Jump to content


nhman

Regular Member
  • Posts

    22
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Lexus Model
    IS350

nhman's Achievements

Enthusiast

Enthusiast (6/14)

  • First Post
  • Collaborator Rare
  • Conversation Starter
  • Week One Done
  • One Month Later

Recent Badges

0

Reputation

  1. I live in the Northeast area as well and considered moving to an 08 IS350 from my 07 IS350. However several dealers stated that my car had little value at this time of the year. This was due to it being RWD. Looking at what 3-4 dealers are keeping in stock for new cars it is mostly/all the IS250 AWD's. The MSRP on my car was $44.3k with a buy price of $39.5k. I believe for the 07's, there is a larger dealer holdback and therefore you should be in a position to negotiate a better buy price. With the 08's, I would start at $300 above invoice. Regards, NHman
  2. I have an 07 IS350 with the 18" rims & summer tires. I haven't had any issues with driving in the raining. For winter driving, I do switch to a setup of 17" rims w/ winter (Blizzak LM25) tires. In my opinion, if you are only concerned about rain, keep the factory setup. For snow and/or ice, you must switch to a winter tire. Regards, NHman
  3. I had used the VentureShield product on one of my previous cars. It didn't yellow, crack or otherwise show signs of aging. It was installed on the front end and the mirrors. I now have the 3M product on my IS350 but the VentureShield is a good product. Regards, NHman
  4. Randy, Again, interior color becomes a personal decision. What color combination looks best to you. I have the Sterling interior with the wood trim and I like it but black would've been my first choice. Regards, NHman
  5. My name is Chris and I am a Product Mgr for Automation Products/Solutions in the Northeast area. I drive a 07 IS350 w/ the luxury pkg & 18" rims. My other car, spouse really but I'm paying for it, is a 06 Volvo XC90 V8. I am planning on adding the new M3 convertible to my stable within the next 2 years. This is my first Lexus. In general, I am happy with the choice but surprised over the amount of rattles in the interior. So far I have been to the dealer 4 times since December 2006. I will be scheduling another visit to address a rattle in the B-pillar. Regards, NHman
  6. Randy, Color preference is a very subjective decision. Simply put, you will need to determine which color combination works best for you. I have the Smokey Granite w/ Sterling combination on my 07 IS350. I didn't have a lot to select from as most of the available stock in my area is the IS250 AWD's. My first choice was Black Sapphire w/ Black Sport IS350. While the dealer had this available, it had a a lot of scratches on the hood. For a brand new car with 4 miles on the odometer, I didn't feel comfortable with them needing to buff the car. I am happy with the choice as it does look good with the wood accents and 18" rims. Good luck with your selection! Regards, NHman
  7. I change cars like the change in the seasons but here's my list. 06 Infiniti M45 Sport 03 BMW 530i Sport w/ 5-speed (modified to Dinan S1) 02 BMW 530i 01 Honda Accord EX-V6 Regards, NHman
  8. USCjd, How long do you plan on keeping this car? Is a a short-term (leased) vehicle or do you care about long-term care and resale? If short-term, don't opt for any service packages or the clear bra. In my opinion, this would be a waste of money. If long-term, I would strongly consider the clear bra. The front end is prone to chipping caused by stones, rocks or other items found on the roads. I had the 3M film installed before taking delivery and 9 months later there is not one chip or scratch where the film has been applied. I don't know much about the service program that your dealer is offering. Just be sure to look at the fine print. Regards, NHman
  9. I have not used the VAIS product so I can not provide you with any feedback. I did notice they have advertised on some other web sites and the product looks like it should work. Perhaps VAIS can provide you with a list of references. I have used a similar product from DICE Electronics on two previously owned cars (both BMW's). I have a known history with the company and have already purchased the kit for my IS350 w/o ML. The kit is going to be installed next Friday. I will post an update if you would like. Regards, NHman
  10. Boston, you are comparing a car designed in the mid-nineties to a platform that was just released. I have owned two BMW’s a 2002 530i and 2003 530i Sport w/ 5-speed. I now own a 07 IS350. If you are familiar with BMW’s, then you may recognize Dinan as a tuner. My 03 was modified to a Dinan S1. This included minor modifications to the engine but more importantly greatly improved the already good handling found in the sport models. While the 5-series is not quite on the level of a 7-series, it is not far. I don’t have the ML sound system or laser controlled cruise control otherwise I have all of the bells & whistles. You can’t beat the availability and ease of use of the technology (Nav, sound system, Bluetooth, etc). The power is good but not until (roughly) 3500 rpm. Before taking a test drive, put the ECT switch in Power (pwr) mode. This setting is similar to the Sport mode found on BMW’s Steptronic transmissions. Handling and braking are very good but not great. The rear seats are a bit cramped. This could be a big deal if you have car seats or passengers with some size to them. Trunk space is what you would expect for a car this size. My wife drives a Volvo XC90 V8. So I have access to a vehicle should I need a bit more storage. I have owned my IS since December 2006. It has been in the shop four times for a total of 10 days. Most of the service time was due to rattles or trim pieces coming lose. Several days were due to troubleshooting a hard starting problem. This battery was found to be the culprit. My 02 530i, after 32k miles, was in the shop once for a faulting sensor. No rattles and/or noises. My 03 530i, with 28k miles, was never in the shop. I now have 5k miles on the IS. Overall, and am I not a Bimmer-head, the 03 530i was the best car that I have owned. Period! I only sold it because my wife couldn’t drive a manual transmission. This was a problem when I needed her car. I bought a 06 Infiniti M45 Sport. Great engine at low to mid-range speeds but I didn’t like the gearing. This car was geared for 0-90 mph runs. Also it was a very big feeling car. I wanted something fast and nimble. I did look at the 335i. Without question, this is a driver’s car. The IS lags behind the BMW when you look all of the components (engine, transmission, steering, seats, etc) factored into a driver’s car. I picked the IS due to price (paid $39.5k), enough performance, technology and service. The BMW dealers only offered $1k off of MSRP. I wouldn’t say Lexus is problem free but their service is outstanding. My dealer has door-to-door pick-up and delivery. Take both for a test drive and come to your own conclusions. Regards, NHman
  11. I have a 07 IS350 and have a similar (if not identical) ticking coming from the same area. The dealer made some adjustment to the glove box area. I believe they installed some type of tape. The problem seemed to be resolved but 3 days later the problem resurfaced. The ticking has been on/off for the last 3 months. I just haven’t had time to bring it back. I have noticed that there a lot of rattles/ticking sounds coming from the interior, very surprising for a 2nd year model on a high-end make. Regards, NHMan
  12. I really like the Black Sapphire Pearl paint. Good choice! I bought my IS350 in December at IRA Danvers. MSRP was $44,400. Purchase price was $39,400. My IS has the Smokey Granite Mica w/ Sterling Leather interior. They did have a Black Sapphire w/ Black Leather interior (metallic accents). This was my preferred combination but the hood had several scratches on it. I couldn't see buying a car that only had 5 miles on the odometer and needed to be buffed. While my car does have the 18" rims and summer tires, I used a 17" rim and snow tire this past winter and didn't have any problems getting around. Regards, NHMan
  13. I have a 07 IS350 with 5k miles on the odometer. With the ECT in power mode (always) and the transmission in automatic, I’ve been getting 23-24 mpg. My driving is (roughly) 70% highway / 30% city. I only use premium gas. My driving style is on the aggressive side. My last car, a 06 Infiniti M45 Sport, averaged 19 mpg. My wife’s XC90 V8 gets 19-20 mpg. I would think that anything in the 13-15 range would be typical for a large pickup truck or SUV and not an IS350. Regards, NHMan
  14. I have found that most car paints are less resistant to chipping. This is due to how the paints are made (to meet environmental requirements). I have experience with high end makes like BMW, Acura, Volvo and Infiniti . I found BMW to be the worst and Acura the best in terms of resistance to road debris (paint chipping). A clear film, like from 3M, would be your best bet. However if you're leasing the car, a don't plan on keeping it beyond the lease term, don't bother with the clear film protection. Regards, Chris
  15. I would like to hardwire my V1 radar detector in my IS350. Does anybody know where I can get a power feed from? Regards, Chris
×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership