rhy

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, I finally pulled the trigger on an IS-F today after contemplating for 6+ months. It's a brand new 2010 leftover, which happens to be my model year of choice (want limited slip but don't like the price tag and some of the details on the 2011). The car had been sitting in my dealer's showroom for just over a year, so they decided to take a loss on it and I just couldn't resist

So anyway, now they are offering me more than a dozen extra warranties and services. In my rather long car history, I've always automatically refused them. But some of them kinda make sense in this case.

Namely:

- Wheel/tire protection: $899 for 5 years. Given the expensive wheels of the IS-F and the road quality in the Northeast, this doesn't sound horrible. 1 wheel replacement more than pays for it. I asked them, "What if I buy tires from a third party (TireRack), will they still be covered?" They said sure, anything will be covered up to the MSRP of the original wheels and the Michelin PS2 tires.

- Crystal Fusion windshield treatment: $429 for 4 years. It's supposed to be like a permanent RainX, plus make the glass stronger. It also includes a 4 year warranty. If the windshield gets cracked by flying debris, they'll repair or replace it at no cost. I'm on the fence about this one since my auto insurance already has full comprehensive / full glass with zero deductible (learned my lesson). The problem with using the auto insurance is that they'll try to use cheap glass. This happened in my previous car, a 535i. The windshield cracked and they wanted to use cheap glass. Fortunately, the car had a head-up display so OEM BMW glass was the only option. They still subcontracted the labor to Safelite, but the guy did an excellent job. I-95 around CT/NY is horrible, there are rocks flying everywhere and I get hit with them often, so this Crystal Fusion treatment/warranty might be something to consider. If, for some reason, the IS-F uses special glass and OEM is the only option, I'd skip this coverage... but it doesn't have a head-up display, so who knows.

- Finally, VentureShield paint protection: $495 or $795 depending on coverage. The $795 option is pretty comprehensive, basically the bumper, headlights, entire hood, mirrors and a few other parts. I know there are aftermarket options available, just wondering how they would compare to this VentureShield thing.

Does anyone have experience with the above products? Obviously, if I decide to buy any of them, I'll do everything possible not to pay retail. Need to make up my mind before Monday (picking up the car Tuesday or Wednesday) and some of the stuff like the tire/wheel protection plan can only be purchased with the car, not later.

I should mention that the dealer did not try to push any extra services, they basically gave me a printed list of warranty coverage, some coupons for free maintenance together with a list of extra services they offer and said, "Any questions, let us know". The whole sales experience was rather pleasant, everyone was very nice and no one wasted my time.

Sorry for the long rant -- pretty excited to finally get into an IS-F and the next couple of days will probably feel like months.

P.S. the car is Matador Red and pictures don't do it justice but I'll snap some anyway this coming week

tenspeed

iTrader: (1)

Congratz on the new car.

I would get the wheel and paint protection. I would use my insurance company for the glass.

bnizzle87

I was offered the wheel and tire protection as well as VentureShield. I declined both at the dealer. Instead, I had the clear bra, a similar protection as VentureShield from a shop. The wheel and tire protection makes sense, but for five years, I wonder the likelihood of either the wheel or tire getting damaged. A good chunk of F owners have already swapped out the stocks to an aftermarket brand, so I'm not sure if it'll be beneficial. That being said, a curb rash or hitting potholes can be likely, so it can come in handy there. Salesmen make a commission off these items and have great tactical ways of getting the customer to purchase them. But it depends on your region and your peace of mind. Congrats on the purchase, and enjoy your F!

ISFC6

Congrats. Out of curiosity, how much of a net loss are we talking about? They have 3K dealer cash on the 10's now.

rhy

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the suggestions.

I did some research last night on 3M vs VentureShield. Looks like Venture is a superior product (no orange peel, no yellowing over time) but a lot depends on the installation. After reading some horror stories from people who had crappy installs of either 3M or Venture and then non-existent customer service from the shops that did the install, it may actually be a good idea to go through the Lexus dealer. If anything is wrong, they can pressure their installer to make things right. We'll see, still undecided at this point...

ericisf

I would definitely get the wheel and paint protection- tires and wheels can be extremely costly, and you surely don't want to see little chips on your car- clear bra/ ventureshield will save your cars exterior look! Good luck with the car( they're truly beasts)

edgeucated

iTrader: (4)

the wheel and the tire seems pretty good, especially when they are willing to cover your aftermarket wheels up to the price of OEM and PS2. The OEM MSRP is quite steep, especially since they are forged BBS.

I don't think the glass is such a great deal. We have rain sensing wipers, so you might be able to push for OEM glass if anything ever happens.

I highly recommend getting the clear bra, but at the price of $795, I think it would be cheaper to go to an authorize dealer for venture shield. There are a lot of authorize dealers, finding one near your house should not be too difficult. I believe the going rate for a full clear bra is around $500-600.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

Remember Folks - It's insurance! Nobody makes money on insurance except the insurance company. IMHO, Don't spend a penny on this stuff

Lou

indyberett

iTrader: (2)

The clear bra is a must on the vehicle...the only question might be if the dealer or another shop should do it. If you have the dealer do it, they will always cover it as if it was a factory option so the extra $$$ might be worth it as I have seen a few of the clear bras have problems.

Cali2is

Agreed....

pc1990

Just be careful with the tire deal. I got f#@$&#over.

Silver88

I would skip all those add ons, waste of money in my opinion.

Put the wheel protection $ towards a new set of rims. You don't need the paint protection either. You can slap a few layers of wax on it when you have a chance and it is better than whatever they treat the car with.

I am in Canada and my Lexus sales person said you don't need all that stuff, the metal treatment from the factory is first rate. I rarely see a rusted Lexus up here so that speaks to how it comes from the factory.

J2K

I'm a fan of the VentureShield PPF. I had VentureShield (bumper, hood, front fenders, mirrors, and headlights) installed by a third party for about the same price that the dealer is quoting you. I wouldn't drive my F w/o it. The paint on my old IS300 got beat to hell from road debris, so I didn't want to learn that lesson twice.

I'd read the fine print on the tire and wheel insurance. Every tire and wheel protection package that I've ever been offered from the dealer only covers replacement/repair of the rim if it is damaged to the point that the tire mounted on it won't hold air. So.... things like curb rash and even slightly bent rims aren't covered. Personally, I'd take my chances and pocket the $899.

rhy

iTrader: (2)

Would you like to share what happened? And was this a warranty through the dealer (at car purchase time) or from a third party?

bnizzle87

That is good to know, especially the curb rash part. My salesman was pushing for this product big time, and he even said curb rashes were covered. But I, too, would rather take my chances on not getting the product and saving nearly a grand. The BBS that came stock for the F is great. Not a flashy rim by any means, but it looks great. It'd take a lot to mess it up, but I've seen some really bad curb rashes. I'm already very careful to not get too close to a curb knowing how bad a curb rash can look on these rims.