jlin101

Picked up my Tungsten 350 (w Luxury, 18", NAV, ML and PA) yesterday from Tulsa, and could hardly contain my ear-to-ear grin on the 75-mile drive home. It was hard to keep the car under the speed limit, as it was THAT smooth, without any hint of speed. While I was waiting for the financial officer at the dealership, I checked out the interior of an LS, SC and GX. The quality of the materials and workmanship in the IS is beyond reproach--definitely matches that in the larger vehicles (with the exception of aniline leather in the LS, and SC), and in exceeds the GX.

A few hightlights:

1. the lighting is simply amazing. The HID is much brighter and wider than my previous 2003 G35C and 2002 RX300. The white LED accent lights in the cabin are a nice touch. I was pleasantly surprised to find WHITE license plate lights--no need to change those with Polargs. And for people concerned about the green lighting for the control buttons, it was not bad. It's a light green and actually breaks up the monotone had the buttons been white or light blue.
2. the sound quality of ML easily surpasses the Audigy 2 ZS/Logitech Z5500 combo on my PC. Even 2-channel mp3's sound better in surrond mode than stereo. I was disappointed that the changer could not play mp3 DVD, though. I've not tried movies, yet.
3. The touch screen NAV is easy to use, although it gets smudged with finger prints easily. And the dummy screen at start-up is annoying (not Lexus's fault--blame the lawyers).
4. very comfortable, with adequate visibility (I didn't have any issue with blind spots, but found the front /hood hard to see from the inside). The pwr door lock/window switches on the slanted arm rest were a bit awkward.
5. did I mention this things goes like a bat from hell?

Overall, I am very pleased with the vehicle--think G35C with a MUCH more refined interior. Even my wife, the SUV kind, was thrilled to see and ride in the car (she had wanted me to get a GS430 but was NOT impressed after the test drive). Now all I have to do is hide the 2nd key from my wife.

Addendum: for people burning mp3 CD's--if you burn the disc as a data disc, don't get fancy and remove the ".mp3" from the file name like I did--the drive must see either ".mp3" or ".wma" in the name to recognize it.

4CYLNDR

Congrats on the ride. Thanks for the detailed review.

And i wouldnt blame the lawyers - they can't sue on their own. I'd blame the people that sue and get these companies in trouble so that they need every safegaurd imagine to suit the lowest common denominator.

jlin101

blame the whole judicial system, including juries that awards ungodly sums of money, lawyers that split the award instead of working at fixed rates, and people who take no responsibility for their own stupid actions, such as placing hot coffee on your lap while driving. We are turning into a nation full of irresponsible idiots; no wonder the other countries snicker behind our backs. Sorry, sore subject--just venting.

4CYLNDR

1. juries = people, everyday citizens, and functionally, includes no lawyers (nearly all are excluded in the voir dire process)

2. if some lawyers didn't work on contingencies and all of them instead worked at fixed rates, poor people or those without enough to pay for standard legal fees would NEVER be able to bring their claims to fruition (which i guess is a good thing to you, it sounds like?)

3. ++1 on the irresponsible idiots. But that's also what makes the big companies more responsible. Compare out markets, our banks, our overall stability to other nations . . . I wouldn't want to be living anywhere else.

4. my posts seem to always stray way off topic. sorry.

encore888

"Silver bullet" is a great description for your new IS!!!

kensteele

Congrats on the new car, it sounds like you are already totally impressed by it. I know some of those roads from Tulsa up thru Kansas, it's hard to hold back but somehow I'm managing at 500 miles with 600 miles to go. Hang in there!

jlin101

I see your point, but look at this-we all have to go through the dummy screen EVERY time the NAV is fired up, because some idiot ran off the road once fiddling with the NAV while driving, and claimed that he did'nt know it was dangerous to take his eyes off the road. I wouldn't be surprised if they slap a sticker on every candle and book of matches warning you that it may be dangerous to touch when lit, or a warning in the tub/shower--slippery when wet. Yes, manufacturers should take responsibility for their products, but what about the consumers for lack of common sense?

TimboIS

Absolutely blame the lawyers. The US is the only country in the world that graduates more lawyers than engineers each year.

jlin101

you bet. And people wouldn't be suing so frivelously if trial lawyers hadn't bombarded them with TV/radio ads promising "just compensation" for their "loss." Life is only priceless until you become the defendant.

4CYLNDR

and who's fault is that? all of these graduating lawyers wouldn't have any jobs if PEOPLE DIDN'T HIRE THEM. Blame the demand, not the supply to meet the demand.

TimboIS

I'd expect this kind from reaction from a lawyer.

jlin101

lol, that's like saying don't blame the drug dealers for pushing drugs, but blame the addicts for buying them. People are so quick to blame others and eager to sue because attorneys keep advertising on TV, radio, billboards, newspapers with the promise of large monetary compensation for their loss. For example, a woman tripped over a boy who was running around in a supermarket, broke her leg and sued the store for not restraining the boy from endangering other customers--it was her own son that was goofing around and tripped her!

4CYLNDR

1. the analogy is completely innappropriate; drug dealing is illegal the last time i checked

2. you're right, people are way too quick to blame others, and people sue for frivilous BS much more so in America than in other countries. But the "cause," so to speak, of all these lawyers existing and where the "blame" should be placed is really not as simple as saying "if it weren't for these lawyers, this type of BS wouldn't exist." While that may be true, by the same logic, "if it weren't for these people sueing, this type of BS wouldn't exist" either. Which one is to blame depends on where you stand policy-wise, and most non-lawyers find it much easier and less cognitively disassociating to blame, exclusively, one of two causes.

4CYLNDR

I was wondering who'd be the first one to stray from actually talking about what's at issue and making a cheap shot the actual person making the argument.

How about you respond to what's at hand, or don't respond at all.

jlin101

your point is well taken--not the best analogy given the legality of sueing. How about grade schools selling pop/candy while the kids get fatter--schools argue they sell them because the kids want the sweets and get them at home anyway; kids say they eat the sweets because schools sell them. The two sides feed on each other--but the main point is that kids are not well-informed and thus can't always make the right decision. It is wrong for people to avoid responsibility and blame all their mishaps on others, but the blitzkrig ads from trial lawyers and the enticement of riches certainly encourage people to sue, just to see if they can make a quick buck. How does one ever justify multi-million dollar award for an injury, when most people don't make that in their lifetime? The defendant doesn't pull the money out of a printer--it comes from the liability insurance, and eventually from the rest of the society. In an ideal world, life and love have no price; in real life, it can't be further from the truth. If a doctor accidentally cuts off the patient's ear, he'd probably gets sued from tens of thousands. If that ear was cut off by a barber, he'd be lucky to get a few thousand dollars, if not less. Same ear, different price.