Zeusallmighty

Hi all

So I scratched my car while in a detailing frenzy. I had the wipers up as i was wiping my new baby down, then I put the hood up and forgot to put the wipers back down first.:cries:

The scratch is on the lip of the hood. Thank God it's not in a very noticeable spot.

Do you think I can touch it up? or should I take it to a body shop? I'm also not sure if I bent my wiper or not. It still functions but it doesn't look like it lines up correctly.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

OUCH! Did this to my Passat when it was one month old. I ended up filling the defect with several layers of primer and touch up paint. I'm the only one to know it ever happened. If you can live with that, skip the (potentially) $$$ body shop. If, however, you'll sleep better at night getting it restored "like new", then have at it (your money ;) ).

The wipers look OK to me. Given the contour and curve of the windshield and the need for the blades to sit flush, standing the wipers up makes them look out of alignment. To be sure, swing by a local dealership on a Sunday, line your car up with another and compare.

I got two quotes in writing for cars that would at one point be on the lot (they seem to rarely have any IS350's on the lot), and she said she'd have to track down pricing on versions that aren't normally carried in the midwest (i.e. luxury package, sport package, etc...) At any rate, they seem very willing to negotiate and place orders, with the caveat that it does take 3-4 months to get, depending on the time of month you order and the timing of the factory cycle.

and oh - it was not MSRP - it was roughly $3k under MSRP.

Actually - I was planning on ordering one in early 2008 as well. Maybe we should go in at the same time and have her lower the price even more!

If the local folks give me the runaround, I'd definitely take part in a "buying group" . Throw it out to your salesperson if the negotiations stall.

Funny that Luxury Package is not readily availble in the Midwest (only X-package and Sport on my dealer's web page ). What, Midwesterners don't like to be coddled?

McGrath Lexus seems to be willing to make special orders. I plan to make an order in early 2008. My salesperson's attitude was "if people are willing to wait for what they want, we'll order it the way they want it".

Sounds encouraging, Craig--

Did the discussion get around to price? Is the situation, "sure we'll order it how you want it but not for a penny less than MSRP"? Early 2008 is around when I'm looking as well.

Good luck.

Hi, all--

Newb here.

Would anyone be willing to share their experience in case where an IS was purchased by "special order". I've been a fan of the IS 350 for some time, and will likely be buying/leasing one in the near future. My local dealer has none on the lot at this time and the one due to come is not equipped with the package(s) I'm interested in...

Should I expect the cold shoulder from the dealership when I go in with my "tick-list"? I'm a serious customer, but seems many shy away from such "special orders" and insist on MSRP in these cases. Not sure why this is the case. Can anyone educate me as to why an "a la carte" order represents a dealer hardship that justifies a non-negotiable MSRP request?

There is only one Lexus dealer within 100 miles of where I live here in Central Illinois. I'm willing to travel up to Chicago if the purchase experience sucks locally. Any pearls or strategies that have worked for others having gone down this road already?

Thanks alot.

You absolutely can get ML without Nav, that's exactly what I did... for the reason you mention- Adding Nav would be $3000 and would do -less- than the $300 aftermarket GPSes you can buy today. (specifically an aftermarket nav doesn't cripple itself while the car is in motion... plus it can be moved to a rental vehicle if you travel, or your wifes car if taking it on a trip, etc....). Plus you can get realtime traffic in many aftermarket units today, which isn't available with the factory system... and you can get Bluetooth... so the only thing the factory unit really gives you stock is the backup camera... and honestly the car isn't so big you really need one.

Plus to update a Garmin GPS maps each year is $75. Your lexus dealer will want $300 for new maps.

Oh, and OEM Nav is bad for resale value too.

So, in short, skip the nav :)

Thanks, Knightshade...

Did you have to special order your IS with the ML only? If so, how was that experience? Haven't thoroughly searched the forum yet, but seems that "special orders" are something that many dealers shy away from or demand MSRP for... I'm not sure why this is the case...

Hi all--

New to the forums. Looking to buy/lease an IS350 in the near future. I definitely will be looking to order the ML audio, but am presently leaning against the NAV option. Seems rather costly and not sure is functionally superior (or equivalent) to some late model portable GPS units on the market (e.g., Garmin Nuvi 700 series). Yes, the display in the center console looks sleek and modern, but what additional functionality does this integrated option offer?

Thanks