mmarshall

Let me start a new forum here, guys....what paint colors, equipment, and options would you MOST like to see on the IS300 that Lexus does NOT offer now...or has dropped and you want brought back?
If the Lexus marketers are watching us, let them take notice. Example: Enough people griped in 2001 that the 5-speed was finally offered in 2002.
I'll start with myself...I'd like to see the coupe body style, an IS430 offered ( if the engine will fit ) , a sequential paddle-shift manual transmission BMW-style, (the E-shift buttons are hard to find) , an adjustable suspension with Comfort / Normal / Sport settings for varying road surfaces, and violet purple, lime green, Amythist, and Coral Orange paint colors added.

OK, guys...any more suggestions?..................Flip, I KNOW you'll have some. 1SICKLEX, my guess is you will too.

flipside909

Geeze...the E-shift buttons are hard to find? The IS300 is not the car for you. Sell your car and buy something else.

Things I don't care to see on a future IS, Solar Yellow, Wood Trim & 16" optional alloys...especially pansy colors like violet purple, lime green, Amythist, and Coral Orange paint colors added. That's what a VW beetle is for.

GGPIS3

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wrong way

vboy418

o3 solar IS

darden

well, i have the sportcross. so for the sportcross model...i do like to see the following:

1.standard luggage rack
2. optional 4WD (it is a "Sport"Cross), Lexus calls it the IS300 with a backpack, the backpack ain't gonna do much good if the car can only stay on the pavement.
3. standard high performance all seasons with summer performance as optional no cost equipment.
4. manual 5 Speed
5. V8 (IS430) for the SportCross version.
6. More storage compartments...(kinda hard to find places to put some stuff).

hmm...what else...

well, i think Lexus might discontinue the SportCross model due to poor sales. i guess that's okay with me since it makes me feel more special to have a SportCross...

BUT i guess the biggest improvement that Lexus should make for the SportCross should be better marketing. Most Lexus first time buyers and even some owners do not even know that the SportCross exists. This is pretty cool for the current SportCross owners as I mentioned before. The SportCross is like a special breed, very few of us around and many people stop to check out our cars.

mmarshall

OK, you got a right to your opinion.....and I did indeed ask for it. But I disagree that those are pansy colors....take a look at the average NHRA, Winston Cup, or NASCAR machine and try and tell Gordon, Labonte, or Earnhart that they have pansy machines. And you will not find those specific colors on a VW Beetle either....or its sibling Cabrio (now discontinued). However, I agree that VW definitely has had some STRANGE paint schemes recently....like the multicolor rainbow body panel scheme and the "dairy cow' white and black spots...remember those? The E-shift buttons are OK most of the time....they're just hard to reach quickly in a middle of a turn. You'll notice that F1 cars and a lot of sports sedans use the paddles now...they're easy to reach anytime. You apparantly agree with the IS430, coupe, and variable suspension ideas......you didn't make any negative comments about them.
You're wrong on one thing....I wouldn't sell my car for anything now....certainly not for a couple of buttons. It was too hard to find like I wanted it. Everywhere I take it people (especially young guys) go ga-ga over it....yeah, even with the 16" wheels you dislike. An IS430 would be a temptation, though....so would a new GTO or 2005 Mustang.
Have you seen the new Mustang yet?...it's gorgeous. You're apparantly younger than me...I can remember when the classic Mustangs (which it imitates) were brand-new. I remember driving a brand-new 1969 Mach 1 with the Cleveland engine. It had about the same response as an automatic 6-cylinder IS300....shows you how far cars have come in 35 years.
Looks like you and I dominate this forum...we post more things, it seems, than just about anybody else.
We seem to be two real car enthusiasts...though you obviously drive harder than I do and like a sportier setup.
I've been offered work as as auto salesman, consultant, and service adviser...but I have an excellent job right now.
Haven't heard from 1SICKLEX for awhile.

mmarshall

Yeah, I don't see too many SportCrosses....why they sell for a markup is puzzling. One BIG problem with the SportCross is that Lexus (strangely) never made the 5-speed manual an option....they are E-shift only, which is doubly strange considering that the hatchback was marketed toward a younger crowd than the regular IS300 sedan. One possible explanation is that the SportCross is a little heavier than the sedan, yet has the same wheels and engine as the sedan, which hurts performance. Another is that a lot of these people that want the hatchback's versatile interior are getting the All-Wheel-Drive RX300 and 330 instead.
You are correct, though...I would not be suprised to see it dropped. I'll be spending 3-4 days at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show ( I get free tickets) right after Christmas...I'll try and see if Lexus has any announcements on this yet.

wrong way

Black, White and Silver are probably the top selling colors of any car manufacturer. Unless Lexus allows for us to order their cars like BMW, it's hard to mass produce a "different" color and expect to sell it competitively. Sure, adding all these colors might be a good idea but mass producing them isn't the best marketing strategy. For example, a lot of VW beetles with strange colors were only ordered online and I'm sure you had to pay a premium for these colors. I believe BMW is successful in selling cars here in the US due to the custom order factor. Everyone wants to be different and it breaks your heart to see your same car at the intersection so BMW allowed everyone to have the option of ordering a custom optioned car within a reasonable waiting period. Lexus however will let you special order a car but that's not the norm.

flipside909

Okay your analogies are WAY off. You're comparing a book to an apple. Totally different categories here buddy. You're comparing a high end import luxury nameplate with American nameplated race cars? Uh hello!? When was the last time you saw a JTGC, F1, Indy, Grand Am, and etc race cars in gay pride rainbow colors?Never. and think about it, the only reason why you see those cars in such bright colors is because their sponsors pay them large sums to do so. Obviously, they wouldn't be caught driving those colors on their own personal cars unless they were getting paid for it. Back on topic please.

flipside909

If you think about it, a large portion of IS300 sales go to automatic trans eshift models..regardless of how popular manuals are to enthusiasts. The big picture is, the e-shift model sells. That's the reason why Lexus did not offer a manual version of the Sport Cross. Now if there were big sales numbers to back up the Sport Cross, of course Lexus would offer it...but with it's lackluster sales..why even bother? Even if the people want it? How do you figure the hatchback was marketed towards the younger crowd? The IS300 platform PERIOD was marketed towards the 20-30 year old crowd. Not 45+ year old adults. Think about it.

darden

well, the SportCross is more of a cross between a hatchback and a wagon. actually, i think Lexus produced this model to go head to head with the BMW 3 series wagons and Audi Wagons. Although I must admit that the SportCross is not really a WAGON. i do usually explain my car as a 4-door hatchback, however it is classified as a station wagon.

Wagons are becoming more popular among the late 20s-30s group who do not want the huge SUVs b/c SUVs are just not fun to drive on the road. I used to have a 4Runner. I got rid of it within two years of owning it b/c i hated the way it drove. I was just too used to driving coupes and sports sedans. BUT i do like the extra room so I went with a performance wagon.

Yes the SportCross is identical to the sedan in terms of engine, tires, suspension, etc. Yes it is about 150 lbs heavier than the Sedan so the acceleration of the SportCross when compared to the Sedan is about 0.8 seconds slower 0-60. However, the SportCross handles better on twisties than the Sedan due to better weight distribution towards the back, almost 50/50.

Wagons are definitely gaining popularity again. I think many newly weds thinking about having kids want something with more room and interior versatility but drives more like a sedan instead of big SUVs that do not go off roads.

I got the 2004 SportCross so they are making it for this coming year at least. however, will Lexus discontinue it in 2005? i cannot say for sure.

The funniest thing is that even most Sales Reps at Lexus Dealerships think that there is no more 2004 SportCross models. I had to convince my sales person at the Lexus Dealership that there is a 2004 model. She had to go and ask her manager.

This shows how badly Lexus has done in marketing the SportCross.

darden

yes i certainly agree with this. the IS300 is competing with the BMW 3 Series. the market segmentation for 3 series tends to fall between the 20-30 group. yeah, there is a few under 20 year olds driving IS300 or BMW 3 Series but only with wealthy parents. The price range of the IS300 and the 3 Series is not within the grasp of most teenagers.

note: i am not downing teenagers with wealthy parents. i had a brand new 325is at the age of 16. no i did not pay for it myself. my parents did. so i was among one of those spoiled kids driving nice cars without even knowing what it takes to afford a BMW. now that i am older, i realized that i was certainly very fortunate as a kid.

mmarshall

Yes, I would agree that the IS300 series (including the SportCross, if there are any left) is primarliy aimed at the 20-30 age group. It has been called the "Ultimate Generation X Machine" in some auto publications like Road and Track, Car and Driver, etc... The problem is, though, that Lexus for years has had the image of a senior citizen brand....the same crowd that buys DeVilles, Town Cars, Park Avenues, etc...
The high ratings of the IS300 compared to its archrival 3-Series have lured some younger people into Lexus showrooms...and some older guys like myself. (Stats show that about 10% of IS300 owners are in my age group...50 or so). Most teens, as you already note, and a lot of 20-30 year adults simply don't have the money for ANY brand-new Lexus yet...they won't reach their peak earning years for another couple of decades yet. I bought my first new car at age 23...an entry-level compact, not a luxury sports sedan.
I would also agree with the statement that the E-shift outsells the 5-speed, especially in urban areas, but that is mostly due to traffic congestion. The die-hard enthusiasts are probably going to get the 5-speed...congestion or no congestion).
You don't have to be young, though, to like the IS300. I bought it for many reasons...among them the nice chrome shifter, chronograph gauges, Lexus quality, smooth in-line 6, nice paint jobs, etc...
Most of the Lexus market for potential hatchback/wagon customers, obviously, is going to the RX300 and 330, (a Camry-based all-wheel-drive vehicle), rather than to the SportCross or larger truck-based SUV's like the GX470. The huge RX sales figures show that....it is now Lexus' biggest seller. And the people buying the RX are substantially older and more affulent than the potential SportCross crowd.

By the way, flip, do you autocross with your car? I see you're from California, and I think they still do autocrossing at Laguna Seca. Most of the SCCA stuff is with cars that are smaller than the IS300...stuff like Miatas, BMW Z3's, RX-7's, Nissan Z's, Eclipses, etc.... but I understand there are some IS300 events too. You give me the impression you would be a pretty good driver in this area.

XaLtezZaX

Awwww i wish they would bring back that SOLAR YELLOW IS!!! How you guyz not want that back i miss it i wish my IS was yellow sooo unique!!!
Maybe its because my fav color is yellow!
Well the thing i don't want is the wood trim thats like an ewww lol!

BRING me back yellow!!!