BrianV

I'm in Austin and am about to pull the trigger on a loaded 07 G35 6MT, but now the g/f is convincing me to sway towards the IS350 which previously I hadn't considered due to the price. However, I searched 'LEASE' in this forum and saw people getting fairly good deals. Some people seem to be getting 4k-5k off of sticker price.

I emailed my local Lexus dealer and they plain admitted they couldn't compete with the larger dealers. I bought a car from Longo Lexus back when I lived in California and had a great experience. However, I'm looking for something I can get locally in Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio. Are there any particular dealers I should look at?

Thanks,
Brian

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

its gonna depend if they have what you wanted in stock, good deals can be cracked when the car is on the lot and more so if its the end of the month. Hard thing about getting the IS you want is the options. Nav + Lux is easy to find in the Texas region, sport + ML is almost nonexistant without a special order

I originally planned to get an 07 starfire pearl/black X Package + HID + ML. I sent emails to Austin, Dallas/FW, Houston, San Antonio, Beaumont dealers. All said it would require a 3-4 month special order except Clear Lake (near Houston) which had a 06 Crystal white/black + Sport + ML. Gave me 3500 off when I just asked for the price. Great saleswoman, cut the BS, and just gave me a price. Bought it at the end of the month as well, on the the 30th. Sorry this wasnt a lease but you might get lucky, just email everyone.

BrianV

I can live without ML, and I didn't even realize there was a sports package.

Evitzee

Try calling, emailing or faxing the TX dealers and see what they have. Right now there is a dearth of 350's so your selection won't be great.

350PsDMeuP

iTrader: (1)

personally you may want to wait for the G37, but all dealership should give you the normal discount of 2,000 off a little bit more if you right, Lexus of Clearlake in Houston, Texas is a very nice dealership only 2 hrs away!

storm

I've had very good experiences with Park Place Lexus of Grapevine. Almost all of the Texas dealerships have an internet sales department, just email them all, and see who will give you a great price.

As always, expect a better deal if you close near the end of the month.

IS250 4 Me

I shopped all across the country for my IS. The best deal I got was in California through Glendale ($1K BELOW invoice!!).

I took this quote to 3 Lexus dealers in Houston, where I live. 2 out of 3 laughed me off the lot, and the worst experience was at Lexus of Clear Lake. The salesmen completely ignored me for 30 minutes, and I had a blank check ready to pay the vehicle off in cash on the spot if they made me a deal similar to the one in Cali. One salesman started speaking with me, but cut me off because he had a client that walked in the door. Gave me the keys to an IS 250 for a test drive, and told me go for the test drive on my own.



I brought the car back an hour later, and he was still busy with his other client. Everyone else, including the concierge lady ignored me, and yes, I was dressed nice in my work clothes.

I called Northside and Westside Lexus in Houston to see if they could match the offer in Cali and they said, "No way in hell!" Price would be $34.1K and no lower, $2K greater than the Cali price. Dallas dealers also wanted $34.1K, and wouldn't budge.

I then went to Sterling McCall Lexus in Houston, where a salesman actually greeted me and didn't insult my intelligence. I arrived 10 minutes before the dealership was to close, but he didn't try to shove me out the door so that he could go home. Instead, he took me for a test drive, and located the car I wanted on the lot. I told him that I wanted to go home to think about an IS 250 vs. an IS350, and that I wanted a day or so to think it over.

We discussed pricing over the phone over the next day, and he knocked off $4K off sticker on the spot. I told him that it wasn't good enough, and that I was getting $32.1K for the same car in Cali (his price was $34.1K). He informed his manager, and they offered $32.7K to keep my business in Texas, and threw in free window tinting ($495 MSRP), and free Exactmats ($75 MSRP). Said that this was the best they could do. I considered the hassle of buying from out of state and bringing the vehicle back, and decided that this deal was fine.

Final answer: Sterling McCall Lexus in Houston. They move large volume, and have other dealerships (Toyota, Honda, etc.), so they have more leverage in terms of volume discounts.

Contact Ty Estes at Sterling McCall if you want the best deal possible.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

you might be able to get a better deal in CA, IMO.

keep us posted! another potential 6MT owner!

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

yea but its very rare, most of the time requires a special order, you wont see it if you build a IS with a texas zipcode, its not a normal option to be allocated for texas dealers:
http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/features/pricing.html

Sport Package $3,695 [3]
Perforated leather-trimmed interior
Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column
Lexus Memory System to control power driver's and front passenger's seats (except lumbar), outside mirrors and steering wheel
Heated and ventilated front seats
Aluminum sport pedals
Aluminum doorsill scuff plates
Rain-sensing intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle
Electrochromic (auto-dimming) outside mirrors with auto tilt-down in reverse
Bi-xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps
Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
Sport-tuned suspension
18 x 8.0-in alloy wheels with 225/40YR18 tires front [4], 18 x 8.5-in alloy wheels with 255/40YR18 tires rear [4]

warrionex

What options are you looking for?

RamshakleZ

Just went through the VERY search you are doing right now last month. CA had better deals... but the Texas dealers threw in enough to actually make the Texas deal better when you consider shipping from CA.

Sewell won't deal too much. Park Place (Dallas), West Houston, and Sterling McCall (Houston) all offered me the same great deal... I ended up going with Sterling McCall and couldn't be happier.

Don't just look at price... consider other things to get thrown in for free... free service, free tint, free clear bra, free G-Spider wheels, etc, etc. That gives you more negotiation power.

IS250 4 Me

Agree that Sterling McCall is the best. I couldn't be happier with them. I wrote a nice letter to my salesman and copied the manager to inform them that this was the best car-buying experience I ever had.

By the way, did you get your tint done at the dealer? I don't know much about it, but was wondering if Sterling McCall uses ceramic tint. They tinted mine for free with the awesome 25% stuff.

350PsDMeuP

iTrader: (1)

i searched around the Houston area before i bought my car, at Sterling McCall they didn't even notice that i was there. i walked through the doors and looked at a 250 they had on the showroom floor, the associates just kept talking as if i wasn't there. Maybe they thought i was just a kid fascinated with their cars. After about 10 minutes of walking around the showroom floor with no one contacting me i walked out the doors and left. i have to admit at Lexus of Clearlake it is hard to get a sales associate without an appointment, unless you go on a day when they are not all busy i was pissed when i left there the first time, but they made a phone call apologizing for the actions of one of their associates, i think the guys name is Kiah he's a financial advisor that is a real jerk, i've worked with a gentlemen named terrence small on several occasions and he's taken care of me everytime. also scot tyler is a very nice sale associate and will get you everything you need. the guys there are pretty nice, but you have to see for yourself.

RamshakleZ

Yes, Sterling McCall did my tint (I had them throw it in for free) They do use Ceramic Tint... 25%. Looks GREAT!!

To the OP - IM me when you are ready and I'll give you the names of the people I worked with at all three dealerships. My guy at Sterling was somewhat new. But, the people I worked with at Park Place and West Houston are true veterans. The one at West Houston has the highest sales in all of Texas (or close to it). This gives them a lot of clout with their managers to get you good deals. In fact, I ended up getting the best deal from Park Place first. Then, I called West Houston to see if they'd match it (because I live in Houston so it is easier to work with a local dealership). They did... but didn't have my car in stock. So, I then called Sterling and told them the price I was offered at Park Place and the color I wanted. It was literally a 5 minute transaction - "yes sir, we have that color... yes sir we'll match the price"... and they had my deposit!

In the past I'd heard TERRIBLE things about Sterling McCall... but I must say that they have treated me like a true luxury dealership should. I've had NO problems with them.

IS250 4 Me

Yeah, they did mine at 25% also for free (see my sig pic). I just didn't know if that was the ceramic tint that everyone speaks highly of around here. It seems like it is based on the fact that they tint all cars the same at their dealership.

Sterling McCall treated me very well and I have no complaints. When I went back to pick up my license plates, they even gave me a free Lexus golf shirt.