McShmoopy

Hi Gordon i managed to bag a CAT D write off IS250C for my mum and it’s great! Had to address an issue with the brakes and a few scuffs but nothing major. I recently took a trip to heathrow in the IS250C to give it a good run with my mum and her heavy suitcases and with cruise control at 73 my average MPG was around 41 to 43mpg according to the tank average. town driving this will drop to 28 to 32 just depending on how light of a foot you have, comparing it to my IS250 F sport it’s very similar economy I’d say. Generally when buying follow the same rules as the IS250 and the pinned buyers guide will Help you out, the only exception is make sure the convertible roof is operating smoothly and doesn’t make an excessive amount of noise. As they can be pricey to fix if it were to fail.

I think I’ve seen the car you’re talking about on auto trader / ebay and it’s a beauty! The spec is very desirable and while it doesn’t have memory seats unlike the 2010 F sport, I’d say it’s worth the pennies but it’s always worth haggling when possible 😉 I myself haven’t had any problem using the screen while driving, sure it’s resistive and not capacitive but for the era it seems to work well enough. if you’re like me and you appreciate your tech you’d benefit from adding a GROM unit to modernise the infotainment and this really brings the car into 2021. I did do a few support videos for GROM to troubleshoot issues I’ve had and now that it pretty much has full Functionality id take a look at this.

I believe it very much depends on what year of vehicle you get. Having an OEM screen is nice for features like climate control and audio playback, but to give you an idea there are pre 2009 NAVI systems with limited features and facelift 2009+ systems which include a few more features. Having a reverse camera with the trajectory lines as well as parallel park assist and not having to deal with the hassle of fitting one yourself alone is a good reason to get a NAVI unit car. As far as I'm aware, you only get AUX connectivity with the Pre 2009 systems to get music, but you do get the Mark Levinson audio as an option which Is arguably one of the best stock speaker systems in a vehicle (almost audiophile level). Many people retrofit a GROM VLINE2 unit into this, to not only get Bluetooth audio but a full Android Experience as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Now I have a 2010 Lexus IS250 F Sport which has the facelift Navi unit as well as the Mark Levinson audio which became rarer after the facelift. This gives us USB connectivity to iPhones / iPods as well as Bluetooth music as a standard, which eliminates the need for most people to make any upgrades or retrofits. I however did get a GROM VLINE2 to provide me a full android experience mainly for Wireless Apple CarPlay. You can opt to replace a non NAVI system with an android unit and get a much better user experience, but do be mindful what android unit you get as you can be seriously degrading the audio quality greatly and even the stock Pioneer audio system is fantastic.

Congrats on sourcing the alloys! I have the same on my F Sport 2010 IS250 and while they're not my favourite type they do look great on the IS. I'd probably say its worth visiting breakers when possible, my brother in law happened to be at a breaker and found me these F Sport alloys and I got them for £20 a wheel! They need some refurbing and cleaning but thats something I plan to do in a few weeks time

Haha I actually agree, I heard the DAB tuner for this gen Lexus was quite patchy signal wise so Im not fussed. I actually use Apple CarPlay in my 2010 IS250 with a GROM VLINE2 unit and while it didn't work at first, a few back and forth and patience with GROM and I got it working 100%.

I do have a Biomedical Science degree so I may be 20% qualified to talk about ED 😂 sadly not a specialist though

I believe the only way to get the DAB is to buy the DAB module from Lexus or source it second hand, plug it into the stereo module alongside an antenna possibly. I found these two parts in the Lexus Parts website, while it lists it one as a CT device it is under the IS phase 2 section so I suspect either of these would be the part we need. https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/category/lexus-is/lexus-is-phase-ii-2006-2013/lexus-is-2-exterior-interior/page/2/ https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-ct/lexus-ct-2010-onwards/lexus-ct-electrical/lexus-ct-phase-1-dab-tuner/

When did this issue start happening, and is there anything obstructing the area where the convertible cover is?

Been a while since an update, have been busy doing some DIY projects around the house and I managed to get an absolute bargain for an IS250C for my mum, I'll be making some posts about that in the coming days. After a few months of silence, GROM contacted me advising they had fixed the issues I had with the unit previously. I honestly wasn't expecting to hear back, but thanks to their proactiveness I bit the bullet purchasing the VLINE2 again (Was more comfortable knowing I could get all my money back via Paypal in any case) and while it did work more so than before, there were still some issues. After a few weeks of liaising with the GROM customer support, they pushed out an update for me that has made the unit almost 100% usable. There are a few quirks but Wireless Apple CarPlay working reliably for me outweighs any small issues I'm currently having and it works like a dream. I made a short video demonstrating the usage of this and can recommend the unit to anyone with a facelift IS like myself craving a modern infotainment. It is not at all cheap whatsoever so do try and get it on a group buy to save some extra pennies ! !

Slight update for the OP, I've been liaising with GROM further and they finally pushed out a software update to make the GROM for the most part fully functional. I'll be providing a more detailed update on my personal thread in the Mods section but here's a quick video I made. This should theoretically work as flawlessly for Android auto but as I don't have an android device I cant provide any testing!

Bit late to the party but vehicles from 2005 to 2008 didn’t come with Bluetooth streaming but this could be easily achieved via a third party accessory to plug into the aux connection or the stereo directly. 2009 onwards came with Bluetooth music streaming, you can tell this because the infotainment screen came in white instead of the black which was pre2009. I’ve just bought a 2009 IS250C for my mum and that came with the new style infotainment with an iPod / iPhone connection and Bluetooth music streaming. Hope this helps!

Thanks for that Vlad, it is quite annoying and the £500 price point does merit better customer support if nothing else but aside from a sketchy android unit or an awkward double din fascia there doesn't seem to be any other product that meets all my requirements for infotainment. My understanding is that pre 2009 GROMS are far better as it uses the old infotainment system but I'll probably provide an update on this when GROM provide further updates. With any luck GROM can get their fingers out of their rear and sort the facelift version of this out!

No worries Steve, I have a 2010 F Sport and while I have installed the GROM I’m currently missing with their support team to get full functionality it may be worth watching this video I made for them before you decide to purchase something.

Yes to their credit they are pushing out regular software updates and they have addressed a few issues I've had, my main gripe is even for complex issues they don't let you call them direct and they can be a little slow to reply and get back to you.

Hi Steve Depending on your region, spec and year of the vehicle, there are quite a few options to get Apple CarPlay / Android Auto in the car. One very popular option with Pre facelift NAVI vehicles is the GROM VLINE2, its an android unit that hijacks the DVD / CD player / USB of your OEM infotainment and allows a full android experience while keeping the car completely stock for the most part. This is a good option as it retains the stock climate controls and other features of the vehicle while modernising it. The unit does come with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto out of the box, I'm unsure if Android Auto is wireless. This is an especially expensive option, and GROM customer support is very hit and miss. If you have a facelift vehicle (Like mine 2009+) the GROM does work but Im experiencing many issues so I wouldn't recommend it just yet! https://gromaudio.co.uk/lexus-toyota-2006-2009-grom-vline-infotainment-system-upgrade-video-interface-lex5vl2.html Another option is the generic Chinese android units, these work amazingly if you don't already have a NAVI screen but caveats are they degrade the audio quality and the reliability can be a bit questionable, some people do have good results but if you already have a NAVI system its hard to integrate the existing reverse camera and other functions into it so I'd only recommend this if you have a non NAVI vehicle. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002002983968.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-0&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32849728348.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-3&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000011795471.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.36e632dfRF1qJ3&algo_pvid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c&algo_expid=e9338ce2-db74-4b65-9ccb-6bd9c47a411c-5&btsid=0b0a050b16197235809666769e16ff&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_ One other alternative is to use a generic double din screen Android or otherwise with a fascia that retains climate control functions. I don't like this solution as the only I have seen put your screen WAY down and its not very useful as you have to take your eyes off the road to access it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252427614787 I'll provide some links for you to have a look and let me know If you need any further guidance!

Some of the veterans can probably chime in far better than myself, but even the PRE 2009s are very reliable cars and the engines are generally bulletproof as long as the cars are well looked after. It is true that there were some issues with the PRE 2009s but regular servicing and oil changes can mitigate this from what I've researched. I can't remember who else stated this on another post but the best way to approach buying the IS250 is to look for a high mileage example as that is where you will find the most cost benefit and as long as the car was serviced yearly you're rarely going to run into many problems and get an amazing deal. One thing to take a note of is that spark plugs are due to be changed every 60k miles, water pumps can fail at 100k, and some of the alloys are susceptible to corrosion as well as a few other niggles but generally the car will have very few issues compared to the competition. Spotted a white IS250 F Sport 2010 for you on Auto Trader, if you are after an F Sport spec 2010 is the best to go for as in 2011 onwards for the F sport spec they deleted the memory seats functionality and it addresses the issues that High Peak autos mentioned. I myself purchased a 135k black 2010 F sport with the Mark Levinson audio and aside from a punctured tyre Ive had 0 issues with the car so far. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104151417541?sort=datedesc&make=LEXUS&radius=1500&model=IS 250&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&include-delivery-option=on&postcode=ng83py&advertising-location=at_cars&page=4

Quick update, managed to locate the multimedia interface and followed GROM's instructions but made no difference. Will be liaising further with them but appreciate the input from everyone!

Yeah this shouldn’t be necessary for most however I have a 2010 facelift model and the GROM Is quite temperamental with mine, it is working far better than it used to but the only way I can access it is select USB as an Audi source and putting my car into reverse gear.

According to the guys at GROM I should try to disconnect some cables from the multimedia interface as this can help with the detection of the GROM Unit in my vehicle and make it more stable. I’ll be attempting this after work I did manage to get most of the trim around the glovebox off just have to take the actual thing off

Cheers mate I shall do, glovebox should be easy enough instead of dashboard!

Thanks a bunch where were you able to locate these?

Hi guys I had purchased an aftermarket android unit known as the GROM VLINE2 to get modern functionality like Apple carplay in my IS250. Initially it didn’t work and I returned it but after liaising with GROM audio a software update came out which addresses most of my issues with the unit and the functionality is far better. After speaking to a fellow user, he was advised to locate this particular module known as the Multimedia interface ECU as this can help with stability of the unit. for the life of me I wasn’t able to locate the unit in my vehicle despite being sent a diagram for the LHD vehicle. I tried to Google some vehicle diagrams but it’s not quite clear where this is located in a RHD vehicle as well as what the unit looks like via that eBay auction. If someone could help me locate this it would be greatly appreciated.

I've experienced the same with my front sensors, they do work but I believe from what I've read around the inter webs is that they're more intended for when you're turning as opposed to what is directly in front of you. I suppose we could try relocating them but it would be great if someone figured out how to add two more to work natively with LEXUS Park Assist!

Hi bud and welcome to the forum, you will want to ideally go for a top trim level such as SE-L as that will come with the most toys and retain its value the most. Sunroofs are also only available for SE-L's so see if you can spot one of those as they're well worth it! The SE'L's comes with a NAVI and non NAVI option which only has parking sensors but try and go for the NAVI as that benefits from reverse camera, and usually a Mark Levinson stereo which is the best sounding I've heard in a car for a while as well as a fairly decent touch screen. F Sport is a good option also but the ride is firmer with a sport suspension and you have bigger wheels so its down to whether you want comfort / a sportier ride. Don't let high miles necessarily put you off, just ensure its got full service history and maintenance records. I picked up a high mileage 2010 F Sport with 135k miles and no issues to report so far in my ownership. Hopefully you're able to find something decent around that budget but it may be worth increasing it if the right car comes along! All the Best Bill

Nice suggestion there, my 2010 came with bluetooth as standard but for anyone pre 2009 this should work nicely.