Try looking beyond what it is that you want. Have you considered the design and factory cost of offering that? Much of what goes into vehicles and how they are built has to do with cost. Take the sunroof, for example. Do you think Lexus made that standard to help you out, or do you think they were trying to avoid re-tooling a part of their factory?

If I were you, I'd be much more worried about iDrive than a lack of BT in an IS350. If you want to compare features, let's compare Hyundai NAVI vs BMW iDrive.

The bottom line: BT is something that very, very few people care about. Yes, I care about it, but I also care about Mark Levinson. Lexus isnt catering to me; they are catering to the mass market. Get something in the aftermarket and move on.

 

True you don't need a screen for bluetooth. And true i'm not Lexus nor am I the representative for the market demand. But with Toyota/Lexus interface for bluetooth, you need the screen in order to integrate/merge your phone book into the system. Why they did this I dunno, but to my understanding it does help keep the distraction of looking down at your phone and instead, displaying everying on the screen instead of fumbling through the mini display of your phone. The only non-nav Lexus with bluetooth availability is the GS300, but then again it has a screen. With the Lexus nav system, bluetooth interfaces with your phone so selecting points of interests listen on the internal POI phone book allows you to contact points of interest at a touch of a button. Some people like it some people don't. Bluetooth is great technology considering I use it on a daily basis. Do I wish there was a standalone BT option? Of course, but then again i'm one of those that would opt the ML/Nav package as well. Sure bluetooth is not expensive but then again a bluetooth headset isn't either.

 

Are you sure? ML is available as a standalone option.


Oh come on Flipside. By that thinking, why spend $2550 on nav when you can get a 3rd party nav for $1000? I'm not arguing that the nav is or isn't worth the $2550. I'm just arguing the ignorance of leaving out one of the most popular options as standard and then not even allowing the possibility of ordering it separately. That is all. I mean the sunroof is standard. Why? Crap, take the sunroom out and package that in the Luxury Plus or Sport package and make BT standard on all models.

 

Again like I told you before, Lexus has their BT setup with the screen. Argue it all you want, it's not something they have decided to offer without a screen. Mark Levinson, that's a given, it's a tuned speaker/amp setup for the audiophiles.

Why spend $2550 on nav when you can get 3rd party nav. Well let's see. First off, I don't want a 3rd party external nav screen sticking up from my dash. Second, I happen to like the Fujitsu-Ten/Denso interface of the Navigation, I prefer it over the aftermarket nav like Pioneer and Alpine. Forget the Garmin, Magellan systems and etc. I wouldn't even consider those with a 10 foot pole. That's not my thinking, that's my preference. I'm not one to penny pinch and demand everything below MSRP. there are things I value that most people wouldn't. It's all preference. My preference is a fully loaded IS350 ML/NAV. Won't have it any other way.

Sunroof is standard? Why? because it's a luxury item. It's an option that the market demand wants and expects in a luxury vehicle. It's rare to see ANY Lexus vehicle with no moonroof. Even the 01-05 IS300 was rare to find with cloth let alone no moonroof. These are slow selling cars and usually sit at the dealership lot..that's why you don't see a non-moonroof New IS currently. If you see one, that's the ones and twos of many thousand that come out of the factory. Market demand again is what plays a heavy factor in this. Bluetooth is a great option no doubt, but then again it's something you will only get with a Navigation model Lexus or Toyota for that matter at this point in time. Maybe you should relook at the E90 3 Series or dare I say Acura TL? End of subject.

I know you are that 0.01% that want the the IS250 RWD Manual with no options, no moonroof, a tape deck but you want bluetooth below MSRP at this minute. Hate to break old news to you but no matter how much you argue or complain about it here on a message board, the fact of the matter is you're not going to get it.

 

I am starting to enjoy this board for more than just learning about the new IS hahah!!!!

 

If you were to ask 100 prospective Lexus buyers whether they would rather have a sunroof or bluetooth, 80 would say sunroof and 18 would say 'what's bluetooth'.

I think flipside has been really patient trying to explain why it is part of the navi package. They designed it to use the screen as the interface. Without the screen, no interface, no bluetooth. The BMW BT interface sounds pretty half-assed to me (how functional can scrolling your phonebook on a 1 line display and using the radio buttons for control be). A phone that has BT probably already has the voice command feature built-in to it, and with a $50 BT headset you have 90% of the capability of the BMW system.

The new TSX might be a good choice for you, non-navi 6-speed should be <>27k, and with the engine is about 15hp stronger (accounting for the new SAE ratings) performance should be on par with the IS250. And BT is standard.

 

Bluetooth without Nav:

Step 1: Hold "MODE" on the steering wheel for 3 seconds
Step 2: Hit the left-center button on this.

 

Flipside, you need to be able to sense the sarcasm. Everything you responded to was complete sarcasm. Feel the force my friend.

 

And you want to call it penny pinching and I'll call it being smart. If you want to throw away 500-1000 just because you want to support the new IS then go right ahead I'm not stopping you. But that isn't smart inthe least. It is dumb. If you feel like throwing money away, then you can always just donate it to charity or do something useful with it rather than giving it to your car dealer for no reason.

And secondly I never said anything about less than MSRP, but getting 500-1000 off the car right now makes sense and you can get it done. For you to not even try and accept MSRP, is just ignorant.

And I want a MT. Not because it is in the cheaper 250, but because I wwant a MT. Lexus dropped the ball again by not even offering a MT with the 350. Another dumb thing by Lexus. What is the reason for that. Allow it to be an option and let me decide what I want. For it to not even be obtainable at all is completely ridiculous.

 

I agree we will continue to disagree. Are you saying everyone that has purchased a new IS at MSRP is dumb or ignorant? It's not throwing money away...it's what you value and what you feel is right to pay the price. If you want the car you will buy it regardless of price. If you're patient, you will wait for what you want. I'm not one to buy cars at MSRP or neither am I one to buy a car in first year of production. Now that's smart shopping. Wanting ML/NAV and all the goodies, that's a personal choice you can't change. But blaming Lexus about this and that...and why you can't get what you want is nitpicking. Perhaps you are better off buying something else? For now, your choices are not an option nor are they readily available. Unless you're willing to wait, you're going to kill yourself with disappointment. Bluetooth for Non-Nav Lexus...you have better chances at getting a different make with the options you want. BTW what region of the US do you live in? kjhklh doesn't sound like a great place to live or a region to buy a Lexus at.

Secondly, isn't anything off MSRP, less than? $500 or $1000 off MSRP is < paying MSRP. Correct?

 

Now why do you have to go and stoop to that level? I happen to know that kjhklh is a wonderful place to live. It's just east of dfgfsf and just south of iuyioy. It can be hard to get a Lexus there, but you can get a xlesu pretty easy. Don't knock it until you've been there.

 

This banter is quite amusing!!! Oh, oiurpj is nicer than all of those places btw!