saracen

Aquanuke, I notice in your "garage" that you have the Luxlink remote top and starter, is this something that was easy to fit? Did it come with full instructions? Would a Lexus dealer fit this for me?

Guys, thanks for some great feedback. I am pretty much (95%) made my mind up to getting the SC430. Had some interesting information from a couple of dealers which puts the servicing costs very close to the IS. Plus the fuel consumption is not that much of an issue (i.e. I've managed to convince myself that 300+ is great economy for a car with that engine size...) My current car is due to go back in March next year so I have a bit of time to find the perfect model, although if I see what I'm looking for then I would do a deal tomorrow! I had a look at the import model from Jem but call me a snob but it had a Toyota badge on it! :yack: Just kidding, I didn't fancy the idea of having to pay an additonal £2K to get the sat nav to work over here. In the meantime if anyone sees for sale a good example of an SC in Platinum ice with low mileage please let me know

I too have a 2003 IS Sport which is three years old in March 2006. I've been given a balloon for the current car and I have an IS on order to take delivery in March 2006. I was told by the dealer that details of residuals would be available by the end of next week which will enable them to work out how much deposit, monthly payments etc will be.

I've just had my 50K service on an 2003 Sport and the pads STILL haven't been changed. The dealer did think at 30K that they might need changing but they said in the assessment at the end that they were fine... It might be because I do a lot of motorway miles...

Mole, thanks for the information but the BMW sunroof is £675 and the Lexus is £800. On the whole though you are right, the other comparable models, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are all more expensive than any of their equivalent Lexus trim levels. And the thing that makes them more expensive is when you start to add up the cost of the options. HOWEVER the thing to remember is that BMW et al give you a list of options so for example I could have an automatic diesel with leather. Something that Lexus have omitted in their line up. In my opinion I think there new price structure is a mistake and is also very frustrating. Having said that I have just had a GS300 SE for 24 hours (while my car was being serviced). The car was very powerful and the two things that did it for me were how smooth the car was, the car is very quiet too. And secondly the technology that is in the car is amazing: Smart Entry - v. cool Bluetooth - great Ventilated seats - to keep your bits cool! Sat Nav - the best there is Plus a host of other cool things that make me think that this is one of the best cars there is. When I returned the car I was raving about the how great it was and I was told that a lot of the new technology will either be carried over to the IS or the IS will have an improved version of it (for example the new Sat Nav). Back in March I put a deposit down for an IS but with some of the things that have been said I was starting to have second thoughts but I now think that the IS is going to be a phenomenal car and I will following up on my initial deposit and picking up a new IS250 SE-L with Sat Nav and Auto in March next year.

We also now that Lexus has an IS coupe/convertible on the way. I think that puts them right in the mix :winky: ← Parthiban are you sure about the IS coupe/convertible. I would wait for one of these but so far I've heard nothing about it except for a picture in Autoexpress but it looked "fake".

Im with you saracen. I have only one mod on my SC - locking dust caps! I do a lot of short journeys (3 miles from home to work) and I get about 18mpg / about 200 miles on a tank. I used to have an IS300 and this is only marginally worse for me - I used to get about 230 miles on a tank. I would definately buy from a Lexus dealer for the peace of mind. To me its worth it. ← Cllarky, did you buy your SC from new? If not is there anything I need to look out for when buying a second hand one. Any common faults etc??

I had no plans to modify it. To be honest, and please, please, please don't hate me but I'm not a big fan of modded cars, although I know a lot of guys on LOC are double mad for mods! I know that buying from a dealer is going to add a premium but I want that peace of mind. I don't have the time or patience to have to deal with a private buyer or non Lexus dealer.

Great comments from both The Mole and Tailpipe and I don't disagree that the new IS will be the best in class BUT having said that I still find the pricing high compared with the old IS. Yes I'm aware that there is a lot of new technology in there. I guess like everyone else I just want a good deal. In addition I find the new pricing structure quite confusing. I want a diesel, with leather and auto but this combination is not available on the Sport which I find very frustrating.

Guys thanks again for all the great advice. I'm definitely on the lookout for an SC now. I do have a couple of questions. I'm more inclined to buy from a Lexus dealer just for my own piece of mind. Approved cars come with a 12 month warranty. Is it worth extending the warranty after this time and how much can I expect to spend? In my search for a car is there anything I should be wary of, or anything that I should be looking out for?

I too got a call from Lexus today asking if I could spec my car, they are quite keen for me to order so that I can get my place in the queue. I'm after a diesel sport with Sat Nav which according to the spec that I have received adds up to just over £30K and when I told the dealer this and that I was hesitant to go ahead with the order due to the price she did not disagree. I also think it is very early to be speccing a car that is not out till Q1 next year.

There will also be a brief mention that Lexus wins every major car ownership satisfaction survey and has done for the past few years. But this will be then be dismissed because "Alan Partridge owns one."

Guys thanks for the great advice and feedback. I think I can afford an early version of the car as it is now in the same price bracket as the new IS. I agree with many of the others on here about following your dreams and it's true that I have always wanted one. There are no kids in the household and even now it is rare that I have more than one passenger in my car so the poor back seats shouldn't be a problem. The other half has a Discovery so if there is ever a need for more luggage space for the odd shopping trip that too shouldn't be a problem. I've been out for three drives in three different cars and loved them all... :P I guess now I just need to find my ideal, platinum ice with black leather. I have thought about the Boxster S but my only reservation is that it has a fabric roof. Even though it would be parked way off road I do visit a lot of places and would be worried about leaving it unattended.

Guys I currently drive an IS200 Sport and have ordered a new IS220d Sport for delivery next March. I recently have seen the prices for this car and for the spec I want I'm looking at spending £30k. I'm now thinking of buying an SC430 instead, which has been my dream car for some time, which I think if I search hard can pick up for about the same cash. I'm trying to decide whether I should buy the SC but my main factors are fuel economy and running costs. The other half says that the running costs will be extortionate i.e. servicing, which I think will only be slightly more than the IS. The fuel economy might be an issue but I'd like to hear what others think of the economy of their cars. Thanks in advance for your answers, :)

I have also put £500 down for a new IS diesel but the dealer told me that I could have the money back right up until test driving the car. And thinking about it how can the dealer say that you can't have the cash before you've even driven the car?? If they maintain their stance I would be see the manager and if that fails take it to Trading Standards.

Yes there is an AWD (All Wheel Drive) version of the new IS. But guess what...it is only for the US market...

Maybe the diesel sport has VDIM as standard? Hence the smaller difference? BTW, what is 'Escaine' - is it like Alcantara? ← I understand, from the information that I have, that VDIM will be standard on the IS220 Sport. And that Escaine is like Alcantara.

Yesterday I saw the prices for the IS on the Gold forum and started to think OMG, as I thought the prices were way to high but obviously I hadn't seen the spec. Then this morning I received a letter and "IS preliminary bulletin" from a dealer because I actually ordered a new IS in March and have put down a deposit. The letter says that "pricing is indicative and subject to confirmation prior to launch of the IS250 in November, however Lexus GB do not expect any significant deviation from the information that has been released to the Lexus Centres." The bulletin has details of "indicative pricing, factory options and colour/trim choices." Again my initial thought was this car is way too expensive but having spent the evening looking at the spec, which is very high, and the price of other similar cars i.e. BMW 3 series and let's be honest that is the car the IS has to beat, I think that the pricing is probably spot on. Even back in March I was expecting that the top whack for the car would be £30K with all the extras (Sat Nav, 18" wheels etc,) so I don't find the pricing that much of a surprise but I think I was hoping that it would be lower. I agree with dealer-man about the fact that the pricing is close to what BMW currently charge. Having seen the spec I'm probably going to have one. It has everything I want and the technology seems to be some of the best on the market but obviously I need to drive the car before actually signing on the dotted line. According to the bulletin, Cruise Control is standard, the £2K price is for Adaptive Cruise Control and the Pre-crash system as seen on the GS. I would be more specific about pricing and specs but I'm not sure because I keep seeing "not in the public domain" in various areas on this topic. If I get positive clearance I'd be happy to put more information from the bulletin on here.

Sounds like you got yourself a great car, welcome to the club dude.

I got two in the post :D Mainly because I've registered interest for the new IS with two dealers so I can play one off against the other when it comes to doing a deal on the new motor. I must admit that overall I do like the new car and reading the specs the car should be very good. But putting VDIM on the diesel and not the petrol, what's that all about! And don't even get me started on that gearstick. I'm praying the final version will have something better than the Vauxhall Astra parts reject. I don't know what Lexus are thinking, something as insignificant as the gearstick could actually turn a lot of people off the car, myself included. Although to be honest if I don't have the IS I will start being more thrifty and get myself a GS or RX!

Has anyone seen the commercial for the new RX400h. It's been on the Lexus site for a few days now but it has changed slightly (some of the animation is different as is the spoken copy). The original can be viewed on the www.lexus-europe.com site. Personnally I really like it but it doesn't actually show much of the car. I also like the music they use. I wondered what others thought of it. Does anyone have any idea when it will be shown on TV?

Matt, have to agree with you, the recent new additions to the Lexus range do look great in darker colours. I was blown away when I saw the GS in Athabasca (?) Shale. I've found that most car manufacturers these days are using silver cars in their promotional material. Something to do with it being the best colour to show the car off in. John, what camera did you use to take the pictures, they are of a very good quality.

Yes but did you actually like it?? :winky: Great review John, and even though I've an IS220 on order I'm now tempted by both the new GS and RX400. Lexus what are you doing to me?!!

Just got back from the launch of the new GS at Lexus Leicester. The cars looked fantastic, the pictures certainly don't do the cars justice. Hope some of the features and the styling are carried over into the new IS. I'm sure that most people who have only seen pictures of the IS will be bowled over when they see the car in the flesh.

Just got back from the Lexus Leicester launch of the GS. Even though I'd already seen one GS at the weekend I must admit that now I'm smitten. They had three cars (two GS300 and one GS430) in the showroom, two silver and one Athabasca Shale, which by the way, looked fanstastic under the dealer lights. I think the cars all look amazing and wish I could get one but with only little old me being the main occupant 95% of the time it woudln't make sense to have such a big and powerful car so I've ordered an IS220 which I take delivery of in March 2006! I'm also hoping that many of the features of the new GS will be carried over to the IS. I think Lexus have definitely got it right with their "L-finesse" styling.