Lexus IS 350 and IS 250

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  • ajmtbmajmtbm Member Posts: 245
    is250 with 5,000 miles.

    mix highway city driving i get 20-21 overall. long trip on the highway and i got 28-29. overall i've been disaapointed with teh fuel economomy - i realize its cold and has some effect but i drive very easy - ive gone for an entire tank of fuel keeping it 2,000 rpm or below and gotten 20-21 mpg. i would expect 22-23 minimum. plus manual tracking shows the tank average to be about 5% higher than reality.
  • dtao99dtao99 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,
    this is my first post. i'm about to buy the is250...but before i pull the trigger, does anyone know if lexus will change that to the is300 by next year(probably this September) with the 3.0 engine from 06 GS. Afterall, the coming mercedes classC and current 3 series all start at 3.0 litre now as base.
  • crapoudcrapoud Member Posts: 2
    I heard that blitz makes a supercharger for the is 350 but only in Japan. Dose anyone have any information about that?
  • mizumimizumi Member Posts: 5
    Hi,

    I'm looking at getting an IS 350 with all the goodies, but in AZ, have not been able to find one with the sports suspension to try out. Can anyone let me know their impressions of it?

    Thanks in advance!
  • big_robbig_rob Member Posts: 10
    Has Anyone heard of any changes to the current IS250 for 2008?
    I want to buy one but am trying to figure out if I should wait till September/October for the 2008s.
  • ps99472ps99472 Member Posts: 28
    I recently purchased an IS250 and want to tint the windows. I've heard that this could interfere with the antenna embedded in the rear windshield.. any feedback? maybe going with a lighter tint? thanks
  • erguitarerguitar Member Posts: 1
    I spoke to the sales manager at Lexus of Orlando this past Saturday and he said there are no new changes for the 2008 models.
  • 1der1der Member Posts: 5
    I received my "custom built" IS250 RWD Manu-matic w/ Lux. package and 17" tires 23 APR 07 from Japan. It was ordered 3 Dec 2006. The process went fine. The only thing I recommend is to get the price agreed up on in writing from dealer. I had some minor issues w/ the dealer not "recalling" the price we agreed on. He did honor original price in the end b/c my detailed notes from our phone conversations.
  • 1der1der Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2007 IS250 with 17" tires. It was shipped direct from Japan. I have noticed a horrible low-frequency beating noise (acoustic resonance??) while driving the vehicle over 40 miles per hour w/ only one or both back windows down. If I open either front window or the sunroof, the sound goes away.

    Can you try it yours and let me know if you hear the same sounds.
    :sick:
    Thanks,
    Wayne
  • ajmtbmajmtbm Member Posts: 245
    youll notice that with pretty much any vehicle. wind rushing it has no where to go but back out where it came and makes a horrible noise
  • ar39ar39 Member Posts: 61
    I heard that the embedded antenna is replaced by a fin-tail antenna for 2007 models. If that's true, you should not have any issues with the tint film.
  • lenplenp Member Posts: 9
    hello,

    I have a few questions for you as I too ordered my IS350 from the factory.

    1. Did the dealer give you some advance notice prior to your car arriving at the dealership?

    2. When it arrived, how many miles did the car have? I assume that they will not let other potential buyers test drive your vehicle?

    3. Does it really take a full 4 months? I'm at about 2.5 months waiting and it's really killing me to keep waiting.

    Thank you.
  • cklho818cklho818 Member Posts: 29
    I bought an IS350 last August from the Plesanton, CA Hendrick dealer.

    In most cases, your dealer sales rep should inform you approx. when your car will arrive or if it has arrived. You may actively communicate with them thru email or phone calls as well. (This really depends on the person that you are dealing with). Most order takes anyway from 4 - 6 months.

    The car shouldn't have too much mileage on it. Dealers must run tests and QA on the new arrivals before even letting customers to test drive new vehicles. So expect anyway from 10 - 20 miles (est.) at most. Sometimes dealers have satellite lots to park cars but shouldn't be very far from the dealership.

    Lastly, if you special ordered a car. Dealer should not allow other customers to test drive it. I think it is unethical to allow your specially ordered vehicle to be test driven by others. In the case, you decline to the vehicle, then it's free on the market.
  • 1der1der Member Posts: 5
    1. Yes, he gave me a 30 day notice for an arrival window of 5 days.

    2. My vehicle only had 5 miles on it at delivery.

    3. My vehicle was actually available for pick up earlier, but I was traveling and could not come sooner. It came to dealer 9 APR 07. Dealer stated it would be 90-120 days.

    Keep waiting, it was well worth it. I got exactly what I wanted for an awesome price!
  • 1der1der Member Posts: 5
    So did you try it? I understand there will be wind noise, but this sound is almost deafening!! I do plan to talk w/ dealer about it.
  • ajmtbmajmtbm Member Posts: 245
    yes, it is very loud and very annoying. open another window even a bit and it will disappear.
  • fastgstfastgst Member Posts: 46
    I located a car in the color and options I wanted, worked out a price via e-mail. Now I am going to look at it tomorrow but I am going out of town the next day for a week.

    If I like this car (can't see why not), should I pay a small deposit to have them hold it for a week until I get back? I have a pre-approved loan, but papers are still in the mail, unless lexus finance can match it? Is there anything bad about financing through Lexus vs Capital One?

    One more question, do they accept downpayment paid with credit card.. or should I go make a cashier check or bring a check?
  • loucopitsloucopits Member Posts: 103
    Our local dealer was quite willing to put a $1,000 deposit on a credit card, and held the IS250 for us.
  • trackstarrtrackstarr Member Posts: 9
    You are correct.

    I love that Lexus has finally decided to flex their muscles. Why should people only have to settle for M3, RS4's, C-class AMG's???

    Shouldn't there be a car that is just as quick as those but also provide a reliability record that is impeccable.

    And for any player-haters....NO the Lexus IS (be it an IS-F, 350, 250, whatever) is no Toyota. There is nothing in the Toyota showroom that is based off of this platform.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,585
    If I like this car (can't see why not), should I pay a small deposit to have them hold it for a week until I get back? I have a pre-approved loan, but papers are still in the mail, unless lexus finance can match it? Is there anything bad about financing through Lexus vs Capital One?

    One more question, do they accept downpayment paid with credit card.. or should I go make a cashier check or bring a check?

    Dealers in general will accept a deposit to hold a car via credit card. If you have a rewards program or other benefit in using your cc, some dealers like mine will allow you up to $5K of payment of your car using the cc.
  • fastgstfastgst Member Posts: 46
    I just got my cashmere interior IS250 today, carpets looks nice but any idea how I can keep the floor mat clean? It's light enough and seems prone to show all kinds of stains.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,585
    I just got my cashmere interior IS250 today, carpets looks nice but any idea how I can keep the floor mat clean? It's light enough and seems prone to show all kinds of stains.

    What I do with light color interior mats is one of a few things. Choice one: I buy small (rear type) clear floor mats and place them under where my feet go. Choice two: buy aftermarket custom fit mats either the color of the exterior (if medium or dark) or a darker color that's in the interior. The third choice is to shampoo your mats every 2-3 months.
  • fastgstfastgst Member Posts: 46
    OK I was also thinking of the clear floor mat overlay on top just for the driver side. Would you also put scrotch guard kind of thing on the factory carpets?

    Any idea how to protect the tan leather.. I heard Lexol is good, I want to apply something now. (didn't buy the dealers expensive plan, want to DIY) I bought the car and alot of it is due to a nice posh interior :)
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,585
    OK I was also thinking of the clear floor mat overlay on top just for the driver side. Would you also put scrotch guard kind of thing on the factory carpets?

    Any idea how to protect the tan leather.. I heard Lexol is good, I want to apply something now. (didn't buy the dealers expensive plan, want to DIY) I bought the car and alot of it is due to a nice posh interior

    I'd put clear mats over both front mats. I find that the front passenger carpets got dirtier than my driver's carpet. For this reason, consider two in the back as well.

    Factory carpets clean pretty well without guards or protectants placed on them. For that matter, so does the leather.
  • ajmtbmajmtbm Member Posts: 245
    i thought the floors on all IS's was black.

    it is ion the sterling and black interior. i wonder why the cashmere is light
  • jazfusionjazfusion Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone received a better quote than below?

    IS 350
    Navigation
    Luxury Packagage (w/ 18in alloy wheels)
    Intuitive Parking Assist
    Headlamp washers
    MSPR (w/Options and Delivery) = 43,982.00

    No Money Down
    36 mo / 12K miles
    Monthly Lease payment = 570.00

    (does not include TTL, but due at signing in the amount of ~3.3K)
  • lenster2lenster2 Member Posts: 3
    I've ordered my car and I am now in the 3rd month of waiting for my new IS350. I just requested that they put on the ISP 18"rims w/ tires to my car. That accessory is listed at $2,400.

    My question is Is this an option or an additional accessory? When you buy an option you get the upgrade but when you buy an accessory, don't you get it in addition to the standard rims/tires that comes on the is350? In another words, am I going to get an IS with the new 18" rims and tires plus the 17"standard rims and tires?

    Does anyone know how they do this? Because, if this is a dealer accessory and can be purchased at the dealership. Then can't I just go in after I get my car and pay for the new rims and tires and keep what they gave me?
  • loucopitsloucopits Member Posts: 103
    Sunday I went thru a local car wash in an IS250 AWD. The wash was one that uses a metal channel to guide the car thru the wash as rollers move it along.

    That evening I happened to notice a scuff mark on one wheel, and directly above it a gouge in the sidewall. The gouge was about the size of my thumbnail but did not rip the rubber completely off the tire. I'm convinced the damage happened in the car wash due to the low profile tires.
  • jo1to6jo1to6 Member Posts: 5
    Hello,

    I am interested in buying a IS250, but I heard from dealers that all the cars in North America are minimally equipped with the Premium Plus package (or some variant), 18" Alloys, and HIDs. Is this true?

    Ideally, I'd either just want a Base model or one with just the X-Package. I'm in California...

    Thanks!
  • louisweilouiswei Member Posts: 3,715
    jo1to6, that is completely not truly.

    The IS normally comes with several different packages like premium, premium plus, luxury(?), X or sports. Also, beginning in 07' HID has become a stand alone option. However, it is true that it's nearly impossible to find a RWD IS250/350 without the 18". The dealer should also tell you that you can custom order an IS solely based on what you want. It may take up to 3-4 months and dealers normally don't like to do that but it is possible.

    If you are enthusiast, go with the X-package since it has the sport-tune suspension. If not, the base model should be good enough.
  • lenster2lenster2 Member Posts: 3
    It will be almost impossible to find a car on the dealer's lot that is stripped or w/o any options. They will have an inventory of IS with plenty of options to make sure they make $$$. I know this because I too looked at 4 dealers in my state. I ended up ordering an IS350 with 2 only options, had to put down 2k back on 3-3-07. I was told it will come in about a week or two from now, so it will actually take a full 4 months. It is a painful experience since I'm an enthusiast and have been driving a 10 year old Avalon borrowed from the in-laws awaiting my IS.

    If you can wait 4 months/120 days and want to save about 3-5K and get exactly what you want, then by all means do it. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for some options you don't want and just buy one off the lot.
  • jo1to6jo1to6 Member Posts: 5
    Did they make you pay MSRP for it? The dealer told me if I ordered one that there would be no room to negotiate.

    It seems that with the dealers that I contacted, Invoice or better is easy to get with cars on the lot.

    I feel you pain, I'm driving an Accord...
  • lenster2lenster2 Member Posts: 3
    ON paper we agreed on about $700 over invoice. Of course in the end, they will make more than $700 factoring in dealer holdback, etc. I remembered the day I went to order the car, it was a very cold day in March with freezing temperatures. You might want to shop around to get a better price. I don't see why they can't give you a good deal if you consider that when you order a car, as soon as it comes in it's delivered to the waiting customer with no storage costs, etc....

    It will be tougher to get a good deal on the IS350 since Lexus is playing games by not making enough of them. The IS250 should be no problems in getting good deals; all dealers have plenty of them.
  • chn08chn08 Member Posts: 4
    Hi, I am a first time car buyer and i am looking for a IS250 RWD with navigation & marklevinson pkg with HID. Now here starts the prob i live in NJ and the dealers here say that lexus doesn't send RWD's to northeast and they even say that Marklevinson is a very rare option(even with AWD) and i have to place a spl order if i insist on having it. Does anyone have an idea of what really is the situation and is marklevinson a rare option???? Any advice be of gr8 help to me...............

    And can anyone tell me wht is the price that i should be looking at with the above pkg's in both RWD and AWD forms.
    Thx in advance.
  • louisweilouiswei Member Posts: 3,715
    Your dealer is right, Mark Levinson is a rare package on the IS, even with Navi and AWD. I am pretty sure you can still find some RWD IS250s in Northeast but I wouldn't be surprised that AWD has a higher demand over there.

    As for price, expect to pay close to MSRP if you are going to special order yours.
  • jo1to6jo1to6 Member Posts: 5
    A dealer told me that all cars in California with X-package are pretty loaded up... with premium package, navigation, etc. (MSRP about 38K+) I was wondering if other people heard the same thing?

    I know that in other states you can get an IS250 X-package with fewer options (MSRP about 36K).

    P.S. I really liked the sport tuned suspension when I test drove it! It'd be great if I could find one in CA without navi and all the extras.
  • chn08chn08 Member Posts: 4
    Hi all, thx for the reply, now I have received the following quote from one of the dealers in NJ for an IS250 AWD,

    IS250 AWD
    Navigation + HID + preferred accessory pkg @ 35,500 with MSRP being 39,072.

    Plz do advice me wether this is a good price or is thr room for negotioation?
  • alolewisalolewis Member Posts: 36
    I would take it, when I bought my IS350, I could only get them to knock $500 off MSRP.
  • louisweilouiswei Member Posts: 3,715
    Yup, that seems to be a pretty good deal. However, there is a big difference in discount regarding the IS250 & 350. Lexus Dealers usually have several IS250 for the customers to choose from on the lot thus the discount is much greater. Lexus is playing games with the IS350 and purposely not making enough of them to meet the demand thus the lower discount also higher resale value in the future.

    By the way, I got $1000 off MSRP when I purchased my IS350 back in April, 2006.
  • lovemyclklovemyclk Member Posts: 351
    "Why should people only have to settle for M3, RS4's, C-class AMG's???"

    That's kinda humorous. Don't believe you are "settling" in any of these cars - different strokes...!

    Don't think BMW and Audi are concerned and probably welcome a competent new player. The MB is all about raw horsepower over a nimble (read: sporty) driving experience. I see the Lexus as adding a luxury-focused high-performance option to the mix (although for drivers much smaller than me at 6'5" & 260lbs ;))

    I believe, IMO, that the upcoming M3 will reset the bar in this class. Guess we'll have to wait and see how it tests...
  • kc567567kc567567 Member Posts: 29
    For sure BMW, Infiniti and M-B are not too worried .... some recent articles peg the IS250/350 sales at well below what Lexus was hoping for.

    I'm on my second IS now and really enjoy it but there are enough minor issues with this second gen design that will keep it from the top spot. BMW 3 series is #1 for sure, and i think the Infinity G35 sales will be much higher.

    KC
  • rockshocka1rockshocka1 Member Posts: 310
    That the local Lexus dealer had 0 sport models on the lot, but when test driving a 350 (as well as an RX), the salesman made it clear that the drive would be up and down highway 17, which is straight as an arrow. He was none to receptive to my requests to try on ramps or curvy roads. High School was a long time ago, what gives?
  • kc567567kc567567 Member Posts: 29
    but when test driving a 350 (as well as an RX), the salesman made it clear that the drive would be up and down highway 17, which is straight as an arrow.

    Depends i guess .... my lexus dealer gave me the keys and asked that i have it back within an hour .... put about 30 miles on it i imagine. This was my second IS from them though.

    KC
  • jo1to6jo1to6 Member Posts: 5
    Does anyone happen to know where I can find the torque curve of the IS250? I am curious to know what the torque is like at lower RPMs... During my test drive, the IS250 seemed a bit lacking in that respect.

    Also, I didn't happen to notice if there was a sport button on the car. Is there one? And if so, does it make a difference?

    Thanks!
  • tarukytaruky Member Posts: 18
    Can someone tell me what I'm supposed to notice with the ventilated seats. While driving today I turned on the empty passenger seat ventilation (set it to 3) and after a few minutes I reached over to touch the seat and it felt hotter. I had it on on my side too and my back was sweating just like in any other car, maybe more. Granted it was a blistering day today, but...Where does the air come from? The engine? Outside? Is it even cooled? If I put my hand on the seat, should I feel air flow?

    Just wondering if it's working correctly in my car.

    Thanks.
  • kc567567kc567567 Member Posts: 29
    You did slide it to the Blue side .... not the Red, right? Mine seems to cool and/or heat fine!!!

    KC
  • tarukytaruky Member Posts: 18
    Yeah, definitely they were the blue 1,2, and 3's (lol). I had the Lexus dealer look at it and they said it was working correctly. I guess the function may not be what I was expecting.
  • kc567567kc567567 Member Posts: 29
    .... mind you, i only really notice the coolness if wearing shorts.

    Women are so much more sensitive. Have your girlfriend/wife drive around naked for an hour and see if she can tell the difference!

    KC
  • louisweilouiswei Member Posts: 3,715
    I've just noticed rattling noise coming from driver side B Arm while driving through uneven pavement and speed bumps. Does anyone here has the similar experience?

    I'll let the dealer check it out during the upcoming 20K maintenance anyway but just curious to see what's causing the noise.
  • tarukytaruky Member Posts: 18
    he he.
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