piratemike

Hello Everyone. New member here and need some help. I am almost ready to buy a used IS and thought I had made a decision as to which one I was going to buy but, after reading some of the issues with the 250 shaking and carbon build up and the 350 with valve spring issues, I do not know what to do. Here are my choices1.) 2006 IS250, breakwater blue, tan leather, Levenson sound system, 56K miles. 2.) 2006 IS350, Gold/champagne color(not sure of name), tan leather, 54k miles. Both cars are basically the same money. I am not a big fan of the gold.champagne color but, it is not bad, I just like the breakwater blue better. I like the idea of more power from the 350 but, this is a daily driver so, gas mileage is a concern. Whats the story on the shaking IS250 and carbon build up? Is this a major issue?
Any advice , suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has pics of a gold colored IS, I would liketo see them.

Thanks,

Mike

fasteddy91

iTrader: (5)

get a 328i, you'll thank me later.

PaPaHoFF

iTrader: (19)

Go with what makes you happy. If you want more speed get the 350 and you could always either repaint or vinyl the entire car if the color is that hideous to you.

Or wait for the right car to come along doesn't hurt either.

llamaboiz

lets not forget Kia Seoul as one guy wants

khoab88

iTrader: (5)

get the blue. champange gold or gold in general looks old.

piratemike

Thanks for the comments. WHat are issues to be aware of with either of these cars? Anything to absilutely avoid?

Mike

CLIS250

iTrader: (4)

i have a 250 as a daily, but i regret not getting a 350. its nice sometimes to have that extra passing power.

SPNinjA

iTrader: (12)

I think the 250 has plenty of passing power. At least enough to suit my needs. If you're wanting power though, a 350 will better fit your needs.

Mv350

iTrader: (23)

350's gas mileage is not an excuse for not getting one, if thats a concern, i on a regular basis with driving my car hard get an average of 21-23 city. better than some 250's. on the highway with cruise control set at 80 i average close to 29. if you want a more power dont settle for a 250, and if you absolutly hate the color buy mine i have just under 54k and have all the mods everyone usually does anyway.

lexy250

iTrader: (4)

As far as the 250, most are complaining about the rough idle due to carbon build up. It's honestly nothing major, but it begins to build on the nerves. At least for me. The only thing I sometimes regret when I want a little more power is not getting the 350. As you've stated some 350's seem to be affected by this valve thing, but if you can get a 350 for the same price I would probably opt for that. That's just my opinion. Like others stated, I mainly got the 250 just to have a luxury car, not a race car, so speed wasn't that big of a factor. I just sometimes WANT that once in awhile, but honestly if you want speed, then the 350 or even another car would be the best choice. Gas mileage really isn't that much different between the 2.

soulsoarer

iTrader: (2)

Get the 2 color that you want, don't settle on color. If you don't like the color at all don't get it. Also get the IS350. If warranty is what bothers you then get a newer used model that is still in warranty then get an extended warranty if you like later. It took me 6 months to find my car and at the time I had many other options but stuck with Lexus again.

soupdawg

who gives a **** about the valve spring recall. first of all its covered. second your car probably wont even be affected anyways.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

The valve spring issue impacts 0.2% of cars, and is fixed free regardless of warranty status, it's a total non-issue.


It's as simple as this-

Mileage is a 10% difference, power is a 50% difference.

If you care about performance, at all, get a 350. Period.

(the carbon issue on the 250 might be more significant in that there seems to be no long-term solution, but on the other hand I rarely see it cause any issue greater than a slightly rough idle, and there's no shortage of top-end cleaning solutions that are no more than 100-ish bucks or less as a shorter term soluton done every year or two)

Terrrrry

Like the others have said, the issues you've brought up aren't that major and shouldn't be what you base your purchase on.

If power isn't a concern, get the 250.

If it is, I'd keep looking - you'll be much happier in the long run if you get a car that you want, rather than settle for a colour which isn't your 1st choice and regret it a couple months down the line.

dwayne4lex

I have an 07 IS350 and don't regret getting the 350 with less options versus a 250 with more options. I had the opportunity to get a loaner 250 when my 350 was getting a 30K mile service. The power difference was noticeable to me and I'm not normally a hard driver. I would suggest test driving them both to see if the power difference makes a difference to you. As far as 350 issues my car has had warranty recalls for the gas pedal and falls in the range of cars that have the valve spring issue. With that said I still don't regret buying the 350 and have not had any other major issues with the car to date. If the recalls are making you second guess buying a Lexus then definitely check out a BMW 335i it was a close runner up for me but the lower price of the 350 was the deciding factor.