Hello all.

I've been a long time reader but first time poster. First and foremost I wanted to say you all are very helpful and I like this forum very much!

Any who, I want to buy an IS 250 2012, but after meticulously reading some posts and previous dated posts, I am getting to wonder the quality of the car in general. (interior, exterior, parts)

Do you feel that another brand or competitor car would be questionable against an IS? *I know this is a Lexus thread, but I like to get enthusiasts opinion who already own the car* Do you regret it?

Thoughts?

 

I would get the 350.

The fact your buying one brand new and you will have full warranty should be peace of mind. Overall Lexus/Toyota is a very dependable brand. I can't think of any other brand besides Acura/Honda that I would consider to be equal in that category.

You can go to any other car forum and you will find issues, besides that's the only reason some people sign-up on forums is to post there issues or vent there anger towards a product. So don't judge the brand by a few negative threads, look at the big picture and history of the company. If you were buying used car, its always a gamble no matter what brand for obvious reasons.

 

I would be buying it new, but why the 350?

Thanks.

 

IS250: 204 HP, 0-60 in 7.4 seconds
IS350: 306 HP, 0-60 in 4.9 seconds

Do you value performance at all? Then get the 350. The 250 is extremely slow and you'll notice that before you even pull out of the parking lot on a test drive. And short of a $6000+ supercharger kit, you can't appreciably and affordably increase power to any degree in the 250.

 

I Agree with everything stated above.

 

What is important to you? Economy? (IS250) Value? (IS250) Speed? (IS350) That is only someone you can decide.

I don't normally recommend a model on it's way out to anyone, but in all honesty, I've never seen a car this old hold up so well against newer competition. The IS still looks better than most fru-fru artsie jobs out today, has a clean and modern look that will stand another six years, and is a raging value if you lease. It's hard to recommend other cars when the IS has all this going for it.

 

Me too.


I value both, but if it's worth the extra coins. I will hash it out. I am definitely looking for something worth the money. I've rode in many IS's but never been the drive. I am going tomorrow to my local lexus to check out the 250/350.

Thanks for the input. Any other specs I should be aware of?

 

its different buying new than used not as many concerns...however, i would say make sure you buy the package that has all the options you want because i have a few friends who didn't get say, navigation or rear camera, and you don't want to have to shell out the money later when it will cost you a lot more. also i'd make sure you check out f sports gl with your purchase man the isx50 in general is an awesome car

 

I believe there is no other car on the market that is equivalent to the IS350 when you take in consideration performance and maintenance. Looks is subjective, so I wont judge it on that.

Performance wise, the car is only losing to the BMW 335i. However for maintenance, only acura products might be comparable, but the TL is no where near as fast as the IS350.

Of course there are a few complaints about the car, but they are very minor bugs when compared to what other brands are suffering with. For example, IS owners complain of squeaks, rarely is there any problem with the engine.

However with all that said, I would still hold off on buying an IS, especially if your buying a new one. Im only saying this because a new model is just around the corner. If you can hold off for another year, there's a good chance you can buy the new model. If not, then the current gen would get significantly reduce, and you would have saved yourself quite a large sum of money if you just wait one more year.

 

Or you could get a used ISF with low mileage

 

^ Yeah if you're a performance kind of guy, go for a used 08-09 IS-F, should be able to find some good deals on CPO ones too!

Or if you can wait, see how you like the next gen IS, then you scoop one of those up or snag a 2012 IS for cheaper =]

 

I think my best bet will be to wait for a 2013 model to see what differences they will carry.

When does Lexus release their 2013 models?

I am fine for now, I was hoping to have a new ride by summer. I have a 2008 Ex-L Civic that I got after I was hit by a drunk driver so it was an economical, and rash decision. So, now that it's paid off, and I have had time to really figure out what I want - I found that Lexus would be the best choice.


Here's a photo of my totaled RSX - hit by a drunk in 2007.

 

I like both cars 250/350, but I went with 250 because of the fuel economy since I drive long distance primarily (ie. Vancouver, Canada to Seattle and vice versa once a while). If I were to drive more for short distance and leisure, sure the 350 is something to consider.

A lot of people mention the 250 is slow, probably because they are used to more powerful cars and trying to gas it. To me, it is not much slower than the 99 Camry Solara which I owned which was a 3L V6 200HP which did 0 to 60 in 7.1 seconds back in the day. Switching to Lexus after that car was on its last legs after going 236K with me being first owner; got the fuel econmy going with the 250 since I was looking for something comparable in HP and have the luxury look.

 

The 350 is 10% more money (and 10% worse mileage) for 50% more power.

Now, if you really don't care about the power, that's irrelevant.

The bigger issue to me would be the direct injection carbon issue- which the 250 suffers from and the 350 does not.

If you don't plan to keep the car beyond the power train warranty (or the extended warranty if you intend to get one) then not a big concern.

If you do, and get the 250 anyway, then expect to be doing top engine cleanings after the warranty is up every year or two. (or maybe every 3-4 years or something if the tighter rings/pistons they're switching the 250 to slow down recurrence of the problem)


A more minor note is plug changes are a bit easier on a 350, but that's something you'll probably only do 1-3 times ever in the life of the car anyway.

 

When you do start looking at vehicles, 250 or 350, use this as a guide: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...e-threads.html

Make sure you check each car's VIN in the Lexus dealer service history, Carfax, and Autocheck.

Also check each car for signs of the common issues.