dbogeda

but the issue i'm running into is that it is nearly impossible to find a 6 speed MT and navi together. Has anyone run into this issue, and did you just put in an aftermarket navigation system instead? If you have, please post pics.

the year I am probably looking at is a 2006 just because the price fits more into my budget.


i've been reading around here for a while, but this is my first post so go easy on me

passnu2

iTrader: (33)

I think since its used in the midwest you are going to have a harder time finding it local. Maybe look in other areas and go out of state to pick one up. The manual 250 in IL is not very common and what you are looking for IMO would be more of a special order in your area.

There are many aftermarket Navi's that you can use on the font window that work just fine from the ones I know that have them. You can get these at BestBuy or online....Changing out the stereo on this car is a little more work then I think its worth to just add Navi...

G/L with the car hunt!

Brian231

Yes,

I would not worry about factory navi as it will be extremely hard if impossible to locate in a 6MT. Garmin has the Nuvi widescreen (one model) for $200 now.

dbogeda

thanks for the help! I have no issues going out of state. I have this major issue with wires and things sticking out where they shouldn't, which is why i typically don't like garmans and other external navs, am i crazy?

kuuqi

hmm. considering that you're looking at a used is250 6MT, you might be able to buy a new one with all the options you want for a comparable price to a used one. ISx50's keep their price pretty well and used prices are nearly as much as new prices. and i dont know if you're going to finance or not but i find used car finance rates to much higher than new car rates, thus the end result of payments could be more expensive when buying used. of course i'm assuming you probably already thought about that though if you didn't, just giving you a heads up.

manual IS's are hard to find period, new or used. i have a friend who told me his friend (heh kind of a stretch) that IS250's usually don't come with navi's and had to special order it. so new might actually be the only way of getting what you want.

dbogeda

i was thinking about having to order a new one also, but it seems like you're looking at over $30K new no matter what you do, whereas used they're more like 27K. With interest rates, you are probably right! The thing that kills me is that depreciation hit you get out the door... That happened to me on my last vehicle, so I'm almost scared to experience that again!

I was looking to put about 5K or 6K down on it and i'm trying to stay under $400 a mo for a payment (pref closer to $350 since that's what I'm paying now)

Is leasing a horrible idea? Most people say yes, but I'm only 23 and have never experienced it. I'm just trying to weigh out all my options since i'm giving myself a good 6 months or so to locate this car.

I did locate 2 different 6MT with Navi, but they are both a gooooood stretch away, one was in Atlanta on craigslist and the other was 2000 miles elsewhere. Will dealers pull a car from that far away for me?

Appreciate all the replies!!!

Recluse

Just thought I'd chime in with my usual advice for those considering an IS250 6MT: If you have not done so already, I would STRONGLY encourage you to test drive one prior to making a commitment, especially if you are considering traveling to get one.

dbogeda

Appreciate that advice for sure, and I definitely have. I test drove one when they first came out initially with the new body style, and before that i test drove an IS300... I've had one of these monsters on my mind for a loooong time, it is just that now I have the financials to afford it!

Why do you say test drive the 6MT though, is there something I'm not noticing, becuase when I drove it I fell in love!!!

sailing217

I'm in Ohio and bought in PA. MT in stock is very hard to find. I would say impossible with NAV in our area.

Test drive the stick again before you order one. It's very notchy, and one of the stock cars I drove caught very high in the clutch for a brand new car. I special ordered and the catching point is fine on mine. Problem is the clutch feels like my old celica and something I wasn't expecting on a Lexus with a small engine. It should have more synchros.

If you are in my area of Dayton or Columbus, you can take mine for a spin if you like. I put Eibach springs on it and have 2 sets of wheels for it (winter/summer). I love the look and feel of the springs---feels just like the sport springs. PM me if you want.

Recluse

When you finally test drive the one you think you want to buy, be sure to drive it for as long as they'll let you......my clutch was smooth and quiet while everything was cold, but after about 20 minutes or so, I got the "jar of marbles" sound when accelerating from a stop (or even worse, when starting on a hill).

Anyway, the idea is to make sure the car doesn't have the noise, or that you can live with it if it does.

Also, the clutch on my car engaged like an on/off switch right near the top of the pedal travel. But as a trade off, I didn't have a lot of the notchiness/grinding that other members here have reported.

cssnms

Despite what the MT haters have to say, it's a great car and fun to drive. Love my 2008 and any of its' idiosyncrasies, because these are what make it a sporty fun to drive car. You will get use to the clutch w/time as I did and now I can make perfectly smooth shifts - I am almost as smooth as the automatic!

Recluse

I think the use of the word "haters" in this case is a bit unfair. The people in this thread who have responded with specific comments about the car are either current or former owners. I personally owned mine for a year.

I am truly glad that you enjoy your car. However, given that it does (as you noted), have its idiosyncrasies, I would think that it would be of benefit to a new member to know about the particulars of the car up front, so that he/she can make an informed decision. After all, the purpose of this forum is the sharing of Lexus-related information.

The fact is, "getting used" to something is not the same as "liking" it, and any potential buyer is going to have to decide if the idiosyncrasies of the car are something he/she can live with. And in my case, I could not.

cssnms

Anyone interested in this car should form their own unbiased opinion through the test-drive and or owership process despite what the "lovers" and "naysayers" have to say.

The IS 250 MT is great car and it is very fun to drive IMO.

Scottina08

iTrader: (1)

try fleetrates.com I found several 6MT's with Navi in RED during the december to remember last year(2007) Got my wifes 08 $6K off and delivered from Knoxville, TN to us in KY

retaj

I am in the same boat. I had not decided on a car, and test drove the IS 250 MT and loved it. Unfortunately, there are no longer any in town, so I will have to be going somewhere else in the southeast.