MBTC

I average around 25 mpg on short city trips in my IS250.

markb3

What kind of gas should I put in the 350? I use to put 94 in my audi a4. Should I continue with 94 or is 91 more than enough? I'll put 94 if required or if its much better for the car. What you guys think?

keyframe13

It's a lot of traffic and it does need some gunning as it'll take forever to this thing to move. It is in parameter I suppose but 15% worse is nothing for a gain of 100hp. It's just sad to see this car taking worst mileage than a way faster Honda V6 with 280HP. Let alone honda takes regular gas if i'm not mistaken so that's another saving.
Premium unleaded is what's required so 91 will do it, no need to go higher.

MBTC

Premium fuel does get expensive, to be sure. 15% can add up to a lot over the course of the ownership of the car though. It's not uncommon to see gas bills of $300+ a month from a moderate commute, and with granny driving that will be something like an extra $4,000 over 7-8 years of ownership, so right of the bat we are talking $8k more for the 350 for most people (wait there's more)...

The problem with me is that when I have a fast car, my driving habits change -- if the horsepower is there I will use it, and that means my fuel cost is no longer only $300 a month (find myself driving just for the enjoyment in a sportier car) and with "more fun" driving and goosing it more often it starts to become more like a 20% mpg difference. Then add extra wear on brakes, tires, depreciation due to extra miles etc. and that extra 100hp becomes much more expensive than it looks on paper. Oh I didn't even factor in my propensity to get speeding tickets when I'm in a car that's constantly screaming "drive me fast", or the additional cost of insurance.

But when you really want it, it can be easy to rationalize I do the same thing. For some people the 350 is what they should buy, it's just that it should be for the right reasons... not for the illusion that it barely costs any more money, because 4 grand for the sale price and an extra 4 grand for fuel is not insignificant.

I guess I get tired of constant trips to the pump to refuel (every time I run my credit card it hurts) and ordering tires or brake replacements.

JulieKimD

Hmmm........

JulieKimD

Wow I was literally between decisions exactly like you. I'm contemplating the 2014 IS 350 Sports Package as well... I heard Lexus dealers won't negotiate the price very much.. Is this true?

keyframe13

I respectfully disagree with a lot of things, Insurance is not higher(believe me, I got quotes before I bought it and was no difference), speeding tickets with can get in any car, Just because 250 takes longer to get over the speed limit doesn;t mean you can;t break it if it's in your nature to do so. You'll find a 45mph just as slow in both cars. High mileage depreciation?all the cars get hit by it .
I should add that is350 holds value much better as they are not that common and very hard to find. That was the reason I couldn;t find one in my area for 2-3 months while IS250 were everywhere.
If you follow the IS350 gas mileage thread most of the users get 22-23mpg.
Anyhow my point was that IS250 has a very poor gas mileage for the power it has plus is using premium gas. Honda has V6 with 280hp and 6s and still gets 23/33. I don't mind compromising the power over gas mileage but with IS250 you have no power and no good gas mileage.

MBTC

Well the insurance part (due to tickets I meant) and the speeding, as I mentioned is my own issue (what happens when I am combined with as fast car) and not necessarily applicable to everyone. Most insurance companies write policy based on cost of the car, and since the IS350 is about 10% higher the insurance premiums tend to be as well, although there are a lot of variables there.

The resale value is largely a placebo effect/myth, as most buyers will use KBB or similar as a pricing basis. Using "excellent" private party value on KBB and 2010 IS 250 & 350s RWD with 40k miles as a basis for valuation, both cars depreciated about 20% of their original invoice value (note I used invoice value rather than MSRP), such that the IS250 lost $5,981 of its invoice value and the 350 lost $6,599 of its value. Note that although the depreciation as a percentage was about the same (actually a tiny bit higher on the 250), the total amount out of pocket was actually greater for the IS 350 owner.

That's not to say the 350 might not sell faster to the right buyer, or that experiences wouldn't vary in each sale situation, it's simply dispelling the myth that overall the IS 350 resale value is higher.

I say buy the car you want and don't sweat the details too much.

I personally couldn't be more thrilled with the 250 gas mileage, and I think if someone hates the mileage of a 250 they are going to REALLY hate the mileage on a 350 assuming equal driving behavior. Goose the 350 even more and they'll pay more.

I'm not too bummed about needing premium fuel for both cars though. My previous car was a Maxima, which also needed premium and got gas mileage that was approximately about what a 350 does. It was also a helluva lot faster than my 250. However, I'm loving the less frequent trips to the pump and the 250 is just a better car all the way around. Not fast off the line but when you need passing power its there.

keyframe13

I got it now. Then if you can;t behave you did a good choice with 250.
Whoever choose 350 is doing it for power. It is the compromise I was trying to explain earlier. You cannot have both worlds but whoever shops for 250 is expecting great gas mileage as the power is not there let's be honest. I am glad that works for you but if you noticed from this forum when someone is asking what to choose between 250 and 350 most of people are advising to go 350 as the power you get vs the insignificant mileage drop make is a no brainier. Just like it happen to the OP. I didn;t even add the carbon issue into the discussion.

MBTC

I was one of the lucky ones who had a late 2010 250, the carbon build up fix had already been made at the factory.

I think forums like this tend to draw car enthusiasts, folks who are likely to customize, and/or who are otherwise interested in higher performance cars, and that of course will explain the recommendations toward the 350. And, honestly if folks plan on frequenting this forum often after their purchase, they might be in the same group and they will likely be happier with the extra horsepower on the 350.

I just believe the mileage difference between the two cars are understated around here. If you went up to most people at the gas pump and said "how would you like to get a 15% discount on gas every time you fill up?" and put an another several grand in their pockets on top of that with the lower cost of the car itself and upkeep (tires/brakes), and all they had to do was give up 100 HP that they won't get the opportunity to use in most daily driving, it would probably sound pretty good to many of them. But, if you phrase it as "would you take a 15% hit on gas mileage to get an extra 30% horsepower?", the kind of folks that want to race would almost surely opt for the extra HP.

But yeah you're right, in my case part of it is it's too hard for me to behave in a fast car. Cops seem to just see me and decide they want to ruin my day, so anything I do to stay under their radar (in more ways than one) saves me money as well.

keyframe13

Honda has an great cylinder management hence the gas mileage. Lexus has done nothing to improve this old engine. I car less about direct injection who its prone to carbon build and is no very efficient gas or power.

MBTC

I've had a few long trips in cold weather (no A/C) where I got a sustained 37 mpg over several hundred miles, while making good time (75-80mph average). Fantastic mileage for a 6 cyl.

Ang89

This thread hasn't been updated in a while, but I figured I'd include my input here. I'm in the market for a new car, and I'm leaning toward a Lexus IS. That is, until I saw multiple threads about the carbon build up issue. I used to drive a Nissan Maxima, and it was issue after issue. Specifically the rough idle and acceleration. I'm reading here that the carbon build up issue has similar symptoms, and I'm not about to spend an upward of $35k+ to replicate the same issues a few years down the road.

That being said, I did some heavy research and even contacted two Lexus dealerships in the Bay Area (CA). I'm getting mixed answers. One dealer acknowledged the issue and said there was a recall done for the IS models between 2006-2011, and that in 2012, the engine was REDESIGNED (a very vague answer), and there have been no issues since 2012. Anyone with a 2012 Lexus IS 250 who hasn't had any carbon build up problems (yet)?? The next dealer said there was a recall for the IS 350, and that was for 2006-2010 models. Apparently then, the 350's engine was redesigned in 2010, and no problems for the 350. I would like to believe the 2nd dealer, as the 350 engine does in fact now include a second port--vs direct fuel injection, which is STILL the engine for 2014 IS 250.

Can anyone confirm any of this? I'm ready to pull the trigger (I have been car-less since October!) and purchase a Lexus, but I'm torn between 250 and 350 for the SOLE REASON of the carbon build up issue. I would hate to start living at the dealership several years into driving the car if the 2014 IS 250 indeed still has this problem.

Any and all feedback is highly appreciated.

corradoMR2

If you can afford the 350, get the 350. If you must save ~$4k and a few bucks on gas and insurance, you'll be fine with the 250 so long as you follow the regular maintenance schedule, especially the oil changes and air filter changes, and put in quality gas. Also, minimize idling and short trips and you'll have many years of troublefree driving. Never had an issue with my '08 IS250, and I expect even better odds for my '14.

Ang89

Thanks so much!! I'm still debating -_-. I know I'm a girl, but I'm very OCD and baby everything I own--and I love to research things in depth before I start talking/making decisions. When you say short driving, are you talking about non-freeway driving? This car (and future cars, hah) will be used to commute (20-40 mins 2x a day), mostly freeway. So happy to hear you haven't had any issues with your '08!!