New IS250 2015 have some questions
09-20-14, 06:06 PM
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New IS250 2015 have some questions
Hello everyone!
I just got my new IS250 2015 Starfire Pearl in San Diego on Wednesday. I drove it up to NorCal where I'm going to school. This is my first new car I've ever had and I want to take care of it to the best of my abilities. I'm pretty new to owning a car so if some of these questions seem elementary there's no need to point it out, I'm just here to learn more :).
1. I believe I made a mistake in getting a car cover. I originally got it because where I park there's a lot of flowers and occasionally some tree sap that falls down. However, from what I've read people here keep saying that it's not a good idea to put on the car cover because it will scratch your car. Is it possible to return it after I already opened it to look inside (I didn't open any of the packaged stuff just looked in to see what was included). If the car cover really isn't going to scratch my car that badly should I just use it?
The car cover I got from the dealership is Intro-Guard full custom car cover with storage bag and cable and lock+all weather strap locking system.
*Side note* In a year after I finish my school it will be in a garage (yay!).
2. Second question I have is where can I get a good sunshade? Should I just call the dealership and ask them for one. I've been looking on amazon but I am not sure if it's good or it will fit my car.
3. I got the environmental paint and interior protection from the dealership that's supposed to protect the paint from weather+tree sap and such. Will this actually help a lot with maintaining my paint and how long after would I need to do it again or is it a lifetime protection?
If you have any other suggestions please leave a comment :)!
Once again thank you everyone for your help!
I just got my new IS250 2015 Starfire Pearl in San Diego on Wednesday. I drove it up to NorCal where I'm going to school. This is my first new car I've ever had and I want to take care of it to the best of my abilities. I'm pretty new to owning a car so if some of these questions seem elementary there's no need to point it out, I'm just here to learn more :).
1. I believe I made a mistake in getting a car cover. I originally got it because where I park there's a lot of flowers and occasionally some tree sap that falls down. However, from what I've read people here keep saying that it's not a good idea to put on the car cover because it will scratch your car. Is it possible to return it after I already opened it to look inside (I didn't open any of the packaged stuff just looked in to see what was included). If the car cover really isn't going to scratch my car that badly should I just use it?
The car cover I got from the dealership is Intro-Guard full custom car cover with storage bag and cable and lock+all weather strap locking system.
*Side note* In a year after I finish my school it will be in a garage (yay!).
2. Second question I have is where can I get a good sunshade? Should I just call the dealership and ask them for one. I've been looking on amazon but I am not sure if it's good or it will fit my car.
3. I got the environmental paint and interior protection from the dealership that's supposed to protect the paint from weather+tree sap and such. Will this actually help a lot with maintaining my paint and how long after would I need to do it again or is it a lifetime protection?
If you have any other suggestions please leave a comment :)!
Once again thank you everyone for your help!
Last edited by nichedesu; 09-20-14 at 07:38 PM.
09-20-14, 07:55 PM
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nichedesu,
1. Car covers are worthless on a daily driver. They will do more harm than good as I posted in the other thread. Returning it depends on the policies of the place you purchased it from but yes, I would return it if you can.
2. You can go to an auto parts store and get a decent sunshade. For that matter you can make one yourself out of cardboard and aluminum foil. There's nothing magic about these.
3. Bodyside moldings on a sports sedan are unsightly and if someone hits your door hard enough it will still dent behind the molding leaving an ugly gap. I would pass on the molding.
4. I hate to tell you this but paint/interior protection purchased from the dealer usually isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Take the name of the product they sold you and Google it. You'll see what I'm talking about. In some cases there is no actual protection applied to your car, it's only a warranty and usually not a very good one. Bring your car to a reputable detail shop and have them apply a high quality paint sealant. The absolute BEST thing you can do for appearance care is to wash your car by hand every two weeks. Do not use an automated car wash as they will scratch up the finish. It is better not to wash it than to bring your car through an automated car wash.
I'm going to add something here that you may not like to hear but it is reality. Schools usually aren't good places for new cars especially expensive ones. If I’m being completely honest with you it would have been better for you to get a “beater” for your last year of school and purchased the Lexus after you graduated. Granted I don't know your exact situation but if you are a 20 something finishing an undergraduate degree then I'm going to suggest you work on finding the most out-of-the-way parking spots you can find and rotate them so your classmates/friends don’t always know where your car is parked. Unfortunately, there can be quite a bit of jealously when younger folks show up at school driving expensive cars. Also, don’t make it a big deal about the car to your classmates/friends. Try to keep it as low profile as you can. If you are a late 20 to early 30 something completing your masters or PhD then that's a different story. No worries here as people are more mature and many will have nicer cars of their own by this time in their lives.
1. Car covers are worthless on a daily driver. They will do more harm than good as I posted in the other thread. Returning it depends on the policies of the place you purchased it from but yes, I would return it if you can.
2. You can go to an auto parts store and get a decent sunshade. For that matter you can make one yourself out of cardboard and aluminum foil. There's nothing magic about these.
3. Bodyside moldings on a sports sedan are unsightly and if someone hits your door hard enough it will still dent behind the molding leaving an ugly gap. I would pass on the molding.
4. I hate to tell you this but paint/interior protection purchased from the dealer usually isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Take the name of the product they sold you and Google it. You'll see what I'm talking about. In some cases there is no actual protection applied to your car, it's only a warranty and usually not a very good one. Bring your car to a reputable detail shop and have them apply a high quality paint sealant. The absolute BEST thing you can do for appearance care is to wash your car by hand every two weeks. Do not use an automated car wash as they will scratch up the finish. It is better not to wash it than to bring your car through an automated car wash.
I'm going to add something here that you may not like to hear but it is reality. Schools usually aren't good places for new cars especially expensive ones. If I’m being completely honest with you it would have been better for you to get a “beater” for your last year of school and purchased the Lexus after you graduated. Granted I don't know your exact situation but if you are a 20 something finishing an undergraduate degree then I'm going to suggest you work on finding the most out-of-the-way parking spots you can find and rotate them so your classmates/friends don’t always know where your car is parked. Unfortunately, there can be quite a bit of jealously when younger folks show up at school driving expensive cars. Also, don’t make it a big deal about the car to your classmates/friends. Try to keep it as low profile as you can. If you are a late 20 to early 30 something completing your masters or PhD then that's a different story. No worries here as people are more mature and many will have nicer cars of their own by this time in their lives.
09-20-14, 08:19 PM
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Thank you IS1911 for your fast response!
I will check on if I can return the car cover. I was wondering about the sunshade was because I went to some shops and they didn't carry the right size sunshade (they were all too big) even in their smallest sizes.
I will take your advice and pass on the moldings.
As for the paint protection I'm so disappointed in that =(! I guess that was a waste of $800. I will see about getting a better high quality paint sealant from a shop then. And I definitely wont be bringing my car into any automated car wash! Good heavens all the scratches I would get.
And as for you last part I know that new cars aren't good for school. My situation is a bit complicated but I don't drive the car to school it's just what I use to get to the grocery store and my internships so hopefully nothing bad will happen.
Thank you so much for your reply
!
I will check on if I can return the car cover. I was wondering about the sunshade was because I went to some shops and they didn't carry the right size sunshade (they were all too big) even in their smallest sizes.
I will take your advice and pass on the moldings.
As for the paint protection I'm so disappointed in that =(! I guess that was a waste of $800. I will see about getting a better high quality paint sealant from a shop then. And I definitely wont be bringing my car into any automated car wash! Good heavens all the scratches I would get.
And as for you last part I know that new cars aren't good for school. My situation is a bit complicated but I don't drive the car to school it's just what I use to get to the grocery store and my internships so hopefully nothing bad will happen.
Thank you so much for your reply
!
09-20-14, 08:43 PM
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nichedesu,
You are welcome and I'm glad to hear you don't drive the car to school. There is no better example of "the haves" vs. "the have nots" than at a school. Jealously is an VERY UGLY emotion and has been responsible for many paint jobs getting keyed. There is certainly no problem bringing the car to your internship but be careful at the grocery store, especially on windy days. Shopping carts can get blown across the parking lot and they will do A LOT of damage. I've been through this twice! Always park uphill and up wind from shopping carts.
You can buy a sunshade of any size and then get a utility knife with a brand new blade and cut it down to the perfect size.
Car dealerships are relentless when it comes to selling you add-on items. Some of them can be worth it like paint protection film for instance but many of them are complete rip-offs. The general rule of thumb is never buy anything you can't hold in your hand. After the deal is made they send you down the hall where the business and finance manager tries to suck more money out of you by trying to sell you a bunch of useless crap. Full disclosure here, I purchased paint protection film for my car from the dealer but I already knew it was an accessory that I wanted (I had it previously on another car) and I had already researched the prices the independent shops in my area were charging. He started at $1000 but I chewed him down to $550 and I'm sure he still made money off me.
Good luck with your car and more importantly, with your studies. Your education will ensure that you can buy many more high end cars in your life.
You are welcome and I'm glad to hear you don't drive the car to school. There is no better example of "the haves" vs. "the have nots" than at a school. Jealously is an VERY UGLY emotion and has been responsible for many paint jobs getting keyed. There is certainly no problem bringing the car to your internship but be careful at the grocery store, especially on windy days. Shopping carts can get blown across the parking lot and they will do A LOT of damage. I've been through this twice! Always park uphill and up wind from shopping carts.
You can buy a sunshade of any size and then get a utility knife with a brand new blade and cut it down to the perfect size.
Car dealerships are relentless when it comes to selling you add-on items. Some of them can be worth it like paint protection film for instance but many of them are complete rip-offs. The general rule of thumb is never buy anything you can't hold in your hand. After the deal is made they send you down the hall where the business and finance manager tries to suck more money out of you by trying to sell you a bunch of useless crap. Full disclosure here, I purchased paint protection film for my car from the dealer but I already knew it was an accessory that I wanted (I had it previously on another car) and I had already researched the prices the independent shops in my area were charging. He started at $1000 but I chewed him down to $550 and I'm sure he still made money off me.
Good luck with your car and more importantly, with your studies. Your education will ensure that you can buy many more high end cars in your life.
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