12-14 Mustang V6 vs 06-13 Lexus IS350? Planning a purchase

[Potatoe_guy]

Sup everyone I’m new here. So the unfortunate happened, someone stole my moms car and crashed it. A complete lost but things happen. Fortunately I will let her use my truck for work since it’s relatively close to our home but that means I need a new daily driver which is a great opportunity.
I went to the drawing board, the 3.7 V6 mustang and is350 are my final two choices. I say those two because 300 horsepower is plenty and honestly I’ve never driven a car with that much power, the closest I got was a v6 Sierra that made 280 wheel but I can’t obviously compare a truck to a car but I wanted to know what both cars are capable of in terms of simple bolt ons and a handheld tuner. From what I know is that the is350 doesn’t have a big aftermarket support so that’s why I’m leaning a little more on the mustang. Obviously I want to know how reliable they are, how they are as a daily and what the maintenance is really like. Any information helps. Thank you

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[Balr14]

Depending on what years and price range you are looking at, there may be better options. Realistically, neither has any worthwhile performance upgrades. You can add an intake and exhaust and make more noise, but that's about all.

 

[Cordero1]

I've always liked the Lexus IS250+. But for a daily a -2012 LS460 would be my pick

 

[Hack]

I really like the Mustang V6. I owned a 2011 with a manual transmission at one time and I thought it was a lot of fun. I remember chirping the rear tires at ~50 mph when shifting into 3rd. That engine has a great high revving character. I'm not sure whether the automatic transmission version is as good.

I think if you want to upgrade, it's probably better to go to a Mustang GT vs modifying the 6, though. That might just be me. I know there are some options available for increasing power.

I assume the Lexus has IRS. That's probably the biggest difference. The Lexus will probably have a softer, smoother ride and it will probably turn corners a little better. It will also handle rough pavement better.

I'm not sure how much more a 2015 with the V6 would cost, but the ride is a lot softer in the S550 Mustang. There are also quite a few other upgrades. Something to consider.

 

[ChiknNutz]

Before I picked up my GT I was also considering an IS, but for me, I would have chosen an IS200T since it is a turbo car. While still somewhat limited, this route offers more performance options, plus being boosted is just more fun IMHO. Still, the performance of any of the IS variants is a bit underwhelming. If you want better performance, you need to step up to the RC series. If reliability is one of your main factors, it is hard to beat good ol' Toyota longevity.

 

[Hack]

Before I picked up my GT I was also considering an IS, but for me, I would have chosen an IS200T since it is a turbo car. While still somewhat limited, this route offers more performance options, plus being boosted is just more fun IMHO. Still, the performance of any of the IS variants is a bit underwhelming. If you want better performance, you need to step up to the RC series. If reliability is one of your main factors, it is hard to beat good ol' Toyota longevity.

I don't know. From my experience owning a Toyota(Subaru) - I wouldn't trust Toyota at all. There are so many stories of people having problems while the car is still under warranty and the dealer tells them they will have to pay.

Maybe if you own a Camry it will be reliable, but anything that's sporty I'm not so sure. I think the Mustang with the V6 is a lot better than a Toyota, unless you just want to putt putt around.

 

[Led_footed4]

I drove a 2002 IS300 with a manual transmission for 19 years. Only needed oil, tires and brakes for 200,000 miles. Absolutely no complaints. When it was time to get a new car, the main reason I didn’t get another IS 300 or IS350 was the lack of a manual transmission option. I bought a 2017 GT PP with a manual transmission. Not as reliable but much more fun to modify and drive. Hope this helps.

 

[MAGS1]

I really like the Mustang V6. I owned a 2011 with a manual transmission at one time and I thought it was a lot of fun. I remember chirping the rear tires at ~50 mph when shifting into 3rd. That engine has a great high revving character. I'm not sure whether the automatic transmission version is as good.

I think if you want to upgrade, it's probably better to go to a Mustang GT vs modifying the 6, though. That might just be me. I know there are some options available for increasing power.

I assume the Lexus has IRS. That's probably the biggest difference. The Lexus will probably have a softer, smoother ride and it will probably turn corners a little better. It will also handle rough pavement better.

I'm not sure how much more a 2015 with the V6 would cost, but the ride is a lot softer in the S550 Mustang. There are also quite a few other upgrades. Something to consider.

My 2016 was a V6 auto. It was a good car and the cyclone engine is super solid. The trans was solid and smooth, not as fast as the 10 speed though obviously. 3.15 gears was the only option on the S550 V6 autos if I recall correctly

 

[Hack]

I drove a 2002 IS300 with a manual transmission for 19 years. Only needed oil, tires and brakes for 200,000 miles. Absolutely no complaints. When it was time to get a new car, the main reason I didn’t get another IS 300 or IS350 was the lack of a manual transmission option. I bought a 2017 GT PP with a manual transmission. Not as reliable but much more fun to modify and drive. Hope this helps.

As an outsider who has never purchased an actual Toyota built vehicle, I think Toyota is good at making cars like the 2002 IS300. Nice interior, 215 hp, 0-60 7.4 seconds. Slow, not sporty at all, but reliable.

The 2011 V6 Mustang makes a lot more power ~300 and is a lot faster. About 2 seconds faster 0-60. That's a huge difference. And it has a Fisher Price really cheap interior, which is a huge difference as well.

My experience with Fords from the past is they are very reliable in general. I've had several Fords well past 200,000 miles. Lately I tend to buy and sell more, but that's more for fun than any necessity. I purchased my pickup with something like 230,000 miles on it over 10 years ago. I've had to replace a few minor things like a coil, exhaust components and fuel pressure regulator, but it's been a good vehicle for me. I have changed a lot more than oil and brakes, though. All the fluids have been replaced including coolant, brake fluid, front and rear diff and transfer case multiple times in the last 10 years.

 

[Nagare]

My 2016 was a V6 auto. It was a good car and the cyclone engine is super solid. The trans was solid and smooth, not as fast as the 10 speed though obviously. 3.15 gears was the only option on the S550 V6 autos if I recall correctly

You could get the 3.55 too, but it definitely feels even better if you can swap in the 3.73 Torsen rear end like I did while I had mine.

If you get it for a good price, the V6 is a nice car for sure. Can't speak to the 12-14 one, but my 17 was great to me. Probably wouldn't go with all the stuff I ended up doing on mine again, but there are some Procharger and turbo kits floating around out there if you want a meaningful increase in power, but a GT would probably be similar in final cost and maintain its value better.

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