Difference Between Is250 Models?

[sprinter2012]

I may be looking at swapping my IS200 for an IS250 in the not too distant future. But I need some advice on model specs, in particular interior trim.

I'm not keen on the SE-L as I don't like the cream leather or wood trim, and I'm not that fussed about having built in sat nav.

I really like the look of the SR with it's additional exterior styling, it is however a shame that none of them seem to have been bought with the 18" wheel upgrade. But my main problem with the SR is that from what I can see in pictures, it only comes in fabric seat trim and they are manually adjusted?

This isn't a deal breaker for me as I'm the only person that drives my car, so once the seat is in position it stays there. But do you also lose stuff like the heating a cooling features on the seats too? And does the SR have sport suspension too, or is it only the Sport that has that?

The Sport seems to have the best all round spec with the half leather seats and sport suspension. But then you lose the exterior styling of the SR which is the biggest selling point for me on the new IS range.

What would be really useful is one of those model spec cross referencing charts, but from 2009 when the SR was still available to buy new so I can compare directly.

Advice and opinions please...

[F.A.]

The SR which was made in 2008 before the first facelift does not come with sports suspension and was based on the base model so only comes with manual fabric seats. It comes with heated but NOT cooled seats

The sport comes with velour seats and not half leather.

Sounds to me like the perfect model for you would be and SE with the GFX body kit and upgraded 18" wheels. This would give you a full leather interior with heated and cooled seats, the body kit on the SR and the plastic trim in the interior instead of the wood They are about but you have to keep an eye out.

[sprinter2012]

Personally I'd prefer the velour seats, thanks for clearing up what they actually are on the Sport by the way. As I wear jeans a lot, the little metal poppers etc. on the back pockets would ruin the leather.

Is the GFX the same bodykit as the one on the SR then? I'm not in a mad rush so I'll just keep searching untiil I find one in the right spec :)

What kit do you have on yours by the way? The front bumper looks awesome!

[F.A.]

Yes the GFX (Ground Effects) kit was fitted to the SR models, along with the sport metal pedals to make a 'runout' special edition model before the facelift model arrived, for the 09 Model Year.

My bumper is the standard 2011 Model Year face lift bumper with the F-SPORT front spoilers added to it. I had this fitted along with the rear boot spoiler (that is fitted to the SR models) when I bought the car.

[sprinter2012]

Aah right yes I've seen those new F-Sport ones, they have been out for a while in America, but only came here for 2012 I think?

Do you know if the F-Sport front spoilers are available seperately? And if they fit pre-facelift models?

It's the wider front bumper and boot spoiler I really want, the side skirts can come later.

Did the bumpers change at all for the facelift models? i.e. would the F-Sport spoilers fit a pre-2009 car?

[F.A.]

The new F Sport front was released here in late 2010 on the 2011 Model Year cars.

The F Sport front spoilers are available here. I had them fitted to mine as part of the deal, but they were around the £300 mark. The front bumper is no wider than the pre facelift cars, but the bumper did change again in 2010 so these F Sport front spoilers will not fit any of the pre face lifted cars. I think you would need to change the whole bumper and grill to get them to fit on a pre face lift car.

It is also worth noting that the 2nd Gen IS was face lifted 3 times. The 2nd gen original model was first face lifted for the 2009 Model Year and came with new front bumper and grill. As a result, the GFX front spoiler you've seen on the SR kit will not fit these cars. Lexus did release a new front spoiler for these cars, but I have only ever seen them fitted on the American forums, so I am not sure if they were available here.

The 2nd face lift was for the 2011 MY which as already mentioned had new bumpers again.

[sprinter2012]

Goodness this is getting confusing now...lol

Sorry when I said wider front bumper I meant with the F-Sport corner spoilers fitted.

Right so from what I understand, and forgive me if I'm wrong as 1st gen IS's are more my area of expertise. :)

F-Sport addons can only be fitted to 2011+ models

The 2009post-facelift - 2011pre-facelift models are a sort of no man's land?

And the GFX kit will only fit 2006 - 2009pre-facelift models (basically up until the SR stopped being made?)

[F.A.]

OK. so, the GFX kit comprises of the Front Spoiler, Side Skirts and Rear Skirt.

The side skirts will fit all years of the 2nd Gen IS's.

The rear skirt will fit all years of the 2nd Gen IS250's but not the IS220d due to that model only having one exhaust.

It is the front spoiler which is year specific. so the original 2nd Gen IS can have the front spoiler that you have seen fitted to the SR models. The 1st face lifted model, MY2009-2010 does have a front spoiler, but I have never seen it fitted over here. You could probably get a part number and find out if it is available though. The 2nd face lifted model. MY2011-2012 can have the F Sport front spoilers fitted to it like I have done.

On top of this, there have been two official boot spoilers. The one from the SR models and also the one fitted to the F-Sport models, which is the same boot spoiler fitted to the ISF. Both of these can be fitted to all years

Oh, the F Sport models which replaced the Sport model from 2010 do come with half leather and half alcantara seats. The sport model comes with full alcantara seats as mentioned previously.

[sprinter2012]

Thank you very much for that, very helpful :)

I don't think my budget will stretch to a MY2011+ model, so I'll have to find myself a pre-MY2009 model and probably end up fitting the GFX kit myself at a later date, as that will make finding a model with a spec/interior I like much easier.

Thanks again for some very useful posts!

[japthree]

Can someone tell me what MY in the year model means?

[sprinter2012]

Can someone tell me what MY in the year model means?

It just stands for Model Year :)

[japthree]

Silly me!

[Tegs200]

Just to add the SR does come with the sport suspension and not the standard one.

[japthree]

.....It is also worth noting that the 2nd Gen IS was face lifted 3 times. The 2nd gen original model was first face lifted for the 2009 Model Year and came with new front bumper and grill. As a result, the GFX front spoiler you've seen on the SR kit will not fit these cars. Lexus did release a new front spoiler for these cars, but I have only ever seen them fitted on the American forums, so I am not sure if they were available here.The 2nd face lift was for the 2011 MY which as already mentioned had new bumpers again.

When and what was included / changed in the 3rd facelift?