Take a survey of how many young kids have a pix of a Lambo on their wall, measure their excitment and interest...will they ever have one - probably not. This car is going to be north of $65k for sure. The youngest average age new vehicle ownership is 26 years old. That vehicle is under $17k. So the people who love this vehicle are 20-29, great. The vehicle will sell for sure given Lexus enthusiast share - but come on to under 30's, not likely.

I wonder what the IS-F insurance premiums are for the 20-somethings?

Probably similar to those 20's that owns an "M" or "AMG".

You mean BOTH of the 20 years olds that own one?

I am one who is the other.I am 21 an own my M3. Yes i bought it myself not my parents. I am more sucessful that alot of you older people so don't act as if people in there 20s can't afford these types of cars. We are the ones who carry them to the limit and don't cruise around all day.

There a few posters here who are well informed, write decently and don't over-react when someone begs to differ, rudely or otherwise. Both atomicbri and enthusiastx11 are in this category. As actually are Will. S4cabriofox. I don't know you guys at all (you could even be gals for all I know) but I like your posts.
Then there are those who rail madly, or take off on a tangent with little or no provocation. In other words, a balanced mix of good and not so good. I won't mention names here.
Speaking of the ISF and balance though, methinks the ISF's got a lot of fine details and great engineering, but may be lacking in passion. The 20-30 age group needs the flash and doens't have the cash. The 35+ group seems to go with maturity, but I sure wish there was something out there that had getup-go, balance, AND passion AND finesse.
Oh for a 4-door GTR!

Thanks Lyall. I just love cars and love a good discussion about them. I don't look at cars just as brands. I look at all aspects...design, fun, handling, passion. Doesn't matter to me if it is a BMW or a Lexus if it is fun to drive and interesting. I drive a 3 series and say I also like the current IS, it looks good on the road, the best looking Lexus so far IMO. I will be curious on the "feel" this car will have....will it "feel" special when you drive it, will it speak to you and make you feel like you are a part of it when you drive it like a BMW M3. Will be fun to try out and I will hold my opinion on that until I drive it!

Thank you, Lyall. I agree with atomicbri. I try to discuss cars in an enthusiastic manner, and I truly do open myself to any new model that comes out. It's just hard to contain myself on this site, which has more idiots than informed posters!

I wonder how much value there is to any company using the "build your own" feature as way to asses demand for certain packages and options. I know personally I am constantly building different cars with the options I would like. It by no means means I can afford them. Don't most people add options they would like when building a car, it doesnt mean those are the ones you end up with. Not really a good indicator.

I wonder who the genius was that wants this car directed at 20 something punxa$$3$?

The body kit on this car would have looked good on the Corolla, but looks weak on a $50,000 car.

The design looks is more of function over looks. The hood, im not a fan of, but its there to accomadate the V8. The larger bumper intakes are there for better cooling. Really over all it does not look bad. In person all the new bits are more subtle than the pictures shows.

As for the age bracket, have you guys ever considered the fact that maybe not all of them are as poor as you think? Some parents do go for the graduation gifts. At 20 years old, its most likely the parents are paying for it(IMO parents wouldnt pay 65k for their son's car), from 25 and up where some have stable jobs and enough money to support themselves could afford it depending on his fiancial state. For some its still a dream car.

First of all, this will be a limited-production vehicle. There will be fewer IS-Fs even produced than M3s, so a rarity/"collector's item" factor will come in to play. Second, who said the M3 was "aimed at an older crowd?" How was this conclusion reached? I've seen no one over 40, maybe even 35 in a BMW M3, ever. All of the German tuner cars are most popular with a younger demographic. The first time I saw a W220 S65 AMG, it was a 20-something behind the wheel.

Really? I know plenty of 60-somethings and 50-somethings who either own M3s or aspire to. That just means you probably only have forty-year-old friends.

And you do realize, as "limited production" as the IS-F is, Lexus wants to eventually produce more... to make a profit. It's all about money. The IS-F won't be a huge hit at first, because it's a brand new, unproven vehicle. However, if Lexus is lucky enough to have it become as legendary as the M3, it will sell accordingly. In other words, they want it to be another car for midlife crises.

Not everything at Toyota/Lexus is about making a profit. Toyota could take years off of wanting to make a profit and still be ahead of the Big 3. Fact.

The IS-F is a new venture that of course Lexus would like to be successful but they are not betting all of their money on this car. Lexus is a wise company, remember that.

It's disappointing that the option packages will dilute this car's performance with too many unnecessary luxury features, but it gives me the feeling that it's hard for Lexus to deviate from its philosophy. This, on paper, looks just like any other Lexus- automatic transmission, tons of fancy options, and a not-so-sporty-looking interior. I'm excited to see whether or not this luxury car formula actually equates to a sports sedan. Maybe it will! I hope so.

Unnecessary luxury features? Compare the "Option C" package here to the features list of the M3 and then rethink that statement. It's so easy for you to come here and make claims that this is just another overluxed Lexus sports car. Think and rationalize differently.

Hah. You really hate me! LOL!

Take a look at this options list. For a Lexus-proclaimed "performance sedan," it doesn't seem very sporty. I AM SPECULATING. I will admit that. But the M3 does not have backup camera, seat coolers, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, etc... again, I think that this looks like it could be any other Lexus. SPECULATION.

I noticed you de-boosted both of my posts, as is your ritual. I find it immature and have taken to not doing anything with yours.

I haven't done anything to yours. You thrive off knowing that people have some sort of feelings towards you, whether they be positive or negative.

Cat fight!!! LOL

maybe im just around more affluent people, but any one of the mid 20's people i know can afford an M3/IS-F if they wanted, even though most probably dont make more than $50k after taxes. so they wait 2 years (or have already worked a couple years) and want to spend "stupid" money on a dream car. i cant tell you how many 20's are driving the E46 M3 right now. maybe once in a while i see an old white guy or the rare middle-aged woman.

i have one friend specifically waiting on the GT-R. he is dead set on the car and is 26 years old. haters will call the GT-R rice, but its still going to be a $70k car. we've talked about it a lot and hes making me think about taking the plunge too....but i shouldnt. i mean...think of all the steaks i could eat =)

Agree, I personally dont like the cars styling and I am 27 and can afford it if I wanted it, but if they are only making 1000 of them , they will not have a problem finding that many 20 somethings to buy them.

Just between my close friends who are all 25-28, i can think of 10 that could afford it, and thats just my close friends. At the last place I worked about half the office was 20 somethings and there were Cl500's,Cl55 AMG's, Range Rovers,S4, escalades, M5's, M3's ect in the parking lot. Times have changed fellas, if your willing to bust your ass, you dont have to be 30+ to have a nice expensive car anymore

TheSailor - Good Call about Lexus's strategy . I too think that they are playing it shrewdly by testing the market with small runs to lay the ground for the F brand per se. I am sure they did their home work, and studied how the M brand was born .. and not how it has morphed into the luxury barge it is today.

My statement about the M cars is not to disparage them by any means . They are great cars that everybody likes.
But they have lost the edge they used to have ( which in turns makes them more accessible to a lot us). Strangely, the enthusiastic crowd that liked them initially are the ones that set the stage for the current ones to have that legendary factor.
(Porsche 911 is a similar story)

Except the 911 hasn't lost it. It's still the best-driving sports car in the world, regardless of price, power and "prestige."

It's more of a Japanese tuner type car obviously it will appeal to the younger crowds. M3 is for the older crowd who wants an all around good sports car.

As good as the IS-F is it is no M3. The M badge has been around for so much longer it holds more heritage. The IS-F will be just a high performance version of the IS but I don't think it will gain the respect like an M3. An IS-F pulling up to a classy gathering I would think most would assume you're a youngster. In an M3 they recognize the brand and the car and know about it's history.

If BMW makes a CSL model again no Lexus IS-F can compete with that. They are going to take out the back seats of a sedan? I don't think so.

that whole post is absolutly retarded. Where the hell did you go to school? did you even go to school?

Please stop posting on this site, you personaly are ruining it.

Okay rich Asian kid is totally different from rich Asian parents. Not all Asians are rich so don't stereotype. Another thing is that it's not majority women that drive an M3. I don't know where you live that's a false statement.

I'm Asian myself but I think I can speak for the "white folks" who are financially capable of getting an IS-F. I think they would be going European for more class than boy racer and the over all driving experience.

I know if I wanted a performance luxury sedan I would be looking at the RS4/C63/E63/M6/RS6 instead of the IS-F. I'm not a rice hater but I like European engineering more. If I wanted a sports/GT car that knows it's a sports/GT car and not a sedan I would be looking at a Porsche 911/Mercedes SL/BMW 6 series/Audi R8/ and cars in that price range; If I wanted a super car it would be a Porsche 911 Turbo(Under-rated)/Carrera GT, Ferrari, or Lamborghini.

Let me rephrase that: I think they would be going European for the overall driving experience and more class than for the boy racer looking car.

what a load of crap.

First of all, saying that "white folks" will prefer "class" to "boy racer" is racist.

You think it is only Asian kids driving around in the Honda Civics with giant wings and loud exhaust systems?

we're just recognizing a raciste here! Wow bravo!

like the kids gonna have money to buy a Lexus IS-F!

Anthony,

If you're talking to me about being racist you obviously didn't read what I said. I am Asian myself.

Are you offended because you drive a Honda Civic with a big spoiler and exhaust? Slow your roll buddy. No racism was intended or else others would have said something.

All i was saying was that not Asian's Kids drive IS's or nice cars in general. Not all are as fortunate so it can't be a stereotype like that. Another thing is Boy Racer does not mean JAPANESE ONLY!. It is a general statement so I don't see how you found that racist.

But if you think about it, A Euro tuner is more expensive to tune than an Japanese Import. So if someone can afford it they may go Euro. Not all but many I know do and I see it all over. Ethnicity plays no role in this to justify what culture drives what.

Your replies make my eyes bleed RICEMASTER. Are you a masochist?

Just because I spoke from a white persons point of view i'm a white wannabee? It's not surprising to see how immature you are at thinking. I don't know anyone who would eat a crap diet just to make a payment. But I can imagine a less fortunate person dine on Ramen noodles just to survive another day. You have to stop speaking for all us Asians because you make us look bad.

If someone can't afford an IS nevermind the IS-F they won't buy it or can't buy it. Are you and your friends such dreamers that you would throw away your health just to make a payment for a car? which in this case would be 95% of your income if you even work at all. You obviously still live with Mom and Dad. Welcome to the real world kid.

You said "A young person can afford an IS-F if they is Asian." Does this mean after the initial sales of the IS-F the so called rich asian kids are going to die due to health complications from undernourishment? get your head out of your *** and grow up a little.

You accuse me of being racist and you call me a white wannabee? how immature. This world is only racist to you because perhaps you're racist YOURSELF. Don't be pointing things at me when you should look at yourself in the mirror everyday.

Anyways, to clarify with all the "ASIANS & WHITE FOLKS", not all people of ethnic backgrounds can afford nice cars. Not all are as fortunate. I'm Asian( A proud Chinese/Taiwanese) but I don't go around saying we're #1 and we are rich and we can afford this and that like RICEMASTER did. Only posers speak this way.

Let me get this straight, The number one demographic for the Lexus IS-F is the group that cannot afford the car. LOL! If Lexus is relying in a bunch of rich kids to provide the majority of IS-F sales then the IS-F is in trouble. The looks of IS-F screams teenager. Too bad they won't be able to afford it. I'll pass, thank you. I prefer a more mature looking ride (like the standard IS350)

SOMEONE has been going around, de-boosting my comments to -4... only my comments! Odd.

As to people's behaviour on this site: I have come to the conclusion that some asylum somewhere allows their patients to have Internet access.

...further evidence...

The great thing about the internets is that any one from about 5 to 105 can use it. A 15 year old (probably the under 20 category) can click options, but I don't think he/she would buy the IS-F.

Lexus pimped the IS and ended up with a juvenile ride. No wonder it appealed to such age group.

Lexus ALWAYS understates their 0 - 60 times by at least .5 seconds. Here are the results of the 5 Top Luxury Cars in this test which was reported in the January Issue of Car and Driver. Please note these tests were all done on the same day at about the same time and at the same altitude. The results reflect the average of 3 runs and all cars are the 2007 vintage.

Mercedes S550 5.6, 0 - 60 quarter mile in 14.1
BMW 750iL 5.7, 0 - 60 quarter mile in 14.2
Jag XJ Super 6.0 0 - 60 quarter mile 14.5
Lexus LS460L 6.2 0 - 60 quarter mile 14.6
Audi A8 6.8 0 - 60 quarter mile 15.2

Note that Lexus, as usual, is more than the 5.4 the manufacturer CLAIMS to get by .8 seconds.

Also note the LS430 (prior model the LS460 replaced) was rated at 295 HP and was actually 278 when Lexus corrected their rating. And there were no refunds or apologies from the so-called "quality" car company. ABC - Always Be Careful what you buy from the Lexus people.....

Oh yeah? I've got two words for you:
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