Seeking IS advice
06-18-13, 02:00 PM
#17
Since I just picked one up a couple weeks ago, figured I would throw in my 2cents. First off, if you want a 350, you're going to have slim pickings compared to the 250. I would say I ran into about 1 IS350 for every 20 used IS250's I found out there. And the 350's were priced a little higher and had a lot less options.
You also mentioned that you're older, so I honestly don't think you'll care THAT much about the extra 100hp. The IS is my daily driver, so I cared more about creature comforts/options and MPG compared to the extra power. Plus I have other sports cars in the 500+ HP range, so this car is strictly for getting me from point A to B in comfort and with some style. I would say the space in the car is very small, so make sure you're okay with that, and that it's something you can live with. My wife has an MDX, so we can just use that if we need extra room....so for me the smaller sporty IS was perfect.
Mine came fully loaded with the luxury package which is electric everything, rear shade, memory front seats, nav, back up camera, you name it. So it really is the perfect little commuter. For the same price, I could have got a NO options IS350...so pretty much a no brainer in my situation. As for which year, I would definitely say 09+. A lot more features were added, but I really wish I had the bluetooth audio streaming that they added in 2010. Only other issues I found with these cars was the NAV touch screen going out on the earlier ones, which could cost you around $2k to replace, or have someone just replace the touch screen portion for maybe half that cost.
The other issue I'm sure you've heard about is the carbon build up, but think about how many of these cars were sold, and how many are actually reporting this problem (very few statistically). And apparently Lexus just provided something like a 10year warranty or something crazy for this exact issue which covers all IS250's, even the ones out of warranty. So you're fully covered, and heck...you may even get a brand new engine out of it!
In any case, I'm not worried about it at all, and my car has no idling/surging issues. Plus I think the issue is probably more common with people that put regular gas in their cars and probably don't maintain their vehicles properly. Oh and lastly, make sure the car doesn't have the "Dash Rattle". About 1/3rd of the cars I test drove had this issue, so make sure your car is either still under warranty to have the issue addressed, or get a car that does not have this issue because it drove me NUTS, and that was just on the short test drives. I'd kill myself if I had to live with it on a daily basis. Anyway, Good luck!
You also mentioned that you're older, so I honestly don't think you'll care THAT much about the extra 100hp. The IS is my daily driver, so I cared more about creature comforts/options and MPG compared to the extra power. Plus I have other sports cars in the 500+ HP range, so this car is strictly for getting me from point A to B in comfort and with some style. I would say the space in the car is very small, so make sure you're okay with that, and that it's something you can live with. My wife has an MDX, so we can just use that if we need extra room....so for me the smaller sporty IS was perfect.
Mine came fully loaded with the luxury package which is electric everything, rear shade, memory front seats, nav, back up camera, you name it. So it really is the perfect little commuter. For the same price, I could have got a NO options IS350...so pretty much a no brainer in my situation. As for which year, I would definitely say 09+. A lot more features were added, but I really wish I had the bluetooth audio streaming that they added in 2010. Only other issues I found with these cars was the NAV touch screen going out on the earlier ones, which could cost you around $2k to replace, or have someone just replace the touch screen portion for maybe half that cost.
The other issue I'm sure you've heard about is the carbon build up, but think about how many of these cars were sold, and how many are actually reporting this problem (very few statistically). And apparently Lexus just provided something like a 10year warranty or something crazy for this exact issue which covers all IS250's, even the ones out of warranty. So you're fully covered, and heck...you may even get a brand new engine out of it!
In any case, I'm not worried about it at all, and my car has no idling/surging issues. Plus I think the issue is probably more common with people that put regular gas in their cars and probably don't maintain their vehicles properly. Oh and lastly, make sure the car doesn't have the "Dash Rattle". About 1/3rd of the cars I test drove had this issue, so make sure your car is either still under warranty to have the issue addressed, or get a car that does not have this issue because it drove me NUTS, and that was just on the short test drives. I'd kill myself if I had to live with it on a daily basis. Anyway, Good luck!
06-18-13, 06:17 PM
#18
i have a 2010 IS250 RWD, bought new, and no regrets at all. Its a great car with a very smooth ride and quiet engine. No problems with my car in terms of major issues, in general i think its a good year to buy. I wouldnt get this car though if you love ripping it on the open roads, it is underpowered i think, and the automatic is slightly lagging when changing gears. Just my opinions, but i think it is a great daily driver car with a little sportiness and luxury in one.
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