Is250 Sel/mm On The Way!

[jason61c]

Sounds like the perfect spec, i'm not a fan on DRL's, but I love my cooled seats!

Well done.

[bluenose1940]

Thank you I am mightily pleased with the purchase, I have to admit. My wife knows I am too!!!!!

How remiss of me... I forgot one pic that ireally should have put up

Here it is

The illuminated scuff plate is in its element at night!!

Are your scuff plates illuminated orange? Mine are a very sexy blue!!! They do look good at night though don't they!

[normski2]

Mine are silver/white. What you see is reflection of the interior light at the left hand end, that's what has caused the orangey cast at that end.

I had Blue coloured on my is200.

[F.A.]

Thank you I am mightily pleased with the purchase, I have to admit. My wife knows I am too!!!!!

How remiss of me... I forgot one pic that ireally should have put up

Here it is

The illuminated scuff plate is in its element at night!!

Are your scuff plates illuminated orange? Mine are a very sexy blue!!! They do look good at night though don't they!

Yes they are a nice touch. The colour was changed from blue to white on the MY2009 cars

[F.A.]

Sounds like the perfect spec, i'm not a fan on DRL's, but I love my cooled seats!

Well done.

I wasn't a fan of the DRL's at first but I think they keep the front looking up to date and I prefer the darker headlight surround over the chrome version. Now I wouldn't buy an IS250 without them.

[normski2]

Just over a week of owning the car now. Thoroughly enjoying everything about it and finding new things each day to learn. There really is SO much to take on board...the manuals really are quite large and comprehensive books.

Very impressed with the auto anti glare mirrors..work superbly.

Dipping mirrors on reverse is a great touch.

Directional headlights are really very effective too.

The drive to work is a joy and the engine is just so quiet. All you hear is the tyre noise or wind outside and neither of those are particularly intrusive.

The sound system is very very good indeed. Imaging of instruments around the sound stage within the cab is mightily impressive.

[bluenose1940]

Just over a week of owning the car now. Thoroughly enjoying everything about it and finding new things each day to learn. There really is SO much to take on board...the manuals really are quite large and comprehensive books.

Very impressed with the auto anti glare mirrors..work superbly.

Dipping mirrors on reverse is a great touch.

Directional headlights are really very effective too.

The drive to work is a joy and the engine is just so quiet. All you hear is the tyre noise or wind outside and neither of those are particularly intrusive.

The sound system is very very good indeed. Imaging of instruments around the sound stage within the cab is mightily impressive.

As I have said before normski2, WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE SE-L MULTIMEDIA You will never again settle for anything less!!!

[michaelH]

There was a news item the other day based on an AA members survey (that I cannot trace directly) saying that most motorists see little or no point in many of the gizmos found on modern cars - items picked out for mention as particularly unwanted were heated seats, powered seats, HID headlights, built-in Satnavs and automatic wipers - all of which (and more) comes as standard with the SE-L multimedia.

But I would love to know whether the motorists who dismissed these gizmos had ever actually tried them. When I drove cars with manual transmissions, as I did for over 30 years, I would have said that I would not miss an auto box. But after few minutes with a good one I changed my mind.

Apart from that, I would hate to give up the HIDs in particular, but I might have said otherwise if I hardly ever drove on dark roads at night.

The one gizmo I think is over-rated is the Mark Levinson audio system. I would describe it as ' a good car system, but not really hi-fi.' And I have heard versions of it in at least four different Lexus vehicles. Some instruments (e.g., brass) can sound quite good and it will indeed go pretty loud, but many recordings just don't work on it and I have never, ever, heard anything on it that could fool me into thinking I was hearing live voices or music (or allow me to fool myself), which is what real hi-fi is supposed to be about. I say that only because it is so often hyped up as 'stunning hi-fi'. I would still rather have a Lexus with it than without it!

[Exdee]

I would hate to give up the HIDs in particular, but I might have said otherwise if I hardly ever drove on dark roads at night.

I drive a lot at night too and love Xenon discharge systems but honestly feel that the ones on the is250 are very inferior when compared to the lexus 'standard'. Lexus is known for its quality projectors over the years, the most popular being sc430, ls430 and rx330. Unfortunately they ran out of space on the is250 and hence a projector with a side entry for the bulb was implemented in the headlight design. This has resulted in a narrow beam pattern, uneven light spread, poor cut-off and less intense output.

You really need to drive other cars to appreciate the real beauty of the factory xenons.

[michaelH]

'You really need to drive other cars to appreciate the real beauty of the factory xenons.'

Ah, perhaps that is so, but the HIDs on my IS250 are still much better than any standard halogen lights I have used. And they walk all over the halogens on my wife's Smart four-two (as well they might).

[bluenose1940]

There was a news item the other day based on an AA members survey (that I cannot trace directly) saying that most motorists see little or no point in many of the gizmos found on modern cars - items picked out for mention as particularly unwanted were heated seats, powered seats, HID headlights, built-in Satnavs and automatic wipers - all of which (and more) comes as standard with the SE-L multimedia.

But I would love to know whether the motorists who dismissed these gizmos had ever actually tried them. When I drove cars with manual transmissions, as I did for over 30 years, I would have said that I would not miss an auto box. But after few minutes with a good one I changed my mind.

Apart from that, I would hate to give up the HIDs in particular, but I might have said otherwise if I hardly ever drove on dark roads at night.

The one gizmo I think is over-rated is the Mark Levinson audio system. I would describe it as ' a good car system, but not really hi-fi.' And I have heard versions of it in at least four different Lexus vehicles. Some instruments (e.g., brass) can sound quite good and it will indeed go pretty loud, but many recordings just don't work on it and I have never, ever, heard anything on it that could fool me into thinking I was hearing live voices or music (or allow me to fool myself), which is what real hi-fi is supposed to be about. I say that only because it is so often hyped up as 'stunning hi-fi'. I would still rather have a Lexus with it than without it!

Good morning michaelH, I am very much a 'gizmo' man and I use them all and not just to try them to see if they work. The heated and cooled seats are a godsend in the appropriate weather, leather can get very hot and also very cold. The rear blind is useful too, particularly when the hot sun (yes we do get that sometimes!) is belting through on the rear passengers. I love the auto wipers and headlights and the headlight washers. I could go on but suffice it to say again, I love all of them.

[normski2]

Having come from ordinary ( and I would say very poor.. went back to Lexus twice they were so bad) halogen dipped beam on my 220D the improvement with the HID is for me quite splendid. I find the pattern spread very good and the intensity more than adequate.

Have to say I find the ML in the car really very good. I'm a bit of a HI Fi nut, coming from Linn, Naim, Exposure, Ion etc background. I would never expect a sound like I get in the house for sure. But I do think it is very good. I have two reference discs that I have used for a long time. Namely Roxy Music 'Live at The Apollo 2001' DVD and Penguin Cafe Orchestra Live..'When In Rome' CD. I find the sound really very good. Acker Bilks clarinet on Van Morrison's 'Down The Road' album is superbly rendered in my opinion. Crowd applause can be a good tester...does it sound like clapping hands or a load of rustling plastic bags? I am surprised by the comment that "many recordings just don't work on it".

However, I accept we all hear things differently so I guess this proves it somewhat. Not wishing to appear silly here, but have you tried twiddling with some of the settings? It may make things better for you. When I first got the car the settings were all over the place, Bass was almost off the scale, it vwas horrible. Fade and balance were out of kilter too.

[michaelH]

The ones that don't work very well tend to be classical or choral discs, and that is often so even when parked up quietly. With classical there is also the problem that on the move quiet passages can get partly drowned out by even quite low levels of road and engine noise, but if you turn it up then the next crescendo is too loud.

Nobody examining the discs in my car would realise where my real musical interests lie. No Beethoven in sight. But Bob Dylan is there and the DVDA of 'Rumours' works very well, especially if you crank up the volume.

Linn, Naim, Exposure, Ion eh? I am a Meridian man myself.

[normski2]

Ah classical, that explains a bit then! Lots of quiet passages as you say, then a walloping crescendo to blow your ear drums out!

Meridian eh? Good stuff that is.

I have a four pack mono pre power amp set up from ION SYSTEMS circa 1992. Nothing will make me part with it. I remain in the stereo channel mix!!!

LP12 has now been moved on.

[juicestop]

The ones that don't work very well tend to be classical or choral discs, and that is often so even when parked up quietly. With classical there is also the problem that on the move quiet passages can get partly drowned out by even quite low levels of road and engine noise, but if you turn it up then the next crescendo is too loud.

Nobody examining the discs in my car would realise where my real musical interests lie. No Beethoven in sight. But Bob Dylan is there and the DVDA of 'Rumours' works very well, especially if you crank up the volume.

Linn, Naim, Exposure, Ion eh? I am a Meridian man myself.

Not wishing to hijack the post but . . .

Hi Michael

It's interesting that you say the DVDA (I guess you mean DVD-Audio) of 'Rumours' works very well. I don't have this disc myself, but I do have a couple of Queen DVD-Audio discs. I have to say that these sound great on my 5.1 system at home, but in the car they sound awful. The problem I experience is that, as these discs are already surround sound enabled, the ML system also 'surround sounds' the dics so I end up with two lots of processing in the output. The result being that some of the sounds (think the layered acapellas on Bohemian Rhapsody) are very faint or even disappear completely. I would have thought that the ML system would recognise a DVD-Audio disc and not reprocess the signal. I don't get this problem with a standard DVD.

By the way, really lovely car Normski!

[normski2]

Only have 3 DVD audio discs

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

Doobie Brothers - The Captain & Me

The Corrs - In Blue

They all sound good to me.

Back on topic..... loving the gearbox on this car. A little racey every now and then but I think its me getting to know its workings. It is hellish smooth in its operation.

[michaelH]

yes, a super gearbox. Have you noticed how differently it works in 'ECT power' mode. Not different as in night and day, but def quicker to change down as you touch the brakes.

to overtake when in 6th gear flick the lever to sport mode and floor it. Who said the Is250 was gutless?

[normski2]

yes, a super gearbox. Have you noticed how differently it works in 'ECT power' mode. Not different as in night and day, but def quicker to change down as you touch the brakes.

to overtake when in 6th gear flick the lever to sport mode and floor it. Who said the Is250 was gutless?

No I have not ventured there yet. Noted the buttons though and was intrigued.

I'm still a Rookie, so have only toyed with D and P and R!!!! I would not describe mine as gutless in D, thats for sure!!

[Carl911]

I have owned the is220 for over a year now and have got used to its little quirks.

I have also driven the is250 auto as i had one when mine was in for a service.

One of the reasons I never bought the 250 in the first place was purey down to the mpg book figures.

However, haven driven one and reset the mpg counter I found myself getting 40+ mpg on my daily drive which is A-roads doing around 40-60mph for 45 minutes.

I was quite shocked as I usually only achieve 35-40mpg from the diesel according to the computer.

At that point I started wondering why I bought a diesel.

I did a few tests that day to compare the two including overtaking etc.

Off the mak the 250 is much swifter and smoother due to the lovely gearbox. In fact the gearbox once warm was so smooth I could only tell it was changing by looking at the dash gear change on the digital display.

I would definitely say that the 220 feels a little sharper for over taking between 40-50mph due to the additional torque.

However the impression that was left with me at the end of the day was that the auto box and smooth v6 really completed the car.

This is how a Lexus should always be. As much as I love my 220 I have known since my drive in the 250 that if I'm ever to be completely happy with the is I need the v6 auto which s why I m now trying to sell my bmw330d to fund buying a 250.

My wife drives the 220 mostly now and loves it as do I but my heart is now set on the 250.

This thread is making me feel quite inpatient now- lol

Carl

[normski2]

Have to say I totally agree with what you say.

That turbo on the diesel certainly does what its meant to when you want it.

[normski2]

An interesting aside.. or not depending on your point of view!

Had 2 new Potenzas fitted on the front today along with balance and tracking re-set. Whilst chatting to Pete at the desk he mentioned 'Nitrogen' instead of ordinary air inside the tyres.

Was a little intrigued, and maybe I'm parted with readies too easily, but for £8 for all 4 I've given it a go.

Supposedly they maintain pressure for longer periods. If you need a top up they do it for Free. If you have to have air you can do so and they will re-nitrogen it for you later.

Apparently the ride is smoother and quieter

Some folk have reported an mpg improvement.

Well the ride is definitely quieter and smoother. The rest? Time will tell.

Anyone else tried it?

[smyggy]

I've got some snake oil you can buy too.

[normski2]

Yes, I'm pondering taking off one of the wheels too, to make it more stable!!!! Ala Peter Belt and his weird and silly world of Hi Fi tweeks.

Tomorrow I shall align any screw heads to make sure they all point the same way!! :whistling:

[normski2]

Now, where is my old mate 'Colbecoz'?

Just did a search and he did the same thing some time ago. C'mon Col spill the beans!!

[normski2]

Her indoors has been having a go at driving the car today. She got on very well and found it all very smooth and easy to operate. Now I've had to input a memory setting for her seat!

Think I may have to hide the remote now.