Lexus IS 300

bowlingguy

Please refer to my post #660 about the need for LSD on the IS 300. Does your car have it and do you think it was worth the search. Thanks.

bowlingguy

I talked with carsdirect.com and they said that I would need to go out to Cali to get the car or pay a huge delivery fee to get it to Fl. I went ahead and got a local dealer to get me the Auburn Sky without LSD. Lots of Blue ones here but no LSD. Lexus of Melbourne Fl has a green and a white IS 300 with LSD. I thought about it but I really didnt like the colors.

s852

The person on the Carsdirect live chat told me that I can only buy a car within 30 miles of my home.

raybear

Why?

v_tech

jkmfromla- i have to agree with you. hvan3 is just talking smack. i myself have seen many ladies behind the wheel of the IS. last week i saw at least 4. just goes to prove to everyone that hvan has no idea what he is talking about. now he is probably going to come back and call it a girly car.

vvti

silverlex

Welcome to the family. Be sure to drop in at IS300.net when it's back up again, if you haven't already. There isn't a site on the web that comes close to the info you can find there.

trd4me

Dealers usually only offer the LSD option in cars that have the lux. leather package. At least that's what the dealer told me where I bought my IS. I was looking for black, silver, or yellow exterior. Yellow was exempt from the lux. leather package, so I ended up getting the silver, fully loaded with all options for $31,500.00 in SO.Cal. I think LSD usually is only going to be found in the cars that the dealerships have fully optioned out, which are usually only the black, silver, and white colors. If someone is looking towards purchasing, going with all options even if you can't find the exterior color of choice isn't too bad since current TMV is really low. Heads still turn in traffic no matter what the color

trd4me

I forgot to mention, for those of you in Southern California, there are Lexus dealerships who will actually install Rod Millen parts (no, I'm not trying to plug the brand, it's just the only parts I can find)for your IS300. So, the money you save in getting TMV for your car can be spent on intakes & exhausts that can turn that 215HP to 231HP! okay!?! That's just for the people who complain that there isn't enough power. Anyhow, I don't know why people are so afraid of the word "modify". Maybe because it seems to be synonymous with the "boy racer" term. Perhaps "tuning" would be more politically correct since it seems to work for BMW and MB who each have their own official "tuners".

mjoo600

silverlex, or any other is300.net members,

have you heard anything about when the site will be back up, the cause of the site being down, or what the site owner's plans are to continue the site (I haven't had my is300.net fix for awhile, suffering from withdrawal...)?

Thanks.

silverlex

That it would be back up today. Cross your fingers....

nohash1

i heard that if you are a previous lexus owner the is a loyalty rebate is that true?

ilovests

I made a very startling discovery today while driving. I did not know that Lexus is making Spectras. If I were to spend 28,000+ on a car, I would not want it looking like a Kia.

What a shame... Too bad for Lexus.

peter80

I don't have much to say about LSD. I wanted to get it, but when the dealer I was working with found an IS with the interior and exterior colors I wanted I went ahead and bought it even though it didn't have LSD. I live in the North East so I am a little worried about performance in the snow. On the other hand, people managed with rear wheel drive cars for decades wihtout special traction technology. Ask me again in the Spring!

jkmfromla

Unless I'm wrong, doesn't the LSD transfer power to one wheel if it senses the other one is slipping? How does this work with traction control? My IS300 came with the LSD, but I actually disengage traction control because I like a little wheel spin and I don't like the way the car drives with it on...it gets bogged down when I try to turn and accelerate at once.

Also, I checked with L-Tuned today and they said they should have some "aftermarket" parts by September. They're dealer installed and guaranteed by Lexus, but still considered aftermarket. The person I spoke to said they'd have some 18" wheels, improved suspension, and other mods, but no performance upgrades. He said those may arrive later. Sounds interesting.

silverlex

Not sure if you've heard, but if you bought your IS before February, you most likely have a Traction control ECU that is too sensative, and so when you have it on and try to accelerate out from a stop, you get the TRAC engaging and the "bogging" occurs.

This issue has been discussed on IS300.net for months. There's a TSIB # on the issue, and Lexus currently has a new TRAC ECU as well as an ECU reprogram available if you want it, but it's not mandatory. The number is TSIB-EG003-01

Many have had it installed, (I'm still waiting for mine to arrive), and have posted positive results, as well as improved shifting when in M mode.

Hope that helps.

peter80

Great post silverlex. I spent an hour wading through all the posts on this topic on is300.net and even then I didn't have quite so clear an understanding as you just presented.
Even though I bought my IS in June, it has a VIN number that falls in the range of those that might require a fix. So far I haven't notice any "bogging" problems, but I'll bring it up at my 1K service appointment and see what my dealership has to say.

nohash1

how much would it cost for a fully loaded IS300. luxury package,leather, moonroof, heated seats, this would be around the chicagoland area, but would go somewhere else to buy.

silverlex

I don't know what they're selling for in Chicago, but I wouldn't pay more than 31K before tax for one loaded to the gills. Shoot me an email (silverlex@extremefx.com) if you're interested in shopping the Atlanta area. I can recommend a dealer.

flywithme

OK--I've finally settled on the IS 300 after taking my third test drive and comparisons with cars across the board. My first choice is a Graphite color IS300 with Ivory interior and fully loaded. However, I can't find any dealer with one here in Northern Cali. In fact dealers have told me they have not seen any Graphite with Ivory interior--has anyone seen one? My next choice would be Graphite with all options, but I haven't found that yet either (am still checking with other dealers). So I can settle for Graphite color with only LS package (no LSD!)/black interior or I can go with my second choice, black exterior/ivory interior and fully loaded. I don't know how important LSD option is, I do go to the snow maybe 2-3 times a year. This is the main reason why I want the Luxury package, although wood piping is nice (but higher maintenance??) I have not seen any LS package with LSD option here. Can people tell me what they think?

silverlex

The Graphite/Ivory combo is a tough one to find. I don't think you'll ever find that. The only colors I see with the Ivory interior are blue and white.

The LSD option is useful in all weather, not just in snow. You're buying a performance car, and LSD adds to that, and for $300, it's worth it for when you decide to get a little frisky in the corners (dry or wet).

It's too bad IS300.net is down. They've been having some problems with thier server, so I don't know when it'll be back up. When it is though, there's a ton of people in your area that could give you more info.

stanny1

Two years ago I took out a 3 year lease on a Lincoln LS with the Getrag five-speed. It was either the Lincoln LS or a BMW because at that time, the only choice in a RWD, 4 door, Manual tranny car was the Lincoln LS OR a BMW. For $32,000, I don't think I made a bad choice. The Bimmers are way more expensive to buy and operate. Before the Lincoln, I drove a 1983 Toyota Cressida with five speed Manual. I modified the suspension, had 16" wheels installed, etc. But it was hit in the rear and the Lincoln was the best equivalent.
I had some disappointment when the IS300 came out with an automatic, and I think that not having a Manual was a big mistake.
While the Lincoln LS has a Manual, it is a heavy car and available only with a relatively low-tech 210hp Duratec V-6 from the upline Taurus. The new 3.9 V-8 is only available with an automatic.
While Lincoln-Mercury could make the LS a true BMW 5 series killer and they have the parts to do it, they lack the will. For instance, LSD is very needed and unavailable. The Getrag five-speed has no overdrive fifth gear, so 80 mph is a 3000 rpm proposition even with a 3:07 rear ratio. Of course, a six-speed Manual, which is getting increasingly common in the Audi, MB240, new Focus, Sentra and of course, the upcoming IS300 is the solution. A .70 sixth gear can allow low revs even with a deeper rear ratio.
Thus, the Lincoln LS Manual if unchanged, may remain a half-baked "performance car".
When my lease is up, I will consider the six-speed IS300. I really like the straight-six design over the V-6, having the same engine in my Cressida for 17 years with no problems.
Questions: does anyone know if the six-speed in the IS300 will be a Toyota/Lexus design or a Getrag? Does anyone know the ratios - tranny and rear end compared to the current automatic?
Lexus will be really dumb if they don't put LSD as standard in every Manual. You will just spin tires all day. Traction Control is not a substitute!
With a six-speed, the IS300 will be a real 3-series killer. With Toyota reliability, lower parts prices, and the potential to modify an engine from a family that goes from the Cressida through Supra and the early GS/SC300 series, this could be a monster car. Stan in San Diego

silverlex

It's not happening this year. It will be a five speed. I don't have ratios for you though, sorry.

jrct9454

Actually, 5th in the Lincoln LS is an overdrive...just not quite as long as your typical high gear in an American car these days. Nothing wrong with 3000 rpm at 80 mph.

For tight gearing and too many revs at highway speeds in 5th, the IS is unfortunately a prime example - it's one of the reasons the fuel consumption is too high for a car of this weight and engine displacement. Of course, the tight gearing makes for instant response in high gear, but I would prefer it more relaxed than the current ratios permit.

silverlex

Of course, the tight gearing makes for instant response in high gear

This is right on. I love the acceleration I get even in 5th. Many times in passing I don't even bother with 4th. But it comes with a price of fuel.

stanny1

I guess the early press was wrong about the six-speed. Toyota has had an excellent five-speed manual with overdrive since 1982 for RWD. It's been used in the Supras, Cressidas, Lexus SC300,etc. Essentially bulletproof to over 650 hp. If I remember right, the fifth ratio should be around .71. The rear end ratio used in the aforementioned models was around 3:73. A great tranny but today is the era of the six-speed. My guess is that Lexus, like Lincoln, doesn't want to pay for the Getrag six-speed, which probably costs over $2,000 at the manufacturer level. Of course, how does it end up in the Ford Focus and Nissan Sentra SE-R? One of life's little mysteries. One of the advantages of having an LS is direct access to the factory engineers at Lincoln-Mercury, who say that LM can't justify the cost of upgrading the Manual LS because only 2.5% of LS's are sold with the Manual. But I bet the % of manual owners would be higher for the IS300. Even the 3 series manual owners are probably only about 15% of owners in the U.S. Of course, in the rest of the world, Manuals are the "standard" transmission with over 90% of sales. At over $4.00+ per gallon for gas, it's still that way, even though slush boxes are way more efficient than years ago. Another problem for the LS as far as Manual upgrades go is the fact that the LS is no longer a "world car". The plan was for LM to export the LS and now that Ford owns Volvo, Volvo is the "world" car. So no need to even have a Manual LS. It may go the way of the Lexus SC Manual, the Cressida Manual, and other discontinued manual models. So a five speed is what we are both stuck with. What's the option: pony up the bucks for an M3 six-speed? Too bad.

jkmfromla

read your post and called the service dept and he knew exactly what i was talking about. he said the part is on national back-order and would arrive in about a month. surprised no one from lexus brought this up when i bought the car and when i took it in for the 1k inspection last week. thanks again.

silverlex

No problem...

They probably didn't mention it because it's one of those things that they won't fix unless you notice the symptoms. In other words, it's not a recall, just a recommended fix to "enchance performance". I think that's a lame excuse. Even then, you shouldn't need it unless your VIN# is under 10025186 for the ECU and 10029014 for the TRAC fixes.

jkmfromla

it's funny you want this combo because i see one everyday in the parking lot at work. i've got the silver/ivory combo, but most models i've seen have black interior. since graphite is a popular color, i don't see why they wouldn't have one with ivory.

actually, i think black interior is more flexible because you can get the aluminum or carbon fiber aftermarket trim. i saw a black/black one with aluminum trim and it looked nice. also, i've already got several marks on my door due to my shoe scraping against it as i exit. i don't think these would be visible on black.

i'm not sure if he was lying (because everything else he said was untrue), but a dealer in torrance, ca told me if you want LSD, you have to get the luxury package (lsd, heated seats, and ivory interior with the piping).

jrct9454

I've never seen it on any car that did not have the lux pack. One of the things I'm hoping for in the 2002 model year is some flexibility on dealer ordering, particularly in Calif. I backed away from the IS at intro time last summer because no cars with the 16" wheels were being shipped to any dealers in Calif, and I am not interested in a car that needs new tires every 20k miles, nor do I need the ultimate cornering of the 17" perf tires as much as I would like a little less busy-ness on lumpy surfaces.

You can agree or disagree with my choice / preferences, but the problem is that I had no choice at all because Toyota marketing decided no one on the Left Coast should get that choice. I suspect the same is true with the limited slip.

silverlex

It wouldn't be hard to sell the 17" rims/tires if you did so as soon as you bought the car. Then just go out and buy set of 16". Plenty of buyers out there for such a great looking set of rims, and performance tires. You'd come away with cash in your pocket since most 16" rims and tires would be cheaper.

You're right though. I don't think I've ever seen 16" on the lot.

On the topic of LSD, it was something I wanted and was shopping for, and the only ones I saw that had it were the ones loaded to the gills, which is what I wanted anyway, so it worked out. I've heard that about California as well, so I don't think they're pulling your chain.

jrct9454

Yes, I realize a swap is an option; the difficulty is that I want to drive the car first with the tires that will be the ones I am taking home. The ride motions with the 17s on typical SoCal wavy concrete freeway surface really put me off, and I'd want to be sure a taller tire [higher profile] actually makes a dent in the problem. I'm not much for spending 30k on the car, swapping the wheels/tires, and then discovering the swap doesn't solve my problem.

I know my point of view is not widely shared among the typical target audience for this car, so I don't expect Toyota to pay much attention...until sales start falling off, which is exactly what has happened. I think they misjudged just who the audience might be for the car, but it may take them awhile to figure that out. They think someone like me should be interested in an ES; instead, they could lose me to the German competition, all of which have nearly the same handling with better ride quality...never mind the zoomy, edgy image they want the IS to have. I think they have already found all of the zoomy-edgy part of the market that is out there, [absent those who are waiting for the manual trans, of course, but watch that particular submarket dry up just as quickly after 6-9 months next year] and have lost sight of the thing that makes the German cars so unique: the COMBINATION of great ride and great handling, with no special bias to one over the other.

I've been buying BMWs since 1966, and MBs since 1968 - what I really want are their tactile qualities in an affordable, dependable Japanese package. That's what I was originally hoping for when the IS was first conceived as the Altezza...instead, they targeted the hard, outer edge of the market, and now wonder why that part of the market is so small...duh....

italstallion

See this article regarding the version of the SportCross to be introduced in Japan on July 2nd. Great new pictures. It also says that 4WD will be an option. Wow - hope that's the case with the U.S. version!

http://www.mag-x.com/scoop/altezza_gita0106/index.html

silverlex

The whole marketing campaign and push for the IS went in the wrong direction. I watched ads where there was very little driving and a lot of talking and wondered what they were thinking. And when they did show it driving, it was through the mud!? Go figure. If they're going to hack into the Bimmer sales, they might as well go the distance and copy the Bimmer ads, with a Silver IS carving mountain roads.

After speaking with a lot of other owners, I've come to find out at 25, I'm one of the older ones driving this car. Throw up some heart pounding, twisty carving ads with music from your favorite rock star, and I think they'd see the sales start to form, just in a different age group.

jrct9454

Yeah, well, I'm 56, and as enthusiastic a road warrior as you are ever going to find, but I am not in the mood to have the car beat me up on typical Calif freeway surfaces. The backroad-carving stuff that feeds the advertising is something I do maybe 2% of the time - the rest of the time is suburban running around, and long-distance touring, just like the rest of everybody else. I'm way, way, way past needing to have my heart pounding - but competent, quick, predictable handling is something that everybody who cares about cars appreciates.

See, I'm 80% sure that the 16" tire-equipped car would be just what I'm looking for...I'm unable to prove that without traveling 2000 miles to a market where those cars are available. I'm in no special rush, so things may evolve the way I want them to...a good test is how they equip and pitch the wagon.

And your point about age / demographics helps make my point: there are only so many people under 25 with the means, resources, and desire to pony up this kind of money for a new car. Toyota is already finding out that may be a smaller niche than they thought - well, I'm waiting, checkbook in hand, whenever they want to get beyond their original vision and start really competing with the Germans in the market for a compact, quick TOURING SEDAN, which is what the 325 and C240 are.

peter80

jrct:

It's ironic you can't find 16" wheels. I wanted 17" wheels with graphite rims but couldn't find them. Ended up getting a car with 16" wheels, intending to put snow tires on them this winter and buy aftermarket 17" rims with summer tires next spring. I might change that plan though because a like the ride comfort vs performance balance that the 16" wheels provide.

Like you, I don't fit the IS target demographic. I'm 36, married with two kids. I prefer the look and image of the BMW 3-series better than the look an image of the IS. But in the final analysis, at least for me, the IS was more FUN to drive. Is it better to look happy or feel happy? Also, the stereo was better, the AC was better and I anticipate the reliability and service will be better.

The car I bought is blue with the luxury package (piping and wood). It did not have the LSD.

vocus

So why don't you all get together and trade wheels then?

silverlex

in test driving all the cars I did. The stereo in the IS goes above and beyond the call of duty. Rumor has it the 2002s will have subwoofer?

bigbadboss101

I like my Maxima, but am looking at some options, and a step up.

Here are some of the cars I want to look at, and have done some reading on but yet to test drive:

- Acura TL-S
- Nissan Maxima 2002 with 260 ponies
- 2002 Altima 3.5 V6
- Audi A4 (low performance to doe ratio), Camry
(blah), Grand Prix GTP (American), BMW (way
to much $$ for this boy).

I asked a friend about the above and he recommended the IS300. Now, those of you who have done shopping and decided on the Lexus, perhaps you can give me some opinions.

The Max I have has been reliable, and is nice, with good performance. Going to the TL-S, any Audi or BMW, or the Lexus I am looking at and extra $7,000 or so. Should I test drive all of the above, or are some of them not worthwhile? Are there others in the $30,000 +/- price range I should consider? Is the IS300 available in 4 door and 5 speed. I do prefer 4 doors, and manual. I do live in snowy Canada so RWD might be a bit more tricky.

What car did you have before you IS300? I guess acceleration is quite important, but handling, reliability, and fun factor is just as well. We boys always get stuck at the 0-60 numbers, and I think the IS300 as at 215 hp, and ??? ft/lbs, which on paper is less than some of the other in its class.

Hope to here your opinion. I do plan to do some testing the next little while. 90% chance it will be either Nissan, Acura, or Lexus.

drew_

mvs1

jrct9454:

With the IS300 selling so poorly I don't see why you don't express your problem with the wheel/tire combo to your dealer and state that it's the last determining factor in your purchase. I'm sure that they'll either order a set and sell them to you at invoice (best of both worlds) or have a set shipped in and mounted on a car so that you can test drive. The first seems more likely though.

bigbadboss101:

New Altima and Maxima will share the same engines in 02' (Optional on Altima). Acura TL competes more along the lines with an ES300 although the S-high performance version would only lack the handling of the IS300, similar P, TL is a slightly larger car. Audi for 02' will be redesigned,a bit bigger. Audi currently offers Turbot charged 4-cilinder and 2.8 liter 6 (3.0 liter for 02') IS300 is of coarse 4 doors w/ a manual tranny available for 02'.

hvan3

Wait for the new Infiniti G35. Then, make your choice. The G35 will probably give you for bang for the buck.

fxashun

bigbadboss101

Is there a good site for IS300 info, messages etc?

jrct9454

Yes, this is a rear-drive platform based on the Skyline, and should be a really great competitor in this category. Things are getting interesting in Nissan-land these days, after they had pretty much lost their way over the past decade or so. Mr Ghosn deserves all of the praise, money, and power he has acquired in the process of cleaning up what was a really ugly mess at Nissan. Now that the hard part is done, they are focused on producing good cars again...I am looking forward to this car, as it sounds more on target from my perspective than the first release of the IS. Of course, the 2002 iteration of the IS has a lot of small but interesting changes, so we shall see. Good time to be a car nut...

fxashun

does seem to ba coming on strong on paper at least. Let's see how the execution works out. I remember when Nissan was a real force. They kinda dropped off lately.

silverlex

IS300.net is the end all, be all for the IS. Unfortunately, the owner's T1 line has had some problems, and it's been down for a couple weeks. He expects it up very soon. You simply won't find a better place on the web to ask questions about or discuss the IS, as well as other Lexus and sports cars. It was an extremely useful tool while I was buying, and I continue to use it as a reference for any other questions I have.

Clublexus.com runs a close second for the IS, but is mainly geared towards the GS series and other models in the Lexus family. That's where all the .net memebers have been hanging out until the T1 is back up.

corkfish

For this car? You can get a WRX for $24,000 that will outperform it hands down. Even the $20,000 Sentra SE-R that's coming out this fall will accelerate better. I guess it's a status thing.

silverlex

Well, you sound like you're new at this, so I'll try to explain.

The WRX is a excellent car if all you value is driving performance. There's not much on the road that can keep up in the straights and the twisties. It's a boy racers dream, in the boy racers budget. I test drove one for the fun of it and had a blast. This car is fun to toss around, just as much as my IS. Acceleration was great, but a little bit of a let down - low end torque didn't seem to be there either. I guess I thought it would have more kick than it did, and the lag was noticable (where's the boost gauge?!), but that's expected. All in all though, a proven pocket rocket and a joy to play with.

As for interior (cheap), exterior (yikes), driving comfort (keep your trips short), luxury (what luxury), sound system (weak), safety (watch your back) and passenger room (squeeze in folks) -- well, you know. But that wasn't what it was designed for, and it's the main reason they only charge $24,000 for it. Improve/add those qualities I just listed, a moonroof, leather, xenon, real performance tires, 17" rims, heated power seats, climate control and Lexus reliablity/quality/service - you have a $30,000+ car, and consequently, a heavier one, affecting accleration and handling. It's a trade off really. That make sense? If you think the IS is overpriced, I can't imagine what you think of the 330Xi. That's where I might agree with your comment on status.

Enjoy it if that's the route you go. Should keep a smile on your face for sure.

bigbadboss101

I looked at the WRX, but did not get to test drive it. I prefer the old headlights, and find the interior plain. No roof, tight back seat etc. The back end isn't pretty either. Don't get me wrong, I always have been interested in the Impreza and looked at one couple years ago. It now has the power, but not enough luxury IMO.

Tested the IS300 and liked it very much. I will need to test drive it again to visit the twisty roads, and may be test the standard when that becomes available in September. The saleman told me leather and roof comes together, not one without the other.

pslosar

I am in the market for an IS 300 and just fired off some cars2udirect.com requests... still waiting for replies. I have not yet broached the price subject with local dealers. I have gathered from reading these posts that we are still paying more than other areas (surprise?!) Still wondered if any of you have had reasonable success in this market and would gladly accept information/ names for my search. Thanks.