cooley

I honestly am clueless about these cars and need some help/guidance on going the right direction on choosing a car.
I have a couple of questions like is there any flaws to this vehicle?ex: transmission probs, recalls or anything major. this car will be my daily.
something else is there like an expensive maintenance or part to replace at a certain amount of miles on the car?
from what i am aware of is that the timing chain is a one time fix which is a HUGE plus.
also what are some benefits to this car? how does it handle stock wise? what can be improved?
the car that brought my attention has 119026 miles
i will attach the link to the sale below

im most likely going to check one out that for sale in my town.
what should i look for, or pay attention to?
thanks - sergio

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ctd/5569618746.html

SwedeMetal

get the 350.

cooley

would you say that the 350 is more reliable?

SwedeMetal

i cannot answer anything about reliability as i'm a new owner and new to this forum.

i bought my 2008 350 about 5 weeks ago from a private party... i flew and drove it back cuz i could not find what i wanted locally... I considered a 250 at first until i read about carbon build up on the 250 and realized how much more powerful the 350 engine is and that the gas mileage between the two was totally negligible.

not to knock the 250 at all because its same car with different engine, but i would highly suggest that you get the 350

i absolutely LOVE my 350. just working on getting rid of some interior noises right now (common) and about to upgrade the shocks... the car is a fucing blast to drive and just feels brilliant..i love it.. mine is fully decked out with all of the bells and whistles and the levinson and all that stuff....

get the 350. spend the extra money and get a used 2008 from a private party with 70-90K on it and enjoy the car... i could not be happier and it makes me smile every time i drive it. gorgeous car with mean power and just wonderful to drive.

SwedeMetal

also i am far from expert at all, but in 2008 they changed the steering and made some other changes as well.. an expert could chime in on what they did but go for a 2008 and skip 2006 and 2007, just my opinion of course. I researched HEAVILY before buying and I've forgotten now most of what I researched.

in 2009 they did the "lobster claw" wheels which are just ugly as heck.. and then 2010 starts to get too expensive for me so the 2008 was perfect.

try to get one as loaded as you can, learn what the options/features are and how to identify them just by looking at the photos. you will learn where the levison logo is, how to tell if id has luxury pacage etc just by looking at photos.

good luck dude.

SQLnovice

I have a 2007 IS250. Purchased it for my wife back in 2007 with somewhere around 26K. It's been a solid car with no issue, besides the dash and door panel (which will be replaced soon). At the time we purchased it, I lookes within a 250 mile radius and couldn't find a 350. I would always choose a 350 over the 250 just because of the added HP.

Parsa

that is priced a little more on the expensive side. IS250 has Carbon Build up problem since it is direct injection engine. there was a TSB but you will be out of warranty if the work wasn't done yet (replace piston rings etc). IS350 does not have this problem since it is Direct & Port injection. Treatments for this problem are either payingg a couple grand for engine rebuild OR top engine clean a couple times a year ($300 at local shop).

Transmissions for this car are faulty. Someone thought it would be a good idea to make it a "sealed lifetime fluid" which makes no ****ing sense. You can still change the fluid but doing it every 60k miles or so would have been best, may be too late already. Some people fix the problem with just replacing a solenoid, others are unlucky and need a new transmission. This seems to happen 120-150k miles. I am lucky and just starting experiencing it at 154k.

Also in all honesty, the IS is not that fun of a car to drive. Open differential makes you not too confident in corners, plus has a decent amount of body roll. Really numb steering wheel and drive feel.

HOWEVER, if you are looking for a luxury/sports car (wouldn't really call it a sports car) at 14 grand and under, this is the right car. If you have a little extra soending money for repairs and such, I would recommend la German car instead

Icy350

iTrader: (18)

First and foremost welcome to Clublexus.
Hope this answers your question
The 2is is one of the most reliable cars on the market.
250 has carbon issue from 06~09? later years Ive read its been fixed. TSIB is useless as the car is well past its warranty period. Avoid if possible.

The 250 was chosen back then because AWD was not offered for 350 until 2010, many people didn't care about the power, and 250 comes MT while 350 is AT (unless you want to pay 15g for a 350 MT conversion kit)

Gas miles and price are extremely similar so it makes more sense to purchase a 350 now. Unless you are strictly in it for the stick.

Maintenance wise I would say its very easy, Just do simple maintenance, replace fluids, brakes, and what not.

LEXUS says transmission fluid is lifetime, Ive seen people flush at 100~120k but make sure its done at a dealer because they have a special sealing machine.

The car has a timing CHAIN so no worries about the belt.

Now the cons of the car.
1) Water pump prematurely failing
2) Window trim side moldings peeling
3) Rear Calipers seized
4) Carbon Buildup (250 Only)
5) Limited Back Seats
6) Steering module is SLIGHTLY improved for 08
7) Horrendous understeering during cornering
8) Passenger airbag light ( Harness damaged from rust?)
9) Rear Struts known to prematurely leak/blow
10) ML Amp is very delicate, seems to blow very often.
11) Nav Screen Failure

These are just the major ones I can think of.

Any more questions feel free to PM me.
Good luck!

Icy350

iTrader: (18)

Please refer to Redspencers Build thread for handling. The 2is comes stock with a double wishbone suspension. Add some rear sways, an ISF steering damper + steering ecu 2012+, get an LSD and you'll destroy people on the track.

Parsa

I have seen it and it is a very impressive build to say the least. I was just telling OP how the car performs stock, as I am pretty confident he will not be doing major suspension upgrades. I would love to have those upgrades myself, but at the end of the day I am not willing to spend that much money on a car i got for 10 grand. Of course things can always be improved by throwing money at it, but there is a point where that spending can't be rationally justified and youre better off with a more expensive car which performs better stock. Some people love upgrading their cars though in general which is why I see some 250 builds with a 5 grand supercharger kit (parts only?) that JUSTS makes their numbers line up with that of a stock 350 (unless mt is the reason). don't get me wrong, the 2is is an AMAZING car and a big upgrade from my 2006 mitsubishi eclipse gt, but sometimes I wish I was in a boosted audi or a 2009 335. Lexus seems to have the best "bang for your buck" as seen with used 350s and IS-Fs

is250san

new to the forum too but if i would of known about the is250 carbon build up issue i would of bought is350 instead....

CoogBear

I bought a used 2006 IS250 two weeks ago so I can provide a datapoint.

Private Seller
Price: $7,000
Location: SF Bay Area
Miles: 143k
Condition: recalls and scheduled oil changes done at the same dealership.
Build: Six-speed automatic RWD, Premium Package, Navigation, 18" rims, rear spoiler, Perforated leather seats.

Hope that helps.

trippy

iTrader: (1)

when i bought my is250 i didnt know anything besides i need a new car =( wish i knew something about something but i rushed after a day i sold my civic =( but I LOVE my lexus just weak as hot sauce but fun to drive

strikeraj

i would also recommend finding a IS350 instead of the 250
you will worry less and enjoy more

SLIS350

I'm new to CL, but long time lexus owner. Recently sold my 2007 IS250 for 2007 IS350. I can tell you there is a huge difference in power. Get the 350.