Well, I had searched for a while for information on this exhaust, and what I found was scattered, so I decided to do a small write-up on the factory HKS Lexus exhaust that can be purchased and installed OEM. Lots of opinions with some facts - feel free to add your own impressions.
I bought my '07 IS350 in the spring and instantly was interested in the optional exhaust. First of all, the sound is completely different than the stock setup. At stock, you hardly hear any exhaust note, just motor. The exhaust is fairly quiet, however is louder than I was expecting it to be. Under normal operating conditions you can hardly hear it, but make the engine downshift during passing, and it is definitely noticable within the cabin (even with music turned up). I love the sound, it's deep without being intrusive. For an exhaust which appears to come to life at higher engine speeds, I was surprised that there was no drone on interstate cruising.
Appearance, IMHO, is top notch. I prefer the look of the traditional oval canister mufflers than the cylinder-shaped ones anyway, so that was a plus for me. The tips are larger than stock and appear to stick out a little farther too, which surprised me. I've seen a few others at the dealership and they all appear the same, so I know it isn't just my setup. I wish the tips were about 1/2 inch shorter, but it isn't anything to lose sleep over. I also lost that slight vibration we all had in our stock exhausts when I had this installed - they may use different hangers, I don't know. The welds are first rate too. Also, it is covered under warranty and should have no problems with those states with noise ordinances since it is an OEM part.
To me, the only downside with this part is what we would all expect - COST. It is pricey, to say the least. The cheapest one I've seen that's brand new is around $1100-$1200 uninstalled, which would place it in the super expensive category for exhausts. I think something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and in this case, it is overpriced. But I still like it.
As far as power goes - I don't have a dyno sheet so I can't prove anything. It doesn't necessarily feel faster to me, but the look and the sound are unmistakable.
That's all. Feel free to add your thoughts - sorry this ended up being so long.
I bought my '07 IS350 in the spring and instantly was interested in the optional exhaust. First of all, the sound is completely different than the stock setup. At stock, you hardly hear any exhaust note, just motor. The exhaust is fairly quiet, however is louder than I was expecting it to be. Under normal operating conditions you can hardly hear it, but make the engine downshift during passing, and it is definitely noticable within the cabin (even with music turned up). I love the sound, it's deep without being intrusive. For an exhaust which appears to come to life at higher engine speeds, I was surprised that there was no drone on interstate cruising.
Appearance, IMHO, is top notch. I prefer the look of the traditional oval canister mufflers than the cylinder-shaped ones anyway, so that was a plus for me. The tips are larger than stock and appear to stick out a little farther too, which surprised me. I've seen a few others at the dealership and they all appear the same, so I know it isn't just my setup. I wish the tips were about 1/2 inch shorter, but it isn't anything to lose sleep over. I also lost that slight vibration we all had in our stock exhausts when I had this installed - they may use different hangers, I don't know. The welds are first rate too. Also, it is covered under warranty and should have no problems with those states with noise ordinances since it is an OEM part.
To me, the only downside with this part is what we would all expect - COST. It is pricey, to say the least. The cheapest one I've seen that's brand new is around $1100-$1200 uninstalled, which would place it in the super expensive category for exhausts. I think something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, and in this case, it is overpriced. But I still like it.
As far as power goes - I don't have a dyno sheet so I can't prove anything. It doesn't necessarily feel faster to me, but the look and the sound are unmistakable.
That's all. Feel free to add your thoughts - sorry this ended up being so long.
