Exploring 3rd Gen Lexus IS Pros and Cons
Before you plunk down your hard earned cash on a 3rd gen Lexus IS, check out what our members think about them.
In life, they say, you’ve gotta take the good with the bad. And that’s true with most everything in life, including automobiles. Automakers are continuously working to improve upon their lineup with each and every generation. And the Lexus IS is no exception. Now on its 3rd generation, the newest IS could arguably be the best one yet. Still, it’s good to know what to look out for. And there’s no better place to find out than the Club Lexus forums. Which is exactly why Lqdcourage returned to that very spot as he works to upgrade his current 2006 Lexus IS 250.
“I’ve owned a 2006 Lexus IS 250 6MT since 2008. I have LOVED—and still love the car for what it is. Besides the carbon clean-up recall from Lexus (which was corrected at no cost to me—duh) and the systematic maintenance that is required, I have not spent a dime on this car beyond its minimum requirement. With the exception of modifications that I have voluntarily done on the side. I still own the car at the time of writing this and I am considering replacing the 250 with a 2017 IS 350 F-Sport.
Which brings me to why I am writing this thread. I’m hoping for some honest and unbiased feedback from owners. I hope to understand and comprehend as many nuances you guys experience as owners. And what and how you guys went about addressing the theoretical problems. How they responded, and hopefully, what compromising solutions they have offered vs what you have to settle for.”
As it turns out, perhaps the OP doesn’t have much to worry about. Most of our IS-owning members report zero issues, including EZZ.
“I haven’t heard of a single gauge cluster failing. Plus, you tend not to use it after the first week. The regular mode is probably the most driver focused. The motor is bulletproof so ’nuff said on that. The infotainment hardware was changed in 2015 and you won’t hear much about issues on anything but the first year model.”
“You should have a flawless experience with a 3IS,” adds E46CT.“Particularly 2015 and up. 2017+ is probably even a bit better. But if i had to guess, probably quite similar.”
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