So I was recently shopping for a '14-'15 IS250, but was open to other models, but had a couple of items I really wanted. I was open to F sport package and pretty much any combo, just searching for a good DD car. But here's the thing I noticed in my search...

I pretty much searched the whole midwest and east coast with two mandatory items; must be AWD, and must have heated steering wheel.

BUT, anytime I looked at something with the F sport package, this combo was impossible to find. In fact, although they always had heated seats, cooled seats was fairly rare as well. I never did find a 250 with AWD and steering wheel. And believe it or not, in all my searching, I found one, yes one, F car, IS300 with both AWD and steering wheel. Why were heated steering wheel and cooled seats soo dang rare on AWD F cars?

Just curious.

 

I believe it's a model year thing. The 2014 F Sports were not available with ventilated seats. That came for 2015.

There have been some changes to which trims get the heated steering wheel, but I can't remember the specifics. I believe the AWD F Sports now come with the heated wheel. That was not always so.

 

Aaahhhh. That would make sense. Didn't even think about the configuration not even being possible.

 

I have a 2014 IS250 F Sport AWD with the heated Steering wheel.
For us Canadians this was the Series II package...there is a Series I and Series III.
The Series III has more options, the Series I less...I don't think it got the heated Steering wheel...it didn't have Navi either.

 

Can confirm as I have the series 1, did not have heated wheel nor did it Navi nor did it even have a backup camera

 

Damn. You guys north of the border got better choices.
When I was shopping for a used IS (350 only, the 250 was just too under-powered), the options I wanted, including the heated wheel (in the ‘winter package’ they called it down here), were not available on the F Sport. There were very few options available on the F Sport, so I ruled it out, in my search.

 

^^ Far from it!! Maybe we have better options with the IS but look at the RC and that will change your mind! The fact that we can't even order a RWD or have any options whatsoever if you get the RC350 will make you happy you live in the US! Trust me, it is not sunshine and lollipop up here....

Now I have to ask, for Americans looking for a used car, why not shop up here? you would get a better bang for your buck (25% exchange rate) and these cars are not like teh old days where the odometre and cluster was physical dials - now that it is all digitals, you can switch from imperial to metrics.

 

I think the difference for us in Canada is that we get less packages to choice from, but the packages are tailored more to our market.
My understanding on vehicle models and options are that Japan creates the list of models and options, from there the US chooses what vehicles they want and what options/packages they will make available to customers.
From the US selections Canada then chooses the models and options that will be offered to our market...so we will always have less options/vehicles than the US, and definitely less vehicles/options than Japan.
Trying to find a 3IS RWD is like trying to find a unicorn up here. Your best bet up here is to find a 200T (or 2018+ 300 RWD) if you want a RWD.
For us the "Winter Package" is basically standard across the models...cause it be cold everywhere...brrrrr!

 

I have a 2015 Lexus IS 350 awd f sport with a heated steering wheel. I got lucky because I wasn't even looking for that. I just wanted an awesome lexus

 

Wish my 200t had the heated steering wheel. -10C this morning, lol.

 

Ha.. lucky you. My 2015 350 RWD F sport doesn't have that or BSM.

 

^^ but you have 350RWD

 

Don't get a heated steering wheel. Why not? Because you will refuse to get any other car with a normal non-heated wheel.

 

story of my life lol. My 2002 Infiniti i35 had heated seats and steering and i have never been lucky to get a car with both again. I probably don't look enough because i live in Dallas now compared to when i was in Chicago.

 

If I was in Dallas I wouldn't care too much. But in winter here in MO, it stays below freezing for days at a time sometimes. I appreciate having my heated wheel on those days.