I wanted to get a consensus for the typical time most people have waited for their IS to come in. I know some threads have this discussion, but I could only find special order builds. I ordered a is250awd base + NAV jan 2nd and the dealer still has no idea when it will come in.

They first told me 4-6 weeks, then after no call and 4 weeks later I called and they told me another 4 weeks. No call again now they tell me they have no idea. I see a couple problems here:
- the longer I we wait, the depreciation goes down on '06's. Anyone have an idea when the '07's may come out?
- I have read in a couple posts the newer cars coming in will have the Lux package standard, raising the price a couple thousand. Thats fine with me, I almost opted for the Lux package anyway, but don't you feel if this is true Lexus is screwing people who don't want it?

2 months and still waiting....

 

sounds like they special ordered. anyone with a dealer allocation swap wait that long?

 

of orders so this a pretty typical wait time right now. If you want Navigation some delay is to be expected. If you want Nav and Luxury a longer wait is expected. Black sells first. If you want Black on Black be prepared to wait a while longer. If you want Mark Levinson then it's a special order and it's going to take about 4 months to get. Manual shift production will be curtailed soon so about two months from now they will be non existent and they are trading production slots for IS350's which are experiencing great demand. The problem is that the car is actually gaining in popularity as the general public is starting to notice them right as the Spring selling season starts so shortages may get worse before they get better.

You can increase your chances by taking more than one color choice for both exterior and interior. You can make sure that your configuration matches the current production and adjust accordingly. Most of the IS250's are AWD here in the East. Right now they are adding rear lip spoilers at the port so you should be flexible or the dealer has to delete the port install in time on the computer.

The IS is a victim of its own success...

Rock

 

I also heard as of Feb 20th they are increasing production 4x. Thats a huge increase. The effects of this wouldn't be for a month or so.

I did order black on black, but am also flexible with the options.

 

Well, I guess I can announce that the long waiting (anxious) GreyHound has finally got the call. My sales consultant has finally given us confirmation from his district rep. that our IS350 will arrive in the port of Jacksonville on March 11. WooHoo I guess it didn't fall off the ship after all.

Ordered, ol' Blue on Oct 24, 2005. The day when I handed over the deposit. That's when my clock started ticking.
Anyhoo, I appreciate the encouragement from my friends up here on CL. Especially to, Rock, TimboIS, Casey225, & RobnBill. It really helped back during the dark days of February when all kinds of bad thoughts where going through our minds.
Like: the dealer didn't order the car, since they couldn't track or provide a order number. Not returning any calls, didn't really inspire confidence. We left our dealer alone until Feb 1, then we wanted a update, thought that was fair.
Everyone else and their brother was getting their IS, (that ordered in OCT) and we couldn't even get confirmation a IS350 was ordered. Yes, February was a dark time. We were dreading re-ordering and starting the 'wait' all over again. Was even contemplating going back to the Mercedes dealer.

Long story short, we're happy again and all is forgiven, if the car is actually Blue! We're getting updates and calls about twice a week now. Hell, they're acting like we're their new best friends.
Blue is suppose to be expedited from Jacksonville to Kernersville NC. Were scheduled to pick up Blue on the Friday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, seven days from being five months. Looking forward to the day.
Is this the longest wait so far?

 

I think it's more like "the cusotmers are victims of the regional manager (or whomever decides on the allocation configurations). There are lots of IS's on the lots around here, just not desirable configs (no ML, no Nav, no Sports or Lux, let alone PA or PCS).

 

They didnt special order it for you. If you do that it will be built from the start just for you. But that takes 4 months. The other way they get cars is buy trying to ask for them. So what happens is the manufactor runs off so many of each car what ever car they think they need at that time. Once they run those off they box them up and put them on the boat. While the cars are on the boat on the wya to the US the dealers all try and fight for their small share of whats on the boat. All the cars on the boat are devied up between the dealers. Each trys to request to be sent certin cars. Those cars may or may not be even on the boat. And if 20 dealers want 2 of a certin car but only 15 of a certin car are on there then some dealers are assed out. Dealers only have a small control over what they actually get. They usally end up with a bunch they didnt ask for or really want but they have to take what they can. Once they settle on this which happens every 2 weeks. Around the 1st-3rd and 13-16th, they are then givin whats called an allocation list. This is what cars are one the boat that they are getting sent to them. On this sheet it tells them VIN number pricing, options, colors and when the boat is set to be in "port" (or hits land in the US). It then takes 7-10days after it hits port to be delivered by truck to each of the dealers.

Now with the process explained, what they do is take a deposit and check the list every 2 weeks to see if your car is comming. And they "TRY" in between to request (or beg) for the car that they have people waiting for. People that have deposits down and waiting for the car. SO being that they said 4 weeks to start they probley had the new list for the next 2 weeks and nothing was on it. Thye keep checking and the car you want is not on it. So they really dont know when they are goign to get one.

I found mine buy callin all the dealers within 75miles of me on the day of or day before the allocation sheets come out. Telling them to call me if they have one on the list. Some people told me they have someone already waiting for that car. But i left them all with my number so if one guy backs out when they tell him "its here" or if one of the other dealers that didnt want it got it in. Sure enought the 3 days the list was commign out all the dealers where callin me telling me sorry they didnt get one one their list. Then one called and said it was on there list and they didnt have anyone that was waiting for it. So i ran down and put a deposit. I wouldnt just wait for one dealer. Check all of their lists.

Hope this helps understand how they work. And sorry for the spelling and hard to read, but its late and im nto going back threw it.

 

I can't say if its the longest, but I think its the longest wait I've seen here at CL!

Good for you for waiting and getting exactly what you want, Friday will be here soon and your going to have a blast in your new ride

TripleL

 

Boy...did I get big-time lucky on an allocation! Gave dealer a deposit on Wednesday, 2/22, and on 2/23 they "preferenced" for me an IS350 Blk/Blk with Premuim Pkg + Nav. We both figured it would take 4 to 6 weeks or even longer to score this combination.

The following Monday, 2/27, dealer got their next regular allocation from Lexus Corporate. It included my exact car on a boat docking in Jax on 2/28. Car arrived at dealership last Friday, 3/3. I am picking it up this Wednesday, 3/8, due to wait time on bank processing my financing. Unbelievably lucky timing! What are the odds of a Blk/Blk 350 with Premium +Nav just being out there available and on a boat getting ready to dock?

This will be a bummer for those in Northeast Region who cannot seem to find any Blk/Blk or Nav cars? I live in Charlotte, NC and dealer is Hendrick Lexus.

 

I found the luxury package to be the hardest to find, then the sport package next. The plane cars with navi was the easiest to find. Black, smokey, and white were the harder colors around here to find. Black with black was hard because most people around here want black with tan interior. Not to many cars made with blk/blk either. To dark. I think they put extra lights on those cars so they dont disappear at night.

 

blk/blk with nav i would think is one of the most popular. but I may be biased because thats just what I want. I called my dealer back today and told him enough already, anything blk/blk awd I'll take, lux package, sport, anything....I JUST WANT MY CAR !!!

 

Just my experience, but you might want to call the dealer near the allocation times (when a new list goes to the dealer). Sometimes your salesman may be off those few days or busy doing other things than just look for your car. Personally, I called his partner who checked the list and instantly put my name on the car (maybe I should have gotten a commission for that

What would have been a 3-4months wait was only less than a month, right on time as my loan approval was set to expire.

Don't know if either my combo was not in demand (White/ebony, LUX+NAV+ML) or just plain luck so I can't recommend what configuration to get to ensure you get your special order sooner.

I was flexible in sport or luxury package though.

 

Dealer called today...

I finally got a port date of April 13th, so I should have my car about the 20th-23rd of April. A total of just under 4 months wait for a BASE awd with NAV, no special order.

....thats ridiculous in my book. I think I got screwed.

 

phish what dealer did u go to in PA for this. You got the chinese water torture treatment...

 

lol yeah I know I did. I ordered my IS on Jan 2nd!!!

Got it at Lexus of North Hills.