Z06.R

Which one of these two would you choose for your daily driver to haul the family around in, and why?

JerriVette

They are both great vehicles but after reading the sept issue of www.windingroad.com I have to say that I'd go for the 300hp DI V6 and AWD of the 2008 CTS.

Good luck deciding and let us know which you end up chosing.

Ted P

I'd go for the IS 350 if I could swing it. Really quick (5 seconds to 60) compared to the IS 250 (7.4 )

Ted

C3 RV

I had an 04 CTS and really liked it. Lots of pep with the 3.6 and great handling with the sports suspension option (17" or 18" wheels). Winter driving is OK with a good set of winter tires on 16" wheels. I had very few problems and traded it in at 48K for an SRX.

If you are hauling passengers a lot, make sure you are OK with the back seat room. It lacks knee room behind a tall driver. Trunk space is average at best. (My SRX and Lincoln MKZ have lots of rear seat room and the MKZ trunk is huge.)

BrooklynC6

I had an 05 CTS-V and loved it - The regular CTS isnt bad either , and the new one coming out is supposed to be even better - The lexus has a much nicer interior but its MUCH smaller . Plus the 250 is very underpowered IMO - I went with my buddy to test drive both - the 250 is flat slow , and feels it , the 350 is a little bottle rocket . Both are great cars though .... I would say your best bet is to wait for the 300 HP V6 with the AWD CTS. Good luck

johnei

Yeah I think the CTS is a larger car.

EVIL_C5

I have an 06 CTS 3.6 Lux Package and love it! the only thing I would have added would be the 17 or 18 inch wheel package.

ptindall

You mentioned hauling the family. You'd have to be a pretty small family to fit well in an IS.

Z06.R

It's only me and my two kids.

But it seems like everyone is happy with their CTS's. I'll be looking to pick-up a slightly used one of these two cars in about a year or two, so I wanted to see what people thought about them now as new cars.

dmizer2167

I like the IS 250, but your kids would need to be very small to fit in that back seat.

The back seat in the IS is really only built for children under 5, although I heard Lexus might be re-designing the seats for more room back there in 2008.

I'd go for the BMW 328i. Sport package and a manual should run you about the same as the IS 250 and the pleather will be good at resisting stains. The 3'er has more room in the back seat and is more fun to drive.

Dueysan

Get the CTS. It actually has real backseats and is an excellent car. I always hate the "comparos" in magazines with entry luxury sedans. The CTS doesn't fair very well cause it's not as fast 0-60 and some other nonsensical tests that do not apply to real world driving. IS series is tiny in the rear as are most other entry level luxo cars, the much vaunted 3 series as well. The CTS has the same room as a 5 series for a fraction of the cost and looks twice as nice. The new CTS as someone has mentioned is sharp and a nice evolution of the first gen (I have a first gen though and it's a great car) but it's gonna cost a good deal moer than a new IS250. You can pick up a barely used first gen CTS for the price of an IS250 easily, especially with the new model coming out. The new 2008 CTS drops bombs on anything offered by the Japanese and German automakers in that segment for the pricepoint. I personally would not buy an AWD version....you just add more weight to the car and decrease drivetrain efficency. Unless you live in Alaska it's not necessary or even desirable frankly....money would be better spent on a spare set of snow tires before AWD with Michelin Pilot Sports (which I believe is what they are puting on the new ones) in the snow.

SharkAttack

I have a trouble-free 2004 CTS 3.6L with every option except nav and 48K miles - love it. Definitely larger than the IS. The new CTS raises the bar even further - awesome car!