Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
2001 Lexus IS 300, by Brent Romans. .
Happy motoring. ;-)
Pocahontas,
Town Hall Roving Host
Zul
One was pre-sold, and the other lasted 36 hours! Amazingly, the Black interior has been doing very well for us (Im in Orlando, FL)
It really looks nice. The Pearl effect on the White paint really looks sharp on that car. However, like they say, you really ought to see one first yourself!
Bill
1) I live in Denver. If I add snow tires to the car will I have a problem driving this car in the snow. I have never driven a rear wheel drive auto.
2) Since the car is so new, are they willing to take anything off MSRP? For most cars (even the 2001s) you can easily get 1/2 way between invoice and sticker?
THANKS!!!!
Anyways, the ride was extremely harsh. This usually means that it has firm chassis for good handling. But I was even more dissapointed that the IS300 didn't handle as good as the smoother 330i with the sport package. The car doesn't understeer a lot, but it is hard to position it. The steering is not accurate enough. This and other complaints contribute to marginal handling.
But of course this car is more affordable than the 3 series, but is still a poor value. Overall, I would prefer the 330i over the IS300 because of the more refined comfort, better performance, and much better ergonomics.
I wanted a IS300 for months and when they came to the dealership, I was excited for my first test drive..what a disappointment! No lumbar support at all, very little luxury, and was not that impressed with the handling. My wife also liked the BMW better, so we bought the 323I. I still think Lexus makes fantastic automobiles,however I do not believe the IS300 is the BMW killer as the media said it to be.....
I don't think the IS300 ride is as bad as you say though. I think the ride fits the target. The car is a quick, light, and aggressive car with good handling and fabulous brakes. It's what young people would like the Integra R to be.
I don't care for the 'funky' interior, either. The 3 series is definitely more refined and 'softer' in many ways, but it's obviously quite a bit more expensive too.
The IS is a lot of fun to drive though!
Once again, something for everyone.
If you live in the snowbelt, it's important to order the limited slip. Combine that with the standard traction control and you'll do ok
IF YOU GET SNOWS!
OK, so maybe you live where snow is quite infrequent and when it happens, light (Say, Kentucky or TN)
But if you live in Colorado, get a set of snows. If I recall, Michelin and/or Pirelli makes H-Rated snow tires in the IS's size. I have used them before on my '95 Jaguar (Pirelli Winter 210Ps.. but the have been supercedes) when I still lived in NJ and they work very well. Unlike a lot of the low-rated snows, such as Blizzaks, they are also decent in the dry. The Blizzaks made my Jag handle worse than a Town Car!
Bill
Glad I'm in Orlando now...
I agree with a lot of the issues discussed in ths forum and would like to add my two cents to the running commentary.
I attened the Lexus Peformance test drive event in L.A. and was really impressed with the handling and braking abilities of the IS. I was less impressed with its acceleration and felt that it was no where near the advertised 7.1 sec 0-60 time. My observation was confirmed by both MT and R&T, where the 0-60 time were listed as 7.5 sec. Nevertheless, because I really like the style of the IS, I placed my order and waited for the car to arrive.
While I waited for the car, I also test drive the Acura CL Type S. I was impressed with its power, and all the luxury offered by the car.
I finally decided to stop the wait and went to my local Lexus dealer yesterday and offered them to split the difference between MSRP and invoice. As they are willing to offer me a mere $500 off MSRP, they stand to profit over $4000 on the purchase (the selling price was over $34000 with leather and sunroof as the only options). Failing to understanding the logic of giving up $2000 on the sale, and the additional profit from servicing the car after the sale, I asked for my deposit back and will purchase the Acura CL Type S this comming weekend.
The L.A. dealers are selling the CL-S with navigation system at about $31500. I'll enjoy the big screen home entertainment theater with the money saved from buying the Acura. Thanks Lexus!
Really pricing is determined by market truthfully.
I always suggest that you buy the car that you really like.
At my store, we sell IS300s as fast, if not faster, than we can get them. We have at least 40% of our incoming units sold. So there's no need to discount. It's not a matter of a dealer being greedy, it's a business decision. If you can sell your product for $X, Why then sell it for $X - $2,000?
Bill
Are folks buying them for their kids? are there many young folks buying them? Any older folks? are the mostly males? females? etc.
I would appreciate knowing. there is a theory (mine) that IS300 buyers are younger in general than BMW3 buyers.
Thanks Bill!
Truck
of course IS300 buyers are going to be younger than 3-series buyers. But the average age isn't going to in the 25 year old range as you would like everyone to believe.
truck
The dealer in question ended up not making a single penny because they did not make the sale. The same dealer, by virtue of proximity to my residence, also lost years of maintenance dollars the car would bring in the future. The same may also be said about the additional car allocation - more sales = more cars. As my father owns a LS400, and I am in the target group for the IS300, they have just ended the prospect of attracting the next generation of Lexus buyer.
We're seeing a lot of people my ageand younger looking at them (I'm 25) But the youngest person that I have sold one to so far has been a 24 year old.
Problem is, not a lot of very young people (18-22) are in a financial position to buy one. And we have delivered a couple to people whose parents have bought the car for them.
I did get a 21-yr old approved for one, but he couldnt swallow the payment I dont think...
90maxima,
Like anything else, it's the prevailing market that determines pricing. There are tons of examples of this where demand outstrips supply.
Bill
I would have been ready to purchase the IS had the price been right. I was looking at a model loaded with everything save the "stainless steel" wheels, and I was looking for a 36-month lease. The salesperson did her vanishing act -- "hafta go talk to my sales manager" BS -- and came back with $535/month with 15,000 miles. When I asked her for the residual value after 36 months and the money factor used in calculations, she did not know the figures. She tells me her manager took $1000 off sticker.
She would not go further down towards invoice, as "this is a new car and we don't do that." Hmm. Seeing how the IS is competing against a formidable (stronger?) list of European contenders, I'm not sure this premium price approach is the best route to market penetration and entrenchment.
I'll see what BMW offers in the way of the 3-series; ditto for Audi's S4.
blindsidE
Again, supply & demand prevails. The car is hot and dealers don't have them, so you end up paying.
Its not arrogance, its the way of the world! Its really quite easy to understand why cars sometimes cost you full sticker and why most of the time you get a discount.
Do have to side with you on one point. The salesperson you got was a fool, if she didn't give you the information you wanted.
Its supply & demand!
I understand supply and demand, but I also understand artificial demand. If the cars are selling at minimal discount, then OK. If Lexus THINKS the cars should be selling at minimal discount, that's another story. Uprooting BMW is no easy chore, and giving little price margin to work with is surely turning away prospective buyers.
My thought is that at some point they will be willing to deal on these cars. So what if I have to wait a few months. $2500 extra equates to about $50-$60 more per month when purchasing (5 year loan - $3000 to $3600). We can afford the extra, but why should we. Also, On an ES300 (which I am not interested in but looked at pricing just for comparison sake), you can get about $3500 off sticker (even closer to invoice).
I am meeting with the dealer tonight, but really think that I may wait until all of the excitement
cools down a bit.
With regard to IS300 vs BMW 3 series, the performance of IS is not quite up to par yet (according to all the car magazines). However, Lexus needs to look at who else is in the mix in the fight with the Ultimate Driving Machine. The Acura CL Type S offers a lot more luxury, the navigation system, and cost about $3000 less! The CL Type S even beat the 3-series according to one of those car magazine, something that IS could not claim.
You should still try, though. You never know. Your dealer might be one of the ones willing to discount more than the others.
If you load up the 330 (to be comparable to the IS300 in options), the MSRP is over $41,000. I also looked at the price of a fully loaded 325 (which isn't quite out in the US). It came to $36,500 with all the equivalent options (this price does not include AWD).
The problem with BMW is that EVERYTHING is optional and that really causes the price to skyrocket. The dealer was a "no haggle" dealer so negotiating was not even an option. They also have no inventory and you basically end up ordering the car which could take several months depending on what you are looking for. I did really like the BMW, but cannot justify paying that much extra.
Did you drive the 323i? I know it only has 170 hp, but it feels like an awful lot more than that. That's why I said it is a better comparison to the IS. The 330 with 225 hp is faster than the IS300 with 215 hp. For pure acceleration, the IS is probably between the 323 and 330. Price-wise, the 323 stacks up much better with the IS as well.
I was originally really leaning to the Infiniti I30 (which is a completely different car). I have had a G20 for a very long time and really like the company. From my perspective, they are exceptional cars and the service in exceptional. My 10 year old (97,000 miles) G20 truly looks "new" (paint and everything). I have had minimal problems with the car and in some ways will be sad to get rid of such a good car.
What do you think of your I30?
Also, everyone keeps talking about the BMW (with about the same hp) being a lot faster than the IS300. Does anyone have any statistics from an actual road race? The Lexus dealer of course says that the IS300 outperformed the BMW in several areas.
My wife loves her I30, but it is, as you said, a completely different kind of car. It rides very smooth, has lots of power, gets great mileage (we are averaging 24-25 mpg) and looks great. But it doesn't have that BMW "feel" if you know what I mean. And it's no canyon carver, either (we have the I30L, not the I30t). But for my wife's purposes, it is great. I prefer something sportier, which is why I'm looking at BMW's and the IS when my lease on my 4Runner is up next summer (great truck, just tired of SUV's).
As for the performance, all I can say is that BMW seems to get a lot more out of their ponies under the hood than other car manufacturers do. I don't know why, but the 170 hp in the 323 felt about the same as the 227 hp in the I30. I'm guessing the I30 weighs more, but I don't know for sure and I'm too lazy to look it up.
My advice for you - drive the BMW 323/325 and the IS back to back for at least 30 min each (and throw in the I30 and/or Acura TL if you want to). Then pick the one you like the best. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
As for BMW pricing, my sales person gave me a detailed price list for the 325 and the 330. I am not sure if that is the "discounted" price or full MSRP. My guess is that it would be their reduced price. I used the figures on that sheet to calculate the cost of the 325 / 330 (around $36.5K/$41K as mentioned in earlier note).
I will be definitely drive both the IS and BMW several times before making my final decision.
Also, since you are in the Denver area, do you know if the IS300 is being discounted any off of MSRP in this area?
I don't like the way TL's look, that's why we ruled them out (neither does the wife).
$36.5k for a 325? Boy, that must have every option in the book. All I want is the sport/premium package and a few other small ones.
On the BMW, it has almost every option. I don't have the list with me, but I know that I did not include All Wheel Drive (a $1750 option) and did not include the 6CD changer. I think that there are three packages (sport/premium, cold weather, ?) and I added all three plus a few extras. I want automatic so maybe their automatic/manual (is it Tiptronic?) is an addition as well. Basically, the options I added equate to the IS300 that I was looking at and the price is really "about" the same for the 325 and the IS300.
Have a great weekend!!
You have a good weekend, too.
I really wanted to like the Lexus (auto and all), but aside from the clean exterior styling (unlike the BMW's aggression for aggression's sake), there's not enough content to justify the MSRP or the competitive aspirations. The IS would be an obvious choice at around $28,000, but at MSRP, it looks like Lexus is attempting to price this car into a higher class of auto.