David Redfearn
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Posts posted by David Redfearn
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You have to be a Cosco member - when you go to the Cosco web site to request a referal, you have to enter your Costco number, and then theoretically, show your Costco card to the dealer to get a quote. They asked to see my card at Vista Lexus (Woodland Hills, CA), but I also got a qote on a BMW 325, and that dealer (Center BMW) gave me a quote over the phone without asking for any information, so I wouldn't be surprised if dealers vary in how they deal with this. You do have to have a Costco number to get the initial referal. Vista Lexus had a form with standard discounts - larger for the 250, smaller for the 350, but I got the larger discount for the 350 I bought. The whole thing was very easy - possibly becasue I had done a lot of research, and said that I was considering the 325i. I dealt with the fleet manager for the quote, but the sale was handled by a regular sales associate (Paige Grant - very nice and efficient). Considering that Thousand Oaks Lexus had quoted me a much higher price just a couple of months earlier, this was a pleasant surprise. They had to trade with another dealer to get me the car I wanted. Given the savings, it might be worth it to buy a Costco membership just to get the quote.
David
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Obviously, the perception of sound quality varies widely by individual, but I am very happy with the standard system in my IS-350. I traded in an ES-330 with the ML system, and I think the standard system in the IS-350 sounds better than the ML in the 330 - certainly more presence and better imaging. Make sure you have the position control set to your preferences - I have mine set to front passengers - I find that setting it to driver mode makes the sound worse. Also, contrary to the note referenced earlier in this thread, I believe I do have a working center channel speaker in the dash - either that or really great front imaging! I would be very hesitant to change anything - these are very complicated installations.
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I'm curious about the speaker configuration betweeen the "standard" Lexus stereo system and the optional Mark Levinson system. The service manual says the Mark Levinson Premium Audio system has 14 speakers - including a center speaker in the middle of the dash. The standard system is not supposed to have this center channel speaker. I have the standard system (no navagation system or Mark Levinson system) yet I do have the central speaker in the dash. Otherwise, the configuration matches what the manual says - the standard system has a tweeter, mid-range and woofer in each of the rear doors, while the Mark Levinson has only a tweeter and mid-range in the rear doors (with 2 extra "satellite" speakers - along with the sub-woofer) on the rear deck. Maybe the service manual is not current with what is being built. Do other owners with the standard system have the central channel speaker? I like the sound a lot - I traded an ES-330 with the Mark Levison package, and I think the standard system in my IS-350 sounds better.
David
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Like the topic says, just wanted to get an idea what you IS guys and gals do for a living, where your from, and what other cars you drive besides the Lex.
I’m from Nutley, New Jersey been here almost my entire life, aside from some 7 yrs in Florida.
I’m a Financial Specialist for the 4th largest bank in the US.
I’ve had my Lex for 2 months now, its my first one :D I also have a 06 Acura TL (my g/f and I)
By the way im Vito. :)
I drive an IS-350 and my wife drives a 2004 Mini Cooper S. I owned an IS-300, leased an ES-330, and traded the ES for the new IS-350. We live in the West SF Valley (Los Angeles) and I am a VP for a very large Health Insurance Company.
David
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Thank's everyone for all your helpful input. I've read some things about the manual mode on the 6 spd. auto. on other forums and just wanted to see what ya'll had to say. When I test drove the IS, it was mostly in heavy traffic, so I wasnt able to use the manual mode. I'll be sure to try it out on my next test drive.
Thanks again everyone.
Actually, the best version of these "manual" autos I have found is the system on the current Suburu - you can run in full automatic, but still kick-down a gear with the manual control. Handy for when you want to blast out of a turn, and don't want to wait for the auto to kick-down itself. I wish the Lexus trany would do that.....
David
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Those of you with the 6 speed automatic, how does the manual mode work with the paddle shifters? I mean are you in complete control of the car in manual mode? All input would appreciated.
I haven't tried out the system yet, and probably won't use it much. I had a similar system on an IS-300 I owned, and found that the automatic mode could do a better job than I could choosing the proper shift points. You don't really have "complete" control anyway - it won't let you shift down too much at too high a speed to prevent over-revs, and judging from the owners manual, being in 6th gear means 1-6 are available, in 5th gear, 1-5 are available, and so forth. If you want a more aggrresive shift pattern, you can set the swith to sport mode and get more performance and harder shifts. I would be curious to hear if anyone really uses this feature.
David
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Go to Lexus Tech and for $10 you can buy 24 hrs of download time. You can download any and all of the manuals in PDF format.
Bartkat:
Thanks for the information. The only problem is that they have the service manual divided into 250 separate PDF files - a hassle to download. But, they also have a section with a lot of very nice product information. I downloaded that also.
Much better and cheaper than buying a printed manual!
Thanks again.
David
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Is it possible to buy a service manual for the IS-350 from Lexus? - not that I actually want (or could) do any service work on this car, but I like to read the manuals for the information they provide. Sometimes the manuals have more (and better) information than you can get from dealers.
David
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I used the Costco program and got an IS-350 for about $1500 over invoice without any negotiation at all. The dealer had a starndard discount they use for the Costco program, and he gave me the 250 discount (which is bigger) even though I bought a 350 - and I didn't get the high-end navation and stereo option, and he had to trade another dealer to get the car. In February, I asked another dealer for a quote and was given a lease price of $650 a month, which I was not interested in. Either he was not serious, or the prices have come down. The dealer I purchased from (Vista Lexus in Woodland Hills) was selling a lot of IS-350s. I dealt with the fleet manager. It was a very pleasant experience.
David
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People have reported the tire pressure warning coming on around 25-26 PSI.
So, if the tire pressure sensors are calibrated to 35 PSI, it takes a 10 PSI drop to have the alarm come on? That seems to be a big drop - this car can run at 100 MPH easily - I would not want to run at 80+ with the tires inflated to 25 PSI. I'm going to see what the dealer says......
David
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My IS-350 has pressure sensors in the wheels. If I calibrate the sensors to 35/37 PSI (standard inflation) how much can the pressure drop before the warning light comes on? My dealer indicated that they reset the sensors to 27/27 to reduce the number of alarms - but I want to keep the pressure correct.
Speaker Configuration - Standard Vs. Premium
in 07 - 13 Lexus IS250 / IS350 / IS-F
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its just a grille up front. there are 3 speakers in ach door and one sub in the rear deck.
I looks like you are correct, but it sure sounds like there is a center channel - the imaging is very good.
David