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Lexus In Australia


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Hi,

There seems to be a lot of people who have bought their Lexus IS250 from Lexus of Brighton. Is that a big dealership in Melbourne? or it is only one of two (the other being Lexus of Melbourne?)

LOB is the biggest, but there are two others, City Lexus and Lexus of Blackburn. Lexus of Blackburn was my first choice, but on the day I went in to do the deed, cheque book in hand, the sales manager peed me off so much with his arrogance, I drove straight to Brighton and ordered from them. Fortunately, no buyer's remorse yet, but that may come as Lexus of Blackburn is 15 mins from my office and home and Lexus of Brighton about 30 mins from home and 45 from my office.

On the bright side I will be in the car longer :driving: to the dealership for the free car washes.

W00t !!!

Just picked up my IS250 Sports with Enhancement pack from Brighton Lexus.

Silver with Black interior and man can I say I am totally wrapped with this car :)

Very jealous. I only get my silver/black sport luxury model from Brighton on 24-Feb. I saw a silver IS250 on Canterbury Road, Canterbury yesterday. Could that have been you? Also saw a Black one today corner of Toorak and Burke near where I live.

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Hi,

I have read a bit about the Encore program from the Lexus Aust site, but it doesn't really say what you really get in NSW. I know you get roadside assistance and the loan car.

What other real benefits are there? Opera House parking is a well know one but what else??

thanks

Bob.

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I am still the driving the hell out of my new IS 250. I picked it up on Christmas Eve and have done just over 2500km since. Its running like a treat still and I'm getting really fantastic mileage out of it - about 650km per tank which I think is slightly above the rating.

For Bobcat's info, I have the Sport Luxury model in Graphite with light grey leather interior. I bought mine from Lexus of Chatswood from a guy called Kevin Yeung. The whole experience was top notch. Kevin has called me twice since the delivery to see how I'm liking the new car.

I think you're going to struggle getting any kind of discount on either the Prestige or Sports Luxury as I've heard the same story as Tony. Mine is through a novated lease with a fleet leasing company owned by one of the major banks and I work for one of the largest companies in Australia, with all of that, the driveaway price was discounted about 3-4%. I also ordered mine, site unseen as a pre-order.

My mate went in to Lexus of Parramatta last week and was told that they are getting further and further backed up and aren't offering any discounts on the entire IS range. Apparently if you order now, delivery is looking like late April/early May in some cases. I'm sure if you wave a chequebook around that will get shorter, but my mate was told the same thing as Tony, they are selling a couple cars a day and at the moment are getting less per month in new stock than they are selling.

The only thing on the car I would change would be with the front end, its a bit too close to the ground and grinds alot. Oh yeah, and I'm a bit cheesed with the lack of voice recognition for climate and audio controls. Other than that, the car rocks. Its amazing the number of people who stare at the car. I was at Bunnings on the weekend and was backing out of the parking lot and this guy was walking with his wife, two kids and a third in a pram he was pushing. As I was backing out he was fixating on the car and literally walked his pram right into a parked ute. It was like a scene from a commercial.

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Well, I have more or less made a decision to buy an IS, however the only thing I'm not too happy with with the IS250 is its' pickup :unsure: .

My Accord Euro has more get up and go than the IS and that's with a smaller engine and less power (140kW).

The torque is the problem with the IS250, there's just not enough, overtaking and getting clear of cars means the beautifully smooth auto box has to drop 2 or 3 gears, which does take time. So, I have decided to wait until later in the year when the IS350 is released. In the meantime I will be green with envy as I read all of your experiences with your new IS250s! :crybaby:

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So, I have decided to wait until later in the year when the IS350 is released.

V IS 350 is still available at http://www.vplates.com.au/euplateorders.htm.

In your shoes I would go for it now pending release of the IS350.

:sick: I will have to stick with the IS250, at AU$86,000.00 that blew my budget. Ordered it two weeks ago and my wife has only just started talking to me again. :winky:

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So, I have decided to wait until later in the year when the IS350 is released.

V IS 350 is still available at http://www.vplates.com.au/euplateorders.htm.

In your shoes I would go for it now pending release of the IS350.

I had checked it was avaialble, but, I'm not sure of IS350, I was thinking of my own initials, either way I'll definitely go with the Euro plates, they look much nicer.

:sick: I will have to stick with the IS250, at AU$86,000.00 that blew my budget. Ordered it two weeks ago and my wife has only just started talking to me again. :winky:

I know where you're coming from mate, It's under pain of death that I buy a new car this year! but I really need one :winky:

I'm sure my wife will come round, as yours has. Just let her drive the car more often. As you already know, it pampers the driver.

Slightly off topic, I've had some replies from Lexus Australia on voice commands for climate control and sat nav. Apparently there are plans to introduce full audio commands in the future when the Australian system is more fully developed (it was too complicated to implement everything immediately).

RDS (for the radio) is unlikely to become available, not really a biggy, but I like the fact theat the Euro cars show the name of the FM station that you are listening to.

Cheers,

Georgea.

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either way I'll definitely go with the Euro plates, they look much nicer.

Not only much nicer, but exactly wide enough (520mm) to cover that ruddy great piece of black plastic that is attached to the front bumper.

Slightly off topic, I've had some replies from Lexus Australia on voice commands for climate control and sat nav. Apparently there are plans to introduce full audio commands in the future when the Australian system is more fully developed (it was too complicated to implement everything immediately).

Did they say if this will only be available in new models or retro-fittable to older IS250s as a firmware upgrade or a new DVD?

RDS (for the radio) is unlikely to become available, not really a biggy, but I like the fact theat the Euro cars show the name of the FM station that you are listening to.

An alternative would be for Lexus to program the system to allow the user to add the station name as a tag to the station band/frequency once via the keyboard and then display it when needed.

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In australia new luxury sports cars are very expensive one motor magazine said the IS350 will be here and of 2006 aus. is getting the GS460,RX350 and the LS460 this year

Wheels january magazine has a road test on IS250 they like and feb.mag, has the IS250 against the BMW325 TESTS. worth reading.

Most of the mag,testers always winge about cars that have less than 250bhp they want more power i remember one mag, testers own car was a hyundai exell.

Police have speed cameras on all major highways and main roads, tunnels and bridges

Some of our local cars have 400bhp plus in a falcon ute deadly game.

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Good to see all the happy Aussie IS250 owners. And if you work for a large company, make sure to check if your company has an agreement with Lexus. Mine did, and I get 3 years of free scheduled servicing for the price of a quick phone call.

And there is a 4th Lexus dealer in Vic, it's Lexus of Wyndham.

I agree with Skaye, sales of IS250s are going gangbusters. When I bought mine in early December, the sales manager had 2 piles of paperwork behind him. One was for IS250 sales, the other was for all other vehicle sales that month. Needless to say, the IS250 pile was 3 times the height of the other pile. I think discounts will be difficult to get, but be persistent and be prepared to haggle hard - I did and I got a decent deal out of it.

Hope to see all the fellow Sydney IS250 owners (now that I've relocated).

Btw Georgea, the IS350 is in a different league to the Accord Euro. I just recently returned from a quick trip to the US, and heck, that thing's a speed demon. Bum in seat impression was that it was faster than my friend's 330i. Hope they bring it over soon :)

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Did they say if this will only be available in new models or retro-fittable to older IS250s as a firmware upgrade or a new DVD?

Hi TonyDownunder, Lexus said that they said that they are unaware of the timing and method by which this system will become available. As such they were unable to provide a more specific answer.

Btw Georgea, the IS350 is in a different league to the Accord Euro. I just recently returned from a quick trip to the US, and heck, that thing's a speed demon. Bum in seat impression was that it was faster than my friend's 330i. Hope they bring it over soon :)

I know mate, the IS350 is in a completely different league than my Accord Euro. The IS20 seems a little sluggish when compare to the Accord Euro, especially in the 70kmh to 100kmh range. I look forward to its' arrival. Hopefully it wont be too late in 2006.

Well gents, the Victoria IS350 registration is officially taken :D

Some other :tsktsk: has taken my initials 001 this weekend so to avoid any further disappointment I snagged the IS350 plate.

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hey guys, although i'm not from Australia i have been reading this thread for awhile and interested with all of the comments made, they have been very helpful.

Congrats to all of you who have the new lexus, but i was hoping if you could tell me whether the Sports model comes in Auto or in Manual alone, as it is still very uncertain here in the UK and i am getting very mixed reports as to whether the Auto will be an option in the Sport.

Thanks for any help

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Well, I have more or less made a decision to buy an IS, however the only thing I'm not too happy with with the IS250 is its' pickup :unsure: .

My Accord Euro has more get up and go than the IS and that's with a smaller engine and less power (140kW).

The torque is the problem with the IS250, there's just not enough, overtaking and getting clear of cars means the beautifully smooth auto box has to drop 2 or 3 gears, which does take time. So, I have decided to wait until later in the year when the IS350 is released. In the meantime I will be green with envy as I read all of your experiences with your new IS250s! :crybaby:

Is the IS250 really that bad in power comparing to the Accord Euro of 140kw ? Have you got the POWER button on when testing it ?

hey guys, although i'm not from Australia i have been reading this thread for awhile and interested with all of the comments made, they have been very helpful.

Congrats to all of you who have the new lexus, but i was hoping if you could tell me whether the Sports model comes in Auto or in Manual alone, as it is still very uncertain here in the UK and i am getting very mixed reports as to whether the Auto will be an option in the Sport.

Thanks for any help

The Sport model comes with either Manual or Auto with the price difference of A$2600. You can view it HERE yourself.

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Is the IS250 really that bad in power comparing to the Accord Euro of 140kw ? Have you got the POWER button on when testing it ?

Hi NetOne, Yes, it does. When you mentioned the POWER button I guess you are talking about the automatic, the manual car doesn't have this and the car does need to be rowed along a little with the gear lever. I think one of the reason for this is the Lexus is a heavier car (nearly 200kg).

Cheers,

Georgea

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Hi,

Has anyone used a car broker to get the best deal on a car?

Any thoughts if they are any good, or anyone you could recommend from your experience.

thanks

Bob

Car broker never get you the best deal nor average deal. But they will save you all the hassle in buying the car. They will deliver the car to your door without having you stepping out of your house.

Getting the best deal always depends on your dealing skill, luck and the best salesperson/manager (these people can decide on price) of the dealer you're going to. Never deal with new salesperson or anyone works there less than ONE year, sorry for the new salesperon. Just haggle it hard and show them the money, you might need to go there more than once to win the deal. I heard the best Lexus salesperson in Australia is in Lexus of Sutherland, I can find out the person's name if you need to know.

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Thanks for the info NetOne.

Yes, when I contacted one of the brokers, he could only give me a quote of $61,300 on the road for the Prestige Auto+sunroof. Which is just the list price, I told him so and he said he would get back to me.

If a dealer cannot do further cash discounts, and as the offical options on the lexus is limited, what type of things have you managed to get them to throw in ?

- window tinting?

- free carwashes?

- towbar?

- a smile?

- ....

Anyone managed to option up bigger wheels for the Prestige??

thanks and Happy Australia Day everyone!!!

Bob

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Anyone managed to option up bigger wheels for the Prestige??

Bigger wheels look better - no doubt, but the ride is not as comfortable as the 16" and the cost of tyre replacement and frequency is much higher. In the US they warn that the tyres on the 18" rims have a limited life.

In my case on an IS250 Sport Luxury, I got window tint, lifetime wash, competitive Lexus Car Insurance and a good trade-in on a 5yo Volvo S60 2.4T.

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Thanks for the info NetOne.

Yes, when I contacted one of the brokers, he could only give me a quote of $61,300 on the road for the Prestige Auto+sunroof. Which is just the list price, I told him so and he said he would get back to me.

If a dealer cannot do further cash discounts, and as the offical options on the lexus is limited, what type of things have you managed to get them to throw in ?

- window tinting?

- free carwashes?

- towbar?

- a smile?

- ....

Anyone managed to option up bigger wheels for the Prestige??

thanks and Happy Australia Day everyone!!!

Bob

Totally agree with TonyDownunder about the wheel. If you opt for the look then will have to spend more money in the future and also sacrifice the comfort of the ride.

There are hundred of tricks when it comes to negotiation, and as I've said that also depends on luck, the mood, the salesperson and the time etc. If a dealer cannot do further cash discounts and you think that's reasonable then try to throw in something that are not absurd, ie cost few hundreds not thousands. At least it's most likely that you can get those things for half the price such as window tinting etc.

Good luck

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  • 2 weeks later...

Its interesting Georgea mentions about sluggishness. Having driven my IS250 now for 6 weeks, I have the complete and utter opposite perspective. I find the IS250 is a bit slower off the line (0-40) than other cars I've driven, but from 50 on up the thing moves like lightning. Its probably my biggest complaint about the car is that I hardly notice the accelleration between 50 and 120 and often find myself doing 110 in 80 zones. Personally, I think the auto transmission is impressively tuned for top end accelleration. I'm not a race car driver or anything, so I have no real idea what I'm talking about other than my own impressions over the last six weeks and 4000kms.

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Hi guys,

i havent seen much action on this forum for a few weeks.

Thankyou for your help, I am a proud owner of a black/black prestige (with window tint) and looking forward to delivery early March.

Very exciting indeed,. I have been on a keen lookout for the IS on the road but see only very few.

I hope you all are enjoying each daily experiences with your own IS250.

Bob.

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Hi guys,

i havent seen much action on this forum for a few weeks.

Thankyou for your help, I am a proud owner of a black/black prestige (with window tint) and looking forward to delivery early March.

Very exciting indeed,. I have been on a keen lookout for the IS on the road but see only very few.

I hope you all are enjoying each daily experiences with your own IS250.

Bob.

Is the tint after sales or factory?

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The tinting would be dealer fitted, (not factory).

Did anyone consider the extended warranty, I think it is an extra 3 years for about $1800. Not sure if it gets transferred if the car is sold.

Yea, I got the extended warranty for extra piece of mind. We managed to get the extra 3 years for $1300 which I thought wasn't too bad. The main reason for getting it is related to all the electronics and electrical fittings in the car. One of them breaks down, and you're looking at a hefty repair bill :(

As a comparison, extending the 2(!) year standard warranty on a BMW 325i was $1000 for ONE year! :(

Still loving the car, just cleaned it again today and it still looks damned hot :)

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