Performance and Handling Enhacments
 

I recently purchased a Lexus IS250 as a replacement to my prior 2007 BMW 530i. I sacrificed alot of luxuries to get a car with zero miles compared to the 93,000 miles I piled up on my BMW. On of which I cant live with out was the Performance and Handling:sad:
My Lexus is an awesome car but when I put my foot down on the accelerator, well it just doesnt move! I need help chosing the best perfomance products that will help my issue without putting a hole in my pocket. I would like ideas that would maybe even boost my fuel economy.

First off Welcome and Congrats!! In terms of adding performance, there's not a whole lot other than Headers, Intakes and Exhausts. No true engine tuning. The intake can sometimes boost your fuel economy as CL members have reported using various brands. A good bang for your buck Intake would be a JoeZ with an F-sport Box and Filter. Upgrading the suspension will help make up for the need for speed. F-Sport Sways are a must. If you want to stiffen it more, there is an F-Sport Chassis brace and other braces and bars from Hotchkis, JUN-TW. There's even a few strut bars available. There are plenty of spring and coilovers options to help lower the cars center of gravity. Add a pair of stickier tires after you use up those Turanza ER33s, and your IS will handle like a champ on the twisties

well have you try to put in s mode and PWR mode? it make your engine rev up faster, doesn't do 2 much for power and kills more gas. since you care bout power a 350 would of been a better choice

Welcome to CL. Congrats on your new car. The 250 is known for how slow it is and the only real upgrades performance wise you can install are intake, headers, mid pipe, exhaust. Only the F Sport meets the CA CARB approval to Pass smog and the exhaust. Hope that helps. Away Nara for handling.

If you can't live without the performance, trade your car in right now for a IS350 lol. You can get the F-Sport sway bars and lower the car with coils for better handling, but there's not much you can do for the speed at all. You can get a intake, header and full exhaust, but that's not a huge gain either....and ECU can't be tuned on the 2IS.

Should have gotten an IS350. 0-60 in 4.9 to 5.6 secs. Faster than the Bimmer.

sad but very true, i'll be tradin my 250 in for a 350 AWD in about a year, cannot wait

Yup, as others have noted, you should have gotten a 350. Faster than your BMW (and a lot nicer interior, but that's the same on the 250 at least).

250->350 new is about a $4000-4500 difference for 102 hp.

For $8000 you can't add 102 hp to an IS250.

Your options for a 250 are:

PPE headers- 15ish hp for ~$1000 installed- also illegal in CA where you live.

Joe Z exhaust- 8-10 hp for $1500 (plus install)- illegal in CA; or an axle-back exhaust for 600-1200 bucks for around 7 hp.

F-sport intake for about $300 (or any other, but F-sport is the only CA legal one) for about 5 hp.

And that's it.

So legally, $900-1500 for +12 hp, or illegally $2800 for ~28-30 hp. Versus the 350 premium of $4000-4500 for +102 hp.




You can certainly improve the handling, first with the F-sport sway bars and better tires, and then coilovers and lighter wheels if that's not enough. But if you're unhappy with the performance trading in for a 350 will go a ton further than anything else you can do.


Oh, and nothing will significantly improve fuel economy. If such a thing existed it would've already been on the car from the factory to improve the CAFE numbers for Toyota/Lexus.

If acceleration is your priority, you should have got yourself an IS350.

I don't agree on piling on those "performance" parts into your brand new, warranted IS. I don't think they will turn 250 to be close to 350. It's the displacement that make the difference.

Dude trade your car in ASAP for a 350 if you want faster. Did you test drive it before you purchased? I've had a 250 in the past and honestly I don't think its as bad as some people make it out to be. Put an exhaust on it.... you will sound like your going faster atleast LOL

I seen on a car show once that lowering the car the proper amount could increase fuel economy. Probably not enough to offset the cost of the coils and install but hey atleast it will look nice and get better MPG.

As the proud owner of an IS250--you will NOT be happy no matter what you do to the car. It will not get to where you want it to be. Sell it and get a used 350 if you need the power and handling.

Your 530 had 255 or 268 HP (not sure on your specific variant)---that is no where close to the IS250 nor will you get it there....

You may get to 225 via headers, exhaust, intake, you will not get much more.

my two cents

cheapest thing to get a 250 to go fast is trade it in for the 350. Sorry.... The aftermarket is limited to intake exhaust for 10-20hp (approx). Suspension can be helped with f-sport sways and coils.

Why would you compare your 5 series with an is250? One is entry level, other is mid size luxury. Of course you would sacrifice alot of creature comforts you had by purchasing a cheaper car, but the flipside is the maintaince will be much more managable. Welcome to CL!

Did you test drive the 250 and 350 before you bought it? If so, how could you not notice the difference?

^This. When I bought mine, I did research and didn't even consider the 250 knowing the slowness.