Finally got my new 2008 IS250!
11-25-07, 06:45 AM
#1
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Finally got my new 2008 IS250!
I finally got my new 2008 Sapphire Black Pearl IS250! I had walked into the dealership last summer but they didn't have any IS250 with the X sports package & 5-speed manual tranny. I had to special order one, and by that time (September) the salesman at the dealership basically said I'd get one of the new 2008 models by the time it got in.
Well the car finally arrived in mid-Oct. I'm really happy with it, here are some pics (these pics suck, I'm bad at taking them):
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The sapphire black pearl is an amazing color -- it really does look different during the day vs. the night. Everybody I've showed the car to has said the car looks amazing in person (in a picture on the web it loses its appeal).
I leased the car, and here are the details on the lease:
- 4-year lease
- $800 off MSRP
- $0 cash down
- 9 security deposits of $500 (total = $4500) applied to the principal
- 3.1% interest rate (which was a 2% discount on their regular rate due to a promotion)
- monthly payment of $682.17 (includes all taxes)
What do you guys think about this lease? It seems like the best deal you can possibly get in Canada. The salesguy basically said they don't negotiate off MSRP for the IS models... $800 off MSRP is the best he can do.
Now I live in Canada, and there's quite the controversy here about Canadians buying cars across the border in the USA, since identical cars there are a lot cheaper (plus the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US dollar right now). The Lexus salesman said that Lexus wasn't going to do anything yet to counter this with an across-the-board pricecut (unlike Porsche which introduced a universal 10% pricecut on all their models recently).
What Lexus did introduce for now is their new "Complimentary Maintenance Program", which is similar to BMW's: free service & maintenance for 4 years. With only 2 scheduled service visits each year, this doesn't really cost them much money anyway. The Lexus salesguy did throw in the all-weather floormats and the sport pedals for me, which was a nice gesture.
It was an all-around great buying experience! I got the sapphire black pearl with cashmere interior (as seen in the pics above), and the new black floor carpet on the 2008 models is an EXCELLENT move by Lexus. I really have nothing to complain about the car except maybe for the front wheels' brake dust. As many others here have mentioned, there is a TSIB for replacement ceramic brakes if I request it -- and I may do that (the Lexus salesguy confirmed I can request the replacement at no charge). After only 3 weeks of driving, the front wheels are already quite dirty from the brake dust, which sucks.
As some people have noted, I also felt AND heard a "clunk" sound when shifting, but only from 1st to 2nd gear. Shifting the other gears is smooth and quick -- not quite as smooth as Honda stickshifts but good enough.
The engine is so quiet I found it difficult to know when to shift at first (setting the color change in the tachometer helped). Does anybody know if it's possible to turn off the seatbelt warning chime though?
Well the car finally arrived in mid-Oct. I'm really happy with it, here are some pics (these pics suck, I'm bad at taking them):
The sapphire black pearl is an amazing color -- it really does look different during the day vs. the night. Everybody I've showed the car to has said the car looks amazing in person (in a picture on the web it loses its appeal).
I leased the car, and here are the details on the lease:
- 4-year lease
- $800 off MSRP
- $0 cash down
- 9 security deposits of $500 (total = $4500) applied to the principal
- 3.1% interest rate (which was a 2% discount on their regular rate due to a promotion)
- monthly payment of $682.17 (includes all taxes)
What do you guys think about this lease? It seems like the best deal you can possibly get in Canada. The salesguy basically said they don't negotiate off MSRP for the IS models... $800 off MSRP is the best he can do.
Now I live in Canada, and there's quite the controversy here about Canadians buying cars across the border in the USA, since identical cars there are a lot cheaper (plus the Canadian dollar is stronger than the US dollar right now). The Lexus salesman said that Lexus wasn't going to do anything yet to counter this with an across-the-board pricecut (unlike Porsche which introduced a universal 10% pricecut on all their models recently).
What Lexus did introduce for now is their new "Complimentary Maintenance Program", which is similar to BMW's: free service & maintenance for 4 years. With only 2 scheduled service visits each year, this doesn't really cost them much money anyway. The Lexus salesguy did throw in the all-weather floormats and the sport pedals for me, which was a nice gesture.
It was an all-around great buying experience! I got the sapphire black pearl with cashmere interior (as seen in the pics above), and the new black floor carpet on the 2008 models is an EXCELLENT move by Lexus. I really have nothing to complain about the car except maybe for the front wheels' brake dust. As many others here have mentioned, there is a TSIB for replacement ceramic brakes if I request it -- and I may do that (the Lexus salesguy confirmed I can request the replacement at no charge). After only 3 weeks of driving, the front wheels are already quite dirty from the brake dust, which sucks.
As some people have noted, I also felt AND heard a "clunk" sound when shifting, but only from 1st to 2nd gear. Shifting the other gears is smooth and quick -- not quite as smooth as Honda stickshifts but good enough.
The engine is so quiet I found it difficult to know when to shift at first (setting the color change in the tachometer helped). Does anybody know if it's possible to turn off the seatbelt warning chime though?
11-25-07, 08:28 AM
#5
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Congrats! I had wanted a 250 manual with the ventilated seats, but Lexus seems to believe that manual transmissions are for poor people who can't afford options. I wouldn't have gotten a great deal with a special order (it would have been way more than the $28,500 I was quoted for an already-built car plus whatever the premium pack costs), and then there's the uncertainty over wait time.
Check here for instructions to turn off the seat belt chime.
Check here for instructions to turn off the seat belt chime.
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11-25-07, 12:51 PM
#10
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: LA
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i think that you are right about the xpac, it does come with the front lip. i wounder what happen their? 
11-25-07, 07:49 PM
#15
Hope you come out to our meets!