what are your plans with the car?

drive it everyday to work and that's it ... IS250
drive it everyday and go lots of places ... IS250 with Nav
pimp it out for SHOW with body kit, wheels, lower it, audio ICE upgrades ... IS250

drive it everyday like you stole it ... IS350
drive it like you stole it and go lots of places ... IS350 with Nav
pimp it out for GO with exhaust, intake, suspension, light wheels... IS350

pimp it out for SHOW and GO with all the above, and have some money ... IS-F with Nav

 

is350 with nav. you pay a bit more and you get a car with more power, your set goodluck in your choice.

 

If "fun" is what you are looking for in an IS, get the manual transmission! It makes the daily driving joyful

 

I had to decide between getting the is250 manual or 350 auto....after 16 months, I wished I went the manual option.

bottom line is, if you drive to and from work and don't want tickets, get the is250 and for a bit more fun, get the manual.

 

Maybe this will put it in perspective for you. Of course, there will be some arguments but generally speaking, the IS 250 is just about the slowest V6 powered sedan on the market today. In contrast, the IS350 is just about the fastest V6 powered sedan on the market today. Think about that.

 

I'd definitely do IS350 with nav once again if I were buying a new IS today. I love the power, and I like not having to hide an aftermarket navi every time I park.


I'd have said "changed scuff plate illumination from blue to white". More informative, especially since blue vs. white is a matter of personal preference, and only an improvement if you prefer white.

 

Nuvi with a friction mount. Fits perfectly on the top of the center stack. Fits perfectly in the center console. 20 seconds from one place to the other. Nobody has any idea it's in your car when it's parked because it's not visible, and nothing visible is left.

And it offers a lot more features. And costs over $2000 less.

And you can take it on trips to use in rental cars, or your wife or friends car if you're in another vehicle for a trip. Or even put it in your pocket when you get out of the car in an unfamiliar city- it'll provide walking directions from the parking lot to your destination, then back to your car...and easily fits in a pocket.


Plus it's $99 for lifetime map upgrades, versus $300 -per year- for Lexus map upgrades.

Factory nav is even bad for resale value, because of how dated the technology is by the time you're ready to sell the thing.

I waited an extra couple months for my special order 350 just to -not- get nav in it.

 

Like Kurtz, I have no navi and no regrets.

Sure, it's nice that it's integrated, but considering that I have other vehicles that are driven, it simply doesn't make sense.

So, like Kurtz, I just use a Garmin with a friction mount. Allows me to set it where I want, when I want, and in any car I want. Plus, I don't have to worry about a nav-hack on a $4000 nav system, and I can update it with a new one if I so desire.

Plus, I really don't think that you get the return on investment with the factory nav. If you buy it as a ~ $2000 option, and sell the car 4 years later for only $1000 more than a non-nav equipped car, then you just paid $1000 for the system. On the other hand, you can pick up a Garmin for as little as $125.

 

Personally, I'd get the NAV.

Yes, the navigation on the Lexus is sub-par, and if you want to get a superior Garmin go ahead.

However, in my opinion no one is actually paying 2k for the Nav today. A lot of time the difference between nav and non-nav is a couple hundred.

In addition, Nav is slowly becoming a standard option. Despite the fact, Lexus/Toyota nav sucks, your average buyer will still look for it. I haven't met too many people that say they want a Lexus, but then refuse to buy it because of the crappy navigation. Yes, there are a few, but generally people buy it in spite of the crappy nav. On the other hand, I frequently see people pass over cars that do not have navigation.

Also, there are some non-nav benefits with the nav option as well. The display and the controls are different, and in my opinion slightly better. However, that's just my opinion.

I'm not disagreeing that the Lexus navigation sucks, but it's not completely useless; The Lexus navigation does have some functional use to it, but yes it's a definite letdown. However, in today's market it's a very cheap add-on, and if you don't like it you can always buy a Garmin later. I think the Lexus Nav will definitely help with the trade-in/resale in the long run as well because although everything depreciates...Nav is quickly becoming a standard option for most vehicles. Personally, I probably won't ever buy another vehicle without Navigation, especially as the price of them continues to lower.

Just my two cents.

 

I've yet to see a Lexus dealer who magically gives you a $2500 option for a couple hundred bucks.

In this environment you should certainly be able to get a car close to invoice, but nav still adds over $2000 to -invoice- pricing.

And nav is _bad_ for resale value.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...ale-usat_N.htm

(plus, as far as controls- most of the things I actually do on the car take -longer- with nav controls, since you have to switch screens to do them, versus directly pressing a physical button on a non-nav car)

 

Don't forget the rear view camera, a safety feature as well as a cool toy.

 

Well, apart from the gratuitous slagging of the factory nav, the big decision you need to make is between the 250 and 350.

The only way you can do that is to drive both, preferably back-to-back.


I drove an AWD 250 a few days before I got into my 350. I would say that for daily driving, the 250 has plenty of power to get you into trouble if you're just on it hard all the time.

The 350 is deceptive. Accelerating from 60-80 while cruising is completely imperceptible if you're not watching the speedo. That said, overtaking on a multi-lane highway is effortless.


In the end, I chose the 350 precisely because it has a little more power than I wanted. I look at it as having done all of my power upgrades in buying the car. I generally drive it like a granny, since it WILL pull so hard if you romp on it. So any time I feel like I need more power, I just drive it harder and there it is.

I daresay, however, that if you're looking for outright performance, the IS probably isn't the best choice. There are other vehicles out there that will "feel" faster that are less expensive. I chose the IS since it's the best compromise between performance and liveability.

 

That's the best assessment I've seen. He points out the best of both worlds without making one feel inferior. I bought the 08 250 w/ nav for the exact reason. It's a daily driver and I am not into speed. I get about 29 MPG mainly HWY driving in light to medium traffic and the insruance is cheaper on the 250

 

I have an IS250 and wish I got the IS350. Price vs. the power you get... I was stupid. But in my own defence, all they have up here in NJ are IS250 AWD's. WHAT THE HECK! I didn't fully investigate the IS350, but if it was anything like the IS250 RWD, the dealer would of told me there aren't any in the area due to being in a snow/wintery area. Thats straight pants. Wish I went 350rwd over 250awd... even if I had to wait a couple weeks for delivery. Felt forced into the 250awd, and little did I know the 350 was only about $1,700 bucks more then the 250awd...
$1700 bucks more for 100 pony's... stupid stupid stupid
This is all of course if power means anything to you... I felt it didn't and proceeded w/ the 250. Now looking back, and seeing how stinkin slow the 250 is... I really wish I pursued the 350. Just a warning, the 250 is slow.

Nav... I don't have it and I don't regret it. All this whoopla about having a luxuary car, so you need nav? Thats crazy talk.
Do you REALLY ever go places that you don't know how to get to? My IS is my daily driver and use it for work, gym, shopping ect... daily life. I know exactly how to get everywhere I need to go, thus never needing it.
And in the off chance I'm going someplace new I've never been before, good ol' mapquest printout. Free, and I don't feel 'werid' using it. I maybe use mapquest twice a year... twice a year for me doesn't warrant $2,500 coming from my wallet, luxuary car or not.

 

As well as available, much cheaper, with an aftermarket nav unit.