daslexus

Hey all, new to the forum. Thinking about buying a used 2IS to replace my current car as a daily driver.

First things first, yes, I have searched. Extensively.

I've got a 2008 Honda Accord that's worth about what I'd pay for an earlier 100k mile 2IS with some money left over for maintenance and repairs. Long story short, I would like to sell the Honda, and I haven't been able to find any information about whether the problems I have with the Honda are also present on the 2IS.

Of course, I could answer all these questions by just test driving one, but I live in a rather isolated area and there isn't one around for sale and I don't want to waste a private seller's time. I figured I could learn a lot about the car from CL members who have lived with it.

I'll be the first to concede my questions are specific and could be deemed nitpicky. This is because the more general questions I had about the car have been answered in other threads I've found.

Here's what I'd like to know about the car:

1. The biggest problem I have with the Honda is I can't find a comfortable driving position. I'm 6'0" with very long legs and a relatively short upper body. I like to drive with my legs pretty much straight. The driver's seat in the Honda does not go back nearly far enough for me, and my legs are so bent that my knees hit the steering wheel.

For those of you with especially long legs, can you put the seat back far enough to straighten them? And can you reach the steering wheel from that position? Headroom shouldn't be an issue for me. Space in the back isn't of much concern. Or would I be better off in a 3GS?

2. How is the seat comfort? The seats in the Honda are rock-hard and have far too much lumbar support, even in the lowest setting. I'm only 21 years old and I can't drive the car for more than thirty seconds without my back hurting.

By contrast, the seats in my previous car, a 2003 VW GTI (take a wild guess why I don't have that anymore, and why I'm looking at an IS over a 335i) and my father's car, a 2012 C-Class, are superb.

Am I spoiled by German seats? Do any of you have this problem in your cars?

3. Is the steering at all communicative, or is it more on the numb, artificial side?

4. Is road noise muted to acceptable levels? I have to raise my voice considerably to have a conversation in my Honda on the freeway due to the wind noise and tire roar.

5. Does the interior feel particularly upscale, or is most of it cherry-picked from Toyotas?

6. Is the suspension tuned more for ride comfort or handling? How much do you sacrifice one to maximize the other?

7. How fast will the car go under only the torque converter's power (no throttle?) The Honda does close to 10 mph which means I have to ride my brakes through parking lots and that's annoying and distracting to the people behind me who won't know when I'm actually slowing down.

8. What would it take for someone to convince you to sell yours?

9. Does it feel decidedly like a Lexus, or is it trying too hard to be a 3-Series?

10. Is it a cop magnet?

11. If someone in a bigger, more expensive GS or LS pulls up next to you, do you ever wish you'd bought it instead of the smaller, more fun IS?

12. Is it more understeery or oversteery?

13. Do you look forward to driving it every day?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

MWIS350

Lexus is a great luxury and sport car test drive them before making any decision.

Zmon

iTrader: (2)

1. Same height, probably even in leg length, but I find I can move the seat back enough to make my legs sit flat and still have a bit of room to move back some more. Easiest thing to do for you is to just sit in one and see. If it doesn't fit in a way that suits you, then it may not be meant for you.

2. This is a sporty-ish car, don't expect ES levels of comfort on the seats. But, they are fairly comfortable, probably a bit more comfortable in the leather seat options in the Accord. My RX is comfier than my IS (obviously), but at the very least, my IS is a bit comfier than my old 07 Camry SE (leather) I had.

3. Depends. The steering doesn't really compare to a BMW. You'd probably want to grab at least an 08 as the steering was reworked that year. If you want further steering improvements/feedback, you can grab the steering ECU out of a 08+ ISF (Not an F-Sport, an IS-F. I believe somewhere around 12-14 IS-F's had a further steering improvement).

4. Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I would say it's fairly noisy on the road.. It's even worse if the windshield molding on the sides is cracked. Tires can be a factor too, mine are a tad bit noisy. (Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+'s). Of course you can mitigate wind noise by putting something like Dynamat in the doors/floor/trunk. This isn't cheap though, and is a couple bucks.

5. It's not a 14+ IS interior, but it's okay for what it is. Biggest issue we have with our interiors at the moment is the dash and door panels. Lexus issued a warranty extension on them so you can get them replaced for free if they appear to melting/feel sticky/excessive glare on the windshield. Get ready to wait at least a year though.

6. Stock ride is pretty smooth. I believe the Sport package rides a bit stiffer. You can tighten it up by using some different springs/shock combo/front and rear sway bars.

7. Haven't paid attention to it, might depend if it's a 250 or 350 though. I'd like to say anywhere from 5-10.

8 . Give me an IS-F or a 14+ 350 (and I mean give.), otherwise I'll keep my 08.

9. Well, it does compete with the 3 series. It's your fairly standard Lexus though, great looks, comfy riding, with the power to back it up (350 anyways)

10. TBH, you're not really a cop magnet at all unless you throw on a lot of aftermarket parts and lights on your car. Subjective to color as well.

11. If you're looking for even more leg room, then you'd want a GS. IMO, the GS is essentially the same car as an IS. It's just got way more interior space, some more standard features and some nicer interior touches. LS is a whole different beast and I'd say you can't really compare it to a GS/IS. If you want the highest performing of the 3, you'd want an IS.

12. Understeer, staggered rims don't help it. Remedy this with sway bars, or increase front tire width/decrease rear tire width. If you only add a rear sway bar, it will give it a bit of oversteer. Front and rear will neutralize it for the most part.

13. Yes, but I like driving in general. If I want a little fun, I take my IS for the day. Just want to cruise around? RX time.

extra notes: You will not see the same mileage you get in your Accord, so if gas mileage is an important note to you, maybe look for something newer or something in Toyota/Honda/etc flavors. You will need to run premium in these cars, and that's not something you can compromise on, the performance of these engines, high compression ratios and the fact that they are direct injected absolutely requires premium. You will definitely never see MPG close to that Accord if you get a 350 (I can confirm that much, day to day I probably get 20-23 and that's about 75% city, 25% highway. On the highway, I average 26-27.

TL;DR: Drive the car, sit in it for an extended period. If you have the money, look for a 350. 250's prior to 11 models will have carbon build up issues, and if they never had the warranty extension performed, you will probably be dealing with it. This is due to the direct injected only design. 350 did not have this problem as it's both direct and port injected, so the port injectors are able to clean off the valves while the 250 has nothing to clean it (well, driving it hard will help a bit). Preferably look for 08+ 250/350's. They're nice cars in the long run though. Make sure all recalls are done, along with whatever warranty extensions are out there for the cars.

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

I have the Lexus IS350 for a few years and I do drive it daily.

1. I'm 5'11" and I don't have problem with the legs, but I think my leg length is fairly average ... test driving the car should answer this one pretty easily for you.

2. I set the lumbar to the lowest, which is basically straight on the shape of the seats and that's fine for me. The seat is not as soft as the seats get worn.

3. The steering is fairly good. The BMW is little better (not by much in my opinion).

4. The road noise is very good. If you have very old tires it might be little louder, but still much better than other cars.

5. The interior feels upscale.

6. The suspension if probably in the middle of the road. Little harder than average cars.

7. I'm not exactly sure what you mean ... and I don't pay attention; on flat surface it's probably 10mph. If you brake to 5mph it stays at 5mph ...

8. If someone offer me a lot of money so I can turn around and buy another one and keep the profit; or if Lexus release a new car with a better engine and interior.

9. I guess it feels like a Lexus.

10. No really.

11. No.

12. Not sure; but you should definitely get the rear sway bars for about $150 when you get the car. It greatly improve the steering sway.

13. Yes.

daslexus

I don't put enough miles on my cars to care about fuel economy. My Nissan Titan which I had a few years back returned between 10 and 12 MPG. Anything above that is fine for my needs.

Actually, that's about what my Honda gets too, if not more. It's the V6 Accord.

Aspect

1. The biggest guy in my 2IS was 6ft 5" and with the passenger seat fully back he just fit - note that only legless back seat passengers are possible in that situation
2. Longest road trip in the 2IS with the standard leather seats was only 3 hours one way and it was pretty fine, I'm not particularly picky with my seats though. The ventilation feature is great when your legs start feeling hot when sitting for so long.
3 Steering is somewhat communicative
4. I have no problems talking with passengers with the stereo on, 18" wheels, and Michelin PSSs so it should be fine.
5. The interior is pretty nice. Most of the surfaces are relatively soft plastic(the dash) or have some sort of leather on top of it(arm rests). Compared to an econo car it's more upscale but compared to modern entry luxury nowadays maybe not so much. Then again I've only ever ridden in cars with leather seats 95% of my life.
6. The ride is pretty comfortable given it's a Lexus but a bit harsher than other Lexus's because of the "sporty" characteristic they were trying to accomplish I think
8. I would sell my IS250 to get a 3IS IS350 AWD or a early to late model ISF. The 400HP Q50 Red Sport would sway me too... haha
10. Cop magnet - I'm not a fast driver but so far passing a couple of cops at a good rate of speed hasn't gotten me into trouble yet. Maybe because I'm careful.
11. I got the IS mostly because I was in love with the ISF looks so this was second best, so no I would not think about getting a GS or LS. GSF though... one day...
13. I love driving it every day. Not a fast car nor does it have the most responsive transmission but I think it handles quite well especially with good tires and some suspension mods.

I love looking at my car every day which assures me of my purchase decision. Never regretted purchasing it for a second.

daslexus

Thanks for all the responses. It certainly seems like the IS is a car I'll very much enjoy. Now I just need to find one I can test drive. I've been looking for a few weeks now with no luck.

metaleckz

iTrader: (9)

1. Im short af so idk. It does go pretty far when put all the way back plus you can move the steering wheel

2. My brother used to have a 2008 accord. So i say its softer than the accord but not as comforable as other seats out there

3. add the f sport sway bar and it will help with the steering feel tremendously

4. Its quiet inside. No need to raise your voice.

5. Way better than toyota.

6. I think its tuned for comfort. Handling is not that great. Refer to #3

7. no idea.

8. idk lol

9. Stock suspension? It feels like a lexus not trying to be a 3-series car

10. No

11. nope!

12. Is it more understeery.

13. Its not my daily but i do wanna drive it every now and then lol

bbaugher47

Im 6-3 and plenty of room for me. I find it very quiet once I swapped the front tires for perelli p zeros, im 250 lbs and the seats feel comfortable to me. GPS makes it feel more luxurious in my opinion. Not a cop magnet. People who drive like *******s are cop magnets. Ide personally choose the IS350 over the 250. More HP , less issues.

BasedAlex

thats crazy that you have room.

this is my opinion on comfort alone.

Im 6'1" and my head touches the roof liner. I have to slouch down to get a good view out of the driver seat. Because of this, it's uncomfortable for long drives. Also, if you have anyone in the back with normal legs, they are going to be uncomfortable as there is not much space back there.

Cabin noise is fine. Stock, you will hear the motor whine more then road noise or exhaust.

After owning other lexus', the ride quality of the IS is down there on the bottom of the list due to the sportier suspension. After installing coil overs and being 2.5-3" lower the ride quality is almost the same, aside from the occasional bounce due to uneven roads.

If if I could go back I would've waited and bought a 2013 GS, but unfortunately my previous car was totaled.

If you're single or don't have any car pooling duties the 350 is a fun car to drive, easy maintenance, and the drivetrain will last 250k.

if you carpool or enjoy space, the IS is a smaller, sportier sedan and my gf looks better suited to drive the vehicle then me.

bbaugher47

It is a little tight with passengers. Also have a 2012 highlander limited for family duties! Hard to believe even that car is almost five years old already. Ive got the seat on a little bit of an incline lol. No straight up and down action for me. Also no gangster lean either. Lol.

daslexus

I found an IS250 about 45 miles from me, so I made the journey to test drive it. I would agree with most of what was said here.

I had to put the seat all the way back and nearly all the way down. I was quite comfortable but I won't be fitting anyone behind me in that position. Fortunately that isn't a problem for me since I rarely have more than one other person in the car.

The steering felt much faster and more darty than I'm accustomed to, but I imagine that's more of a plus than a drawback once I get used to the car. Not the sportiest steering feel I've ever encountered. I could definitely see how it could be improved with a sway bar. The steering wheel felt quite good in my hand

I was pleasantly surprised with the feel of the interior. It felt upscale and well-made. The seats, while not quite as form-fitting as those you'd find on a German car, were comfortable and plush. There were a couple of little things I noticed too that are improvements over the Honda's interior, such as the sunglasses compartment on the ceiling. In the Lexus, the sunglasses don't fall out when you open the compartment. The appearance of the materials, the fit and finish, the seat comfort, the button layout, everything inside the Lexus was a cut above the Honda (which, when the cars were new, fell into roughly the same price bracket, as the Honda is the range-topping model).

Going from the Honda's vinyl leather seats to the Lexus's was like getting off of a bed of nails and moving to a cloud. Getting back into the Honda to drive it back home felt like sitting on a wooden park bench. Except with more outside noise. I was pleased with the Lexus's level of noise insulation. It's not quite on the level of an LS, but it's more than satisfactory for me.

The only small gripe I had, and it was very slight, was that the IS250 didn't feel particularly.....fast. It's not that it was underpowered, but it was just powerful enough not to be. Looks like an IS350 would be a better buy. Especially with the ability to change gears using the paddles behind the steering wheel-those were far more responsive than I expected.

It seems like a good car overall, and Toyota quality sweetens the deal. I hope to get the keys to one soon.

bbaugher47

Definitely get the 350.

Bichon

A used IS350 of the vintage that you are looking at is not much more expensive than an IS250, gets nearly as good gas mileage, and does not suffer from the carbon buildup problem. Given that you weren't thrilled with the performance of the IS250, looking for a suitable IS350 sounds like a no-brainer.

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

1. I'm 5'11 so I can't help you with this.

2. Seats are great.. they hug you just enough to make you comfortable - try to get ventilated seats they are a very nice feature to have

3. Steering is above average I would say.. I have F sport front and rear sway bars on my 350 and they helped a lot.

4. Road noise is decent in the IS - a lot will depend on your tires

5. Interior is definitely up scale from Toyota's.. Its getting a bit dated now but still nicer then most cars on the road..

6. Its definitely tuned for comfort unless your buying an F sport model.. in which case there are slight suspension upgrades.. this is mostly a personal preference though.. Most people tend to lower their cars and run low pro tire setups so you will lose some comfort there obviously

7. I've only had this issue when the car is cold - haven't measured the speed usually I just have to apply a bit more foot pressure at a stop light until the car heats up

8. Considering these vehicles hold their value very well, and considering my 350 is fully loaded and incredibly hard to find.. I would want pretty close to what I paid for it and pretty well full price for the upgrades I've done to it (who's gonna pay that right? probably no one) - also considering my 350 isn't winter driven and spoiled it would take a lot for me to sell it.. I would definitely trade for an ISF tho.. they're sexy AF

9. %100 Lexus

10. Keep it classy with the mods and don't have any stupid (unclassy) lights and the cops will generally look right past you - loud exhausts obvioulsy don't help but there are good and bad sounding loud exhausts

11. As mentioned the LS is a whole nother level.. someone rolls up beside me in one of those I usually tip my cap and move on.. I've always liked the GS's but they are definitely too much car for my liking - Only way I would want one is if it had the V8 - extra power for all that extra car haha

12. Usually understeer

13. Sure do !! I keep it clean as possible - I wish I had a ticker for all the times old people in BMW's turn their head to watch me roll by


BUY A 350 !!!!