Is250 - Diary

[Curtisp]

Saracen, good to hear you had a great experience receiving your new baby. Seems you've got the same spec as me. As you say what a beauty.

I have had my baby for 11 days and no rattles or excessive wind noise when travelling at motorway speeds.

Regarding your phone, Sony Ericsson's work very well and you can transfer your whole phonebook, in my case SE P910i.

Would agree the manuals are of biblical proportions, but if you get stuck, you know you'll find the solution some where amongst the 600+ pages.

Just spent the day washing the car and transferring my new personnal plates.

Now I'm complete! :D

[saracen]

Congrats on the car mate - glad it is all we hoped for so far....I m counting down the days until mine arrives ( march ) please let us know how you get on with the toys, and can you control the Ipod from the car (as opposed from the player)

or is , as I suspect, the aux in socket just an audio input ?

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Toys, toys, toys, where do I start:

The way the mirrors tilt down when you knock it into reverse, the rear blind also goes down, but does not go back up!?

The voice control

The smart entry and start, which is way cool. "Look dude no keys!"

On the SE-L the steering wheel moves towards you when push the Start button. And moves away from you whenstop the engine.

The ventilated seats are a great idea and will be very nice in the summer.

If you hold down the unlock button on the keyfob all the windows open and vice versa if you hold down lock. Useful if you forget to close the windows or in the summer when it is hot. According to the manual this also happens if you have the sunroof fitted.

The EMV - Electro Multi Vision display unit is a joy, chrystal clear and the maps on the sat nav are amazing.

I could go on but I fear I might be starting to bore some people.

Just to answer your question about the iPod, there is no way to control the iPod via the car stereo system. The only thing that you can do is change the volume on the stereo. And just to say what a fine stereo it is. It is a shame you can't do more but for now I'm happy. Someone will come up with a way of doing this I'm sure.

Imagine a dear friend going into the Witness Protection Programme. When you meet up a few years later, physically they have changed but inside they are still the same person. That is what the new car is like. Very familiar but very, very different too.

[saracen]

Regarding your phone, Sony Ericsson's work very well and you can transfer your whole phonebook, in my case SE P910i.

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Hmm I think that I will just put up with it for the moment, I thought about it last night and I would have a few problems if I bought a new phone. At the moment all my numbers are on my phone so I would have to transfer them to the SIM and because the SIM does not support multiple numbers against a name I would have to rearrange them all once I got the new phone. I might as well just add the numbers I use the most into the memory of the car.

[Eunos800]

Congrats on the car mate - glad it is all we hoped for so far....I m counting down the days until mine arrives ( march ) please let us know how you get on with the toys, and can you control the Ipod from the car (as opposed from the player)

or is , as I suspect, the aux in socket just an audio input ?

←

Toys, toys, toys, where do I start:

The way the mirrors tilt down when you knock it into reverse, the rear blind also goes down, but does not go back up!?

The voice control

The smart entry and start, which is way cool. "Look dude no keys!"

On the SE-L the steering wheel moves towards you when push the Start button. And moves away from you whenstop the engine.

The ventilated seats are a great idea and will be very nice in the summer.

If you hold down the unlock button on the keyfob all the windows open and vice versa if you hold down lock. Useful if you forget to close the windows or in the summer when it is hot. According to the manual this also happens if you have the sunroof fitted.

The EMV - Electro Multi Vision display unit is a joy, chrystal clear and the maps on the sat nav are amazing.

I could go on but I fear I might be starting to bore some people.

Just to answer your question about the iPod, there is no way to control the iPod via the car stereo system. The only thing that you can do is change the volume on the stereo. And just to say what a fine stereo it is. It is a shame you can't do more but for now I'm happy. Someone will come up with a way of doing this I'm sure.

Imagine a dear friend going into the Witness Protection Programme. When you meet up a few years later, physically they have changed but inside they are still the same person. That is what the new car is like. Very familiar but very, very different too.

←

Cheers...sounding more and more like I made the right decision with the MM option, also went for the sunroof

Read somewhere that some peeps were not happy with the sat nav "controllability"

more especially that nothing could be entered when the car was moving. Surely the point of voice activation is the ability to be able to issue commands on the move safely? I currently use a tom tom ( and v good it is too btw ) but decided that sticking the thing on my new 30k + motor would be naff, so went for the mm pack. Please tell me that I can change routes/destinations or whatever whilst I am on the move. Also....have you managed to find a way of getting a DVD disk full of mp3s to play? I know it is poss with a CD, but 3 gig of mp3s on 1 DVdisk would be real cool. Thanks for the update and keep 'em coming. ( PS wifey and I really liked the "cooling seats" we tried on the demo...won't say what she thought one of the advantages would be..but it sounds good to me nudge nudge wink wink ) :winky:

[saracen]

Cheers...sounding more and more like I made the right decision with the MM option, also went for the sunroof 

Read somewhere that some peeps were not happy with the sat nav "controllability"

more especially that nothing could be entered when the car was moving. Surely the point of voice activation is the ability to be able to issue commands on the move safely? I currently use a tom tom ( and v good it is too btw ) but decided that sticking the thing on my new 30k + motor would be naff, so went for the mm pack. Please tell me that I can change routes/destinations or whatever whilst I am on the move. Also....have you managed to find a way of getting a DVD disk full of mp3s to play? I know it is poss with a CD, but 3 gig of mp3s on 1 DVdisk would be real cool. Thanks for the update and keep 'em coming. ( PS wifey and I really liked the "cooling seats" we tried on the demo...won't say what she thought one of the advantages would be..but it sounds good to me nudge nudge wink wink ) :winky:

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The voice command system can be used to set a destination that is already on the system such as your home but you cannot use it to set up a new destination such as 12 The Avenue, Townley. I hope this makes sense.

The manual says that the audio system may not play the following:

DVD-R

DVD+R

DVD-RW

DVD+RW

DVD-RAM

DVD-ROM

but it will of course play DVD Audio and DVD Video.

It does say that it will play MP3s on a CD-RW which is cool. I would definitely make use of that. It would have been great if you could burn MP3s onto a DVD RW (either plus or minus) but I have the iPod so not sure whether I would use that feature.

I agree with the Tom Tom comment, although its a good system I hate any kind of aftermarket device in the car. I think it spoils the lines!

[saracen]

Some pics - first time I've done this so be gentle with me!

[saracen]

Oh and one of the engine

[koshime]

dont you love it when its all nice, new and clean!

[saracen]

DAY TWO

And Big Brother has set the housemates another task...oops wrong programme. :D

DAY TWO

Decided to take my better half out for a spot of Sunday lunch, well any excuse to take the car out Went into Rugby and then came back home via Coventry :P

Stopped at a nice village pub and I parked up in a spot that mean that if anyone parked next to me there would be a lot of space between me and them. We both had a roast dinner and then I came back to the car and I couldn't believe it, some idiot had parked so close to my car I did actually struggle to get in. I was worried that the paint would be marked but everything was OK. I think the car looks great but I'm gonna be very conscious of where I park it due to the lack of side strips.

Anyway, I have now taken the car up to 80 and up to 4000 revs. But not at the same time. When the orange rings come on they look great (mine are set to 80mph and 4000 revs). I also set the cruise control which was easy to operate. I think that ACC would be a nice to have but I get the feeling it might make you even lazier (concentration wise) than cruise control alone. Just a thought.

The left leg/transmission tunnel is not so much of an issue after I had fiddled around with my seat position.

The iPod connection is good but I now wish it did have a proper interface. After stopping off in Rugby I forgot that I was playing the iPod and left it running while we were having lunch. I have a charger for it in the car so it's not big deal and to be fair the Battery does last 20 hours, but it would make the whole set up more elegant.

Observations - the car "knows" which side you are on, so that the doors would not open for my other half until I had opened the doors from the drivers side.

The illuminated Lexus sign on the door sills look fantastic!

You can only enter pre-set desinations into the car navigation system, it will not allow you to enter a new desination while driving. I now think this a good idea as everytime I was fiddling with the screen, the car started to drift, much to the annoyance of my partner.

One review of the IS said that the dials were difficult to read - poppycock, they are chrystal clear.

Road Noise - there is some road noise I have to admit but nothing that would cause concern but it depends on the road surface rather than being there all the time. It also might be more apparant because of how quiet the car is. The car is definitely quieter than the old IS.

Total mileage: 77

Number of times illuminated dials came on: 7

[Mr Morse]

Oh and one of the engine

←

Forgive me, but that engine bay is just so clinically boring!

[saracen]

dont you love it when its all nice, new and clean!

←

Absolutely. I've taken lots of pictures as thats how I want to remember her!

[trocade]

DAY TWO

And Big Brother has set the housemates another task...oops wrong programme. :D

DAY TWO

Decided to take my better half out for a spot of Sunday lunch, well any excuse to take the car out   Went into Rugby and then came back home via Coventry :P

Stopped at a nice village pub and I parked up in a spot that mean that if anyone parked next to me there would be a lot of space between me and them.  We both had a roast dinner and then I came back to the car and I couldn't believe it, some idiot had parked so close to my car I did actually struggle to get in.  I was worried that the paint would be marked but everything was OK.  I think the car looks great but I'm gonna be very conscious of where I park it due to the lack of side strips.

Anyway, I have now taken the car up to 80 and up to 4000 revs.  But not at the same time.  When the orange rings come on they look great (mine are set to 80mph and 4000 revs).  I also set the cruise control which was easy to operate.  I think that ACC would be a nice to have but I get the feeling it might make you even lazier (concentration wise) than cruise control alone.  Just a thought.

The left leg/transmission tunnel is not so much of an issue after I had fiddled around with my seat position.

The iPod connection is good but I now wish it did have a proper interface.  After stopping off in Rugby I forgot that I was playing the iPod and left it running while we were having lunch.  I have a charger for it in the car so it's not big deal and to be fair the battery does last 20 hours, but it would make the whole set up more elegant.

Observations - the car "knows" which side you are on, so that the doors would not open for my other half until I had opened the doors from the drivers side.

The illuminated Lexus sign on the door sills look fantastic!

You can only enter pre-set desinations into the car navigation system, it will not allow you to enter a new desination while driving.  I now think this a good idea as everytime I was fiddling with the screen, the car started to drift, much to the annoyance of my partner.

One review of the IS said that the dials were difficult to read - poppycock, they are chrystal clear.

Road Noise - there is some road noise I have to admit but nothing that would cause concern but it depends on the road surface rather than being there all the time.  It also might be more apparant because of how quiet the car is.  The car is definitely quieter than the old IS.

Total mileage: 77

Number of times illuminated dials came on: 7

←

Well, you can enter a new destination while driving try this

there is a way to do it but it is not permanent. It has to be done everytime you start your car.

Press Menu

Press Volume

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

A Menu will come up.

Press and Hold Override for 5 seconds or until you hear a beep

Hit back and you are done, you should be able to enter destinations while driving.

Thank you, US forums.

[saracen]

Well, you can enter a new destination while driving try this 

there is a way to do it but it is not permanent. It has to be done everytime you start your car.

Press Menu

Press Volume

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

A Menu will come up.

Press and Hold Override for 5 seconds or until you hear a beep

Hit back and you are done, you should be able to enter destinations while driving.

Thank you, US forums.

←

Has anyone actually tried this?

[koshime]

I guess we can try it out with a partner. sounds painful... I want one override button for my DVD!!!!!

[GALLA_4]

Oh and one of the engine

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Forgive me, but that engine bay is just so clinically boring!

←

Imagine what those plastic engine covers would be like if done in stainless steel!

[saracen]

DAY THREE

Today I set up the memory seats and programmed the key as well. It works like a dream, if the seats or mirrors have been moved as soon as you touch the door the seat starts to move back into position! Just like magic!

Took the car up to Darlaston in the West Midlands. Set the Sat Nav up and it is a dream to use. Not sure why others have found it problematic or unintuitive.

First problem! On the way up to Darlaston the motorway matrix were telling us that there was congestion on the M6 around Junction 9, which is firstly the turnoff for IKEA and also where the M6 meets the M5. It is always congested on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Just after Junction 8 the Sat Nav travel warning kicked in and suggested an alternative route(how cool is that!). I touched the screen to accept and the screen flickered and then shut down. WTF! Then the system reset itself and I was greeted with the acceptance screen that you normally see on startup. I touched accept and the screen then said it was calculating a new route to bypass the traffic problem. Hmm strange, other than that everything was fine. On the way back the system performed perfectly. Not sure if I need to worry about it. I will keep any eye on things.

On the way back got my partner to drive so I could see how passengers fare. The seats are just soooo comfy, I was asleep in no time!

The car is still giving me immense pleasure and got a number of admiring glances on the motorway.

Anyway back to work tomorrow so my diary will be on hold for a while but any other notable things happen and you will be the first to know.

Total Mileage: 176

Soundtrack: James Blunt - Back To Bedlam

[Pip]

What car magazine pitted the IS250 against the BMW 325i. The BMW came out on top. Just finished reading it, basically it said the driving experience is what let the lexus down. Spec wise the lexus obviously came on top. :)

I personally think the new 3 series is ugly as is the 1 series. I still prefer the old shape IS which is what a few verdicts were, that it was something special to look at.

I will book a test drive just to check out the is250 i think. Not really interested in the car but may as well.

P.S. Saracen, With that music playing i would have thought you may have slit your wrists at the wheel. That Blunt depresses me

[spclements]

Well, you can enter a new destination while driving try this 

there is a way to do it but it is not permanent. It has to be done everytime you start your car.

Press Menu

Press Volume

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Top Left Corner of the Screen

Press the Bottom Left Corner of the Screen

A Menu will come up.

Press and Hold Override for 5 seconds or until you hear a beep

Hit back and you are done, you should be able to enter destinations while driving.

Thank you, US forums.

←

Has anyone actually tried this?

←

I tried this today (Am a new IS 250 SE-L Auto + MM owner from last Friday) and it doesn't work for me :(

Car is a dream though... Can't stop smiling!

Steve.

[saracen]

I tried this today (Am a new IS 250 SE-L Auto + MM owner from last Friday) and it doesn't work for me :(

Car is a dream though... Can't stop smiling!

Steve.

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Steve, welcome to the club. What colour did you go for? Any pics?

[spclements]

Thanks, I went for Astral Black, with Black leather!

I "went Gold" a few weeks ago (when I first signed up to the forum). How come I don't have a Gold banner against my name?

No pics as yet... Maybe soon :)

[saracen]

DAY FIVE

Had a million positive comments about the car from colleagues at work. It definitely has the wow factor. Even given one or two a guided tour, although I did have to kick someone out of the car for having mud on their shoes. :P

I think someone needs to come up with a proper interface for the iPod, while the connection is great I just keep forgetting to turn it off when I leave the car.

I've had two minor problems that quickly rectified themselves. Yesterday the drivers seat belt would not retract automatically but I think I may have yanked it to hard and thus locked it. No matter what I did it would not go back. I decided to start driving and it reset itself once the vehicle started to move. And today for some reason I had to apply a lot of force to the brake pedal to allow me to start the engine. Normally the pedal is very soft and just requires a light tap but today I had to really give it some force before the green light came on that meant I could start the engine. I don't know if this is because I was parked on an incline.

Other than that no other problems to report. I am taking the long route home these days just to spend more time in the car. :D

Total Mileage: 251

Extra miles added as a result of taking "scenic" route home: 14 :P

[Ivan Golac]

Guys, this is ma first post and a I gotta admit. I am jealous as hell.

I have ordered my IS250sport in december and have been advised that it wont be here until March!!

After looking at the photo and comments on here.....not sure I can wait!!!

Wil let you know how it all goes....however so far I have had cracking service from the Lexus Edinburgh Garage!

D

[Eunos800]

Guys, this is ma first post and a I gotta admit. I am jealous as hell.

Why are you jealous...you are getting a new 250 yourself ??

[Ivan Golac]

cos it wont come until march!!!

[hector-uk]

hi, ivan. did you order the Sport in Manual or Automatic??