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[onnzo]

Hi guys. Really interesting thread. I'm looking for a new car in 6 months time and these prices sound awesome! Pity the car is getting too small for me though (family). I was thinking of something fast/luxurious like an old m5 or Amg but damn they are expensive!

[dis-lex-sic]

Ok what do you think of this.....it is new from the USA

[dis-lex-sic]

Hi guys. Really interesting thread. I'm looking for a new car in 6 months time and these prices sound awesome! Pity the car is getting too small for me though (family). I was thinking of something fast/luxurious like an old m5 or Amg but damn they are expensive!

GS460......just drive one......then tell us all what you think.

[cevu]

Ok what do you think of this.....it is new from the USA

OMG!!! i f**ken love it!

[cevu]

Ok what do you think of this.....it is new from the USA

OMG!!! i f**ken love it!

hopefully with the LFA, ISF and now IS350 it'll shut those Lexus haters up!

For $68400 starting price its the performance bargain of the year!

[Aircon]

Only 5K more than 250??

Awesome!! :)

Makes sense though, the car is essentially the same, just different donk...

have you seen how much Mercedes charges just for a different donk??? hooley dooley!

[ilv1004s]

rofl also

320 price over 335?

bahahah u can get 2 320s for a price of a 335

oh and add the extras on top

nearly same as a bloody isf lol

[DANSLEX]

Lexus is good value for money for sure!

[Lexus Nerd]

Details finally avaiable on the Lexus Australia Website:

http://www.lexus.com.au/model/is350/

Price: Melbourne from $72,164 driveaway

NSW from $71,072 plus CTP

F-Sport (dis-lex-sic's pick) add $7350

[JML]

WOW!!!!

Can't wait to see the IS350 in the dealership in Jan for my service and see how much for a change over will be :)

The price on both the F-Sport and SL is very - VERY attractive :) :) :)

[Atlantis]

dis-lex-sic where and when can we meet? I want one.

[applebyte]

Hey guys,

New here, thought I'd join because of the IS 350. Insanely good value, looking to upgrade from my Audi A4 early next year (Jan-Feb).

Never bought a lexus before. Does anyone know how well they bargain with you? (not that the 350 needs any bargaining, just against paying RRP for anything!)

Cheers.

[ilv1004s]

id say next year you'll have a good chance of getting it nice and cheap

usually a new model car they do not like negotiation on it

[applebyte]

id say next year you'll have a good chance of getting it nice and cheap

usually a new model car they do not like negotiation on it

Cheers mate,

I bought my Audi only a few months after it was released (B8), and got offered 13% discount. Should I expect similar?

And also, any rumours of an updated IS coming out? Does lexus work on a 7 year cycle?

Thanks.

[DANSLEX]

Given it would have just come out, I doubt any dealer (of any car manufacturer) would be that keen to significantly drop the rrp price. Always worth a try but.

[Sapphire Cam]

id say next year you'll have a good chance of getting it nice and cheap

usually a new model car they do not like negotiation on it

Cheers mate,

I bought my Audi only a few months after it was released (B8), and got offered 13% discount. Should I expect similar?

And also, any rumours of an updated IS coming out? Does lexus work on a 7 year cycle?

Thanks.

Yeah typically a 7 year cycle, but not a given. Lexus Australia have nearly all their new releases in the last quarter of the year. I would be therefore be expecting an all-new IS range in October 2012. That's just my guess. I think the 350 and its incredibly impressive pricing is an aggressive move by Lexus Oz to get some people to consider a switch from the Euro-marques and into the Lexus stable in the hope that they'll change over to the all-new IS in 2013 and beyond.

How's the Audi going? Latest is certainly an improvement on previous models. I was very close to getting a 2006 1.8T model, even to the point of sitting down in the office and talking prices with them, but fought with the dealer over a massive options bill, and I was still wasn't quite sold on the ride (worrying turbo lag and understeer and sloppy suspension) and at the last minute was dragged by a friend into the Lexus dealership around the corner to check out the IS250. Considering the features I wanted in the Audi (54k +15k options bill!!) I could get in the Lexus as standard, plus far better driving dynamics. I bought one the following week!

Re. discount - you'll struggle til mid next year I think. I think Lexus will not be prepared for the demand, especially with the good finance Lexus can offer as well (through Japan and much lower rates than here!) and therefore you'll see a long waiting list (for Lexus that is!). Might be able to get a few grand off next year.

[Aircon]

according to the lexus website in Melbourne driveaway for an

IS350SL $89,484.70

IS250SL $84,234.70

I can't find any mention of radar cruise on the 350...surely it would have it.

[DANSLEX]

There is a mention about radar cruise on the IS350, on the website.

[applebyte]

Re. discount - you'll struggle til mid next year I think. I think Lexus will not be prepared for the demand, especially with the good finance Lexus can offer as well (through Japan and much lower rates than here!) and therefore you'll see a long waiting list (for Lexus that is!). Might be able to get a few grand off next year.

Thanks for the post Sapphire Cam. Yeah I don't expect much of a discount, but perhaps things are different, because I know they are doing deals and are experiencing a dip in sales of the IS, and the 350 isn't an entirely new model, just a different engined version.

The Audi is going well, got the 2.0 multitronic... a very comfortable, solid car, but obviously has no performance at all. I also hate that transmission and hesitates madly on take off. I hope the lexus' auto is better. I also like how lexus cars come with everything you'd want as standard.

Also, what's the go with Lexus finance? Good interest rates? I think I should look into a novated lease as I got FBT exemption (of around $10,000) due to where I work. Having never done it before, I'm not sure how well they work out.

[Aircon]

There is a mention about radar cruise on the IS350, on the website.

I need to learn how to read!

Active Cruise ControlIn addition to conventional cruise control, the IS 350 Sports Luxury model features a vehicle-to-vehicle distance monitoring technology known as Active Cruise Control (ACC).8 Just enter your preferred cruising speed using the touch controls on the steering wheel and the IS 350 maintains this speed until the radar detects another vehicle in your path. ACC then reduces your speed accordingly, automatically applying the brakes if needed.

[Lexus Nerd]

Thanks for the post Sapphire Cam. Yeah I don't expect much of a discount, but perhaps things are different, because I know they are doing deals and are experiencing a dip in sales of the IS, and the 350 isn't an entirely new model, just a different engined version.

I ordered my new 250 in May, and got <10% discount at a time when the factory bonus offer (forming part of the overall discount) hasn't been as good since. So I think 13% discount is unlikely at any time of the year. I agree with Sapphire Cam and others with respect to the likely timing of a discount on the 350.

Also, what's the go with Lexus finance? Good interest rates? I think I should look into a novated lease as I got FBT exemption (of around $10,000) due to where I work. Having never done it before, I'm not sure how well they work out.

Lexus Financial Services offered around 10.3% back in June - which is rather good for a specialist car financer, although some financial institutions (e.g. credit unions) might offer better. Lexus sometimes offers far better finance offers (<5%), but these appear to be just a form of factory bonus and are unlikely to be available with a newly-released model. But see what Lexus of Brisbane can offer you, as their last such offer was available across the entire Lexus range earlier this year, when such an offer wasn't available in other states.

The benefit, if any, of a novated lease will depend on (roughly in descending order of importance):

- How far you drive each year

- How much you earn

- Whether your employer will pass on the benefit of an input tax credit on the purchase of the vehicle to you

- Whether the salary packaging provider can offer a fleet-type discount on the purchase price

- The flexibility of the salary packaging provider:

-- Whether they will allow you to source the best finance deal from any lender you want, or whether you must use their finance company at their prescribed rates

-- Whether they will allow post-tax contributions to reduce the FBT liability (this is useful only in some circumstances)

-- How much of the service and maintenance items they are willing to package (especially fuel)

-- Whether any fleet-type discounts are available on service and maintenance

Most salary packaging providers can provide you with a quote to show you whether or not you'll benefit from their services. Just make sure their calculation considers all of the above factors, and that your own calculations consider benefits you may be getting if you DON'T go with a novated lease (e.g. a good trade-in price on your Audi).

[DANSLEX]

I got my IS250 on a novated lease, in my opinion (and for my circumstances) it is the best way to finance a car. End of the day, my tax savings offset the interest on the lease completely, and a lot of the depreciation as well.

Basically, the more expensive a car, the more kays you have to do. With a car such as a Lexus, which costs a bit $$, you really have to do 25K kays a year, minimum.

Generally the way FBT works, if you do over 25K kays per annum, 11% of the car's value will be taxable. So if you buy a car for say 55K, (5K GST is claimed by leasing company), you finance the 50K, and the taxable value for FBT is 5.5K (11% x 50K). Stamp duty and rego isn't included. (it is 20% for between 15K and 25K kays, and 26% if below 15K kays.)

Doing post-tax contributions towards the running cots of the car, will directly reduce the taxable value. So for each dollar spent, the taxable value will come down by a dollar. Doing 25K kays per annum, you'd probably spend:

3K on fuel

1K on insurance

1.5K on maintence/tyres etc

500 on rego

and so on. So that's 6K spent already, which means the 5.5K taxable value is reduced to nil. No FBT.

In the meantime, you salary sacrifice your lease payments and you save heaps on tax that way. A good benefit is that the resale amount will be much higher than the residual value at the end of the lease, so you'll find when you sell the car, you will pocket a bit of $$, and that will offset your total net of tax lease payments, effectively offseting the depreciation I mentioned above.

Tax bracket wiose, it will work even if you're in the 30% tax bracket (i.e. below 80K per annum), though you will get a better benefit the hgiher the tax bracket.

Lastly, if you car's value is above the luxury car tax threshold of $57,375 (net of GST), the car will be treated differently in your employer's books for tax, so there may be a slight reduction in your tax benefit.

My 2 cents.

[dis-lex-sic]

OK I've had a good drive...a really good drive.

Photos from my drive

Eeny meeny miny mo......IS-F IS350 IS250..all to drive & compare.

Ready to launch

Good roads for a test

F-Sport is hot

I'll put some more words to these when I get a bit more time.

Someone on here was clever & will be on the road in their 350 soon..And I don't mean me???

Also LEX51S did you get any good photos to put up in the motorshow thread.....surely with a great camera you got some great shots.

[LEX51S]

Sure did. Ill post them up soon.

[JML]

Seeing those pics of the IS350 F-Sport is very nice

You and the others must have had an excellent time driving all of those wonderful cars :)