Just incase anyone cares, my IS250 Review
04-06-11, 07:43 PM
#1
Just incase anyone cares, my IS250 Review
(I own a 93 bronco, 2000 camaro and have owned only chevy and ford vehicles)
]Hi, so here it is, My unbiased review of a 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD with about 60k on it.
- I was tired of my camaro and all the squeaks and rattles that came with driving a 2000 camaro with 100K miles on it, the convertible top had developed holes in it. The rear window had separated from the top. The dashpad looked like a road map with all the cracks in it and finally the leather seats were falling apart. Forget the fact that the engine is leaking oil from the rear of it and the rear end has never NOT leaked fluid.
-=Enter the LEXUS 2007 is250!!=- (trumpets play)!
I was looking for a car that was quiet, got good gas mileage, and was fun to drive. I was tired of "american quality" that seemed to lack in a LOT of areas.
Here we go:
Exterior:
Vs.
The HID lights are awesome. The headlights and brake lights that are properly sealed and don't allow moisture into them are also great! I like the looks, some people say it's bland but whatever, I also loved how ballsy the camaro looked. In the end I think that both cars look extremely sexy.
One nice feature of the exterior of the Lexus is that if you happen to get out of your car and leave the windshild wipers on, and then come back outside while it's still raining, the first time the wipers wipe, Lexus designed it so that the water gets caught by a little lip and it does NOT go all over the inside of your door/you/your speaker/your interior. This also comes into play on the highway. Instead of creating a little stream of dirty road spray all over your side window the water goes up the side of the roof and I guess it disperses back there.
You can see it here:
Moving on: Power/speed
The power available is DEF not as much as the Camaro and when you floor it of course MORE would be great. HOWEVER this car is more than powerful enough to be a daily driver. The 350 AWD comes with 100 more HP and I bet that'd be awesome to have, however like I said it's more than enough for daily life.
The motor runs nice and smooth and I actually like the sound of its direct injection.
It has six gears, the first one being extremely steep, which is nice because when you need the 0-15mph jump at a red light, you have it, after 50mph though it really shows it's 200hp limit
Handling:
After a few months of driving the lexus, I took the camaro out on the road yesterday for a good 10 mile drive. I can honestly say I felt like I was driving a truck compared to the lexus.
The IS just feels so tight in both cornering, etc. Yes it's new and has less miles, but I'm talking about things like the steering wheel, just much lighter and more responsive.
Braking:
The 250 by FAR has better braking characteristics than the camaro/bronco/charger/every other car I've ever driven... The brakes really GRAB and they keep on grabbing the whole time. Sometimes I wonder if the car is pushing the brakes harder for me without me pushing more. That's how great these brakes are. Original rotors and not warped at all (BIG PLUS for me)
In the camaro I had the rotors replaced under warranty 2 times until I just gave up. I then bought some aftermarket ones and those warped too. I THEN BOUGHT SOME drilled/slotted/cryo treated rotors for the camaro and special brake pads.....and those rotors did not warp, for about 2 years, but eventually they did. I drive the lexus just as hard, same speeds, same braking, nothing has happened yet.
Interior:
This by far is the nicest part of the car (and as you'll see the most dissapointing).
The steering wheel is nice and small, it's diameter is at least a few inches less than regular cars (and I LIKE THAT!) The car fits me like a glove, even my tall self doesn't require the seat to go all the way back.
The leather is nice and soft and expensive feeling. As you slide in and grip the wheel you can tell it's highquality.
The back seats are REALLY tight, especially if someone tall is up front.
My car doesn't have the touch screen nav option that also controls all the HVAC and Radio controls. I like it that way as Lexus continues to have old outdated stuff on their screens.
This setup works pretty good. I am continually disappointed that it's not easy or even possible to swap in a double din touchscreen radio of my choice. It just sucks that it'd be easy on other cars and this one it's not. So as far as the radio/hvac goes, it gets a 6/10 losing four points for not being easily modified.
The instrument cluster is heads and tails above anything else I've ever owned. I really have no complaints and love it.
However, the latest rentals I've had from Lincoln, Ford, Dodge, Chevy have seemed to catch up the (pre)2007 Lexus standard. In the case of the lincoln dash they've beat it hands down. Even a 2011 lexus can't hold a candle to what I saw in that rental.
Here's where lexus REALLY let me down
When cold, the dashboard has a rattle. Not just a slight rattle. A HUGE *** FKIN RATTLE. So annoying that you just can't ignore it.
This was one of the MAJOR beefs I had with american quality
After driving my camaro with all the shakes and rattles, I wanted to go for a car with NO noise on the inside. I can take ROAD noise, I'm talking about those creaks and cracks that we all know about. Here's the lexus version, please note that I AVOID pot holes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c25iMhPItto
Even worse, today it was 60 and sunny here. I had the car parked in the sun and as I was heading to lunch I hear ANOTHER rattle, this time coming from the rear glass. Sure enough I hit the lexus forums and this is a KNOWN ISSUE. There are 100's of posts about this on more than just the IS model.
It's a HUGE letdown to say the least. I wrote lexus corp a 3 page letter with links to all different places about this issue. If they don't attempt to fix it, this will be my first and last lexus. If I paid retail for this car I would be fuming.
Overall: It's a nice upgrade from the camaro, with less power, and the same stupid dash noises but it fits like a glove and reminds me of the feeling that getting into a bed of silk sheets feels like
I love the car, if the stupid inside noises would go away it'd be perfect!
Oh yea and the keyless entry system ROCKS!
]Hi, so here it is, My unbiased review of a 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD with about 60k on it.
- I was tired of my camaro and all the squeaks and rattles that came with driving a 2000 camaro with 100K miles on it, the convertible top had developed holes in it. The rear window had separated from the top. The dashpad looked like a road map with all the cracks in it and finally the leather seats were falling apart. Forget the fact that the engine is leaking oil from the rear of it and the rear end has never NOT leaked fluid.
-=Enter the LEXUS 2007 is250!!=- (trumpets play)!
I was looking for a car that was quiet, got good gas mileage, and was fun to drive. I was tired of "american quality" that seemed to lack in a LOT of areas.
Here we go:
Exterior:
Vs.
The HID lights are awesome. The headlights and brake lights that are properly sealed and don't allow moisture into them are also great! I like the looks, some people say it's bland but whatever, I also loved how ballsy the camaro looked. In the end I think that both cars look extremely sexy.One nice feature of the exterior of the Lexus is that if you happen to get out of your car and leave the windshild wipers on, and then come back outside while it's still raining, the first time the wipers wipe, Lexus designed it so that the water gets caught by a little lip and it does NOT go all over the inside of your door/you/your speaker/your interior. This also comes into play on the highway. Instead of creating a little stream of dirty road spray all over your side window the water goes up the side of the roof and I guess it disperses back there.
You can see it here:
Moving on: Power/speed
The power available is DEF not as much as the Camaro and when you floor it of course MORE would be great. HOWEVER this car is more than powerful enough to be a daily driver. The 350 AWD comes with 100 more HP and I bet that'd be awesome to have, however like I said it's more than enough for daily life.
The motor runs nice and smooth and I actually like the sound of its direct injection.
It has six gears, the first one being extremely steep, which is nice because when you need the 0-15mph jump at a red light, you have it, after 50mph though it really shows it's 200hp limit
Handling:
After a few months of driving the lexus, I took the camaro out on the road yesterday for a good 10 mile drive. I can honestly say I felt like I was driving a truck compared to the lexus.
The IS just feels so tight in both cornering, etc. Yes it's new and has less miles, but I'm talking about things like the steering wheel, just much lighter and more responsive.
Braking:
The 250 by FAR has better braking characteristics than the camaro/bronco/charger/every other car I've ever driven... The brakes really GRAB and they keep on grabbing the whole time. Sometimes I wonder if the car is pushing the brakes harder for me without me pushing more. That's how great these brakes are. Original rotors and not warped at all (BIG PLUS for me)
In the camaro I had the rotors replaced under warranty 2 times until I just gave up. I then bought some aftermarket ones and those warped too. I THEN BOUGHT SOME drilled/slotted/cryo treated rotors for the camaro and special brake pads.....and those rotors did not warp, for about 2 years, but eventually they did. I drive the lexus just as hard, same speeds, same braking, nothing has happened yet.
Interior:
This by far is the nicest part of the car (and as you'll see the most dissapointing).
The steering wheel is nice and small, it's diameter is at least a few inches less than regular cars (and I LIKE THAT!) The car fits me like a glove, even my tall self doesn't require the seat to go all the way back.
The leather is nice and soft and expensive feeling. As you slide in and grip the wheel you can tell it's highquality.
The back seats are REALLY tight, especially if someone tall is up front.
My car doesn't have the touch screen nav option that also controls all the HVAC and Radio controls. I like it that way as Lexus continues to have old outdated stuff on their screens.
This setup works pretty good. I am continually disappointed that it's not easy or even possible to swap in a double din touchscreen radio of my choice. It just sucks that it'd be easy on other cars and this one it's not. So as far as the radio/hvac goes, it gets a 6/10 losing four points for not being easily modified. The instrument cluster is heads and tails above anything else I've ever owned. I really have no complaints and love it.
However, the latest rentals I've had from Lincoln, Ford, Dodge, Chevy have seemed to catch up the (pre)2007 Lexus standard. In the case of the lincoln dash they've beat it hands down. Even a 2011 lexus can't hold a candle to what I saw in that rental.
Here's where lexus REALLY let me down
When cold, the dashboard has a rattle. Not just a slight rattle. A HUGE *** FKIN RATTLE. So annoying that you just can't ignore it.
This was one of the MAJOR beefs I had with american quality
After driving my camaro with all the shakes and rattles, I wanted to go for a car with NO noise on the inside. I can take ROAD noise, I'm talking about those creaks and cracks that we all know about. Here's the lexus version, please note that I AVOID pot holes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c25iMhPItto
Even worse, today it was 60 and sunny here. I had the car parked in the sun and as I was heading to lunch I hear ANOTHER rattle, this time coming from the rear glass. Sure enough I hit the lexus forums and this is a KNOWN ISSUE. There are 100's of posts about this on more than just the IS model.
It's a HUGE letdown to say the least. I wrote lexus corp a 3 page letter with links to all different places about this issue. If they don't attempt to fix it, this will be my first and last lexus. If I paid retail for this car I would be fuming.
Overall: It's a nice upgrade from the camaro, with less power, and the same stupid dash noises but it fits like a glove and reminds me of the feeling that getting into a bed of silk sheets feels like
I love the car, if the stupid inside noises would go away it'd be perfect!Oh yea and the keyless entry system ROCKS!
04-06-11, 08:04 PM
#2
Oh my goodness that would drive me bonkers!! Have you driven and pressed down on the dash here and there to try to pinpoint it?
Another note: That "speaker" cover in the vid is removable. Get something like a strong credit card type thing to lift and pry open the edge. You might want to see if something is amiss in there.
Another note: That "speaker" cover in the vid is removable. Get something like a strong credit card type thing to lift and pry open the edge. You might want to see if something is amiss in there.
Last edited by Micaiah; 04-06-11 at 09:06 PM.
then again i have none of the major rattle complaints either 
04-06-11, 08:39 PM
#4
I just got my car back and had the dash rattle TSB done but it was not that bad at all! Yours sounds like something is moving around under that cover. I'd open it up and check it out.
Try pushing a Lexus dealer to do the TSB for you for free. Some people have had success outside of warranty.
Try pushing a Lexus dealer to do the TSB for you for free. Some people have had success outside of warranty.
04-06-11, 08:46 PM
#5
Pole Position
iTrader: (9)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CA
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow that's a loud rattle. I've been experiencing some rattling above my instrument cluster and like you, it's disappointing, b/c I'm out of warranty. I didn't expect this kind of qc from lexus.
04-06-11, 09:52 PM
#6
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: TX
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is this rattle coming from the Gauge cluster, more specifically the odometer/trip button ****? I can't tell if I have this same rattle or not? Is this the same TSIB dashboard rattle that I see everywhere on the board?
Trending Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
XeroK00L
IS - 2nd Gen (2006-2013)
4
12-02-05 05:49 PM
