Compare the2019 Lexus IS SeriesVS 2018 BMW 3 Series Sedan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS Series have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lexus IS Series are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre-Collision System in the IS Series as “Superior.” The 3 Series Sedan scores at most only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

To help make backing safer, the IS Series’ optional cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the IS Series and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus IS Series is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	IS Series	3 Series Sedan
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	36%	36%
Neck Stress	339 lbs.	345 lbs.
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	113 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Lexus IS Series is safer than the 3 Series Sedan:

	IS Series	3 Series Sedan
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	122	549
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	2/2.4 kN	3.4/3.4 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/1%
Lower Leg Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	GOOD

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus IS Series is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	IS Series	3 Series Sedan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	99	258
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	193 G’s	232 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	326
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	64 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	17 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the IS Series 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the IS Series’ reliability 15 points higher than the 3 Series Sedan.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 11th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 8th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2018 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in reliability. BMW is ranked fifth.

Engine

The IS Series has more powerful engines than the 3 Series Sedan:

	Horsepower	Torque
IS 300 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.	241 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
IS 300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	260 HP	236 lbs.-ft.
IS 350 3.5 DOHC V6	311 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
320i 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.	180 HP	200 lbs.-ft.
320d 2.0 turbo diesel 4 cyl.	180 HP	280 lbs.-ft.
330i 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.	248 HP	258 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the IS 350 is faster than the 330i (automatics tested):

	IS Series	3 Series
Zero to 60 MPH	5.3 sec	5.6 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	9 sec	9.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.1 sec	14.9 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	2.8 sec	3 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	14.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.4 MPH	97.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The IS Series has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan Diesel’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 15 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The IS Series has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 15.8 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the IS Series’ standard brake rotors are larger than those on the 3 Series Sedan:

	IS Series	3 Series
Front Rotors	13.1 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.8 inches

The IS Series stops much shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

	IS Series	3 Series
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	115 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The IS Series’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 3 Series Sedan’s standard 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The IS Series AWD handles at .89 G’s, while the 340i pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the IS Series’ turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (34.2 feet vs. 37.1 feet). The IS Series AWD’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan xDrive’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

The design of the Lexus IS Series amounts to more than styling. The IS Series has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is lower than the 3 Series Sedan (.28 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the IS Series get better fuel mileage.

The IS Series 300 RWD offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the IS 350 F Sport is quieter than the 340i xDrive:

	IS Series	3 Series Sedan
Full-Throttle	73 dB	75 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	70 dB

Passenger Space

The IS Series has 2.8 inches more front legroom and .8 inches more front shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in service department satisfaction. With a 14% lower rating, BMW is ranked 8th.

Ergonomics

The IS Series has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional in the 3 Series Sedan, the IS Series offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The IS Series’ optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the IS Series keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the IS Series is less expensive to operate than the 3 Series Sedan because it costs $189 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the IS Series than the 3 Series Sedan, including $204 less for a water pump, $443 less for a muffler, $91 less for front brake pads and $237 less for front struts.

Recommendations

Road and Track performed a comparison test in its October 2013 issue and the Lexus IS 350 F Sport won out over the BMW 340i.

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