bolaber

Hi guys, I'm looking into buying a Lexus IS350, however i have some questions that hopefully people can help me out with:

1) Is it possible to get the ML sound system without getting the nav?
2) Are the 08's out yet?
3) Does the ground effect kit comes with the sports package?
4) What would be the approximate invoice for an IS350 with sports package, ground effect kit and a ML sound system (dont add this if it comes with nav) be?
5) does either sound system come with an aux port?
6) whats the difference between the x-package and the sports package?

Thank you guys in advance

Evitzee

1. Yes, but will have to be a special order
2. No, but will be within the next month.
3. No, it's a $1,500 PIO
4. Check Edmunds.com for invoice prices
5. Yes, both systems have aux input
6. Lexus.com will answer that. Sports package is far more comprehensive.

FiveOhNine

Please note that the NAV system isn't just directions, it is a fairly comprehensive interface with many of your cars systems including audio,climate control and your cell phone.

iSuxeL

iTrader: (21)

Oem Nav Ftw!!!

bolaber

i do like the nav.. but unfortuantely the car's already a lil bit out of my budget. Trying to not get all the things that i dont "have" to have.

jdanon

Don't skip the nav. It's a little bit extra cost, but it's better than regretting it later. Lexus has one of the better nav systems out there, and it's nicely integrated with the climate and audio controls.

iSuxeL

iTrader: (21)

Better?? I think its the best in comparison. Especially against the BMWs NAV, small screen, funny looking display.

bolaber

Thank you for such a quick reply. Edmunds.com doesnt show the invoice price of the ground effects kit.. in fact it does not even list it at all. is 1500 the msrp price or the invoice price?

Also it sounds like i would have to special order this vehicle, do you happen to know how long i would have to wait if i wanted something like this:

IS 350 -
Color: Starfire Pearl, Glacier Frost Mica, Tungsten Pearl, or Breakwater Metallic
Accessories: Sports Package, ML sound, ground effect

I'm estimating the price would be ~$36,700 ish pre-TTL (for invoice ofcourse)

Evitzee

The Ground Effects (code GI) MSRP is $1,500 as a Port Installed Option. Invoice price is $1,100. Having it come already on the car is the cheapest in the long run unless you want to tackle putting it on yourself. If you buy it from the dealer, or from Sewell, and have the dealer put it on it will almost always cost you more than $1,500.

Special orders with Lexus are not easy or quick. There are plenty of recent threads about this, none of them too comforting. The options you want (Sports Package, ML and Ground Effects) will almost always be a special order these days. Those combinations will not easily be found in any dealers stock although I did find my car in dealer's stock a year ago, optioned pretty close to what you are looking for. Just lucky though, as I've never seen another one like it in dealer's stock. Good luck.

PS....I'd go for the NAV if you can all afford it. It is worth it, without a doubt.

bolaber

I'm pretty sure there are no lexus dealerships opened on sundays in the greater houston area, otherwise i would go check them out right now.
How about Sport Package, Nav/ML, and Ground effect? is that a rare find?

I'm not really interested in xm radio..

jdanon

Yeah it's definitely above average, but I don't think there is a great nav system out there. The BMW iDrive nav system is horrible. I've tried it and it sucks. I feel bad for those that actually have to use that system. MB isn't that bad function wise, but the graphics aren't as nice as the Lexus Gen5. Acura's is pretty good though.

To elaborate a little bit, I think car navigation systems are underpowered and are on par with technology from over ten years ago. Every time I look at a car's navigation, it takes me back to the 90s and those early online map sites like MapQuest. Why no one has licensed the maps from Google (or the company that Google gets them from) is beyond me. There are even several competitors that produce similar looking maps. Those are the best electronic maps I've seen.

The navigation units should also do more complex processing based on all the data it has. It should do more when I'm not in route guidance mode besides a "you are here" map. For example, it should tell me when I'm approaching a one way street so I don't accidentally try to turn onto it in the wrong direction. It should be able to more accurately calculate my average speed on the fly and come up with realistic ETAs and not just say "oh this is a main road and the driver says he averages 40 mph on those". Depending on where that main road is determines whether I'm stopping at every block at 15 mph or just zipping along a state highway with few traffic lights at 45 mph. Maybe it doesn't have traffic report reception built it in, but it can sure tell whether I'm going 65 on the highway or averaging 30 in traffic and adjust itself using some kind of moving average. It should warn me about dangerous highway interchanges where ramps are spaced closely and traffic will be quickly changing lanes. When I approach an exit for another highway it should tell me what towns or cities are along that route, and when I am driving on a highway it should tell me how far it is to the next city and what services (gas, food, lodging) I might find there. I should also be able to see freeway info mode when I'm not under route guidance. It is pretty useful to see the list of exits and how far I am from them and what services are there. This is all stuff that it should be able to do with the technology it has right now.

It seems very little thought has gone into the non-route guidance driving. A lot of times I'm out and about, and it would be nice to make use of the navigation system without having to plug in an exact destination every time. To me all the nav systems out there are roughly the same. They all do pretty much the same handful of functions. I'd like to see more thought/software development go into it to make it a more useful driving tool with more user configuration options and smart display selection based on where you are and the environment you are driving in (automatic zoomed in views when driving in dense urban areas vs. when driving on a highway where a zoomed out display with exit and upcoming city info would be more useful).

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Along with this, IMHO, it ought to be able to use my cellphone's Internet connection via bluetooth to update traffic, update maps, update POIs, and even update firmware if I buy a subscription. I have often used my phone as a modem with my laptop before I bought a data card, and even with only EDGE connectivity it would be better to perform live updates than the "wait two years for an update" model Lexus currently supports.

jdanon

There are a lot of hardware advances I'd like to see them make as well (such as using a hard drive instead of DVD since it's faster, holds more data, etc.), but I was thinking of things they could do right now with what they have. Seems like they are content just rolling with what they've had for years until a competitor comes out with the next killer app that the nav unit has to have to just keep up with the Joneses. I'd like to see them do something innovative and new instead of just playing catch up. Lexus is pretty conservative overall outside of the LS's ability to park itself which has turned into more of a joke than useful feature.

Evitzee

I live in Houston although my IS is not garaged there. There are four dealers in Houston and two of them are owned by the same group. I usually walk the lot at Sterling McCall Lexus on SW Freeway every 2nd or 3rd Sunday. You will not find an IS with ML, Sports and/or Ground Effects in stock. Just doesn't happen. For one thing ML is not a normal option for cars in the Texas region, and Sports Packages just aren't normally seen either as the dealer will have an easier time selling the Luxury Package (most of the same options but it has wood which most Lexus buyers want). And Ground Effects? Fuggedaboutit, it just won't happen. So how did I get my IS last August at Sterling McCall with all the options listed on the sticker above?? It was a swap that they did with a Lexus dealer in Colorado Springs, CO. I was never offered the details, nor did I ask. I don't know if it was a custom order that went bad, or a dealer ordered car that he couldn't sell, or something else. All I know is it was on Sterling McCall's showroom floor so I came, I saw, I bought. But in the year since then I've probably visited their lot 20+ times and I can count the number of cars I've seen with Ground Effects (ZERO), Sports Package (ZERO), or ML (maybe a dozen). You may get lucky, but you probably won't. And 350's usually represent less than 20% of their stock.

bolaber

ahh.. this is so depressing...

but i guess all i got to do is to find one of the dealerships in the area that already earned an allocation for one with Sport Package and ML (prolly non existant) then i can request them to add the ground effects at the port if it hasnt hit port already.