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Comments
The IS 250 MT, IS 250 AT, and IS 250 AWD are a great deal. The only thing I wish I could get is the Xenons. Otherwise the car has everything I can ever want.
The IS 350 is a bit expensive with the current options.
But, its OK in 6 month or a year, Lexus will change the option packages a bit and it will be just right.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
http://www.lexus.com/models/is/accessories.html
The sales guy showed me the 350 builds they are getting right now. Apparently the southern area dealers (11 southern states) all vote for the 3 builds they think they can sell best and the 3 with the most votes is what they all get.
1. NV nav. FT 18" wheels. Z1 Accessory. $39,494. (inc delivery).
2. VN Nav + ML audio. PT premium. FT 18" wheels. Z1 Accessory. $42,224.
3. FT 18" wheels. Z1 Accessory. $36,944.
He said in a few months you should be able to get more variants.
I tried both demos and the 250 was nice enough, but the difference between the 250 and 350 is amazing. The low down grunt of the 350 is great. It took the 250 a second to spin up when you push down the accellerator, but the 350 just took off. They both feel tight and nicely made and went round the twisty roads very well. The cabin is more closed in than both the old and new BMW 3 series. I'm 6"1 and was comfortable in the front seat, with plenty of headroom. When I had set the front seat position I sat in the back. There was enough leg room but my hair touched the roof. I think less than 6 footers are probably OK back there so long as the guy in front is not too tall.
Looks like it's a given. Just found out that BMW is doing a hard top convertible/couple of the 3 series next year as well. With C70 and VW Eos chumping at the bits below just over $30k, both with folding hard tops, the segment looks like crowded even before the feed is in the water (sorry for the fish tank analogy). Good news for us consumers indeed. I can't wait. One quick question though, does anyone know if they have made improvements on roll-over protection? on the SC430 (and I think SLK too) roll-over protection is non-existent when the top is down.
Not much substance for anyone else, and it has gotten really old.
Thanks.
On a different subject, hitting the dealer this morning. Hopefully it has stopped raining enough for the 350 to dip out of the show room. I will ask when the "a la carte" ordering will be possible. I want Sirius and ML, without that Auburn "wood" :sick: . Will post the response later.
jC
Exactly. And it's like saying Outback has really shaken up the steak houses. After all, why would one go to the Palm or Christies or Hys if they could get the equivalent amount of meat from Outbacks. Saying since Outback came along most people won't go to the Palm for a steak is incorrect.
The G35 is the value leader for the base model, if you don't care about amenities and just want the HP. But most people in this segment won't buy a G35 like that, they'll get it loaded.
The problem with BMW is they can't make these vehicles fast enough, they don't have the capacity of GM. Remember the RL $50 grand when it was introduced, it now can be had for $41K. It will be the same for the IS cousins and every other car in this segment. You are correct in the selling to this market at MSRP is a thing of the past. That will be good for people wanting to pick up the IS, they will be discounted like crazy shortly, or they won't sell.
"BMW has to keep cranking them to pay for the production line amortization;"
So Lexus doesn't really care if it sells an IS300 and therefore doesn't feel the need to discount them?
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Never knew that. In that case, RL is the obvious choice over 250/350 and 330xi.
More room (but still smaller than 5 series), enough hp, SH AWD, most features standard..... it's a big value. :shades:
A big value to be sure; that is Acura's perhaps most salient feature, but why drive something that, umm, full-bodied unless you absolutely have to?
Moreover, why take AWD unless you need it? I'm only entertaining a couple of AWD options because there's no worthy RWD offering in what I would most like.
Mowtown: we're almost on the same page, except I would have preferred to see a 300 at 225/230, the 350 where it is, and no 250 at all. but see above: I'm a little nutsy!
(Thanks, kyfdx and sylvia)
You can also, theoretically, order a car exactly as you want it, but when (and if) yo uget it still depends on whether Lexus feels like building it.
For some things, like ML and HID, it seems like noone is getting them? If that is the case, they may be ramping up production slowly and will add these featrues later on.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Too bad we can't get cashmere with white in Canada!!! That is what I wanted to get, but isn't available for us Canucks. I am still considerring the IS 250 it seems, but the time of purchase is 6-8 months away so I never know! I wonder if I can simply go to say, the Twin Cities and pick up a new IS from over there?
I went to the Taste of Lexus event today in Houston. I got there early so I didn't have to wait on anyone initially. I drove the IS350 first and was really impressed. The exterior was as I had expected since seeing so many pictures and videos. The interior however really impressed me. It is far more luxurious in person than the pictures can show. The Nav and ML were outstanding and the graphics presentation for all functions were second to none. I prefer the more integrated look of the dash on the GS but it was expected. Watching movies and listening to music on the ML is awesome. The backseat (as everyone says) is all but worthless when the front seat is all the way back. I'm 6'-4" and the front headroom is plenty adequate with the seat adjusted correctly, but the back seat I had to fold myself to get in. The car handled great and accelerated very good. I was afraid of the VDIM, but I only set it off a few times, and I slid around the track a lot w/out setting it off. I had the tires squealing the whole time !! I am an EXTREMELY agressive driver and I am totally at ease with the VDIM. What I thought would be a deal breaker is now a non-issue with me. My only other issue is the back seat but I am so impressed with the rest I don't care anymore. :shades:
I drove the 330i next. I have driven it a couple times before so nothing was new. I prefer the looks of the 330i sport over the IS350. The front of the IS is great but the side and back leave a little to be desired. The interior is spartan and believe it or not, I prefered the handlind of the IS better ! That was a shocker to me. The acceleration was sluggish and is no comparison to the IS.
I am currently waiting (and have been since March) for my IS to come in with the options I prefer; Sport, Nav & ML. If you haven't driven the IS350, you will not be disappointed !!
Drive it like you stole it !!!
I am a salesman, so give me the info that I need to know to close this sweet deal.
Only 3 emotorcons per post? Weak. :P
More room (but still smaller than 5 series), enough hp, SH AWD, most features standard..... it's a big value
Another note I forgot to mention. Before I drove the IS350 I had assumed that if I didn't like the IS that I would either get an M35 or an RL. However, I was so impressed with the IS350 I'll never look back. The M35 is a good car but I can't stand the dash and the Rosewood. The car just looked cheap when I opened the door. I know the mags rate it #1 but it just doesn't do it for me. The RL is very nice and is such a great deal right now. But there is a reason it is being discounted so much. It looks so boring on the inside and out. It looks no different than an Accord. I am so elated that I will not have to settle for the RL or M35. Those would have been my first cars that I would have purchased without any excitement. I need something that I am thrilled and proud to own. The IS350 fits the bill for me.
By the way, don't you think the two hard lines on the sides of 3 are out of harmony? Just like they were patched on after finished design.
Warning: I test all cars against the same standard. I do not make exceptions based on price, class, or targets the marketing people at the manufacturer set. This review is only about the IS350. I am not concerned with the marketing version of which cars the IS350 stacks up against.
I approached the silver IS350 and noticed immediately that someone had outfitted the car with aftermarket 18s. They’re called either spiders or spyders and they’re available in the Lexus aftermarket catalog. Regardless, these mysterious rims do wonders for the exterior of the IS350 as they’re cross-cut, full of angles and dark crevices. The 18s offset wonderfully against an exterior that’s without verve or parking lot presence. If not for those rims, would one even notice the exterior when surveying a blandly colored Lexus lot?
The front end when view head-on gives the distinct impression of a Honda Accord circa 1996. About the only front feature that does catch the eye is the swelled metal/plastic for the front of the wheel wells. Nice. With the 18s poking out near the swell the effect is impressive. Side view mirrors jut out more than one would expect for a car rather than an SUV; then again, the mirrors’ size while driving help tremendously.
From the side the car’s wholly unremarkable. The all-the-rage slab sided styling breaks only for the door handles. Otherwise you could probably remove an IS350’s front door and use it as a shield in some bronze-age warfare re-enactment. The back door got some character as the tiny window cuts up suddenly toward the c-pillar. Poor luck for the midgets/kids sitting in the backseat.
The backend could be the car’s most impressive attribute. The lights stick out some around the trunk and give the car much needed depth and shape. Inside the trunk you’ll find ample room and a nice pass through.
Whomever picked the color palate for the IS line needs to get fired. Not an enticing, rich or exciting color in the lineup.
Fob in hand I touched the door handle and pulled up. Nice feel to the door and the keyless entry system’s pretty sweet. Sliding into the perforated leather I noticed a few things instantly. Where the heck’s the parking brake? These seats have zero support and are too soft. Hey, cool the door pockets open a couple more inches.
Settling into the seat I fumbled with the controls trying to find a comfortable seating position. The dash seems to rise quite high – this matches the car’s oddly small side windows. Had I sat in a hole? No. If I raised the seat, my hair would come near to brushing the roof. I lowered the seat and now the dash seemed high. Upon driving I realized even with the seat lowered, I sat up much too high for my liking. And the seat lacked any side bolstering so I always felt as if I were sitting on the seats, not in them.
The tilt and telescoping wheel worked perfectly for getting the seat-wheel-pedal ratio perfect. But the wheel felt tiny and thin in my hands. The button controls were all within fingertip reach and each worked perfectly. The paddles with a plus and minus – obviously to control the automatic – were ridiculously small and flexible plastic. In other words, the paddles feel cheap and worthless.
Someone inconveniently placed the mirror controls at the very tip of the down sloping armrest. Window controls sit recessed and too low also. They worked fine but their recessed style made them difficult to use quickly.
The tach and speedo stare back at you blankly. Touch the Start button – neato fob means no key - and the car comes to life without fuss or excitement. No growl from the engine. Nothing to say this car might have some gumption. Like everything else in the IS350, the dash instruments serenely and purposely.
Hey, there’s the parking brake. It’s a foot pedal one just like my dad has in his old Crown Victoria. How can companies still sell sport sedans with those? Also down there is a dial to adjust when the electronic nanny informs your dash you’ve exceeded a pre-set limit. Yep, the car, like KITT, will warn you when you’re going too fast. Who built this thing, Matt Drudge? It’s all so stodgy and uptight.
Tacky wood trim adorns the center console. Is there another kind? Nope. Aluminum should be available – or so I was told. Hmmm, the shallow center glove box is shallow can’t really be moved out of the way – one height fits all. Argh. Inside the center box an aux input and a power supply wait o run your iPod. Handy. And just in front of the automatic transmission level – a chromed, dorky affair with weird gate movement – sits two dials to adjust seat heating and cooling. If I find something more worthless in my life I’ll be sure to post about it.
The center stack in my test car had the grave misfortune of arriving factory direct with a navigation screen. Bright and easy to read even with polarized sunglasses, the navi also accepts voice commands. Press the talk button on the steering wheel and tell the car an address. Boom, you’ve got a route set and some robotic 1950s voice tells you when to turn, go and in general how best to live life. I didn’t check but hopefully you can change that thing’s voice to something normal or amusing. There’s something hackers should work on give us alternate voices for navi/control systems. I vote for Chris Walken, “You shoulda turned..back there. You’re a fool!”
The navi screen controls just about everything in the car: air, radio, CD, you name it. Put the car in reverse and you’re treated to a backup camera view through the navi screen. Admittedly that’s pretty cool. Seems easy to just use that thing when backing up – a major mistake in the making?
The radio received some attention from me and I don’t think it much cared to entertain. Maybe more time needed to be spent fiddling with the bass and such as the darned thing had as much depth as a Tarantino movie. Every song sounded flat and hollow. Perhaps Lexus bought some Bose equipment from the back of a semi and rebranded stereo? God that thing stunk.
Backseats exist as a cruel joke. With my seat in a comfortable seating position, I physically could not get into the rear of the car. I’m only 5-7 and my knees were jammed up against the back of the front seat! No space under the front seat could be found for my size 10.5 tennis-shoe-clad feet either. Great googly moogly that’s torture.
continued...
It could be worse, downshifts with the automanual happen slowly .wait for it don’t double tap!...wait for it you’re almost there..ah, second gear. Has Lexus not tried a direct shift gearbox? Downshifts should occur in a blink. Blip the throttle, drop the gear.
How best to describe the ambience when the IS350 gets into motion? Tomblike. Quiet, smooth and if you died in it the vehicle would probably slow to a stop in a gliding fashion and call your next of kin via the Bluetooth phone system. Nothing seeps into the car but the faint whisper of the tires. Irregular roads pass without commotion. Hit the bots dots and you’d swear the car floated on a cloud. Nothing close to road feel transmits into the cabin. That 40 mph corner arrives and the car’s at 70; the front end dips and the car gently rocks into the corner. It’s still tracking but you can feel the vehicle at it nears its apex (that gentle rocking is actually nauseating). Transitions occur and the IS350 unflappably sways back and forth as if you were on a yacht in choppy seas. How could an interior so small make a car this size feel so large and disconnected?
Now, this car didn’t have a sport package setup. Would the sport package make the car stiffer in corners? One should hope so. But Lexus, according to the people I spoke to, requires buyers to get the premium package and then the sport package. Yep, 5k in options to get a sporty suspension and HIDs. That low 36k starting price loses its luster when the car’s price jumps to 41k.
Additionally, the IS350 with sport must be ordered – or so said the people I have talked to at two dealerships. Both dealers generously offered to take a $1000 refundable deposit. Something doesn’t seem right about that. You must put down money to drive a sporty version of the sedan?
Overall, the IS350 comes across as a solidly built, very fast, luxury sedan. It’s got zero panache, the interior’s well built but not driver centric, and the seating’s bad in all places. Lacking poise in corners and any semblance of a personality, the car shall make a fine addition to roadways littered with innocuous blvd cruisers. Perhaps the sport suspension will tighten the handling but it’s hard to conceive of how a suspension package will infuse some energy into Lexus and their Relentless Pursuit of Boredom.
I passed by the Lexus dealer yesterday. Saw White/Cashmere, Red/Cashmere, Black/Black, Silver/Black, Silver/Sterling. White was very pearly under the showroom lights (evening).. I have to see it in the daylight. Silver was ok, nothing special. Red was rich and bright. Black was sharp, but made the car look very small!
I'm interested in Smoky Granite / Breakwater Blue / Arctic Frost.
I think you mean rhetoric. Regardless, I wrote a review, not a simple declaration. I rated the car based on the car, not what's available in the same segment or in any price bracket. It's all about that car and what my senses gleaned from my time with it.
Thanks for the update. I personally have been waiting for some actual details about how the car drives. An actual, production version of the car that someone could buy. I don't want a glowing review from an auto mag that half-heartedly whines about VDIM.
I'm guessing the IS350 is off your short list? Have you/will you test drive an IS250 with the manual tranny?
Thanks again.
- Greg
When I drove the 250, felt that the power especially the initial accelaration was below my expectation, probably because the torque specs for this model is bit low. The bumps on the road could be felt quite a bit, probably as I did not have the 18in wheels. Otherwise the ride was quite, and no noise from the road getting into the vehicle.
The IS350 had better accelaration and was quite powerful. The road bumps was better insulated probably due to 18in wheels.
Handling -- Handling was quite good, but not as good as the 325i. The engine felt more like a BMW than a lexus in terms of smoothness.
The tachometer console was pretty cool. Totally electronic, but displays it as analog meters. While the RPM reaches closer to the redline, the blue color turns yellow to orange. I did not go red though.
The keyless entry/start is pretty cool. The fob can be just kept in the pocket or in a purse. All one has to do is just open the door. As soon as one grabs the handle to open the door, the security unlocks the door.
Hell, I have zero interest in even test-driving something without the "sport" pkg. I s'pose I'll have to wait a bit for that. I could alsways ask my friendly sales guy (they are friendly of course; not well informed, but friendly) to flag me when he gets hold of a sport equipped car. He's a nice guy - a friend from high school actually, but overly bright he ain't... :-0
I really detest electro-chromatic gauges, as opposed to nice back -lit. [sigh] Too much techno-junk these days dear readers; way too much techno-junk...
- the car is handsome on both the outside and the inside with above average fit and finish although I did notice one or two uneven panel gaps on the exterior. The styling is good but not great. The interior is of high quality for the most part, particularly the leather, but the paddle shifters do feel cheap.
- the car gave me an overwhelming sense of feeling decidedly cramped, not only in the 34 cubic foot back seat which is downright redundant and functionally useless for seating all but the most vertically and horizontally diminutive of humans although I suppose inanimate objects could there be stowed while travelling, but the front seats and general space were also very cramped. I had the sensation of being squeezed on the window side into the middle console and the leg room was inadequate as well. The steering wheel was too small, I could not obtain a comfortable seating position no matter how I adjusted the many controls, the instrument panel seemed somehow poorly placed and oddly far away, the dials too small to read with appropriate alacrity and ease. I simply did not feel comfortable in the car front or back. I am not overly tall (5'11" but taller in the torso) and had only 1 cm of space between the top of my head and the roof in the front. In the back, my head touched the ceiling and one could only imagine the unpleasantness to be experienced when the car negotiated a bump at speed . . . . As you noted, it did seem that one sat on the seat rather than in it. Lateral support for spirited cornering or even normal cornering was wholly inadequate. Notwithstanding the quality of the leather, the seating was simply inadequate and very disappointing. Lexus could have done a far better job with respect to seating ergonomics generally.
- while the controls were smooth with a luxury touch, I found them again rather lacking in ergonomic appeal. The radio volume and tuning buttons were far too small as were many of the other controls. The glove compartment was too small. The center console likewise. And what is with the locating of the auxiliary power outlet at the very back of the console box so that contortions are required to access it?? The cupholder was tiny and one imagines it could only contain the tiniest of cups. Overall, the theme was one of smallness, as if the car size had somehow and for reasons unknown been downscaled to a point where it could only be comfortable for little people.
- now we come to the issue of the many options packages, A, B, C, D, E, etc. In Canada the base price of the car (IS350), according to pricing literature received from the salesman at the dealership I visited, is $50,575.00. For this price one receives such high-tech amenities as halogen headlights, 17' wheels with all-season tires, heated seats, and premium leather. To obtain a moonroof, you have to spring for another $2,250.00 but you also get such useful features as well as "woodgrain trim" and 18" wheels with summer radials. Still no xenons, mind you, on an almost $53,000.00 car. For these, you are obligated to spring for another $2,550.00 which also brings you such highly sought-after features as "chrome scuff plates and "metallic dash accents" plus memory seats (which the base car should come with in the first place), tilt and telescopic steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, "sport" suspension, and electrochromic side view mirrors. Another $850.00 brings you to the rarefied level of obtaining "illuminated 'Lexus' scuff plates" and window sunshade and headlamp washers. Note: still no ML. Ah, but add a mere $5,150.00 more and you finally get the ML with 5.1 surround-sound audio plus a DVD-based Navigation system, with a "back-up camera" thrown in for good measure. No stand-alone options whatsoever. If you want the most desirable features, you are obligated to take all the fluff with them. At a price, of course.
- I did not choose to drive the car for the simple reason that regardless of how fast it goes or how quiet it is or how good is the fit or finish, the fact remains that the car's interior is too cramped and this critical factor precludes an enjoyable driving experience. In my view, this car is too scaled down even for short city jaunts; long distance travelling would be unpleasant in the extreme. Coupled with the outrageous pricing structure (much higher prices in Canada compared to the US) with what can only be construed as a calculated design by the manufacturer to force one into accepting the most costly options packages in order to access the most desired features like Navigation and the ML audio, the car for this reviewer is simply not a viable choice.
I am very disappointed in this car. Very disappointed indeed. For those of you who consider the above-articulated concerns as inconsequential in your estimation, enjoy the ride.
Correct or not depends on whether Palm has to discount after Outback comes in town . . . as far as I can tell that's the only relevance of your analogy, unless somehow Palm makes steak out of the same naga beasts that BMW's default seat covers are made of; somehow I doubt that.
The problem with BMW is they can't make these vehicles fast enough,
That used to be the case when they sold at MSRP until the very tail end of a model run. Nowadays, they discount just like anyone else . . . indicative that "they can't make these vehicles fast enough" is a thing of the past.
So Lexus doesn't really care if it sells an IS300 and therefore doesn't feel the need to discount them?
When a model doesn't sell as well as projected at MSRP, there are two ways of going aboug solving the problem: reduce price or reduce output. IS300 being a non-consequential branch of the Lexus family tree (like the 8 series of BMW of yore), the manufacturer could afford to reduce output drasticly . . . whereas for models like the 3 series, or Camry/Accord for that matter, the manufacturer can't afford to let volume lapse. Price reduction becomes the preferred market response.