LeXsGs3

I have a 99GS3 and I wanted to see if it would be worth trading it in for the 250. I know they are 2 different cars and can't really compare, but for my preference...well

1. It has much better handling than my GS
2. Decent power for a 2.5 liter, however my GS feels stronger.
3. Interior is nice, but the GS feels more "Lexus luxury-like"
4. Technology is to envy, makes my GS feel ancient.

But after acouple of hours of analyzing and comparing. It's just not worth it. Maybe
becuase they're selling for a cool $40K out the door, and I can't justify spending that
kind of money for it.

With $3-$5K off of the new GS, it's even harder to justify. It is a nice car and one of the best in it's class, maybe I still love my GS so much.....HOWEVER...I did not drive the 350.....probably would have been a different story.

Just my 2cents. Happy motoring fellow Lexinians.

gsrthomas

iTrader: (1)

Tonight I just test drive a Manual IS250 white on black and I also test drove the Automatic IS250.

The manual had a sticker of $31,XXX. I was thinking about getting it. I love white on black and plus I want a manual. I was surprised they even had a manual. But Im just not ready to buy a new car yet.

is250_fan

how did the manual feel? I too have a gsr and some think honda makes the best manuals. how do you compare the two? did it feel much more sporty then the auto? I can decide between the 2...or a 2006 manual tsx.

gsrthomas

iTrader: (1)

I test drove a 2005 Acura TSX and the manual in the TSX felt better. When you shift gears in the TSX the gears go in without any effort and every precise. In the IS you gotta put more pressure to put it into gear.

No doubt that hondas make the best manual trannys. I have a gsrlike you do and in my gsr the throws are crisp to. I have 130k miles still on original clutch.

The IS250 manual is nice to but not as good as the TSX. I wouldnt make that my final decision between the two vehicles.

I'm having a hard time deciding between the two. I want a base IS250 manual with "18 wheels. But then again I dont like a purchasing first model year vehicle. And I dont want to wait till 2007 and pick up an IS. So maybe I will get a 2006 TSX. I love the way the IS looks!! Such a hard decision.

is250_fan

i hear you. I also don't like 1st year models. that's why i will wait for the 2007 version (and hope they throw in new toys/perks, since bmw's and g35 will be altered/new). I really like the tsx, but just feel the is has a better 'fresher' look. i just wish it came standard w/ all the cool stuff the tsx has.

not having had the chance to drive the manual (weren't any available last time I visited the dealer), how do you compare the auto to the manual? again does the manual make it feel much more sporty? or does the auto do a good job w/ the shifters?

gsrthomas

iTrader: (1)

For the auto I had it in the paddle shifter mode most of the test drive. The auto was nice and VERY smooth I didnt even feel like the car was shifting. But I can see myself getting bored of the auto very quick. It felt alittle bit slower to. Maybe cuz I was driving less aggressively with the auto.

WIth the manual the car felt more sporty for me. It brought out a more aggressive feel toward the car.I think in the end I would choose the manual over the auto. Plus the manual is cheaper.

The only good thing about the TSX is that its the 3rd year model. And they worked out most of the bugs on it. So thats a good thing that the TSX doesnt have a "fresh look" If it did then I probably wouldnt get it. The TSX is proven to be a reliable car. The current IS250/350 has not yet to be proven to be reliable and problem free. We will know this in a couple years.

mkaresh

I've test driven both the IS 350 and the IS 250 manual. A detailed review can be found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_209272540804.

In short, the IS 350 blew me away, and the IS 250 severely disappointed me. The 2.5-liter is thoroughly inadequate. The car is just too heavy, and the torque curve too blah. The 3.0 used in the GS should be the base engine. The manual shifter feels like junk--if I didn't know better I would have thought it the sort of poorly engineered cable mechanism often found in second-rate front-drive cars. Finally, the interior feels much richer in black, as in the first car I drove. With the light gray interior it's much more apparent where Lexus cut a few corners, most notably the hard plastic on the lower part of the instrument panel.

jlin101

you didn't mention what kind of package that 250 was equiiped with, having owned a loaded 99GS. The IS has just about every feature that is available in the 2005 GS (and one that no other Lexus has-bixenon). I thought the leather and other materials in the IS were on par with the GS, and maybe a little better than the RX (some may not like the fundy rubber-lide dashboard). Trickle-down technology is a wonderful thing; it was not that long ago that only LS had ventilated seats, AFS lighting, and smart access. Even with the 3-5k discount, a GS still costs 8-10k more than comparatively equipped IS, with negligibly more room. Yes, the GS does "seem" like a more luxurious or prestigious car, but it's not as fun to drive. For the price of a GS300, you can get a IS350--no comparison in my opinion.

Erick G

I test drove the is250 AWD today
and I was very impressed with its power. Its no 350 i will give it that. I was expecting it to be much slower then it was and we had 3 people in the car.

Minarets

i love this car....ad really want one. i would choose this over ant coupe out there--well, within range

but they lost me with the size ...i just cant have that small of a car with a wife and child...

Erick G

I have a wife and 2 kids, one who's turning 2 next month and a 3 month old
If they are in car seats I see no problems at all with an IS and they will be in car seats for a few more years. The IS also has a bigger trunk then the GS by 1 sq ft unless the brochures are wrong.

mkaresh

I drove the IS 250 with the manual. Some times a marginal engine will actually feel stronger with an automatic, perhaps owing to the torque multiplication provided by the torque converter. The 3.2 originally used in the Cadillac CTS was this way. Either that, or your expectations were lower. My expectations were admittedly raised by the IS 350. The salesperson said they try to avoid having IS 250 customers drive the IS 350.

I drive three kids--ages 3, 5, and 6--around in a Mazda Protege5 every day. The P5 has a considerably roomier rear seat than the IS, but kids are no reason for needing a large vehicle.

Based on my experiences carrying kids around in compact cars, two things could limit the IS here:

1. A rear-facing car seat might not fit; this will likely depend on whether one can squeeze between the front seats.

2. If you have a child and an infant, it will be even harder to fit a rear-facing seat next to a forward-facing seat. Especially in a car like the IS, where the rear wheel wells intrude into rear hiproom. In my previous car, a Ford Contour, I had to get the Graco Turbo Booster, which is narrower than the typical car seat. This seat is only usable with children over 4 years and 40 pounds.

3. if #2 can be made to work, then you can probably fit three across. Once you have three forward facing seats, the center one will likely have to be a taller model so the bolsters can overlap a bit. My center seat is a Britax Roundabout which sits quite a bit higher than the other two.

I actually find it easier to get three kids in and out of a smaller car, as I can reach the youngest in the center from the driver's seat and when he was younger it wasn't hard to put him through a rear door into the center seat. The higher roofline of a wagon helped here.

is250_fan

thanks for the info on the manual. i figured it would feel 'sportier' then the auto. I figure after I'm able to test drive, I'll decide between the tsx and the IS mt 250.

gsrthomas

iTrader: (1)

I actually drove the Auto IS250 for the second time!

I think I will get an auto over a manual. The auto is sooooo smooth and the paddle shifter is a nice thing to have.