Official New 2006 Is Topic

[Whitebeam]

has anyone seen/got the uk brochure for new 220D or even 250? if so i'd love to see it as i am looking to order later in the year..

Lexus dealers have them :winky:

Its fairly basic though - no colours, trims, prices etc.

Most of the info is on the Lexus UK website although there are a few new bits.

Proper brochure is due nearer to release.

[PG1]

The following US site has an interesting first drive of the new IS + lots of pics of the new IS in 3 different colours :

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=106455

The IS350 looks like it's a fantastic performance car.

[Jolliffee]

Thought this was an informed review, though not sure how many options we will see. Me I want an IS350, and I want it now!

Here is the link:- http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=106455

[Damer]

The following US site has an interesting first drive of  the new IS + lots of pics of the new IS in 3 different colours :

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=106455

The IS350 looks like it's a fantastic performance car.

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Did you notice on one of the pictures of the badges it says "AWD IS250" Doess that mean there will be 4x4 option?

[Tango]

The local Lexus distributor just called to arrange a meet as they have received more info and I can now 'spec' my car re. colours and options. I'm disappointed that the sunroof is an option, but hey I cannot remember the last time I opened the roof of my '200 and when it's warm opening the roof cocks up the A/C.

Despite rumour to the contrary I'm told the Sport WILL be available for November and when I asked 'what options' was told 'whatever you want'...so what's he going to say when I ask for a 3.5 litre powerplant? Told the sport with usual satnav/18" rims etc will be about 26-27K.

Colours will be similar to the GS300, so have to take the wife to get the blessing. Still don't know what colour to go for though.

Haven't the heart to trade in the IS200 SportNav though, so the better half acquires that!

[PG1]

The local Lexus distributor just called to arrange a meet as they have received more info and I can now 'spec' my car re. colours and options. I'm disappointed that the sunroof is an option, but hey I cannot remember the last time I opened the roof of my '200 and when it's warm opening the roof cocks up the A/C.

Despite rumour to the contrary I'm told the Sport WILL be available for November and when I asked 'what options' was told 'whatever you want'...so what's he going to say when I ask for a 3.5 litre powerplant? Told the sport with usual satnav/18" rims etc will be about 26-27K.

Colours will be similar to the GS300, so have to take the wife to get the blessing. Still don't know what colour to go for though.

Haven't the heart to trade in the IS200 SportNav though, so the better half acquires that!

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Let us know how you get on. 26-27K for a sport WITH Sat Nav seems to contradict the prices that have been discussed on this forum (26.5k for IS250 Sport and ~3K for Media Pack. Add Metallic and it's more like 30K).

Hopefully YOU are correct, as 27K for sport with sat Nav doesn't sound so bad...

[saracen]

I too got a call from Lexus today asking if I could spec my car, they are quite keen for me to order so that I can get my place in the queue. I'm after a diesel sport with Sat Nav which according to the spec that I have received adds up to just over £30K and when I told the dealer this and that I was hesitant to go ahead with the order due to the price she did not disagree.

I also think it is very early to be speccing a car that is not out till Q1 next year.

[triple555]

think a sporrts grill, kit and new wheels would look  nice... carbon fibre to replace the wood

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i dont agree about the carbon fibre trim,well all have to remember this is not a sports car,it is a luxury car,i think that a subtle bodykit wouldnt go a miss but it does have to remain true to being a luxury car turning it into a poor mans M3 will not do it justice

[Tango]

Well just returned from Lexus Bristol with a photocopy of the photocopy that they have on indicative pricing, specs and colours.

Sorry to say the IS250 Sport WILL NOT be available until April/March 2006 so I will have waited a whole year since placing my original deposit - hope it's going to be worth the wait.

Prices are as they say indicative, hopefully that means they may go down rather than up as the dealer said it's getting near the main competition with the price of the options:

IS 250 £22,400 (standard with fabric seats)

IS 250 SE £25,400

IS 250 SE-L £28,000

IS 250 Sport £26,500 available April '06

IS 220d £22,200 available April '06

IS 220d SE £25,200 available April '06

IS 220d SE-L £27,800 available April '06

IS220d Sport £26,900 available April '06

Option pricing:

Metallic/Mica paint (all except Astral Black) + £510

Electrical sunroof + £800

Multimedia Pack (voice activated DVD satnav/Bluetooth/Mark Levinson/rear park assist monitor/6 DVD changer) +£2710

Adaptive cruise control & pre-crash system +£2150 (auto SE-L)

6 speed auto (IS250 only) + £1000

Sorry to add the Sport standard, but that's what I'm getting so in addition to the common standard trim & fittings it also has:

Sports suspension (ride height & springs)

Ally sports pedals

Metal effect trim

18" wheels

Front & rear scuff plates

Electrochromic int & ext rear view mirrors

Electrical adjustable steering column

HID headlamps with AFS

Front and rear parking sensors

Rain sensing wipers

and you can't have auto transmission on the Sport - so that's OK then, but nothing provided on axle ratio or limited slip diff

On the road price comprises list price, £557 delivery charge, £25 number plate allowance (all inclusive of VAT) plus £165 for 12 months tax and £38 1st reg fee.

250 SE & SE-L have Leather seating pack (includes heated and ventilated 8 way elect adj memory front seats)

250 Sport has Escaine seating pack (as the leather but not ventilated)

All have the skinny temporary spare wheel to save on boot space.

New colours available, but haven't a clue to what they look like from the colour photocopy, are Argento Ice (1G1) and Sargasso Green (6U3).

[aido]

All have the skinny temporary spare wheel to save on boot space.

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That's interesting, as far as I know Lexus were giving a full alloy as a spare unlike competitors, it was little things like that which made Lexus special.

They're going to have to be careful if they're just going to aim for the run of the mill market....

OT but does anyone know if you get a proper spare with the new GS line?

[Tango]

All have the skinny temporary spare wheel to save on boot space.

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That's interesting, as far as I know Lexus were giving a full alloy as a spare unlike competitors, it was little things like that which made Lexus special.

They're going to have to be careful if they're just going to aim for the run of the mill market....

OT but does anyone know if you get a proper spare with the new GS line?

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Aido - No the GS has the space saver too.

[aido]

Hmmm that's crap and sounds like you're now paying more for less...

They're starting to believe in their own image too much which cannot be a good thing...

When I went to buy a MK2 GS430 Sport I was told that it came with a full alloy as opposed to a space saver, "...you're buying a Lexus. Lexus don't cut corners...."

Sounds like they are doing now then....

All I say is I hope they're careful. It takes a lot longer to build a reputation than to see it go up in smoke....

[Tango]

Hmmm that's crap and sounds like you're now paying more for less...

They're starting to believe in their own image too much which cannot be a good thing...

When I went to buy a MK2 GS430 Sport I was told that it came with a full alloy as opposed to a space saver, "...you're buying a Lexus. Lexus don't cut corners...."

Sounds like they are doing now then....

All I say is I hope they're careful. It takes a lot longer to build a reputation than to see it go up in smoke....

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Quite agree. I also forgot to mention that Lexus UK have 450 orders already. That's 450 firm orders for cars and does not include the likes of myself who just placed a deposit. I suppose I could have placed an order today but if I have to wait until April 2006 I may as well wait until November to test drive a 250 SE-L just to make sure. However, there are obviously at least 450 peeps out there that have ordered more or less in blind faith. Are they all in the Club??? IF not why not?

[PG1]

See a full road test of an IS350 here

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...07/pageId=64968

These guys thought it was a great car, but still not as good to drive as a BMW 3. They also thought the VDIM was too intrusive. Apart from that, it's all positive. In terms of quality it's siginficant step up from the previous IS.

Anyway, check it out...

[Tango]

See a full road test of an IS350 here

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...07/pageId=64968

These guys thought it was a great car, but still not as good to drive as a BMW 3. They also thought the VDIM was too intrusive. Apart from that, it's all positive. In terms of quality it's siginficant step up from the previous IS.

Anyway, check it out...

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Sorry, but if I wanted an informed opinion on what constitutes a good motor car I would not ask an American.

[Parthiban]

Does anyone know what the actual spec of the SE-L is? I would've thought that it would have satnav as standard (as per the GS and RX) but I read somewhere that it doesn't, so what's all the extra money for?

[PG1]

Does anyone know what the actual spec of the SE-L is? I would've thought that it would have satnav as standard (as per the GS and RX) but I read somewhere that it doesn't, so what's all the extra money for? 

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According to the info I've been sent by Lexus, Sat Nav is not standard on the SE-L. It's an option on all variants.

Over the SE, the SE-L has the following a standard :

R/S Wipers, F/R Park Sensors, Adapitive Xenons, Elec adjustable Steering column, Rear Armrest with storage, Through load facility, Dimming mirrors, power rear sunshade, illuminated scuff plates & wood trim.

If you want Sat Nav it's £2710 extra, but that includes Mark Levinson 5.1 DVD system, Bluetooth & rear parking camera.

[guitareth]

Over the SE, the SE-L has the following a standard :

R/S Wipers, F/R Park Sensors, Adapitive Xenons, Elec adjustable Steering column,  Rear Armrest with storage, Through load facility, Dimming mirrors, power  rear sunshade, illuminated scuff plates & wood trim.

If you want Sat Nav it's £2710 extra, but that includes Mark Levinson 5.1 DVD system, Bluetooth & rear parking camera.

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You've got to be kidding me! They're charging an additional £2,600 for a package of extras that are basically all "fluff"?!! Yes, nice little extras to have, but none you really NEED or must have. I mean, come on, how hard is it to switch on the wipers when it rains, or adjust the steering columns with a lever.....

Sorry, but I think Lexus have really dropped the ball over the pricing and options on this car

[PG1]

Over the SE, the SE-L has the following a standard :

R/S Wipers, F/R Park Sensors, Adapitive Xenons, Elec adjustable Steering column,   Rear Armrest with storage, Through load facility, Dimming mirrors, power  rear sunshade, illuminated scuff plates & wood trim.

If you want Sat Nav it's £2710 extra, but that includes Mark Levinson 5.1 DVD system, Bluetooth & rear parking camera.

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You've got to be kidding me! They're charging an additional £2,600 for a package of extras that are basically all "fluff"?!! Yes, nice little extras to have, but none you really NEED or must have. I mean, come on, how hard is it to switch on the wipers when it rains, or adjust the steering columns with a lever.....

Sorry, but I think Lexus have really dropped the ball over the pricing and options on this car

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No kidding - got the spec in front of me in black & white :) The baffling thing is that the Sport model is 1500 cheaper than the SE-L, and does away with the power sun-shade and the 'illuminated scuff plates' but adds, 18" wheels, sports suspension, metal trimming (no wood! yay!), drilled alloy pedals, and scuff plates in the rear. Ok it has Escaine (suede effect) seats rather than leather, but to me the sport sounds like better value than the SE-L.

[Tango]

Over the SE, the SE-L has the following a standard :

R/S Wipers, F/R Park Sensors, Adapitive Xenons, Elec adjustable Steering column,   Rear Armrest with storage, Through load facility, Dimming mirrors, power  rear sunshade, illuminated scuff plates & wood trim.

If you want Sat Nav it's £2710 extra, but that includes Mark Levinson 5.1 DVD system, Bluetooth & rear parking camera.

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You've got to be kidding me! They're charging an additional £2,600 for a package of extras that are basically all "fluff"?!! Yes, nice little extras to have, but none you really NEED or must have. I mean, come on, how hard is it to switch on the wipers when it rains, or adjust the steering columns with a lever.....

Sorry, but I think Lexus have really dropped the ball over the pricing and options on this car

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No kidding - got the spec in front of me in black & white :) The baffling thing is that the Sport model is 1500 cheaper than the SE-L, and does away with the power sun-shade and the 'illuminated scuff plates' but adds, 18" wheels, sports suspension, metal trimming (no wood! yay!), drilled alloy pedals, and scuff plates in the rear. Ok it has Escaine (suede effect) seats rather than leather, but to me the sport sounds like better value than the SE-L.

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Agree, that's why I'm waiting until April. Who the hell wants a rear power blind and wood effect trim? Thanks for confirming what 'Escaine' trim is, as even the dealer did not know. However, is this leather and suede effect like the current Sport or all suede effect? SE and SE-L have full leather. I did entertain the idea of buying an SE or SE-L and trade it in for the Sport in April but dealer reckons I'd lose +£1K a month so no go.

Just hope that Lexus UK are noting all the comments on this site and feeding the info back to HQ.

Anyone know the cost of importing a IS350 from Japan?

[Parthiban]

Over the SE, the SE-L has the following a standard :

R/S Wipers, F/R Park Sensors, Adapitive Xenons, Elec adjustable Steering column,  Rear Armrest with storage, Through load facility, Dimming mirrors, power  rear sunshade, illuminated scuff plates & wood trim.

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Lexus definitely have lost the plot, I'm sure that even on a BMW, that lot wouldn't cost £2600, the SE-L should only cost maybe £1000 more than the SE

I also thought that the SE-L would have the 18" alloys (again like the GS) but it doesn't seem that way, making the SE-L even more ridiculous. It seems the model I'd want would be a Sport auto with full leather, but big surprise, you can't have either of those

I can't imagine a more complicated and frustrating model line-up

[PG1]

Loads of new pics and tech data/press release info here.

http://my.is/forums/showthread.php?t=262031

Have fun...

[Tailpipe]

As someone new to this forum and to Lexus, I have decided to abandon more than 2 decades of purchasing German cars to buy a new IS250 S-EL. My last car was a BMW M3. I've also owned a variety of other BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen models. I've seen a real decline in their quality and engineering integrity in recent years. As they struggle to achieve higher volumes, reliability seems no longer important. The latest 3-Series is a case in point. The primary brief to the design and engineering departments was simply take cost out of the car. To be honest, dynamically it is no better than the old E46 model. But it looks and feels really cheap inside. I can't say I'm a fan of Chris Bangle's styling efforts either. I will miss the power of the M3 and its marvellous dynamics. But what I won't miss is being stranded on an Italian Autostrada because the fuel guage has failed. Or three trips to the dealer to have major warranty issues sorted out.

I saw the new IS at Geneva last March and thought it was the best looking car in the category bar none. It has a balance and harmony in its appearance that not even Audi can match. After owning such a full-on performance car, I am disappointed that the IS350 won't be coming to these shores. I hope that Lexus will see the error of their ways and ibring it on or otherwise produce the much rumoured IS460/ 500.

Whatever, I have been simply stunned by the quality of engineering in Lexus' latest crop of models. While the SatNAv, sound system and so on, are all extremely impressive, its the quality of the dynamic bits beneath the skin, (which I've had a look at) which really impress. Lexus is definitely out to make the best cars. Period. Now that the styling and interior detailing are no longer vomit inducing, it's become a make of car that simply has to be taken seriously.

Have read a lot of stuff about potential concerns with the new IS. I think this car will be sensational. The price is still highly competitive versus an equally well-loaded 3-Series or A-4. I shall be recording my impressions as soon as the car arrives in November.

:yack:

[The Mole]

Having browsed the forum for a while, I thought I'd pop my head over the top of the trench a say hi.

I'm The Mole, I work at a Lexus Dealer and enjoy the forum very much

Always intersting to see the customer's point of view.....

My intention is not to babble on endlessly and argue about how much a car is worth or should the dealer have charged for changing a wiper blade, but I'd like to offer my two cents on any topic that I feel stongly about.

I see that the new gen IS pricing is a hot topic at the moment?

I'll try and be brief...

The documents you have are internal and you shouldn't really have copies yet - naughty dealers!

Pricing is not final, but should be fairly close.

Please remember, the new car is NOT an IS200 replacement.

It is a 2.5 litre 200bhp car and it isn't fair to compare the price with the IS200.

A BMW 325i is much more expensive than a 320i if you catch my drift?

The cost of the new car is pretty much between the cost of an old IS200 and an IS300, without taking into account all the new technology......

Make no mistake, this new car is fantastic! 10 airbags, 13 speakers, lowest NHV in class, tightest ever shut lines on a production car, etc, etc.

As for Lexus believing their own reputation.....? 5 JD powers in a row is no accident, surely?

Look, Lexus are designed better, built better, use better materials, are better equipped and better value than anything in its class - period! They might not be the fastest, or the quickest round a track or the most ecomnomical, but that is not Lexus' primary goal.

Plus, the dealer network try to bend over backwards to please and help you when ever we can.

Based on the above, there is no reason why Lexus shouldn't be the most expensive car..... but it isn't, it is still thousands of pounds cheaper than THE SAME spec Merc of BMW.

Having been lucky enough to see it in the flesh, I offer that it is one great new car and worth every penny.

Next time you jump in a friends "quality German car", grab the dash board firmly and squeeze....... a Lexus dosn't creek like that.....

[saracen]

Great comments from both The Mole and Tailpipe and I don't disagree that the new IS will be the best in class BUT having said that I still find the pricing high compared with the old IS. Yes I'm aware that there is a lot of new technology in there. I guess like everyone else I just want a good deal.

In addition I find the new pricing structure quite confusing. I want a diesel, with leather and auto but this combination is not available on the Sport which I find very frustrating.