IS250 4 Me

Good luck. I had to get quotes from dealers in California to get the final price I wanted. However, Houston dealers will at least budge. First expect $1K off of MSRP, then they will come back with $4K off of MSRP when you get ready to walk out. The rest is a bit of a challenge to get. Keep walking out and tell them that you have your compass pointed west to Cali. They'll say, "Surely it isn't worth the hassle for you to go to Cali."

For another $2K off, I believe I can justify a flight there and a drive back. I even got one dealer to offer to pay my airfare there.

BrianV

Thanks for the advice. I'd like to thank everyone for making this such a helpful thread.

I will look at Longo Lexus and some of the So Cal dealers. I'm originally from So Cal, have bought Lexus' down there (for my mom and dad) and go back there at least once a month. In fact I'll be there in less than two weeks.

I actually already exhausted Southern California for my G35 search but it appears 6MTs are rare there as well.

At any rate, I'm hoping some dealer here will be hungry enough, but I won't hesitate to mention California if that's what it takes. From the sounds of what I've read here, $4k-$5k would be a 'great' deal. I haven't read of anyone else getting anything much better than that. It also seems a plethora of members here have got that price so it's not some rare sighting.

Thanks again!

On a final note, one dealer I've been working with today in Dallas (Parkplace) says finding a luxury package equipped one is the hardest thing since only 10% of 350s have that package. I find that hard to believe, but I did enjoy this comment:

We'll see what truth is in that!

BrianV

It seems the dealers have different packages than the web site makes it out to be. I could live with a Level 2 which the dealer says are quite common. I wish I could rain sensing wipers and the memory package, but I'm not sure I need the ML radio since the regular is supposedly ok.

Level 1 – Premium Package

MSRP – $39,502 (approximate)
• Perforated Leather Trim Interior w/ 10 Way Power Front Seats
• Auburn Birdseye Maple Wood Interior Trim
• Manual Tilt/Telescopic Steering Wheel w/ Audio and Display Functions
• Smart Access Technology w/ Push Button Start
• Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control w/ Smog Sensor
• One Touch Up/Down Windows w/ Jam Protection
• 9 Position & One Touch Open/Close Moonroof w/ Tilt
• Heated & Ventilated Front Seats
• Automatic Xenon Headlights with Dual Swivel AFS
• Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers
• Laminated Acoustic Windshield Glass
• Lexus 13 Speaker 194-watt Premium Audio System
• Miniplug Auxiliary Input for MP3 Players
• 6 Disc In Dash Single Feed CD Player
• Pre-wired for XM Satellite Radio
• 3.5 Liter DOHC, 24 Valve V6 w/ Dual VVT-i
• 306 Horsepower, 277 lb-ft of Torque
• Six Speed Sequential Shift Automatic Transmission
• Steering Wheel Mounted Shift Paddles
• Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management System w/ VSC, TRAC & ABS
• 8 Airbags (Including Dual Knee & Twin Chamber Passenger)
• 18” Alloy Wheels w/ 225/40R18 Summer Tires
• Lexus Four Sensor Tire Pressure Monitoring System









Level 2 – Navigation Premium Package


MSRP – $42,052 (Approximate)
• Perforated Leather Trim Interior w/ 10 Way Power Front Seats
• Auburn Birdseye Maple Wood Interior Trim
• Manual Tilt/Telescopic Steering Wheel w/ Audio and Display Functions
• Smart Access Technology w/ Push Button Start
• Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control w/ Smog Sensor
• One Touch Up/Down Windows w/ Jam Protection
• 9 Position & One Touch Open/Close Moonroof w/ Tilt
• Heated & Ventilated Front Seats
• Automatic Xenon Headlights with Dual Swivel AFS
• Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers
• Laminated Acoustic Windshield Glass
• Lexus 13 Speaker 194-watt Premium Audio System
• Miniplug Auxiliary Input for MP3 Players
• 6 Disc In Dash Single Feed CD Player
• Pre-wired for XM Satellite Radio
• 3.5 Liter DOHC, 24 Valve V6 w/ Dual VVT-i
• 306 Horsepower, 277 lb-ft of Torque
• Six Speed Sequential Shift Automatic Transmission
• Steering Wheel Mounted Shift Paddles
• Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management System w/ VSC, TRAC & ABS
• 8 Airbags (Including Dual Knee & Twin Chamber Passenger)
• 18” Alloy Wheels w/ 225/40R18 Summer Tires
• Lexus Four Sensor Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Generation 5 Lexus DVD Based Navigation System w/ Voice Activation
• Rear Backup Camera
• Bluetooth Compatible








Level 3 – Navigation Mark Levinson Luxury Package


MSRP – $44,998 (Approximate)
• Perforated Leather Trim Interior w/ 10 Way Power Front Seats
• Auburn Birdseye Maple Wood Interior Trim
• Power Tilt/Telescopic Steering Wheel w/ Audio and Display Functions
• 3 Position Driver Seat Memory (includes Steering Wheel and Mirrors)
• 3 Position Passenger Seat Memory
• Smart Access Technology w/ Push Button Start
• Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control w/ Smog Sensor
• One Touch Up/Down Windows w/ Jam Protection
• 9 Position & One Touch Open/Close Moonroof w/ Tilt
• Heated & Ventilated Front Seats
• Automatic Xenon Headlights with Dual Swivel AFS
• Rain Sensing Automatic Windshield Wipers
• Laminated Acoustic Windshield Glass
• Illuminated ‘Lexus’ Scuff Plates
• Power Rear Sunshade
• 14 Speaker Mark Levinson Audio System
• Miniplug Auxiliary Input for MP3 Players
• 6 Disc In Dash Single Feed CD Player
• Pre-wired for XM Satellite Radio
• 3.5 Liter DOHC, 24 Valve V6 w/ Dual VVT-i
• 306 Horsepower, 277 lb-ft of Torque
• Six Speed Sequential Shift Automatic Transmission
• Steering Wheel Mounted Shift Paddles
• Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management System w/ VSC, TRAC & ABS
• 8 Airbags (Including Dual Knee & Twin Chamber Passenger)
• 18” Alloy Wheels w/ 225/40R18 Summer Tires
• Lexus Four Sensor Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Generation 5 Lexus DVD Based Navigation System w/ Voice Activation
• Rear Backup Camera
• Bluetooth Compatible

BrianV

LOL @ the first series of "VIP" / "Internet" prices are coming in. So far $500 off MSRP is my best deal, LOL.

linh811

ditto. At my time of purchase none of the houston dealers would budge off MSRP. Bought mine for $2500 off sticker from grapevine.

IS250 4 Me

Correct. They are testing you. The first offer will always be no greater than $1K off of MSRP. No one will give a quote for anything lower because they want to test the type of buyer that you are. They also don't know if you're serious about a purchase, as all you've filled out is an internet pricing request.

Simply call up the sales rep that sent you the email and tell them what you're looking for and see what they can do.

My internet quotes were all $900 off of MSRP, and my experience is that they won't take you seriously unless you call them.

BrianV

I think I just warmed Sterling McCall up, but we'll see. He says IS350s are really rare now but I don't know if he was feeding me a line or not.

Another dealer came back with a pretty bad deal:

MSRP of like $42,995; 36 month; 15k per year; 1k down, $745 per month. Residual is 53% (sounds low for a 3 year lease) and money factor was .00295 also sounds high.

For instance, the G35 36 month/15k lease residual was like 61 or 63% and money factor of .002095.

It's my understanding that residuals are set by LFS and isn't there a limit to how much the MF can be hiked?

Evitzee

I walk the lot at Sterling McCall every other Sunday and they rarely have more than one or two IS350's on the lot versus 20 or so IS250's, so he is not BS'ing. The last couple of IS350's they had didn't have too many options; one had NAV, one didn't. No Luxury or Sport packages, or anything like that.

BrianV

Darn. Oh well like I told him, I hadn't originally considered the IS350 until I read that people were getting 4-5k off sticker. At that deal it enters my budget, but anything less and it's outside what I mentally set as my pain threshold for a payment.

If I don't get a respectable deal close to my pain threshold soon, then I'll be in a G35 by week's end; which I'm also fine with.

IS250 4 Me

BrianV - who is your contact at Sterling McCall? Let me know if you're working with Ty (Caleb) Estes. PM me if he is your contact. Dealership is on my way back home, so I can stop in and see what they have on the lot.

Ty is very easy to work with, and they aren't feeding you any bull. They had 1 IS350 on the showroom floor when I was there. It was a matador red with Nav, and Mark Levinson. Nicely loaded with the chromed out stock wheels, ceramic tint, etc.

They had one IS350 per dealer in Houston back in April when I was buying.

BrianV

Yeah I'm working with Ty. He found a car that fits my needs, I think he said he had only a couple on his lot. I'm waiting for him to call me back with pricing.

Matt Henry in Austin also has one but is only giving $2k off of sticker. I really need to be at 4-5k off to make this happen; otherwise my lady is going to lose it, I've already increased my budget on this like three times.

IS250 4 Me

I bought my car from Ty at Sterling McCall. He is a no BS type of guy...cuts to the chase on the spot. Just tell him what you want and the price range and he'll try to make it happen. He doesn't strike me as one who likes to haggle.

PM me if you want me to butter him up for you.

He and I are pretty tight now that I've sent some business his way.

dfw350

got mine @ park place plano... got decent price when ppl were still waiting (list)

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

I got my car at Lexus Clear Lake, sales manager gave me $3500 off on the first phone call when I just asked for the price (near end of the month) and they happened to have the exact spec I wanted on the lot. I bet you'll get more asking about a week before the end of the month.

BrianV

Everyone is saying there aren't any IS350s and all dealers have 0 or 1 of them in stock. Just doesn't seem in the cards right now for a good deal