MatadorIS

Does anyone know if dealers in the Northeast region get a list of the cars being produced in December, for delivery in February? I am just skeptical of what my dealer is telling me because they don't want to special order, since they already guaranteed me $2,000 off MSRP. I called another dealer and they said that they have no idea what the February allocation includes, and won't know until January.

I'm looking for the IS250 AWD + Nav + Lux package, which I know is available in the midwest, but they can't come close to the price, after I factor in shipping costs.

lunar_glow

I ordered an IS 250 last month from a local dealer in western New York AFTER a long and eye-opening internet search across half the country. After calling almost all the dealers in NY and PA, I checked with a few in Texas too. Why?

Well, Lexus is offering ONLY AWD models here in the Northeast. Being born and raised in RWD vehicles, that's what I enjoy driving. So, I finally convinced the dealer, after much discussion and attempted disuasion, to put in an order for an IS 250 RWD with Mark Levinson Stereo and the Premium Package. The insistance on bundling the NAV with the stereo was not appreciated by me. Hey, I can go out and buy a fabulous Garmin or TomTom GPS and wind up keeping it to boot at the end of my lease, all for far less than the premium Lexus is charging for their NAV.

BTW, if you are leasing, this web site is great for learning all the 'details' the dealers don't reveal. Here's a link to a free Excel spreadsheet which lets you calculate all the lease values!

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/lease.htm

Click on Part 3: Lease Examples at the bottom of the page.

Anyway... got a fairly good deal on the lease and the car should be here sometime between now and my 100th birthday.

As for a good dealer to check NE allocations, try this fellow. He was straight with me and quite pleasant to deal with.

Mike Barone
Sales Consultant
Ray Catena Lexus
mbarone@raycatena.com

fastball

Levinson is available as a stand alone option ($940.00) on the IS 250. That's how I will order my IS 250 RWD manual - just premium package and Levinson as the only 2 options.

lunar_glow

This is *almost* exactly how I ordered my IS250 RWD from the dealer in upstate (that's the part of the state as far away from NYC as you can get and not be in a foreign country!) New York. I opted for the automatic -- the paddle shifters are fantastic! Years ago I owned a Porsche 5-speed and at that tender, young age I was barely able to keep out of serious trouble. With the passing years, the better part of me has wisely opted for a slightly more benign ride.

I never got the allocation list from Catena although the rep did read it to me over the phone. The dealers are not being allocated the 250 with ML and PT options BUT you CAN order the car that way.