If its really luxury package and not premium, that is a phenomenal deal and I would jump on it. If its a premium package with navigation, then that's about how much I paid last month for my IS 250 with Premium Package, Premium Accessories, 18 inch wheels, and Navigation.
I bought a 250 AWD in Matador Red. This red is absolutely the most beautiful red I have ever seen on a car. Now I am not a red car person but after seeing this red I flipped! It doesn't scream RED it says " I am a sophisticated red!". When the sunlight hits it oh my God it is drop dead gorgeous! You gotta check it out before you buy any other color! Trust me it is amazing!
I actually like most of the colors that this car comes in. I do agree that the red is a bit more subdued than the typical loud red and that makes it better, but I'm really not a red person. I didn't want white, black or red, but most of the other colors I liked. I was going to get either the tungsten pearl or the smoky grey mica but when I saw the glacier frost, I had to have that one. I still negotiated a great deal on the car because I didn't get too focused on the color, but it is my favorite color. I love the way it changes color in the sunlight.
Does any of you, owners of IS 250 and 350, have a clear coat protector put on the front of the vehicle? If yes, which brand, 3M or Avery? I'm just trying to find out which brand I should get.
I just got my IS250 back from the shop today after getting the clear bra installed. I can give you some feedback that will probably be helpful. I screwed up. I bought a precut kit from an e-bay merchant thinking I was saving some money. The Lexus Dealer was charging $595 for a clear bra and I found one on ebay for $160 so thing looked pretty good. I figured I could install the kit myself and save over $400. After watching the video on installing the kit, and figuring I needed to by a $30 installation kit, I decided to just pay a professional to install the kit when I got the windows tinted. It was an extra $100 to install the kit so really $70 more than doing it myself after buying the installation kit, in my mind well worth it considering if I screwed up the install I would have to buy a new clear bra kit.
The advice I can give to you is not to mess around with a pre-cut kit, weather you buy it from an online source or a local dealer that will install it. The pre-cut kits are designed for easy installation and are not 100% coverage. For example they don't extend all the way into the wheel wells and the semi flat area under the head lights isn't covered at all. There is a gap in the lower center of the front bumper and the side view mirror pieces come about an inch short of full coverage all the way around.
Your best bet is to take your Lexus to a dedicated professional clear bra/window tint installer, not a stereo shop that does window tint as a sideline. They use cheaper material or pre-cut kits. The professional installers use a full roll of material and custom form a clear bra to the exact vehicle, they cut and trim all the contours of the front end and provide virtually 100% protection, hood-fenders-bumper-mirrors. Make sure the company uses 8 mil thick material not the cheaper 2 or 3 mil. and be sure to get full 18" (front to back) not 12". It will probably cost more to do it right but in the long run it is well worth a few extra bucks now to protect your finish 100%.
As far as material I have the 3M film and it's almost undetectable. When I first walked up to the car I literally could not see it and thought for a moment they forgot to install the hood piece. I had to get back from the windshield side and look forward to see the line where the material ended to spot it. The place I used was a LLumac Dealer and he said he prefers his film over the 3M because it is clearer. I can't imagine it being any clearer than what I have, however he placed a piece of his film next to the 3M and there was a noticeable difference in the sheen if you got down from the side and looked at the refection.
I'm not trying to push LLumac because I'm not familiar with the other brands out there but I do know their Dealers are factory trained and certified so they give a coast to coast lifetime warranty on there product and installation, which the local stereo shops can't compare with. I do know that I'm going to end up taking my IS 250 back in and have them remove the pre-cut kit and redo it with their custom clear bra. Hopefully this helps. Also don't forget to get the headlights and foglights covered with there own custom 30 mil thick film, I don't think most places include this in the normal clear bra paint package.
Hey Alex, many thanks for your advices! I've checked with 2 installers, one 3M-licensed using the pre-cut kit and the other using the Avery product. Both installers are contracted by BMW and Lexus deealerships. 3M guaranteed for 5 years costs $200 more than Avery which is guaranteed for only 3 years.
">Has anyone driven the IS350 RWD in one of the northern states in winters :confuse: and can give some sense of how it handles? Also, does anyone know if an IS350 AWD is in the works? Thanx.
Did anyone happen to check out Consumer Reports May edition? It rated the Lexus IS 250 ahead of all other contenders in its class. It beat out BMW 325, Audi A4, Mercedes C and one other. This vehicle was given the Highly Recommended symbol! Check it out! It is a very interesting read indeed! Happy Driving folks!
Yes, I drove the 350 and 250 back to back. Yes, the extra power in the 350 was nice -- but I figured it would just be to goose it at lights/stop signs... My roomie and I drove em both and we both said the same thing. Also, when comparing a base 350 to a 250 AWD with all the options for about the same price it was a no-brainer, to me at least. LOVE having the NAVI, bluetooth, backup camera, xenon swivel lights, etc
I know others are of the "power above all else" persuasion... I thought I was too... but I don't feel the 250 is all that underpowered.
I have just ordered a crystal white with black interior. It looks stunning and classy. I have only seen one on the road since october of last year. I have pics if anyone wants to see it.">
I pick up my Crystal White with black interior on Saturday. It does look amazing. Hopefully you don't live in my city as I want to be the only person with this combination.
Does any of you, owners of IS 250 and 350, have a clear coat protector put on the front of the vehicle? If yes, which brand, 3M or Avery? I'm just trying to find out which brand I should get.
I own an IS250 AWD and I just recently had the windows tinted and a clearbra installed. I'm very pleased with both jobs. The tint is a 20% 3M tint and the clearbra is a 3M product also and covers 18" on front hood, front tip of front fenders, headlights, foglights, back of the side mirrors and door edges. The tint and clearbra were installed for a total of around $500. Not too bad considering what the dealer was asking. The clearbra installer also said he could do the whole front bumper as well for another $200, but I decided to pass on that. Still, though, that's basically full coverage of the front of your car for around $500 which I don't think is too bad. The tint is great and really does keep the heat down inside the car. I've never had tint installed on any of my vehicles but I'm glad I did with this car. Good luck with whatever you choose.
I used to really want the white with black int. until i saw the black with black int it in person, it looked freakin bad. I just tinted the windows today and it looks sooo nice and sleek.
I have narrowed my choice down to the IS250awd/IS350 or BMW 330xi....I live in Wisconsin...and I plan to buy snows if I buy the IS350, so with dedicated snow tires how did the IS350 drive for anyone? I am sure others considered the 330xi..if you bought the Lexus..what swayed you and are you happy?? Thanks
Just got my IS 250 black on black this past Sunday. Going on Saturday to have it tinted. I can't decide on the percentage to go with. What percentage did you end up going with?
I went to dealer A first. We negotiated a decent lease deal, but they were too low on the trade, and did not have my first choice color. Salesman was OK, dealership close to home.
I went to dealer B next. They offered me about the same lease deal. They also were too low on the trade. They did have my favorite color in stock. Really like the salesperson, dealership about an hour away.
I returned to dealer A. I got them to increase the trade by $1500. They could not get the color I wanted, but offered three others. I said I will let them know.
I returned to dealer B. They agreed to match the deal, I accepted. As I was about to go pick up car, they called back and said the car in my color was dealer-traded without her knowledge. They offered me an alternate color.
Dealer B says they will be getting another in my requested color in about 2 weeks, but cannot guarantee that lease money factor will not go up in June. They also cannot guarantee that residual will not go down in June.
Question: Do I give in and take different color, or wait until mid-June and hope residual and money factor do not change?
Do you like the different color? Can you live with it? Or will you hate it in a month? I compromised on the interior color and I am HAPPY, but if they would of said it was in the third interior color, I would have not gotten it. I know myself, I would of thought, I should of waited. But thats just me.
I am in the market for the IS 350 but not overwhelmed by the color choices right now. Does anyone know how to find out if and what new color additions will be offered for the '07 IS 350? When is the '07 model on sale? I really like the RX 350 bamboo pearl of millenium silver metallic instead of the IS tungsten pearl. Can't have a dark car in the heat here.
Also, anyone had good IS negotiating experience recently in Texas? Even with ML/luxury package? Thanks
Hi: The only dealer in Texas that I found willing to discount the IS was Lexus of Austin. I ordered an IS250 w/ manual transmission, premium package and nav. MSRP was $34719 and they discounted it $2000. This was done on March 17. I know there are better deals posted on this site, but I was not able to find any. The only other dealer that would agree to a $2k discount at that time was Lexus of Las Vegas, but they add a $499 registration fee allowed by the state, while Texas limits that fee to $50. Would like to hear what offers you are getting.
I decided to wait. For me, this is a major upgrade, and I might as well wait for exactly what I want. I hope the lease factor, etc. do not actually go up in June, but if so, I will have to deal with that.
If you dont mind, where did you have your car installed with the clearbra?
I'm in denver. I had my clearbra and tint installed from a guy who works out of one of the dealerships here. Probably not the answer you wanted to hear.
My wife & I live in So Cal. We special ordered a Mica Red/Black IS 250 with 6 speed manual tranz & sport pak. Just got the VIN # today ... which means in 2 weeks, we will have the new car. WILL be paying 31,715 (MSRP of 34,305) which is $2,930 OFF of MSRP or 7.5% OFF of MSRP/List) With taxes & fees, we will be paying $34,365.00 +/- Delt with Lexus of Valencia .. AWESOME (although we had a slight delay of almost 3 weeks) Talk to Jeff in Fleet/Internet!!
Basically, in Pwr mode, the transmission holds lower gear longer than in Normal mode for better accleration and passing. But it does cut down on fuel efficiency.
I took delivery of my Crystal White with black interior IS250 last week and I LOVE it! I had the Lexus (factory) body kit put on today and it looks even better! I know I won't see any like mine around here. I work at the Lexus dealership I bought the car at and know for a fact that this was the 1st body kit they had installed. Best of all I got the car for invoice and no fees. I love my job.........
I work at a Lexus dealership and they are playing you. Both of those dealerships can get whatever car you want if they just make the call. Dealerships dealer trade everyday. Truth is dealerships make more money when they sell from their own inventory. Transportation is very expensive on dealer traded cars and cuts into their profit so that is why they are pushing the alternate colors (that they have in stock) on you and trying to scare you by telling you the rates will go up if you wait for the color you really want. If this is the color you REALLY want I would not settle. I would march down to one of those dealerships and tell them exactly what you want with no exception and if they can't do it then tell them you will go down the road to their competitor who will! Good luck and DO NOT SETTLE!! Let us know how it goes...
Since you work at a dealership, what is the best strategy for the following situation: - there is only one dealship in my town (San Antonio) and the seem to sell at MSRP only - I am looking to buy an IS250 - sage (not a very common color) with nav/ml and pcs (close to or full loaded) with stock 17" wheels (vs 18" due to ride and tire wear issues)
If I will have to pay MSRP and special order I feel it would be better to wait for '07 ...
questions: do you think it is realistic to that I could find this configuration in an '06 (due to color, options, only one dealer in town, etc.) so I could negoiate price or should I face the the fact that I will just have to order and pay MSRP?
Also, have you seen the sage in person - I have been to several dealership and have yet to see one in stock/in person - do you have an opinion about the sage green?
My wife and I just bought a Desert Sage green IS 350, and it's absolutely beautiful. The paint is deep and lustrous -- sort of a candy apple green. The choice came down to that and the red, but my wife thought the red was a little too showy for her. She's thrilled with the green. Having said all that, green is a hard color to find, and I can only assume it's because it's not a very popular color. Knowing that, it's not likely that a one-dealer town will have one, which makes it tougher to negotiate on a car the dealer has to transport to its dealership. As has been stated here and elsewhere, they'd much rather sell something off the lot. As if that's not disconcerting enough, it's very difficult to find an IS with nav/ML that doesn't have 18-inch wheels. That you want this unconventional configuration in Desert Sage makes this a tough purchase.
Thanks for the input on the sage - I do like the way it looks in pictures but can not bring myself to order a 40K car without having seen the color.
As a side note - since all colors never seem to be in stock - I do not understand why Lexus would not have some painted panels (say 2' x 2') in the showroom....that would be a simple way for folks to get a good idea of colors (those 1" squares in brochures do nothing for me).
I am flexible on the 18" wheels - I just know they wear faster (<20K ?) and ride harder (less air and sidewalls between the car and the ground).
Again, thanks for your views on the color. I wish pictures could be posted here - I am hoping the "sage" name implies a greyish green (like the light VW green? I need a lighter color in San Antonio (hot summers, sometimes dusty, etc) and do not want to default to white).
Every member here has a CarSpace account where pictures absolutely may be posted. All anyone has to do is go to the My CarSpace link on the left side of the page and set up their home page - pictures and all!
I couldn't get much of a deal at the San Antonio dealer either, so I ordered an IS250 from Lexus of Austin. They took off $2k from MSRP, which is decent although not the best deal compared to some I have read about on this site. I was also going to stick with 17" tires because of the wear factor but finally gave in to the 18" because the wheel does look nicer to me. I have never seen 17" wheels on any IS's other than the IS 250 AWD - and that is because Lexus won't let the dealers put the 18" tires on the AWD. Other than that every IS has the 18" wheels, which adds a little over $700 to the price of the car. Good luck purchasing the vehicle you really want.
At the dealership I work at I have only seen one Desert Sage IS and I didn't particularly like it. I guess I am more of a "traditional" color girl (black, white, red, silver) rather than a "fad" (sage, yellow, bronze) color girl. Also I prefer a black interior and Desert Sage only comes with tan. I will have to retract what I said earlier about locating one from another dealer since you are pretty particular about options (nothing wrong with that though). Unfortunately I think you are going to have to special order that one. As far as price I think you will be stuck paying MSRP for it. We sell our IS' (250 & 350) as soon as they arrive for full sticker! I was lucky to get mine for invoice since I work there. Good luck and let us know what you decide!!
I have followed the IS since it was intro'ed in Mar '05 and even went to a Taste of Lexus event to drive it. I have wanted one badly for a year (but not badly enough to compromise on options/color or special order at MSRP).
I have never experienced buying a car when all colors were not available (from one dealer or another). In this price range, no one should have to compromise on color or options - IMO (i.e. a dealer would quickly find the desired options and color if I were buying a 25K Accord) - this is inconsistent if Lexus wants to be know for "going the extra mile" for customers - (without the wait and expensive MSRP (over 5K markup from invoice to MSRP!) of special orders.
The Lexus dealers I have visited seemed *indifferent* about havinig or getting certain colors or options - they just want to sell what is on the lot (which would be fine if they would skip silly games like "Nav is not available in this region" to push their inventory. I would expect attitude at BMW (speaking from experience). I have never bought a Lexus but I assumed it would be easier than this... I may end up with an Audi. Sorry to rant.
I was at a Lexus dealership the other day, and they had a Crystal White IS 350 fully loaded. I think it had everything (luxury, nav, mark levinson audio, parking assist) except probably the radar collision warning. The car has about 1700 miles on it. The salesman said that the original MSRP was around $46k (I think that's high, from pricing on the lexus website, the highest I could get it was 45.3k.)
Anyways, they were asking $40,900 for it. According to Edmunds, the invoice price would be around $39k. What would be a fair price for a demo car like this. Shouldn't the dealer be willing to do invoice pricing, or maybe even below it?
Since this is a demo car, is it still considered "new" for financing purposes? Also, I'm assuming the warranty and everything will be in full effect.
Any thoughts appreciated, thanks!
(I alse posted this in the Prices Paid & Buying Experience forum, but upon refelction it seems that this is a better forum since I haven't purchased... yet).
It isn't the dealerships that's are problem it is Lexus. The salespeople at my dealership complain all the time that Lexus just doesn't manufacture enough of the high demand cars. When I asked them why that is they told me that Lexus does it on purpose to keep the demand and price high. That is also why the dealerships may seem indifferent because they know that if you don't buy the car for MSRP that someone else will.
Yes a demo is still considered a new car with all of the same financing & warranty of a non-demo new car. As far as price goes you should not expect to get that car for invoice or below because it has 1700 miles on it. With a high demand/short supply car like the IS you would be lucky to pay anything less than MSRP (even for a demo). Usually demo's with really high miles (like 4000 or more) that are not really in demand (like a GS300 or a RX350) you could easily get for invoice or less. Good luck and let us know what happens!!
Comments
I just got my IS250 back from the shop today after getting the clear bra installed. I can give you some feedback that will probably be helpful. I screwed up. I bought a precut kit from an e-bay merchant thinking I was saving some money. The Lexus Dealer was charging $595 for a clear bra and I found one on ebay for $160 so thing looked pretty good. I figured I could install the kit myself and save over $400. After watching the video on installing the kit, and figuring I needed to by a $30 installation kit, I decided to just pay a professional to install the kit when I got the windows tinted. It was an extra $100 to install the kit so really $70 more than doing it myself after buying the installation kit, in my mind well worth it considering if I screwed up the install I would have to buy a new clear bra kit.
The advice I can give to you is not to mess around with a pre-cut kit, weather you buy it from an online source or a local dealer that will install it. The pre-cut kits are designed for easy installation and are not 100% coverage. For example they don't extend all the way into the wheel wells and the semi flat area under the head lights isn't covered at all. There is a gap in the lower center of the front bumper and the side view mirror pieces come about an inch short of full coverage all the way around.
Your best bet is to take your Lexus to a dedicated professional clear bra/window tint installer, not a stereo shop that does window tint as a sideline. They use cheaper material or pre-cut kits. The professional installers use a full roll of material and custom form a clear bra to the exact vehicle, they cut and trim all the contours of the front end and provide virtually 100% protection, hood-fenders-bumper-mirrors. Make sure the company uses 8 mil thick material not the cheaper 2 or 3 mil. and be sure to get full 18" (front to back) not 12". It will probably cost more to do it right but in the long run it is well worth a few extra bucks now to protect your finish 100%.
As far as material I have the 3M film and it's almost undetectable. When I first walked up to the car I literally could not see it and thought for a moment they forgot to install the hood piece. I had to get back from the windshield side and look forward to see the line where the material ended to spot it. The place I used was a LLumac Dealer and he said he prefers his film over the 3M because it is clearer. I can't imagine it being any clearer than what I have, however he placed a piece of his film next to the 3M and there was a noticeable difference in the sheen if you got down from the side and looked at the refection.
I'm not trying to push LLumac because I'm not familiar with the other brands out there but I do know their Dealers are factory trained and certified so they give a coast to coast lifetime warranty on there product and installation, which the local stereo shops can't compare with. I do know that I'm going to end up taking my IS 250 back in and have them remove the pre-cut kit and redo it with their custom clear bra. Hopefully this helps. Also don't forget to get the headlights and foglights covered with there own custom 30 mil thick film, I don't think most places include this in the normal clear bra paint package.
http://homepage.mac.com/waydeaschultz/PhotoAlbum11.html
Btw, did you test drive the IS350 before settling for the 250 ? If so why did you choose the 250 ?
I know others are of the "power above all else" persuasion... I thought I was too... but I don't feel the 250 is all that underpowered.
Lets see those pics.
I own an IS250 AWD and I just recently had the windows tinted and a clearbra installed. I'm very pleased with both jobs. The tint is a 20% 3M tint and the clearbra is a 3M product also and covers 18" on front hood, front tip of front fenders, headlights, foglights, back of the side mirrors and door edges. The tint and clearbra were installed for a total of around $500. Not too bad considering what the dealer was asking. The clearbra installer also said he could do the whole front bumper as well for another $200, but I decided to pass on that. Still, though, that's basically full coverage of the front of your car for around $500 which I don't think is too bad. The tint is great and really does keep the heat down inside the car. I've never had tint installed on any of my vehicles but I'm glad I did with this car. Good luck with whatever you choose.
Thanks.
manny
I went to dealer A first. We negotiated a decent lease deal, but they were too low on the trade, and did not have my first choice color. Salesman was OK, dealership close to home.
I went to dealer B next. They offered me about the same lease deal. They also were too low on the trade. They did have my favorite color in stock. Really like the salesperson, dealership about an hour away.
I returned to dealer A. I got them to increase the trade by $1500. They could not get the color I wanted, but offered three others. I said I will let them know.
I returned to dealer B. They agreed to match the deal, I accepted. As I was about to go pick up car, they called back and said the car in my color was dealer-traded without her knowledge. They offered me an alternate color.
Dealer B says they will be getting another in my requested color in about 2 weeks, but cannot guarantee that lease money factor will not go up in June. They also cannot guarantee that residual will not go down in June.
Question: Do I give in and take different color, or wait until mid-June and hope residual and money factor do not change?
Also, anyone had good IS negotiating experience recently in Texas? Even with ML/luxury package? Thanks
I'm in denver. I had my clearbra and tint installed from a guy who works out of one of the dealerships here. Probably not the answer you wanted to hear.
Does anyone know how to turn-off DRL(Daylight Running Light) on IS250?
Thanks,
WILL be paying 31,715 (MSRP of 34,305) which is $2,930 OFF of MSRP or 7.5% OFF of MSRP/List)
With taxes & fees, we will be paying $34,365.00 +/-
Delt with Lexus of Valencia .. AWESOME (although we had a slight delay of almost 3 weeks)
Talk to Jeff in Fleet/Internet!!
- there is only one dealship in my town (San Antonio) and the seem to sell at MSRP only
- I am looking to buy an IS250 - sage (not a very common color) with nav/ml and pcs (close to or full loaded) with stock 17" wheels (vs 18" due to ride and tire wear issues)
If I will have to pay MSRP and special order I feel it would be better to wait for '07 ...
questions: do you think it is realistic to that I could find this configuration in an '06 (due to color, options, only one dealer in town, etc.) so I could negoiate price or should I face the the fact that I will just have to order and pay MSRP?
Also, have you seen the sage in person - I have been to several dealership and have yet to see one in stock/in person - do you have an opinion about the sage green?
My wife and I just bought a Desert Sage green IS 350, and it's absolutely beautiful. The paint is deep and lustrous -- sort of a candy apple green. The choice came down to that and the red, but my wife thought the red was a little too showy for her. She's thrilled with the green. Having said all that, green is a hard color to find, and I can only assume it's because it's not a very popular color. Knowing that, it's not likely that a one-dealer town will have one, which makes it tougher to negotiate on a car the dealer has to transport to its dealership. As has been stated here and elsewhere, they'd much rather sell something off the lot. As if that's not disconcerting enough, it's very difficult to find an IS with nav/ML that doesn't have 18-inch wheels. That you want this unconventional configuration in Desert Sage makes this a tough purchase.
As a side note - since all colors never seem to be in stock - I do not understand why Lexus would not have some painted panels (say 2' x 2') in the showroom....that would be a simple way for folks to get a good idea of colors (those 1" squares in brochures do nothing for me).
I am flexible on the 18" wheels - I just know they wear faster (<20K ?) and ride harder (less air and sidewalls between the car and the ground).
Again, thanks for your views on the color. I wish pictures could be posted here - I am hoping the "sage" name implies a greyish green (like the light VW green? I need a lighter color in San Antonio (hot summers, sometimes dusty, etc) and do not want to default to white).
Every member here has a CarSpace account where pictures absolutely may be posted. All anyone has to do is go to the My CarSpace link on the left side of the page and set up their home page - pictures and all!
I have followed the IS since it was intro'ed in Mar '05 and even went to a Taste of Lexus event to drive it. I have wanted one badly for a year (but not badly enough to compromise on options/color or special order at MSRP).
I have never experienced buying a car when all colors were not available (from one dealer or another). In this price range, no one should have to compromise on color or options - IMO (i.e. a dealer would quickly find the desired options and color if I were buying a 25K Accord) - this is inconsistent if Lexus wants to be know for "going the extra mile" for customers - (without the wait and expensive MSRP (over 5K markup from invoice to MSRP!) of special orders.
The Lexus dealers I have visited seemed *indifferent* about havinig or getting certain colors or options - they just want to sell what is on the lot (which would be fine if they would skip silly games like "Nav is not available in this region" to push their inventory. I would expect attitude at BMW (speaking from experience). I have never bought a Lexus but I assumed it would be easier than this... I may end up with an Audi.
Sorry to rant.
The saga continues...Cheers, Mike
Anyways, they were asking $40,900 for it. According to Edmunds, the invoice price would be around $39k. What would be a fair price for a demo car like this. Shouldn't the dealer be willing to do invoice pricing, or maybe even below it?
Since this is a demo car, is it still considered "new" for financing purposes? Also, I'm assuming the warranty and everything will be in full effect.
Any thoughts appreciated, thanks!
(I alse posted this in the Prices Paid & Buying Experience forum, but upon refelction it seems that this is a better forum since I haven't purchased... yet).