AtomicAWD

Buying and selling cars is a love/hate thing alright. Loads of fun and anticipation, but can also be extremely frustrating and disappointing. Even when hopes are dashed, as my dad's always said -- "There'll always be another."

HOMER350

There'll always be another but how come I find myself so reluctant to leave the car lot everytime I go look at something I really like, lol.

"Alright, thanks for your time I'll go home and talk it over" then I proceed to sit in the parking lot or around the corner debating if that's THE ONE AND ONLY or not.

And sorry to hear your luck on that OP. But, goes to show dealers want to sell a car as much or more than we want to buy one. They couldn't wait, we've all done it to some degree. Integrity is in low supply amongst used car lots.

AtomicAWD

Yup, when you REALLY want something the purse strings start to loosen... and they certainly know that, very well. Also knowing you were set to buy, they have you on a hook so they'll do whatever they can to keep you there on the line and reel you in to seal a deal.

Flash5

That sucks! Honestly, dealerships are trash. I hate them so much, I wish somebody would come up with a better way to sell cars. Best of luck on the continued search (don’t recommend an Audi lol).

Sonn

Just get is350 used, you won't regret it. You want to enjoy it too, so why get a 200t. I would pick the 2.0t Accord( pretty sure I have seen a video where the 2.0t beat a 5 series) over the 200t, sorry lol. Although the 350 can be quite a powerful ride for your daughter.

SPRINKLES

I'm looking at getting my wife a 3rd gen IS-350, but not sure on the differences/options b/t the years (I realize the refresh happened in '17, but that's it). Haven't read all of this thread, but some of what I have read has been helpful. Some questions I had have already been answered. Thanks.

arentz07

Just an FYI, and probably a pedantic one: if you're asking about the 2017+ IS, it's still a 3rd generation IS. The 2014-2016 and 2017-present are essentially the same car, but the refresh brought lots of minor updates, such as the styling, crash safety, the infotainment screen, and some interior materials.

SPRINKLES

Thanks. I picked that up. It seems to happen pretty often all over the auto-world. A generation changes (refreshes) slightly after a few years, but not enough to merit a next-generational designation.

Should I just start asking questions/make a thread or can everything be easily found simply by searching the forum? (I know some boards are ticky w/ a newb coming in and asking basic, elementary questions) We test drove a '19 IS 350 F Sport and my wife loved it, but we aren't getting a brand new one. So, I need to find out what years offered what options, etc.

arentz07

Yeah, I would say just ask which options you're concerned about.

BrettKA7

The 2017 - 2019 are nearly identical. The only major change was a revised car computer for the 2019 model that essentially claims it has less turbo lag. My 2019 still has turbo lag so I'm not sure how major that is.

Also:

2019 | http://pressroom.lexus.com/releases/...+press+kit.htm

2017 | http://pressroom.lexus.com/releases/...afety-tech.htm

2016 | https://www.lexus.com/documents/broc...S-Brochure.pdf

2014 | https://www.lexus.com/documents/broc...S-Brochure.pdf

No major changes for model years 2015 or 2018

SPRINKLES

Turbo lag? In an IS 350? Isn't it a naturally aspirated engine? I would expect zero turbo lag from an engine that has no turbo.


Edit: Just saw the links... you were referring to the IS300... Sorry. We're looking at the 350's.

BrettKA7

I forgot you were looking at the 350. The links still apply for year-to-year changes.

SPRINKLES

1) Is the Active Cruise Control a standard option on all 3rd gen IS 350's? Or is there a specific year/package to look for?

2) I've heard complaints about the functionality of using a smartphone with the radio. Thoughts?

3) Do the 18" wheels only come on the F-Sport? If not, what year did they start?

4) What year/package do I need to get the backup camera?

Feel free to throw out any suggestion options as well.


Thanks

arentz07

1) Adaptive Cruise, also known as "ALL-SPEED DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL" in Lexus-speak, is standard on vehicles that have Lexus Safety System+. For the IS, this begins with the 2017 model year.

2) I'm not sure which complaints those might be. Are you referring to something like iHeartRadio, or just using audio through the car's speakers?

I haven't used iHeartRadio or Slacker Radio, so I can't really comment on those. In general I've found use of Bluetooth audio to be very easy. I will say that using the infotainment system in the car will take getting used to, but I don't have any specific complaints about connecting a phone to it.

3) There are several 18-inch wheel designs. There are the F Sport grey wheels like you mentioned, but also an optional 18-inch mesh wheel that's available on the IS 300 AWD or IS 200t/300 RWD. On base IS 350s, there's also a five-spoke 18-inch wheel available. Most IS 300/200t examples I've seen have the 18-inch mesh wheels. I've seen the 17s on one occasion that I can remember and definitely prefer the mesh wheels, but that's not to say the 17s are ugly by any means.

4) Backup cameras were not standard equipment until the 2018 model year. I figure it'll be easy to find one with a backup camera even before that, however.

SPRINKLES

Thanks. That helps a lot. Not sure exactly about the radio. I need to just mess with one and see for myself. We've test driven a few, but I haven't messed with the radio. The 2015 AWD IS 350 we test drove had 17" wheels. While I didn't see anything wrong with them, the car certainly looks better with the 18's.

Is the backup camera standard on the 18's the same camera that's optional on the previous years or is the camera different altogether?