Im looking to buy a used IS, but I'm not sure how the model differs from 2001-2005.

Can anyone help me out and also give me recommendation of which year they liked most?

Thanks

 

you can pretty much find all info here:
http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library.html

personally i would get at least 02 or 03. a lot of small bugs from 01 fixed. 04 has memory seats, another extra

 

2004-2005 is the best in my opinion. Memory seating was added and as Rominl said, alot of the bugs and quirks have been fixed.

Some main reasons to avoid the 2001...

1) No center armrest
2) Alot of trim panels still had that gray accent trim instead of all black like it should be.
3) There are alot of bugs/issues that were later corrected with the later models.
4) No manual tranny version for 01 only.

 

Coming from an '01 owner, I wouldn't say that the 2001 model has a "lot of bugs".
I bought my 2001 right when it came out and the only issues I have had were the CD player which they replaced with a brand new one under warranty when it swallowed one of my CDs and the Flash/Reset of the ECU.
As for the grey/graphite colored trim, I actually prefer that difference and if I'm not mistaken as one more bonus the 2001 floor mats were the only year personalized with the IS300 stitching ...I think 2002 on up the floormats just say Lexus.

 

If you're not already a member, be sure to join IS300.net aka my.is which is dedicated to just the IS. Here is a link to a definitive list of changes from 2001-2005.

 

What year did they start the darker headlight housings?

 

2004 but 2003 sportdesigns had them as well.

 

Nav was not available in 2001. Neither was the slow-selling hatchback " SportCross" model.
Yellow paint was dropped.....and bright red was added.......for 2003. Gold was also added.

 

Yeah that was sad they dropped yellow after 03 and orange was only for 01 two very nice colors imo.

 

2001 Model Year

• E-Shift IS300 introduced, no 5-Speed Manual option
  
  Exterior:
• Four horizontal bars on front grille, emblem molded into grille
• Chrome taillights only
• Initial colors offered:
  - Auburn Sky Pearl (ASP)
  - Black Onyx (BO)
  - Diamond White Pearl (DWP)
  - Graphite Gray Pearl (GGP)
  - Imperial Jade Mica (IJM)
  - Millennium Silver Metallic (MSM)
  - Spectra Blue Mica (SBM)
  - Solar Yellow (SY)
  
  Interior:
• Seating choices are Black Fabric and Black or Ivory Leather/Ecsaine
• Optional Lexus Luxury Package includes:
  - Ivory Leather/Ecsaine Interior with Tan Piping
  - Black & Ivory instrument panel
  - Walnut Switch (door) Plates
  - Power Seats & Homelink
• For all Black & non-Luxury Package Ivory interiors, black dash and center console with gray trim extending from above the lint tray down around the shift **** and also above the steering column and glove compartment for (this color matches the AC and radio *****' trim)
• Floormats Have Lexus "L" Emblem and read "IS300"
  
  Mechanical:
• Underbody panels (plastic) prone to failure
  
  Other:
• Tool tray in trunk (two-piece) constructed of styrofoam

2002 Model Year

• 5-speed manual transmission available on sedan
• New SportCross 5-door offered (automatic transmission only), has 7.5x17" rear rims, foglights are much flatter
• L-Tuned Edition available late 2002, includes:
  - L-Tuned body kit (full front bumper with round 55 watt fog lights, rear valance, side skirts, rear spoiler and carbon fiber-style grille)
  - L-Tuned 18x7.5" +42 rims in Silver or Gunmetal (Rays Versus Campionato SS7 with custom blue Lexus "L" center cap)
  - 225/40ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires
  - L-Tuned sport muffler & larger-diameter exhaust (60mm pipe diameter & 105mm tip diameter).Adds 8 hp over stock.
  - L-Tuned springs (1" drop, made by Eibach)
  - L-Tuned sway bars (Made by Eibach)(28mm front/17mm rear)
  - L-Tuned exterior and interior badging
  - L-Tuned floormats
  
  Exterior:
• New exterior colors are:
  - Absolutely Red (AR)
  - Cibola Gold Metallic (CGM)
  - Crystal White (CW)
  - Electric Green Mica (EGM)
  - Intensa Blue Pearl (IBP)
• Discontinued exterior colors are:
  - Auburn Sky Pearl (ASP)
  - Diamond White Pearl (DWP)
  - Imperial Jade Mica (IJM)
  - Spectra Blue Mica (SBM)
• Tail lights receive smoked finish on the following five exterior colors:
  - Absolutely Red (AR)
  - Black Onyx (BO)
  - Electric Mica Green (EMG)
  - Graphite Gray Pearl (GGP)
  - Intensa Blue Pearl (IBP)
• Three horizontal bars on front grille, down from 4, detachable clip-on emblem backplate
• Grille color darkened from medium gray to almost black
• Rear spoiler, optional on sedan, standard on SportCross, third brake light removed if spoiler is installed as a factory option
  
  Interior:
• Front side curtain airbags standard
• Optional Lexus DVD Navigation (pop-up screen & remote controls located between the front seats)
• 6.5" speakers in door panels now have a chrome ring around the speaker grill
• Auto-dimming electrochromic driver's side outside and inside (center) rearview mirrors
• Compass in center rearview mirror for vehicles without DVD navigation
• Front center armrest standard (Black or ivory leather)
• Optional leather shift ****
• Black dash/center console with gray trim no longer available
• Floormats have Lexus "L" emblem and read "LEXUS" instead of "IS300"
• Driver's side floormat now has two retention hooks to prevent sliding
• Lexus Luxury Package discontinued
• Optional Full Leather interior in ivory or black, trimmed with piping
• Seat piping now standard with Leather/Ecsaine Seats
• Two-tone Black and Ivory dashboard & center console now standard for Ivory interior vehicles with Full Leather or Leather/Ecsaine seats
• Walnut Switch Plates now a stand-alone option
• Standard fabric interior available in Ivory
• Automatic climate control now switches A/C on and off
  
  Mechanical:
• Overall height raised 0.6" (from 54.9" in 2001 to 55.5")
• Minimum running ground clearance increased from 4.9" for 2001 to 5.3"
• Spring rate increased for 5-speed manual
• Optional Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) (Automatic transmission only)
• Brake Assist
• Steering revised as follows:
  - Overall Steering Ratio from 15.7:1 for 2001 to 14.5:1
  - Turning Circle decreased from 34.1' for 2001 to 33.4'
  - Turns Lock-to-Lock decreased from 3.25 in 2001 to 3
  
  Performance:
• ECU programming update
  
  Other:
• Tool tray material in trunk changed to plastic, now one-piece
• Underbody panel (plastic) material changed; failures significantly decreased

2003 Model Year

• SportDesign edition sedan available, package includes:
  - 11-spoke 17" SportDesign rims
  - Thundercloud Metallic exterior color (Black Onyx and Graphite Gray Pearl also available)
  - Black pearl badging with Sport Design emblems
  - SportDesign front grille
  - SportDesign smoked gray fog lights, tail lights and headlights
  - SportDesign exhaust
  - Full leather Ash Gray interior (Black also available)
  
  Exterior:
• New 7-spoke design for 16" wheels
• 215/45R17 all-season tires available
• The following exterior/interior combinations are discontinued:
  - Absolutely Red with Ivory Fabric
  - Cibola Gold with Ivory Fabric or any Black interior
  - Electric Green Mica with Ivory Fabric or any Black interior
  - Graphite Gray Pearl with Ivory Fabric
  - Intensa Blue Pearl with Ivory Fabric
  
  Interior:
• Redesigned front cupholders

2004 Model Year

• SportDesign changes for 2004:
  - Alabaster exterior paint option (Thundercloud Metallic and Black Onyx carry over from 2003. Graphite Gray Pearl no longer available on SD)
  - 11-spoke wheels are Charcoal finished with TCM and BO exteriors, Silver finished with Alabaster exterior
  - Double-stitched Smoke Gray leather interior (Black leather w/Gray piping carries over from 2003)
  - Euro-tuned suspension on manual models
  
  Exterior:
• Headlamp, fog light and tail lights available in smoked gray (same as Sport Design)
• New exterior colors are:
  - Bluestone Metallic (BSM)
  - Indigo Ink Pearl (IIP)
  - Savannah Metallic (SM)
• Discontinued exterior colors are:
  - Cibola Gold Metallic (CGM)
  - Intensa Blue Pearl (IBP)
  - Solar Yellow (SY)
• New mist-type windshield washer nozzles
• New design 11-spoke, 17" wheels available (no longer SportDesign exclusive)
  
  Interior:
• Drivers seat two-position memory available with power seats
• New storage compartment with retractable lid in center dash (vehicles without Navigation)
• CD changer redesigned
• Bright silver replaces dark silver on window switch plates, instrument cluster background, climate control dial rings, audio volume and tuner rings and steering wheel stitching
• Black replaces dark silver on audio plate surround, A/T housing plate surround
• New leather door inserts replace Alcantara on full leather interiors
• Black Fabric interior no longer available with Graphite Gray Pearl or Absolutely Red exterior
• Ivory Fabric interior discontinued
• Imitation suede (Ultrasuede) for interiors now referred to as Alcantara (European name) instead of Ecsaine (Asian name)
• Walnut Switch Plates now available only with full leather interiors
• Scheduled maintenance indicator light
• Speed-sensitive, shift-linked automatic door lock/unlock

2005 Model Year

• Limited-Slip Differential is no longer available with the manual transmission. (This actually took place during the course of the 2004 model year)
  
  Interior:
• Black Fabric interior no longer available with Bluestone Metallic exterior

 

lexus also changed the wheel finishes every year from 01 to 04 on the IS. they went from matt silver to a glossier silver in 02 to a semipolished silver in 03 to a fully polished darker silver in 04.

 

I love my 04 since it has full leather and the storage bin and memory seats and LSD. So I pick that one.

 

Does anybody know if I can use my stock 03 ECU and harness with an 01 2JZ vvti engine

 

All the engines are the same from 2001 to 2005. Just do not use the harness from the doner car.

 

Not getting spark and getting a solid security light. What can I do to fix this.