Good day,

Recently I just got in an accident and my Ford Explorer was declared totaled. I want something sporty and affordable and have decided the Lexus IS is a great choice. I believe the 2001 model is the first production year the IS was made. Can anyone provide insight into what the best year to cost ratio would be? It makes common sense that the first year’s model tends to have more problems that are fixed in later models. If anyone has at their disposal a list of the changes from model years that would be great to browse over. Basically, I’ll take all and any of the advice I can get on which year and model seems to be the best. I am looking at an IS 300, Automatic, HID, leather, the works. I plan on putting on custom parts, intake, exhaust, perhaps angel eyes, strut support, etc… Thank you greatly for your time and help.

Justin

 

well there are others that could point out more stuff than i can, but as far as the options you are wanting for the IS such as auto, HID, leather, and the works.
*all of them have HID
*all the 01s are auto(some of the 01's also have no sunroof and have cloth interior)
*the IS didn't have a stick as an option until 02
*and from what i have heard leather is kinda rare. i'd say like 90% of the IS's have leather/ecsaine. ecsain is a leather/cloth material that looks and feels like suede but with better durability.
*most of the IS's I have seen have sunroofs, as a matter of fact i have only seen 2 that didn't and they were 01's
*the 01s don't have armrests but can be switched out with the 02's to have one from what I have heard. *03's as far as my knowledge really didn't change from 02 to 03 except for the cup holder, which can also be switched out. the 03 holder can fit larger cups then the 02 one can.
*as for spoilers don't know if you want the stock one or if you plan on putting a different one on but i think finding one with a spoiler is about a 50/50 chance.

that is about all i can think of at the moment, but good luck in your search!

 

The 2001's , obviously, will have the lowest prices. The only significant flaw is a couple of shifting quirks in the 2001 automatic transmission. Examples: Bumpy 1-2 and 2-3 shifts when cold....extremely smooth when warm. Occasional slight slips in 2-3 shifts at all temperatures. Slight delay in 3-4 upshift at colder outside temperatures. 4-5 upshift also delayed till engine temperature reaches 140 degrees....this is an emissions design to get the engine and the catalyst hot as soon as possible. You cannot downshift from 5 to 4 with the chrome shift lever alone......you must use the manual shift mode, steering wheel buttons and select "4". Also, the buttons only go down to "2", not "1"...you must use the lever for first gear. If this kind of stuff bothers you, then get the 5-speed...though they will be harder to find and they have a stiffer suspension. The E-shift tranny is not a piece of junk...it is durable, but just a little quirky at times.
But the engine has good enough torque that you don't really need to downshift much unless you want quick power or downhill braking. The tranny has a power mode but it really doesn't affect it much.
Some of these shift quirks persist in later models. The gas mileage ( on premium gas ) is not particularly good.....16-20 MPG in most normal driving. Otherwise the car is almost perfect....a real gem.....smooth, quiet, and sporty at the same time. Lexus built its reputation on quality and this car generally delivers. But keep in mind that as a sport sedan and BMW 3-series competitor, a used IS300 may have been driven harder than other Lexus models.
If you are used to an Explorer's traction on slick roads, you'll find the IS300 a disappointment...even with traction control. If you need to drive on slick roads, look at the All-Wheel-Drive RX330 or front-drive ES330.
The ES is a fabulous car if you want comfort.
Good Luck.

 

I have a 93 SC300 w/ low mileage right now, but lately I've been thinking about switching to a 2001 IS perhaps within the next year or so. Now just to verify, & I apologize in advance if I am being repetitive, does every automatic IS come standard w/ the E-Shift? It sounds like it would be a fun toy Thank you, I may be hanging around this section of the forum in the future:
A) To help me decide whether to put my money into my SC, or bag it & go for a newer IS,
& B) The SC forum just isn't what it used to be!

Hoping to learn a lot & meet friendly, enthusiastic IS300 owners
Thanks & God Bless,
-Johnny

 

yes... all auto IS' come with e-shift.. and if u get a shift kit from toyomoto or pfs or srt... it will make the shifts much more crisp and precise.. better for racing..



as for differences... between 01 and 02... i've had both... the door trims on the 02 are bigger than on the 01... not a big difference but something i noticed. there is also piping on the seats.. they made the speaker covers a chrome look. the dash is more of a all black look instead of the graphit/black look found in the 01s... trac/snow button was changed a little... they painted the hubs and calipers on the 02s and up.. not to say it really helped alot, but it did help a little.

thats all i can think of for now.. hope this helps