jetman

Check this website: http://store.goldrushplating.com/leis25empa.html The emblem package in the lower left (shown in gold, but also comes in black pearl) might be what you're looking for. Warning: it ain't cheap!

I've had my IS for about 2 1/2 months now, and the 3m clear bra (dealer installed at time of purchase) has developed a couple of problems: 1. In several of the corners, the plastic film is starting to peel away from the car. Not a lot, maybe 1/16" to 1/8". Is this common, or just a sign of poor installation? I'm afraid that as I'm washing or waxing the car I risk pulling the film back even further. 2. As I was waxing the hood (new bottle of wax and new applicator) I put a 2 inch scratch in the film, about a half inch below the edge of the film. I tried getting it out by re-waxing, buffing, and even using Scratch X, but I just made the area around the scratch look worse (kind of hazy). You can only really notice it when the sun hits the car at just the perfect angle, but at that time it's pretty obvious. Is there anything my dealer can do to fix either problem short of replacing the whole bra? I don't want to seem anal to the dealer about the problems but, after all, the bra wasn't exactly cheap... I worry that the dealer might not want to do anything to assist me. Any help out there? Thanks.

I wish the shark fin antenna would connect with the Sirius tuner. It's my understanding that XM and Sirius antennas are functionally compatible, as far as reception is concerned. I don't know why Lexus chose a Sirius tuner with an incompatible antenna connector. The Sirius antenna mounts on the inside front windshield, next to the rear view mirror. I've noticed significantly more signal dropouts than with the outside antenna that I had in my RX (an aftermarket unit). Hopefully, if enough people complain about reception Lexus will manufacture some sort of adapter to connect with the shark fin...

Do you have the Mark Levinson audio system? It is an extra option (about $700), and is separate from both the Luxury and Nav packages. If not, the standard audio system will not play DVDs - only regular music CDs and CDs with mp3 files on them. The Nav owner's manual covers both the standard and ML audio system, so make sure you're reading the section applicable to your vehicle.

If you don't like the stock wheels and would like the Spider wheels, check out this eBay listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-2007-L...129866013QQrdZ1 You could always swap the stocks for the Spiders and then sell off the stocks on eBay. The Spiders would probably wind up costing you a few hundred bucks net.

For the record, I was not the original poster (I'm the guy that lives in Buffalo, and I did by a 250AWD for the extra handling in snow). The original poster lives in Portland,Oregon (which has a little more favorable climate) and did not mention AWD in his original post. I merely suggested that, rather than spend an extra $2450 for upgraded rims, which IMHO were not much better-looking than the stock rims, perhaps that $$ might be better spent towards an IS350 instead. The poster has every right to spend (or not spend) his money any way he sees fit - he knows what his wants and needs are. By no means did I want to get into another discussion on the virtues of an IS350 vs an IS250 - I think it's been rehashed to death. Sorry...

The ISP Mode wheels do nothing for me. I do like the G-Spiders better than the stock wheels, but not $2450 worth. If it were me, I'd take that $2450 and put it towards upgrading the IS250 to an IS350...

Hey this is a picture of my black IS 250. You should get black on black for this car, it really is such a nice color. The only problem is that it gets dirty much quicker than any other color, but its worth it... Agreed. I don't think any interior other than black would work with the car. It's really a great combination. On the other hand, I also agree that you had better be prepared to wash the car frequently. It can get dirty in a hurry. When it's clean, the Black Sapphire Pearl is (IMHO) the best looking car on the road. When it's dirty it can look like a POS pretty quickly. To be honest, Black Sapphire Pearl was not my first color choice; I had to take it because it was the only color IS my dealer had which had the options I wanted. Since I got it, I've really gotten to love the color - when the sun hits the paint just right it really brings out the midnight blue color. It's a real eye catcher. And another good thing is that it's not the most common color for an IS, so it really stands out...

There is a trunk light. If you stick your head inside the trunk and look up at the trunk roof you'll see it. It's a small light with a switch; yours is probably just switched off.

I can't speak specifically about the VAIS iPod Adapter, but I can tell you that I used a VAIS product to connect my Sirius radio directly into the audio system of my old RX 330. VAIS makes excellent (albeit pricey) products - my product worked exactly as advertised and always performed flawlessly. I think if you purchase from them you will not be disappointed.

I got a little too close to a curb the other day and put a scrape in my right front rim, about 2 inches long and a quarter inch wide. Even though it's not very noticeable, I figured I'd try to make it look a little better. I used some extra fine sandpaper on the scrape, and thought I would just put a little clear coat on the repair when I was done. However, the rim is not bare metal - it's painted with a light gray/silver paint - and I sanded through the paint to remove the scrape. So now I have no scrape, but I have a 2" area which is sanded down to bare metal. It's not very wide, so it's still not too obvious, but it probably looks a little worse than when I started. Any suggestions on how to get that area looking better, or am I better off cutting my losses (considering that's probably not the only curb rash I'll get during the car's life)? All I really need to do the repair reasonably well is a little paint to cover the repair area - does Lexus sell that particular color in a small touch-up sized bottle? Thanks for any help/suggestions...

Doesn't specify if it works on the 07 models. Far as I know, there is no easy nav hack on the 07s...

Congrats on the purchase! Look, you MAY have been able to make a better deal somewhere else, but who knows for sure? Like you say, the relative scarcity of the IS 350 makes negotiating the price a little more difficult. At least you were able to get a better price than you were offered by the first dealer. I'm sure you'll enjoy telling that salesman you saved a grand off his best price by shopping around - especially after he "educated" you on the "true" invoice price. That's what they get by feeding you a line of BS - no sale, no profit, no commission. Sucks to be them, the greedy *BLEEP*s. Fortunately you were able to shop a couple of different dealerships. Here in Buffalo we have the choice of exactly ONE Lexus dealership, with the next closest one being some 80 miles away. Kind of limits your negotiating power if your heart is set on a Lexus... Anyhow, I'm sure you'll love your new IS 350. When do you pick her up? BTW, how did the dealer ever explain the dealer holdback to you? If this is money that they do not pay over invoice to obtain the vehicle, but rather they get it paid to them (like a dividend) at the end of the year by Lexus, how did they justify ADDING it to the invoice price and charging you for it?? Still doesn't make sense to me...

If you order the XM radio from Lexus, all you have to do is read the instructions...and yes the labor charge is a bit excessive for anyone with some time to spare and the ability to read.. B) I'm new to this forum, found it looking for information about installing the XM TUNER in my 07 IS250. This file may be helpful to anyone looking for the same information. It contains part numbers and detailed instructions for installation. I will look for the parts online and make the installation myself within a few weeks. I'll post again after I install. http://www.lexus-parts.com/IS_XM.pdf Hope it helps. The instructions, if I'm reading them correctly, say to connect the satellite tuner to a (supplied) external antenna. I would be interested to see if the satellite radio can connect to the car's existing shark fin antenna, which supposedly is pre-wired for satellite. I've checked both the XM and Sirius instructions and haven't found any information about how to connect to the shark fin. If anyone has done a satellite install and was able to make this connection, please post and let me know how to do it. Thanks.

I could never understand the dealership that thinks that they're doing you a favor by selling you a car. The truth is that it's the other way around - they NEED our business to survive. Maybe this manager needs an education on economics. Given the attitude of this dealership, I would inform them that, unless there is unbounded demand for the car you want, any profit that they make by selling you a car is better than zero profit if they don't. I'm sure you can make a much better deal elsewhere, and when you do I would go back to the dealership and rub it in their faces. I hope this dealer isn't a Lexus Elite dealership...

Hmm..didn't work for me either (and I posted it!). Try this: http://www.toyota-kyushu.com/english/index.html

It sure seems to me like your dealer is trying to rip you off. I especially don't understand their position on the Dealer Holdback - are they planning on charging you for the holdback and then getting it back again from Lexus at year's end (double-dipping), or are they going to refund it back to you when they get it? Were you speaking with a salesman, or were you dealing directly with the sales manager? It's the salesman's responsibility to pass on your offer to the sales manager, who can accept, reject, or counter your offer. If the salesman didn't even present your offer to his manager he is not doing you (or himself) any favors. I would ask to speak to the sales manager directly or find another salesman. At least in my neck of the woods, foot traffic in the Lexus dealership is slow (in comparison to, say, a Toyota dealership); another salesman may be more eager to work with you. Also, since you're in Denver, I would guess that there are several Lexus dealers in your area. If I were you I would check out pricing at the other dealers - it couldn't be much worse than what your dealer is offering. I wouldn't appear over-eager to buy, and I would be prepared to walk if they're not willing to deal. Give them your phone number and tell them to give you a call if they change their mind. Or better yet, tell the dealer that, while you'd rather have the Lexus, you're going to shop for an Infiniti or a BMW instead. You have several factors on your side: - End-of-month is coming and the salesmen want to make their sales quotas - End of model year is coming, and the dealers don't want to get stuck with last years models on the lot - Generally weak luxury car sales because of high gas prices One thing NOT on your side is the relative scarcity of the IS 350 in comparison to the IS 250. If you don't have the need for speed you might be able to get yourself a much better deal on the IS 250 - it's essentially the identical car with a smaller engine. You might even be able to get a few additional options at a lower price, and you'll still have a car which will turn heads... You didn't mention if you were special-ordering the car or taking it off the lot. Your best deal will generally come if you take a car that's already there. The dealer is paying finance charges for every vehicle sitting on the lot, so it's in their best interest to make the sale. Good luck to you. Hang tough and you'll get the car you want at a price you can live with.

I was researching some information on Lexus and I found an English web site from the Toyota plant which produces the IS. Link here. Not a whole lot of information, but may be of interest to some...

I was actually going to post this same topic, but you beat me to it! I have the same problem in the same place (my interior is also black). Upon close examination, it doesn't look like the existing scuff marks can be cleaned or rubbed out. It appears that the plastic is actually damaged or slightly worn down. I've tried using Armor All and similar products, but the marks are still there. I'm only hoping that these products will help prevent future scuffs since there will be less friction when my foot drags against the door. bartkat, what exactly is Lexol? Is it substantially different from Armor All or is it a similar product? Is it only available at a Lexus dealership?

Just wondering what is the best way to clean and condition the leather interior of my IS 250. The leather cleaner I used in my RX worked fine, but it's a cream which would get into the tiny holes of the perforated seats. Even a gel-type cleaner might get into the holes and interfere with the ventilated seats. What do you guys use??

Hmm...that sounds an AWFUL lot like the features I have on my 250. :whistles: Agreed. I don't believe that there's any option package that is IS 350 specific Even the X package can be had on the IS 250. If you wanted/needed the IS 350 then fine; otherwise you could have gotten the same options in an IS 250 for $thousands less. For me, the rare occassions that I would use the extra power wouldn't justify spending an extra 4-5 thousand bucks.

Pulled up the instructions for dealer installation of both Sirius and XM and didn't find any instructions on how to connect the shark fin to the satellite receiver. The dealer followed the instructions and installed the antenna on the inside window next to the rear-view mirror. Reception is good, although there are a few more drop-outs than I had with the aftermarket receiver in my RX (antenna mounted outside on the roof). Music on Sirius sounds great. Not quite CD quality, but better than FM. The talk stations are very compressed and sound a good step below FM, but better than AM. This is the fault of Sirius' transmission and is not a reflection on the quality of the receiver. The nav screen display is my biggest disappointment. Having the aftermarket unit in my RX, I was used to a lot more information on the display. Artist & title information would scroll if it wouldn't fit on the display. I had lots of information when I searched for stations and/or programming. It even had a favorite song memory. With the Lexus unit - nothing. A 10 character display for both artist and title (nowhere near enough) - that's it. I had to print out a channel listing from Sirius to decide what stations to put into memory. I tried to access nav diagnostic menus to see if there was something to improve the Sirius display, but to no avail. Definitely something that needs improvement in future models. After reading the instruction manual for the Sirius receiver installation, I'm glad I didn't try to do it myself. Looks a lot more complicated than I would've imagined. Fortunately I had the dealer add the Sirius before I purchased the car. The installation was included with the price of the vehicle. So, all in all I'm mostly satisfied with the Sirius radio. Just wish the display was better...

Definitely an improvement. However, the ventilated seats seem to work better in the morning when I get into a relatively cool cart to go to work. In the afternoon, the black leather seats are already scorching hot from sitting out in the sun all day. The ventilation really doesn't do much good, since I only have a 10 minute commute home. Probably would work better on a longer trip...

Awesome looking car! I also like your 5-spoke rims a lot better than the 10-spoke stock wheels. 450 miles already? I've had my IS over 4 weeks now and still don't even have 800 miles on her. Looks like I'm gonna have to take a nice long ride one of these days...

Could never figure that one out. My dealer had 15 IS's on the lot and not one had the Luxury Package. Fortunately he had one (just one) with the LP that was arriving within the week. Wasn't the color I wanted but I still snapped the car up right away (I'm happy with the color now, although it's a bear to keep clean). The Luxury Package actually had just about every option I wanted (except for the nav system, which I got as well). It would seem to be a no-brainer to have at least a few of the IS's with the LP around for those buyers looking for it, unless it's not as popular an option as I would like to think...