i say the NAV and the HIDs are must-have options. you could retrofit aftermarket HIDs, but the factory nav w/ integrated bluetooth is worlds better than most aftermarket nav systems.

 

I believe you are missing a large part of why people buy a Lexus. It's not just so other people can ooh and ahh at your ability to drive a luxury car. It has to do with enjoying the base car AND the options that can be added. If you are trying to claw your way into an IS for the lowest possible price I think you will be disappointed in the end.

To answer your question, no, there are no options that you can't live without. But take that to its logical conclusion and you can live without a Lexus altogether. So, explain to us, why exactly are you getting a Lexus?? If you truthfully answer that question I think things will become clearer.

Your initial question is akin to someone avoiding a three star Michelin restaurant because 'they can do without all the pricy options'. Yes, it's expensive, but life is about living the experience.

 

The Nav, powered tilt steering wheel, HID's, memory seats, and rain sensing wipers are a bit more than cute. For me, they make the car much more enjoyable to operate. The power steering wheel simply just kicks butt. Anyway, only you can decide if you find the value in them.

Good luck with your search.

 

Get the base car. Go to various dealers and offer them 1K over invoice for a special order and see if anyone bites.

The options, IMO are not that important. The IS comes pretty loaded from the factory.

I had the BASE 06 IS350 +18s last year. Which was a dealer transfer from florida. The only thing that I regretted was the NAV and ML. SO i sold my old car and got a new one(after someone hit my 06, and I was unable to get a good enough paint match for my eyes). My current car is a special order and I did get a couple $$$ off. Not as good as I could have on a car on the lot... but still good.

Its worth it to get the options you will probably regret. NAV is one of the options that you may regret. Other options like Power telescoping steering wheel, heated seats.... etc, you probably wont miss.

-----

Finally, you may want to consider going used. On Autotrader, there is a nice black 06 with sport package/NAV for $37K. And an 07 for 40K

 

You should be able to get a speical order for $1,000 to $2,000 over dealer invoice...

This link will help you build/price the EXACT IS350 you want...

http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/features/pricing.html

You most likely will have to deal with an Internet Sales Manager to get the Best Deal!!! Going to multiple dealerships and shopping around is a must...

Good Luck on the Hunt!

- Joe Z

 

This sounds like good advice. From what I've seen, 250's are actually going for below invoice, while 350's seem to be going for $1,000 - $2,000 over invoice. Is there a thread here about what prices people are being quoted for a 2008 model?

 

^ not yet, but there is a thread about what others have been paying for their 2is's of 2k6 and 2k7 vintages, if that helps at all.

 

You say that the Nav and sound system are worthless,,,I say no way. I never had a car with nav, and now i use this nav more than anything. all 350's come with 18's so you wont get around that. the back up camera comes with nav and that too is SWEET!!! That's the great thing about LEXUS, all the creature comforts. If its really a price issue just get the Acura.

 

I agree with this. I saw 2 base IS350s without Mark Levinson when I was shopping for an IS. They had the 18" wheels and HIDs, but not much else. These cars were at 2 different dealers in Houston.

The dealers told me that they were willing to make a killer deal on those cars because everyone wants one with Nav, and possibly also ML. Sorry, I did not explore the definition of a "killer deal" because I wanted the Nav, and settled for an IS250 because it suited my driving style and gas mileage requirements a bit better.

Yes, I drive like a grandmother, but I enjoy getting 32 mpg on highway trips with my AC on, and cruise set at 75 mph. You can't beat that in a vehicle like the IS when gas is over $3.00 per gallon.

 

I don't think this is true. I have the sheet from Lexus Northeast showing the available packages which are the same ones that you can order when you do the build your car at lexus.com AFTER you've plugged in your zip code. Again the options and colors shown on the Lexus website are there so you can see what you can special order and not what has already been manufactured.

If you find a car kicking around that is not the standard build for your area, then it must be a special order that was never delivered, or something taken in by dealer exchange from outside the sales region. Lexus has purposely configured the cars certain ways for certain parts of the country, so it's not really the dealers' fault that the exact car you want isn't available. I think if Lexus is going to do this, the least that Corporate can do is set up a smoother way to find the exact car you want without going through the dealerships.

Currently you have to hope your dealer is doing a good search over a large enough geographic area to find your car. Some dealers will only search in the same state, or neighboring states, or at best the sales region. When I was looking all the dealers made it seem like they were doing me the favor by searching and kept steering me towards what they had on the lot. It's horrible when you know what you want and are willing to pay up for it, yet you get roadblocked by the dealerships who are supposed to be selling the product. Like I've said before, I've never seen a car dealer try so hard not to sell me a car.

I ended up special ordering a 2008 which should be here in 3 months. As for the price, it was $45,500+TTL for a matador red IS350 w/sport package, 18-inch wheels, park assist, PCS/dynamic cruise, and nav+Mark Levinson.