Buying A New 2007 Is 250 At The End Of July

fpuighs · July 10, 2007

Hey All,

I am seriously considering a 2007 IS 250 purchase at the end of the month and wanted to see if you guys had any insight into mechanical/design problems that might influence my decision. I am heading out to California for medical school in three weeks and am considering this car due to the gas mileage, styling, price, and 4 yr. bumper to bumper warranty. I plan on paying cash for it and making it last through four years of school, a three year residency, a possible one year fellowship.

The only direct complaint I have heard about the IS came from an acquaintance who said that his 2006 IS 250 "drifted" from lane to lane on the highway. I was happy to learn that the problem was quickly resolved (for free) after the dealership in Austin replaced the tires with Michelins. Any other known issues?

Maintenance costs don't seem to be a big concern either because I don’t plan on driving it more that once or twice a week for the first two years of school (I'll be living 2 blocks from campus). And I like that it uses conventional oil and oil changes don't have to be done at the dealership.

Thanks for the help!

Marty · July 11, 2007

In November '05 I placed an order with my Lexus dealer for an IS250RWD. It took 5 months :rolleyes: to get here from Japan but it was worth the wait. Why order it? Well, I wanted the Mark Levinson stereo WITHOUT the Nav system and the RWD was not offered in the icy-cold climate here in the Buffalo area. So... customize and wait. The Nav system is a big waste of money. I got a TomTom 910 instead. It's sweet and I get to keep it at the end of my lease!

The 2006 IS250 is a delight to drive. The RWD handles fantastically, just like I remember my first car waaay back in High School handling. I like that 'seat-of-the-pants' feel you get from the RWD. And at 70 mph on the highway this car gets 36mpg! I'm not kidding... I've clocked it on a dozen or more trips. The overall fuel economy is around 32mpg. And the performance for a 2.5L V6 is superb, especially with the ECT switch engaged. Mountain roads ara a blast.

I drive it like you say you'll be driving yours -- barely 7000 miles to date. Watch out for the front tires wearing out early as that goes with the territory for that style rubber. Mine are showing some slight wear from hard cornering! So far no glitches with maintenance. I will note, though, if you want to use an MP3 player through the car speakers AND power it off the car's power, you'll need a noise filter. It took me a while to explain to the dealer what the issue was. When he understood and agreed it was a 'design fault' with the car, he sprang for the filter. Here's a link to the one I got:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-MwSjhp8iMQE/c...d+loop+isolator

It works great.

One last note: I leased my IS250 for 4 years. Given your situation, I'd highly recommend you look into leasing yours. It makes good financial sense if you can get the 'right' deal. Do some research on the web and you'll find how to negotiate a great lease -- and save your cash for med school! :cheers:

cshecks · July 16, 2007

jwink24 · July 22, 2007

Hey All,
I am seriously considering a 2007 IS 250 purchase at the end of the month and wanted to see if you guys had any insight into mechanical/design problems that might influence my decision. I am heading out to California for medical school in three weeks and am considering this car due to the gas mileage, styling, price, and 4 yr. bumper to bumper warranty. I plan on paying cash for it and making it last through four years of school, a three year residency, a possible one year fellowship.

The only direct complaint I have heard about the IS came from an acquaintance who said that his 2006 IS 250 "drifted" from lane to lane on the highway. I was happy to learn that the problem was quickly resolved (for free) after the dealership in Austin replaced the tires with Michelins. Any other known issues?

Maintenance costs don't seem to be a big concern either because I don’t plan on driving it more that once or twice a week for the first two years of school (I'll be living 2 blocks from campus). And I like that it uses conventional oil and oil changes don't have to be done at the dealership.

Thanks for the help!

If you are serious about buying a car in july you can shoot me an email, I work for Lexus Dealer out here in california.

Now I'm not trying to sell you on the IS, the decsion is up to you, but I haven't had any of my guest's come back to me with any problems as far as technical/mechanical issues. Let me know I'll hook you up! :cheers:

DArustik · August 2, 2007

You end up getting it? How you like it?

fpuighs · August 26, 2007

Thanks Marty for the information on the IS 250. I think I am going to order a base model….for the sake of time (not having to shop around, and negotiate) if nothing else.

Before moving out here to CA, I asked for price quotes from 3 dealerships: Lexus of Austin, Northpark in San Antonio, and Crown Lexus of Ontario. Northpark gave me an immediate price quote of $33,997+ TTL for a 2007 IS250 RWD Auto with 18" wheels, HID lights, Premium plus package, preferred accessories, and a rear fin (they told me that the base model I wanted wasn’t currently shipped to the area). The Lexus of Austin dealership never sent me a price quote just a few emails saying they had a July Sales Event. And Ontario Lexus, wants $34,000 for a base model 2007 (Lexus.com MSRP for a 2008 base model = $32,390).

So now medical school has started and I’m overwhelmed with coursework but I am still interested in purchasing one in the greater L.A. area. I don’t know much about leases or if they are really a good idea for someone who keeps cars for a long time 4+ yrs. So, I was thinking about just taking up my banks offer to negotiate the price for me and take care of everything – All I have to do is go pick it up at the dealership. What do you guys think? Negotiate locally or just have the bank do it?

Thanks again guys...

fpuighs · August 31, 2008

Thank for the advice on the IS purchase Marty. It took me a year, but I finally found the time to purchase one today. What an amazing car. I ended up taking your advice and signed a 3 year lease on an premium package mica, black leather interior 2008 model, after my bank negotiated everything for me. I got it for under $300/month including taxes and I think it is an amazing car...I drove it to Laguna Beach right after I bought it to see a friend and the on-board computer reports 32.3 mpg round trip - 112 miles. Exactly what I was looking for.

Now if I can just get used to not using a key to start the ignition. I took me a minute or two to remember that you have to apply pressure to the brake pedal to start it.

Anyway, thanks so much..I love it already.