regret buying is350?
08-14-06, 12:32 PM
#31
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I have 0 complaints about the car itself, just my luck since I purchased it.
1. Pulling out of the dealer onto the freeway, I get a dime sized dent down to bare metal in the hood from a stray rock on the freeway. This was my first mile in the brand new car. Paid Lexus body shop $500 to repaint it.
2. The 3m clear bra guy leaves a wooden splinter underneath the hood section. I take it back to have it redone, he pulls so hard on the film to get it off that it actually bent the hood. Of course he denies the whole thing, my hood no longer lined up evenly on both sides.
3. While installing the HID kit myself, somehow I cracked the plastic housing. Fortunately Lexus replaced the whole headlight assembly, no questions asked.
4. 1 month into ownership, crazy freak summer hailstorm in Houston damages every single body panel, roof, hood, trunk, and cracks both front and rear windshield. The car was in the body shop for 6 weeks having everything redone. First time I get it back, I noticed horrible globs of excess paint everywhere, I took it back and they fixed it to my satisfaction. Second time I get it back, water is leaking through the front windshield, they fix it to my satisfaction. Third time getting it back, rear taillight is broken, then fix it to my satisfaction. Fourth time getting it back, window glass has noticeable scratches, they sand it down to my satisfaction. Needless to say, the Lexus body shop and I have become very intimate. Oh, and they gave me a new hood!.
Other than that, it's been all peaches. With the likely announcement of an IS500, no other mods are going on this car. I'm just gonna drive it to the ground before trading it in sometime in late '07 or early '08.
1. Pulling out of the dealer onto the freeway, I get a dime sized dent down to bare metal in the hood from a stray rock on the freeway. This was my first mile in the brand new car. Paid Lexus body shop $500 to repaint it.
2. The 3m clear bra guy leaves a wooden splinter underneath the hood section. I take it back to have it redone, he pulls so hard on the film to get it off that it actually bent the hood. Of course he denies the whole thing, my hood no longer lined up evenly on both sides.
3. While installing the HID kit myself, somehow I cracked the plastic housing. Fortunately Lexus replaced the whole headlight assembly, no questions asked.
4. 1 month into ownership, crazy freak summer hailstorm in Houston damages every single body panel, roof, hood, trunk, and cracks both front and rear windshield. The car was in the body shop for 6 weeks having everything redone. First time I get it back, I noticed horrible globs of excess paint everywhere, I took it back and they fixed it to my satisfaction. Second time I get it back, water is leaking through the front windshield, they fix it to my satisfaction. Third time getting it back, rear taillight is broken, then fix it to my satisfaction. Fourth time getting it back, window glass has noticeable scratches, they sand it down to my satisfaction. Needless to say, the Lexus body shop and I have become very intimate. Oh, and they gave me a new hood!.
Other than that, it's been all peaches. With the likely announcement of an IS500, no other mods are going on this car. I'm just gonna drive it to the ground before trading it in sometime in late '07 or early '08.
08-14-06, 12:35 PM
#32
i drive a lowered 215/35/18 prelude (still one of the best handling FWD cars) and felt the IS handles well after 3 drives at taste of lexus and 1 dealer test drive. Its steering is a little light but the 330s steering is way too heavy, felt like I lost power steering
08-14-06, 12:37 PM
#33
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Originally Posted by 4TehNguyen
i drive a lowered 215/35/18 prelude (still one of the best handling FWD cars) and felt the IS handles well after 3 drives at taste of lexus and 1 dealer test drive. Its steering is a little light but the 330s steering is way too heavy, felt like I lost power steering
Last edited by ff_; 08-14-06 at 12:40 PM.
08-14-06, 01:09 PM
#34
Lexus Test Driver
a good driver can have fun in ANY car! theres a reason why small, cheap cars like the miata, older corollas, older audis, etc. are good choices for track cars.
people are quick to think bmw is the end-all solution for the "ultimate driving machine." well, the marketing works, but my point is that all you guys reading these forums both lexus and bmw should take everything with a grain of salt.
you can have fun with the 2IS, you just need to LEARN HOW.
for everything else the bmw just falls short. really crappy radio, awkward interior design, funky storage compartments (bmw owners know what i mean) that dont really store anything, and faulty electronics.
I just don't know where these stories about all the faulty electronics and mechanical problems come from. I had a 740i and 3 different 540i's over a 10-year period, and I just never had any problems. Those were the most bulletproof cars I've owned. Maybe I just live right. And the ergonomics were absolutely golden, too. Unfortunately, Chris Bangle came along and messed up a good thing ...
But the next-gen 5-series looks gorgeous in the early spy shots and I may be going back to that particular Dark Side!.
.
08-14-06, 01:19 PM
#35
my dads 2000 740 has been pretty well behaved, only problem i recall was a cracked radiator, but i really dont like the ergonomics (buttons arent very intuitive without digging up a manual), the AC doesnt seem very strong either, my prelude and bros TSX gets colder faster.
08-14-06, 01:32 PM
#36
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I have no regrets on my purchase. 8 months at 13.5k miles on it already, so I do drive it a lot. I bought it becuase I actually needed a replacement vehicle. If I spend >40k on something (anything) I didn't need or use I'd probably regret it too.
I can understand a regretable purchace if the car wasn't what you thought it was going to be in terms of quality, reliability, if you didn't get all the options you would have wanted becuase they weren't available, etc etc. But to regret a purchace becuase you are simply not driving the vehicle??? Cry me a river.
As far as bimmers are concerned, definatly are fun vehicles to drive. As far as the "electrical issues" are concerned. Well, it is not merely urban legand, they do tend to have more of these issues than most cars. Heck, even C&D reviews comment on BMW's electrical quirks, and those guys love bimmers.
I can understand a regretable purchace if the car wasn't what you thought it was going to be in terms of quality, reliability, if you didn't get all the options you would have wanted becuase they weren't available, etc etc. But to regret a purchace becuase you are simply not driving the vehicle??? Cry me a river.
As far as bimmers are concerned, definatly are fun vehicles to drive. As far as the "electrical issues" are concerned. Well, it is not merely urban legand, they do tend to have more of these issues than most cars. Heck, even C&D reviews comment on BMW's electrical quirks, and those guys love bimmers.
Last edited by Ramon; 08-14-06 at 01:35 PM.
08-14-06, 01:33 PM
#37
and getting that feeling of being on rails doesnt mean you have a super light car. the vehicle that actually is on rails is quite heavy, even if we are talking about a rollercoaster.
just take a peek at the e90 forums. sure, a bmw made 10 years ago wont have many electrical problems mainly because it doesnt have nearly as many systems! i could also compare my 2IS to a 10 year old M3 and say my car is way faster, but that would be too obvious...
and im not sure what you mean when you say bmw's already know how to drive. only car that can drive itself is a hummer...
Last edited by gshb; 08-14-06 at 01:38 PM.
08-14-06, 01:37 PM
#38
My 2 cents: Everyone complains about the handling of the 2IS, which just happens to be one of the easiest mods you can do to a car. a relatively inexpensively overhauled suspension can put the 2IS near that of any high performing car from BMW, Mercedes or Audi. It just seems like overall, for a high performing car, you're best of going with a car that has unparalelled engine performance (the IS350 of course), incredible interior design, sexy overall body design, and one of the best cars to hold it's value (especially since the body style is going to be around for at least 5 years). Every car has it's advantages and disadvanteges. I'd just rather go with the one that is at 90% overall.
and so far...problems with the lexus
, not a good combination...as far as the car goes, i think it looks great, but if everything worked as it was advertised and i didnt have new problems every week, t would be an awesome car, but unfortunatly i do, if that changes, my oppinions will change as well.
08-14-06, 01:39 PM
#39
Hmmmm .... sounds like someone who hasn't owned 4 BMW's like I have.
Yeah, they're cheap, and it doesn't hurt so much to trash one.
Hmmmm ... sounds like someone who hasn't owned 4 BMW's like I have.
See, in a BMW, you don't have to "learn how". The car already knows how.
Hmmmm ... sounds like someone who hasn't owned 4 BMW's like I have.
I just don't know where these stories about all the faulty electronics and mechanical problems come from. I had a 740i and 3 different 540i's over a 10-year period, and I just never had any problems. Those were the most bulletproof cars I've owned. Maybe I just live right. And the ergonomics were absolutely golden, too. Unfortunately, Chris Bangle came along and messed up a good thing ... But the next-gen 5-series looks gorgeous in the early spy shots and I may be going back to that particular Dark Side!
.
.
Yeah, they're cheap, and it doesn't hurt so much to trash one.
Hmmmm ... sounds like someone who hasn't owned 4 BMW's like I have.
See, in a BMW, you don't have to "learn how". The car already knows how.
Hmmmm ... sounds like someone who hasn't owned 4 BMW's like I have.
I just don't know where these stories about all the faulty electronics and mechanical problems come from. I had a 740i and 3 different 540i's over a 10-year period, and I just never had any problems. Those were the most bulletproof cars I've owned. Maybe I just live right. And the ergonomics were absolutely golden, too. Unfortunately, Chris Bangle came along and messed up a good thing ...
But the next-gen 5-series looks gorgeous in the early spy shots and I may be going back to that particular Dark Side!.
.
08-14-06, 01:42 PM
#40
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I just don't know where these stories about all the faulty electronics and mechanical problems come from. I had a 740i and 3 different 540i's over a 10-year period, and I just never had any problems. Those were the most bulletproof cars I've owned. Maybe I just live right. And the ergonomics were absolutely golden, too. Unfortunately, Chris Bangle came along and messed up a good thing ... But the next-gen 5-series looks gorgeous in the early spy shots and I may be going back to that particular Dark Side!
.
.
But the next-gen 5-series looks gorgeous in the early spy shots and I may be going back to that particular Dark Side!.
.
08-14-06, 01:48 PM
#41
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I have been noticing that many people are Complaining about the VDIM/VSC feature on the 2IS....
Don't get me wrong because I would love to drive without them, but one should look at this from Lexus's point of view! Being an Engineer working at Toyota (woohoo!), I can tell you that no company will provide powerful cars and not provide features like VDIM. The reason for this is because if only ONE person were to get seriously hurt, than it would be bad for the company. So they dont wanna take the risk....
Don't get me wrong because I would love to drive without them, but one should look at this from Lexus's point of view! Being an Engineer working at Toyota (woohoo!), I can tell you that no company will provide powerful cars and not provide features like VDIM. The reason for this is because if only ONE person were to get seriously hurt, than it would be bad for the company. So they dont wanna take the risk....
08-14-06, 01:55 PM
#42
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I have to say, although the handling is not amazing, its not bad...the reasons i mentioned the audis and BMWs is not because of handling. Also, i believe when you buy a car, it should come with very little things that you HAVE to do to it, ofcourse we would all like to slap a supercharger on a car, but we dont want to buy a car knowing that you have to, mods should be more of a want than a need. But the reason I was suggesting other cars is because service for the lexus and so far...problems with the lexus , not a good combination...as far as the car goes, i think it looks great, but if everything worked as it was advertised and i didnt have new problems every week, t would be an awesome car, but unfortunatly i do, if that changes, my oppinions will change as well.
and so far...problems with the lexus , not a good combination...as far as the car goes, i think it looks great, but if everything worked as it was advertised and i didnt have new problems every week, t would be an awesome car, but unfortunatly i do, if that changes, my oppinions will change as well.I come from a family who has always driven BMW's, they have owned many more than 4 in my 20 years. In fact, I was the first to break the mold in the sedan category by going with a Lexus. It seemed like my parent's cars were always in the shop, which I always remember by the countless number of times I would sit in the BMW shop waiting room. My dad's last 540 had continual electrical issues, as well as transmission issues. I am in no way biased, as I still love BMW's, I just think it's hard to critisize one make over another when all cars, out of their complexity, have issues.
08-14-06, 02:09 PM
#43
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I have a work vehicle which is my daily driver, my IS350 is my weekend or arfter work car. 1 full week( friday to friday) out of every month it doesnt get driven
due to work obligations. I paid $67,000 canadian for this auto and have absolutely no regrets. My only problem is I cant stop joyriding this thing, I find myself hopping in and driving aimlessly and I cant help it. My dealer has so far remedied any faults or complaints I have brought to there attention. My work vehicle gets way more play cause on the way home I go shopping etc. and then theres no need to fire up the monster, but I cant help it I still do and drive aimlessly. daam sometimes I even go hang out in the garage( crazy right)......no REGRETS on my matadore Red Mica sport 306hp IS350.....LEXUS
due to work obligations. I paid $67,000 canadian for this auto and have absolutely no regrets. My only problem is I cant stop joyriding this thing, I find myself hopping in and driving aimlessly and I cant help it. My dealer has so far remedied any faults or complaints I have brought to there attention. My work vehicle gets way more play cause on the way home I go shopping etc. and then theres no need to fire up the monster, but I cant help it I still do and drive aimlessly. daam sometimes I even go hang out in the garage( crazy right)......no REGRETS on my matadore Red Mica sport 306hp IS350.....LEXUS
08-14-06, 02:55 PM
#44
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People talk about "impulse purchases", but almost every car purchase qualifies in a way. What I mean is that a test drive or two tells you almost nothing about how the car is going to handle and drive in the 'real world'. In fact, I have to drive a car for a couple weeks before I really know how much I like it.
So in a sense, every time you buy it is on an impulse stemming from the car's looks or something you've read in a car mag or some research you've done on the internet or someone's recommendation or whatever.
That being the case, I can see how someone buys a car and then comes to regret it. It's exactly the same thing as waking up next to a girl "the next morning" and wanting to run screaming out of the house.
So in a sense, every time you buy it is on an impulse stemming from the car's looks or something you've read in a car mag or some research you've done on the internet or someone's recommendation or whatever.
That being the case, I can see how someone buys a car and then comes to regret it. It's exactly the same thing as waking up next to a girl "the next morning" and wanting to run screaming out of the house.
I guess the thread about “which option do you regret not getting” backs up your point. Seems that many people do get way to emotional and buy a car or whatever, knowing that it is not exactly how they want it, but they want it now!! I have zero sympathy for these people. Many people have also special ordered their car and waited 2-5 months to get it. I’m willing to bet that the majority of those people are much happier with their purchase than the people who took what was on the lot!
Oh yah, I also never woke up next to a chick that made me want to run out of the house screaming!!
08-14-06, 03:06 PM
#45
Lexus Test Driver
I mentioned one reason at the foot of the post ... designer Chris Bangle "messed up" the looks IMO and in the opinion of many, many others.
But frankly, another big reason was price. Whereas I had gotten my last 2 540's for around $50,000 (and could swallow that, with BMW's high residuals), the new style 5-series would have cost me more like $60k with similar equipment. That moved it out of contention for me, especially given that I don't like its looks.
But I'll also say I don't like I-Drive either.
Automobile Magazine has published spy pictures of the next-generation 5-series, though, and it is HOT. It will reportedly also come with the engine they are debuting in the 335 ... twin-turbo 6 with over 300 horsepower. While I still couldn't justify the V-8's price, the turbo 6 just might fill the bill for me. Heck, the naturally-aspirated 6 produces something like 268hp, and I might be able to live with that!
So, like I said, I may be going back to BMW on the next go-round!
But frankly, another big reason was price. Whereas I had gotten my last 2 540's for around $50,000 (and could swallow that, with BMW's high residuals), the new style 5-series would have cost me more like $60k with similar equipment. That moved it out of contention for me, especially given that I don't like its looks.
But I'll also say I don't like I-Drive either.
Automobile Magazine has published spy pictures of the next-generation 5-series, though, and it is HOT. It will reportedly also come with the engine they are debuting in the 335 ... twin-turbo 6 with over 300 horsepower. While I still couldn't justify the V-8's price, the turbo 6 just might fill the bill for me. Heck, the naturally-aspirated 6 produces something like 268hp, and I might be able to live with that!
So, like I said, I may be going back to BMW on the next go-round!