No no I didn't say it was a new feature.
I think he was talking to me. I said that the Lexus engineer said that the [AUTO] light is new for 09. I don't have a camera handy to take the picture, but my dash (I have the navigation system) looks like this:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
NAV SCREEN
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
[AUTO] [fan OFF] [filter] [front air] [defogger] [air intake]
The last button (air intake) has 3 lights:
[recirculate air] [AUTO] [outside air]
Pressing the button switches between the 3 states. In the AUTO state one of the other 2 lights is also ON. When not in AUTO mode, the computer can decide to switch to inside air when the AC is in AUTO (the first button under the screen) and it needs to cool off quicker. When in AUTO mode, aside from the AC, the computer can decide to use inside air when it detects exhaust fumes coming from the outside. The manual calls this "EXHAUST GAS AUTOMATIC mode" and says that only 350 models have it, but not 250. I don't know if 250 doesn't have [AUTO] mode because it is always ON, or just doesn't have an exhaust gas sensor.
There are two AUTO labels (one for the AC and one for the exhaust mode), that's adding to the confusion. I hope my color coding helps clear things up a bit.
If you have the same setup on your 08 IS 350, then the enginer I talked to was wrong (not surprising).
Ivo