So I haven't used my remote start with the key-fob in a while, and tried it again a few times this week but it does not work.
I remember it stopped working right around the time my Enform expired last year. So does the remote start on the key-fob require an Enform membership to work? It seems shady that Lexus would lock out such a minimal but desired feature for Enform exclusivity.

 

Yes, you need the Enform subscription for the key fob remote start to work.

 

It isn't shady, it is just greedy. Right along with Toyota/Lexus's position on captive infotainment systems.

 

Ehh, just as I thought. Is there any remote starter that would work with the Lexus key fob? Or can you pay Lexus to unlock this one feature only? It's getting cold, and I like to warm up the car for my little one before hitting the road.

 

You can pay Lexus their inflated fee for Enform, or just go buy a Kia for the winter.

 

I don't think it's shady or greedy. You didn't pay for the service and it was just a trial to begin with. And it's not just Toyota/Lexus. My best friend just bought an Audi RS3 for $70k and it doesn't come with auto start (he says no Audi's do, but Volkswagen does for some reason), and they have a similar trial with their Audi Connect which is free for I think a year. They have an app like we do, but once again, no autostart. His $70k car doesn't even come with mechanical seats. You have to adjust them manually. My point being that no cars are perfect.

Now in case you didn't know, you can actually customize the Lexus Enform package and choose the services you want which can change the pricing. I don't know if anyone has tried yet, but maybe you can call them and see if they can offer you an Enform Remote only option?

http://www.lexus.com/enform/availability-pricing

 

Well, if no Audi comes with remote start, then there is nothing to complain about. It's a different story when it's already installed but is locked out unless you pay a yearly fee. I have no issues paying a reasonable one-time cost for this, but for it to be a yearly subscription is utterly ridiculous and greedy. I'm only asking to press a button on my fob to start the car. This is a lot less complex than GPS for example, but I don't know who made the terrible decision to exclude this from the standard option. It's like paying a yearly subscription for power seats.
The way I see it, this is not a feature people are willing to pay for by itself. So why don't Lexus just enable it for their customers? Between this and the missing options on F-sport models, Lexus already lost me as a returning customer.

 

It's not just Audis. That was just one example. Many car brands are like that. Like LeapFrog mentioned above, a KIA might be a better option. But looking through the different threads after a search, it seems like your dealership might have an option to install a permanent key fob auto start for around $580. And then there are other aftermarket ones that people have been able to successfully get installed. Maybe try contacting your local Lexus dealership and find out what they can offer.

 

Rented a mustang last year that had remote start AND didn't shut off when you opened the door. Such a convenience.

 

It's all about your priorities. I realize every time I drive a car that there are tons of attributes, literally tons, that you can be impressed by or disappointed in. For example, the soft-close windows on the IS are a nice touch, but the cupholders are inexplicably weirdly placed. The navigation itself works quite well, but the process of entering a destination is clumsy. In the G80 5.0 I drove recently, the car was incredibly isolated from the road in terms of noise and harshness, but the transmission was weirdly firm in its shifts when cruising, which I found distracting. The seats were cushy and comfy, but the steering wheel leather was disappointing in its lack of softness and thin rim.

Now I can understand not wanting to pay a yearly fee to use the fob. I can also understand that it makes little sense to make some options not available on F Sport, which is arguably the most desirable version of this car. However, there are some things that Lexus is doing right that other brands aren't, like consistently making comfortable seats across all their models (the only ones I haven't sampled are the really expensive ones like the LS, LC, and LX along with the RC which is similar to the IS) and actually well-built, reliable vehicles. However, if you want the ultimate luxury vehicle relative to what you pay, Lexus isn't it. Audi and Genesis offer a lot for the money at the moment, from what I have seen, and while Lexus isn't the most expensive, it is behind the curve on tech features. The fact that the new models have 10 years of Enform free is a good step, though, I think. The thing is, you get more than just remote start with Enform as well. I've actually used both the valet mode and the vehicle finder, and you have to remember the remote start from the phone lets me do it from my desk at work so that my car is warm after my five-minute walk to it! I couldn't do that with just the fob. So it's a game of pros and cons. I really do not disagree with you on the fob having remote start, but I find it sad you'd leave Lexus altogether over this and for instance, memory seats.

I actually just took the long way home from the liquor store and may have had a bit of fun, so forgive me if I sound like I'm just defending Lexus - I am not. Just remember why you picked the IS in the first place - I was just reminded of it when I heard the engine sing to 6500 RPM. You won't get that feeling in an Audi, even if it is quicker 0-60.

 

So the car comes with remote start capability but Lexus makes you pay a subscription to use this capability?

 

I think what you have just said is an oxymoron, but anyway: yes.

 

The remote start was a nice feature to have for the free 1 year trial I had, and I did use it once in a while. But I totally agree with OP, they should make the option to just use that feature or have it unlocked for the vehicle for a one time fee. Charging $350/yr (or whatever it is) is an absolute rip-off unless you are seriously using all those features on Enform on a daily basis. I would love to have the auto start feature back, but no chance I will pay that subscription fee just for that feature.

Side note, there should be a poll on how many people actually purchased the subscription and who didn't along with what feature/s they use the most and why they thought the price was justifiable.

 

For the remote, it is actually $80 per year now. They recently slashed the prices, which helped me decide to renew. I wasn't about to pay the $250+ for the features I wanted (just SOS and the remote), but now it's $160 for those two things.

 

Interesting, I didn't know they had the option for just the remote start alone. I will take a look into this.