neil0311

The reasons I bought the IS250. I could have gotten a 350 if I'd wanted one (which I didn't): 1) AWD. I live in New England and it snows here ... a lot. 2) I live in a suburban/urban area and don't need to race to the next traffic light. There is absolutely no need for me for a 300 hp car. 3) I don't need to tow anything. 4) The 250 is cheaper on both insurance and gas. 5) They look exactly the same

Yup. I think this year has been worse than most. It seems like all the roads this year have massive frost heaves and corrugation, in addition to the potholes. I called the DPW in Lunenburg, MA (near where I live) and asked if they were going to fix all the gaping holes and cracks in the road. They told me no, that they only had so much budget and the roads were not high enough priority. We have money to pay people not to work in MA, and for crooked politicians to pay off big dig contractors, but not enough to fix potholes and have a basic level of roads. That's life in the "People's Republic of Massachusetts".

Don't the 350's only come with summer tires? I don't think it's a good idea to try and drive in snow in very cold weather on summer tires. Why risk a 40K car because you cheaped out on 1K worth of tires? If you really don't want to change tires then park the IS until spring or switch to all season tires. I've got an IS250 AWD and plan to stay with all season tires year round. I drive on well plowed urban roads, so there is really no need for winter tires with AWD and TRAC/VSC. If I drove with RWD like you or drove in the country on poorly plowed roads, then I'd get snowies.

Just out of curiousity, did you inspect the vehicle carefully when it was delivered? I went over mine with a fine tooth comb before I accepted it, and I would have noticed any minor dings, scratches, or minor imperfections. There was a minor gap in the dash where the navi meets the black plastic, and I made them align it better and remove the gap. Lexus makes a really well built car, and the dealer should do their part to deliver it with zero defects, but some of the responsibility is yours. If the paint chip on the hood was there when the car was delivered, then it really should have been brought to the dealer's attention at that time by you.

Where did you find a 1K mile inspection in the maintenance schedule? What needs to be inspected? The first listed service I see on the official schedule is the 5K mile service.

Obviously you don't want to go fast! "You don't drive with your eyes...you gotta feel the road" - Reese Bobby "Talladega Nights" Sure, I do. That's why I'm a pilot.

'79 VW Rabbit (water cooled) back in '84. What a POS. I have never even considered another German car since.

Why not keep your eye on the road and push the "talk" switch on the steering wheel and say "dial by number" or "address"? I've never mastered the ability to drive without looking at the road, have you?

Passenger seat belt hitting the seat or B pillar maybe?

Nice. I bought a Tungsten exterior with black interior 250 AWD in Norwood 2 weeks ago. Do you mind telling the MSRP and what you paid? Also, how are you finding the ride on Mass roads with the 225/45R17's on? Did you take Herb Chambers tire/wheel warranty? I didn't and I'm wondering if I should have. BTW, if you want tint done, go to Solarsolutions in Bedford. Sheldon has done 3 of my cars including my IS which was $180. I have pix of mine and he has some of other IS's he's done on his site. I have no interest other than being a satisfied customer wanting to spread the word. http://www.solarsolutionstinting.com/

Do you have a 350 or 250? It looked like the TSB was only for IS350's.

I just took delivery of my IS 250 AWD with the factory premium sound system (not the Levinson) with dealer installed XM, and I'm puzzled. If I set the fader to all rear, I get a much lower volume and almost no bass. All I hear in the back is what sounds like mid-range. When I bring the fader back to the 50/50 rear/front, then I start to get volume and bass. Can anyone tell me if this is consistent with their experience and also can someone describe the placement of the 13 speakers. Is there supposed to be a woofer in the back deck? I'm wondering if during installation of the XM unit the dealer might have screwed up something in the rear. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.