2013 and earlier Lexus IS 250 / IS 350 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

swc1

Putnam Lexus in Redwood City told me they will have 2007 IS 250's this week. Costco price will be $2500 over invoice. Too bad they didn't have the 2006 I wanted in tungsten because the 2006 was only $1000 over invoice when I checked a few weeks ago.

danny4233

I got a quote from local dealership for Lexus IS250(RWD), automatic transmission, Premium pkg (w/ 18" wheels) & Navigation Systems. MSRP: $36504, now they gave me $32,788 plus tax and license, is that a good deal or not? please advice, many thanks.

wco81

$2500 over invoice. Talk about pipe dreams.

The best seller in this category, the BMW 3-series, isn't going anywhere near that much.

Plus for 2007, they will have even more of a horsepower advantage over the IS250. And probably meet or pass the IS350 in acceleration with the 335i. Lexus better wise up.

qqlexus

The price you got sounds good, almost the lowest I heard so far. But they are pushing out 2007 at the end of this month, I bet you can push them to go down a couple hundreds more(like 32500). Also kind of depends on the color. If your favorite color happens to be silver or something they have on the lot, you can probably get it for even cheaper. Good luck!

gblex1

Hey...im looking in the Philly area...the best deal I have gotten in writting so far is: is250 AWD, Blue Onyx, Nav, XM... no trade in....not financed through Lexus... for $35,000 (before tax, tag, etc...) Any thoughts??? thanks

redvoodoo55

How does this deal stack up?

36month/12,000mi lease $0 down
2006 IS 250 W/ Premium pkg, 18" wheels.
Cap cost: $30,500
MF:.0025
55% residual
Gap Insurance included
Close-ended lease
Payment: around $480

swc1

Ok, the 2007's are coming in the next few days and the Costco price at Putnam will be $2000 over invoice, or $33061 plus T&L for a 2007 IS250 with premium package plus 18" wheels, cargo net and mats, and HID headlights. This seems to be the standard package for California this year.

wco81

Hmm, good that they put in HIDs. Does Premium include memory seats?

Could frankly do without 18-inch wheels.

swc1

I think memory seats only comes with "luxury" package.

cali_guy

How does this sound went to a local so cal dealership to see the IS350 and the salesman offered me a killer deal.

is350 white
sport
nav/ml
msrp a little under 44,000
invoice 38,500
salesman offered 39,800

I know that 07 will be rolling out soon but if this is a REALLY good deal im thinking about it.

wco81

So no Luxury package again in CA probably.

Well I know people who got a 2005 ES330 from Putnam for $33k out the door. It had memory seats, HID and all options except Nav, ML.

Then you hear about steep discounts (like $4500) on the ES350 which will have the Luxury package.

Just don't understand that. It would seem the IS is in a far more competitive segment than the ES.

hung8582

so today I went to the lexus dealer and quoted me a lexus is250 premium pkg with navi for 34900?...good price? need to know asap!! thanks

getlex

Hi everyone...I got a lot of good info from this thread/site so I wanted to give back...Just got a lexus IS 350 smokey granite - they are going like cakes man - 3 other people bought last night as well....the silver is hot as well.

paid 37823 + tax/license...
IS 350 w/nav (no ML), 18 wheels, prem pkg - the IS 350 is selling hard even as the 2007 are coming in...i was amazed how people were buying. I had a long negotiation - I came in knowing my facts and had gone to putnam in Redwood City prior - they don't have a lot of selection there right now....serramonte was just busy as a beehive though so it seems like you have to stand in line for a sales rep....but good experience there and nice people - no high pressure.....

kungfufi

I am looking for the Luxury package with nav. for either 250 or 350, but I was told by Sewell FW that it is almost impossible to get the luxury package and tried to convince me it is not worth it, my husband seems to agree also. But I don't want to spend money on a "luxury" car that does not have all the luxury features. Has anyone got the luxury package and does not think it is worth it.
Also I was told that there will be no Granite mica available at all with the packages I want in the nation, unless I special order the car. The dealer told me if i special order, then it will be the 2007 model, which at this stage they do not have the prices or what options they have as yet.. is this true? :confuse:

ronnietoys

My buying experience is from the Northeast here in Connecticut. My interest is in the IS250AWD. Allocations have the Luxury Pkg with ML/Nav or just Premium Pkg w/or w/o ML. ML is only offered with Nav. I wanted the Luxury Pkg in my IS250AWD and I also wanted ML and HW (headlamp washers). I DO NOT want Nav. In my opinion it is just not worth an extra $2K. I feel I will enjoy Nav as a separate hand held unit such as a Megellan or a Garmin. I can also take it with me when I travel. Megellan has a built in battery so you can use it while walking city streets. Anyway, back to the IS250. So this past June I ordered a "250AWD" without NAV and it's gonna have the ML. Along with the Lux Pkg,Headlamp washers,trunk mat and cargo net it will be a perfect car for my needs. Those illuminated sills are gonna look sweet. Remember, the LUX PKG also has the HID headlights that move right and left...COOL...and SAFE. Yes, SAFETY is the best reason to justify the LUX PKG. As for the '07's I am not sure if the HID's will be standard equip. If the 'safety' reason is not valid anymore then the extra things that go with it, especially the rear shade and the extra memory functions, make it worth the extra money. Order it if you have to. Don't compromise. You will wait about 90 days for a custom order. The car will be the color and have the options you want. Orders tend to be transmitted to Lexus around the 20th of the month. I got word on Friday that my car will be in the port on the 30th or 31st of August. As of now I am expecting it to be an '06. That is a bit of a let down if it is an'06 so late in the year but I will get over it. Yes I will get over it when I turn up the ML stereo that does not have NAV and when I raise up my rear SUNSCREEN/PRIVACY shade and light up the back mountain roads of Vermont with the HID lights because I have the LUXURY PKG. I am paying $800 over invoice. At this time of year and IF it is '06 I think I got only an average deal. I still don't know what is going on with the Sirius radio situation. I am a Howard fan and I really would like a Lexus Sirius sat radio. Does any one know what the word is on this?

ronnietoys

To to edmunds.com and look up the price with the options your deal includes. Then you will know if it is a good deal.

kungfufi

I just got a quote from Wilde Luxury of Sarasota, and they quoted 33,980 for the same over the internet. Like a lot of people has commented on this forum, I am so impressed with their quick response and no non-sense approach.
But i think I might have changed my mind about the IS250, might get the IS350 instead :P

kungfufi

I am from TX area and the best deal I have found so far is indeed from Wilde Lexus from sarasota FL. I am wondering for the people who bought their cars from a different state, can you still go to your local dealer for maintenance and service? Do you get the same treatment as if you bought your car from their dealership? Thank you!

revangel

I just want to share my experience and 'deal' with everyone browsing this site. This site has indeed empowered an 'average' guy like myself into avoiding the "shaft" in the car-buying process. The relief of knowing you are in control in the ever so intimidating experience of buying a new car is priceless. Thanks to everyone who has actively contributed to this forum.

Story (shortened from its original content to maintain reader interest---in short, I could make this really funny but I won't):

The Wife needed to 'upgrade' from an '01 Golf into something more "mature and stylish", and she was impressed with the Audi A4 (I drive a TT). She test drove an IS250 (FYI: Audi and Lexus dealership in Steven's Creek was across the street from each other), got blown away, and a co-worker advised that I browse through the Edmunds.com forum.

Details:

2006 IS250 - SMOKY GRANITE MICAH
w/ NAV
18" Wheels
Cargo mat, etc

MSRP - $36504
INVOICE - $32291

DEAL - $32791 (+ tax, lic, doc fees...)

--that's $500 over INVOICE
--that's $3713 under MSRP (sticker)

We bought the car at Lexus of Serramonte. They had the color and trim package that we wanted. I will not waste my time telling you how 'easy' these guys are to work with. All dealerships want your money . However, I will say that these folks at Lexus of Serramonte---they will work with you---IF and only IF, you empower yourselves with as much information as they have themselves.

Car buying observations (maybe someone else has posted this already, but I thought I'd share it anyway):

* If you go to a dealership, they *will* want to sell you the car that is on their lot .

They don't care whether it is the color or trim that you want, they wan't you to leave with a car and their pockets fat with commission.

Advise: resist the urge. Why would you want to bring home something you don't really want? Better yet, "pretend" you don't care for it, then make a deal.

* All deals go through "The MANAGER" or "The GENERAL MANAGER". So, why am I wasting my time with a guy who keeps going back and forth between me and the GM just to get a deal?? This trick is OLD and a waste of time---but whatever!

Advise: make a deal over the Internet or over the phone. This way you can avoid the "profiling" that car salesmen do. This will still require that you "show up" at the dealerships for them to see that you are a 'serious' buyer.

Side note on profiling: my wife and I were dressed somewhat casually when we visited the AUDI dealership. Jeans and shirt. We didn't get asked if we were interested in a car after walking around for over 10 minutes. No they weren't busy. Four guys were just chatting around. Some 'younger' guy noticed us after he finished with a client and everything else was 'the usual' from that point on.

* Make as many dealerships "FIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS" as you can! LEXUS in its entirety do not care who you buy the car from, so long as you BUY a Lexus. (This is obviously true for all Car makers).

The more people fighting for your money the better deal you can get.

But wait---I can hear someone saying something about that's a "dirty trick", or what about "integrity" in doing business, blah blah blah. One word---"SHAFT"!

I don't want it. You want it? Take it. I won't. This site has helped me avoid the shaft. I even told the GM, "I want to leave with a new car not feeling like I got shafted. So give me this car for this price."

Good luck everyone. My wife and I really love this car. We broke the car in by driving Southbound on HWY101 over the weekend. Really nice. Soft supple leather. The AC blows cold at the lowest setting. The [non-permissible content removed]-chiller is SWEET!!! And get a NAVI---those after-market things make your car look cheap!

rlwclifton

What are people paying for an IS250 6-speed w/premium package in the Northern Virginia area??? Pohanka was quoting only $500 off even though 2007's are coming soon. I find that hard to believe but anyone in the area purchase one lately??

hung8582

so i finally settled with the price of 34,500..i live in NY, i called about 5 different dealers...they all want at least 34,900...cant seem to find a better deal then this..they threw in the weather mats and a 10k maintence..i knwo the deal is not as good as others but im satisfied with it. the dealer is 10 mins away so its easy to take of any issues if there are any. thanks again for a great forum!

hung8582

btw its with premium and navigation

iamfaymous

34,500 before or after taxes and title

rawg51

I've dealt with Pohanka Lexus, they won't even bother budging from my experience and yes, despite the '07s coming (at least in terms of making room in their lot). If you ask me, 'tis better to negotiate with Lexus in Richmond (last time I talked with them about two weeks ago they did not have any IS350 on their lots though but had many 250s). The internet manager at Lexus Richmond also asked me for my internet price.

hung8582

its before...forgot to mention its the awd model too, so tats a bit more...

lbaily

I bought my IS 350 in December from Lexus of Annapolis. I paid $1500 over invoice. The car has been great. Call the internet sales manager there. I live in northern Virginia. It was worth the drive to Annapolis (less than an hour).

ajmtbm

sticker $38k, paid approximately $35k before tax title etc, or about about $1500 over invoice.
Southwestern CT area, actually most others were about $500 more.

istundra

Hey guys,

I just got this offer from Putnam Lexus. I knwo it is overpriced and nothing compared to revangel's deal at Lexus of Seramonte. revangel, Please share ur inputs. Maybe i can get a similar deal as you! Thank you all!

2007 Lexus IS 250 Smokey Granite/Black with trunk mat, cargo net, wheel locks, 18" alloy wheels with summer tires, high intensity headlmaps with adaptive front lighting system, navigation system and premium pkg.

MSRP is $37,647

Your internet price is $36,539 plus tax & lic.

revangel

istundra,

my understanding is that the '07 would be about ~$800 more than the '06. this, if i recall correctly, is due to the HID/adaptive lighting system and something about a 'sharkfin' antennae that the '06 clearly did not have.

your '07 package appears to be similar to the one we bought although ours is an '06. having said that, one would assume to simply add $800 or so more to the previous deal. however, this is an '07 and room for negotiating is slim to none.

have you tried asking for the invoice price? this is key, for you would want to have an 'idea' as to how much they paid for the car (or at least a rough estimate) give or take a few hundred dollars.

have you asked other dealerships for their 'Internet Price'? remember, make these people work for your money and make them fight each other for it. i find true joy in this.

bottomline, you would want to pay for the car within the range of the invoice price and the 'sticker' price. with paying for close to invoice being a 'really good' deal.

they appear to be giving you about $1100 OFF of sticker. i personally do not believe that to be anywhere in the range of a 'good deal'. however, if you really want this car, i would think you can start with $3000 off of sticker. we did get our car with over $3700 OFF of sticker ($500 over invoice). so, $3000 is being generous. do not buy this car for $2000 OFF of sticker. that figure, in my opinion, is their 'ACE card'. this is the figure they'll throw at you as you are walking out of their office and they want to give you a "final deal."

in my humble opinion, $2000 OFF is a "shaft" that sounds so good you wouldn't ask for lube. at this stage they will remind you that they have come roughly "halfway" between your "ridiculous" offer of $3000 OFF to their "i'm-giving-you-the-shaft-and-you're-going-to-like-it" offer of ~$1000 OFF. my advice---FIGHT THE URGE and DODGE THE SHAFT!

you might want to ask for my guy in serramonte. he and i kinda hit it off. the dude was quite impressed with my negotiating skills. he might be able to help you out. heck, i might even call him up myself again just to hear his tortured voice over the phone.

disclaimer: i am not affiliated with LEXUS and its subsidiaries nor am i a car salesman by profession. i'm just a geek who appreciates the power of information and enjoy seeing grown men cry.

all references to 'shaft', 'shafting', getting 'shafted' (and perhaps enjoying it) and the like are made in the spirit of making a strong argument. this is in no way reflective of the writer's personal, or private experience.

istundra

revangel,

I am currently seeking internet pricing from various Lexus dealerships throughout the Bay Area and even to the Stockton, Sacramento, and Lodi area. Seramonte is not far at all. Only north of me off 280. Well anyway, I am shooting for something around ur purchase price. Maybe +800 or so is OK. It is still a lot better then what they have offered me.

BTW, What was your initial price quote from Seramonte?

--James

istundra

As of now, only Putnam Lexus has responded with an Internet Pricing. They rest never gave me a qoute via email and have requested me to phone them.

revangel, do you use any stort of instant messaging service? maybe you can coach me on this purchase.

swc1

I just ordered a 2007 IS 250 from Putnam, but it doesn't have nav. My price was $33,061 plus T&L. It has premium package plus 18" wheels, cargo net, mat, and HID headlights. It should be here any day now.

istundra

Yeah but that is nothing near revangel's deal. Cheaper then your price w/ NAVI!

hbun

I wanted to say thank you to the forum members for all the information and experiences shared; it made buying this car so much easier than my last time (1994). Finally made a deal at Lindsay Lexus in Alexandria, VA for a 2006 IS 250 AWD/black ext & int/nav/lux/headlight washers/XM for $37500 (before tax/title/etc). Lindsay was a good experience, as was Annapolis, but Lindsay is much closer to where we live. We didn't have such a positive experience at Rockville, plus the initial offer was higher ($38424 not incl XM). Hopefully it will arrive before the end of the month!

swc1

I believe his was a 2006. I don't think you will get a great deal on a 2007 just yet.

revangel

swc1 is correct. ours was an '06 model. i also agree that most will not get a "jaw-dropping" deal out of an '07---unless you really know what you're doing.


it is certainly difficult to assess whether one got a "good deal" or not. perhaps swc1 had the best deal for an '07 with the number he (or she---sori) got. although it is a little difficult to swallow for i did get a similar car, albeit an '06, but with a NAVI for $270 less. it is then debatable as to which car truly is the "better deal".

the only way to find out is if we could get information from the dealers such as INVOICE PRICE and STICKER (MSRP) PRICE and make comparisons from those figures. again, coming close to, at, or below INVOICE is always always always a better deal than paying STICKER (MSRP).

swc1, do you know how much INVOICE was for your car? how much was sticker for it?

to those who are in the process of purchasing this car, please share this information to the group. this truly is the only way for "us" to beat this game.

madscientist

Hello I have a deal on a 2007 Lexus IS 350 for invoice + $900.00 + TTL with the following option packages.

2007 IS 350 31,186
Luxury PKG. 3,372
Navigation with/Mark levinson premium audio PKG.
3,300

For 38,468 + 900.00 + 1504 for a total of $40,842.00 turn key price!

Did I do ok or should I keep looking.

revangel

james/istundra,

check out magnussen's of fremont. i received a 'decent' offer from them when i was shopping around. unfortunately, the car got sold before i could make a move.

Stockton/Lodi/Sacto... dude, that's far. remember, all these guys want your money. they will work with you if you have enough info to make the right offer.

my advice on dealers wanting you to call them instead of providing you "Internet pricing"---DON'T! remember my first post about "profiling"? this is true and i don't care who tells me otherwise. it doesn't take a genius to figure this out. just put yourself in the shoes of the sales person. a couple is walking around the lot checking out LEXUS cars, what's the first thing on their minds? ---> DO THEY HAVE MONEY??? let me rephrase that. DO THEY "LOOK LIKE" THEY HAVE MONEY???

the point is, eliminate this one negative from the car-buying equation if at all possible and get right down to making a deal.

for example. you can tell the MANAGER/GM, "i know the INVOICE price for this car is . the MSRP is . you're not going to like what i'm about to say but i am offering for this car." GM replies, "you're wasting my time! but if you 'meet me halfway' then we could keep talking".

notice how the GM will not really get ticked off, though he may sound like he is, he will keep the 'deal' going. this is where you do the "dance". when i say do the dance, i mean, you have to be a little 'flexible' with your ridiculous offer. make another offer, he will counter. at this point, he knows you are serious. put your game face on, you're about to buy a car!

i didn't get an initial price quote from Serramonte at all. i got quotes from Steven's Creek (good, but not the color we want), Putnam (weak, because they're pushing for the '07 plus price wasn't that great), and Magnussens (very attractive but not nearly as good).

Serramonte had the color/trim that we wanted (they actually had two of them) and i made the deal over the phone.


remember, you have to remain respectful of these people even if you're trying to pay for the car as cheap as possible. they have families too and this is their livelihood. the bottomline is to leave with your new car knowing you did your darndest to pay for it as little as possible. you will gain the respect of the sales folks and you will enjoy the car buying experience a whole lot more.


our sales guy handed the keys to my wife we shook hands and i said, "thanks man, i had a great time working this deal with you. it was a lot of fun."

now, how many people can actually say that and mean it?

revangel

if that truly is INVOICE price, then in my humble opinion it is not bad. i would, however, pit this figure against another dealership and ask, 'can you do 500 over invoice?' if they say 'no', then you say 'how about 700?'. there's a good chance you will get it for that price. hey, i just saved you $200!!!


again, this is assuming that the figures are indeed invoice prices. i suggest asking for the "sheet" that shows these figures on paper. or at the least the invoice for the car itself. then you'll know it is indeed INVOICE price.

if the sales guy refuses to show you the 'sheet', walk away. i'd rather deal with a guy who has some integrity left in him than someone who just couldn't wait to give me the shaft. just my .02.


damn... i should write a book about this car-buying thing. i might even call it "the shaft"

cwalsh

Congrats on your deal! I live in Arlington and am looking for an 06 IS 350. Can you provide how your deal compared with the invoice price? i.e. 500 over invoice, 1000 over etc. Want to know what I can I expect from Lindsay, understanding it is a different model. I would think there is a minimum profit threshold per car that I can get them to agree to.

Thanks and congrats again.

hbun

Having the XM included in the $37500 makes it cloudy for me to figure out exactly what we paid over invoice. The Lindsay salesperson told us XM goes for $800 at the dealership; so if I was using the most optimistic numbers, I would say we paid $1700 over invoice. Unlike other dealerships (Annpolis & Rockville), the internet contact at Lindsay wouldn't give any prices on the phone or via e-mail. In person there was a low-pressure approach; the dealership is undergoing renovations right now so sales has moved to a former warehouse still on the same lot. It's fairly loud in there (with large fans blowing) so we couldn't always hear that well so be prepared for that. Their online inventory was pretty helpful too; it seems fairly up to date. We didn't do a lot of negotiating; truth be told our 1990 Honda Civic cracked a cylinder last week so we need a car ASAP. I think if we still had 2 working cars we probably could have gotten them down to $37K but that's just a maybe. We had seen a 250 with a Mark Levinson system on Saturday (8/20) and by the time we made up our minds on Monday (was ML worth the extra$, etc?)it was gone. Also, before we finalized the deal today I had called/emailed a lot of other dealerships -- Pohanka, Silver Spring, Towson, Owings Mill, Virginia Beach, to see about 2006 availability and it's definitely getting to the end. No one else could find what we wanted. The Silver Spring salesperson said that I could have a 2007 IS250 that was coming to port Sept 10 and should be in the showroom by Sept 17. The Lindsay rep said that he thought that our 2006 car was coming on the last shipment(s). Hope that's helpful; I apologize for the rambling. Lindsay seems to have a good reputation in the community; two of my work colleagues and one family member have bought there in the last year and have been very pleased with the sales and service. Good luck with the 350!

istundra

Hello all,

I just got quoted from Magnussuns and they wanted $35,070 for it.

Not a great deal huh?

istundra

Just got a qoute from Concord Lexus.

2007 Lexus IS250 w/ Navi & Lux Pack.

Gonna go pick it up this saturday.

$34K plus fees.

$1,500 more then revangel.. but this is a 2007.

revangel

istundra, is this for the same package as the one you originally posted for?

===ORIGINAL POST===
2007 Lexus IS 250 Smokey Granite/Black with trunk mat, cargo net, wheel locks, 18" alloy wheels with summer tires, high intensity headlmaps with adaptive front lighting system, navigation system and premium pkg.

MSRP is $37,647

Your internet price is $36,539 plus tax & lic.
===END===

If so, then you have done very well. That looks like $3,647 OFF of sticker! Great job! It doesn't matter that I paid less since you're getting HID with Adaptive front lighting. I think this is an awesome deal.

Congratulations!!!

By the way, do you have any idea as to how much INVOICE is for this car?

istundra

According to the fleet manager at Concord Lexus, he said:

$33,229 - Invoice
$37,647 - MSRP

I might take the 34K offer to Stevens Creek and see if they can beat the price. I hope the guy dont think i betrayed him. I promised him i will pick up the car this Saturday.

istundra

Oh yeah.. I think it is the same package!

sthavorn

Hi All, I've checked out the Lexus website over and over and I'm still confused when it comes to options for IS250 RWD. According to Price/Option these are available
-Luxury Package w/18-in wheels (RWD only) - $4,215
-Navigation System/Mark Levinson Package - $3,990
-Individual Factory Options
But on Build Your IS page luxury package w/18 is not offered. Has anybody bought IS250 W/Nav/Luxury pack w/18" wheel lately? Thanks for you infos

fredsegal

I've been quoted $39,500 for a 2006 IS 350 with sport package, nav system, levinson sound and preferred accessories (msrp $43,909). It doesn't seem like there's much 2006 inventory left with these options and dealers are reluctant to go lower than this price. Is this a good deal, or should I set my sights on working a deal for a 2007 with the same equipment?

paperkut

hi, i purchased a 2006 IS 250 granite/int. black prem pack 18-in wheel w/ nav. wheellocks n cargo net for $34000 in June 2006 at serramonte, ca. the packages for IS 250 is very limited. i was told here in the bay area that prem pack, 18-in and nav w/o ml is standard for the IS 250 RWD and that if you want any other packages added you must special order them. but hell it might be different in your area. also hard to bargain if your in the bay area and at this point of the year, prices should drop soon due to 07 models. good luck

sthavorn

I already went to the dealer in Westminster, Ca and they dont have that many 250 when I mentioned Luxury package w/18 wheel they talked me into the 350. I checked out carsdirect.com and they have Luxury w/18 wheel but not sure if is the same as on lexus 350 web page. My 99 GS400 with luxury /17" package is averaging 17miles/gallon that's why I need 250 with luxury w/18" pack. Hope to find one in Orange county before Lexus golden deal ends on September 4th.