FrankyX

Just wanting to give a little update on the past few weeks of driving the new 3IS. I have discovered a few little annoyances, but can easily be forgotten by the way this car drives and handles. The small negativities, are just that. They are small but annoying. Firstly, while the boot is bigger, the issue is that the boot hinges are not hidden therefore when you go to close the boot it hits anything in its way and will not close. The 2IS had a perfect set up. Secondly, i know i have mentioned it before, but the positioning of the cup holders is ridiculous. I, like anyone, enjoy a coffee or a bottle of water, but don't try to use the remote touch at the same time there is something in the cup holders. The positioning is very poor and awkward. This leads into my next point; where the cup holders are positioned, it makes for such a small centre console storage. With an iPod and sunglasses stored inside, there is almost no more room for anything else. And getting anything out is also awkward. It doesn't slide all the way back like the 2IS. Having said that the car is an amazing piece of machinery. After only 1500km on the clock, i am blown away every day by how much of a step up it is on the 2IS by the way it handles, the technology, speed, brakes, comfort etc etc etc. The 2IS is an amazing car, i loved my '08 250 X for 5 years, but the improvements are too good to ignore. I took it out early this morning for a drive up to Wisemans Ferry (strongly recommended), switch into sports mode+ and it was ready to take on the winding roads. It easily pounces on a slow truck and effortlessly gets around; out of every corner is quick and ready for the next one. Oh and that sound is just beautiful. It is so deep and throaty. The driving seat position is perfect and super comfortable, especially the F Sport seats. They hug you perfectly with very little if any roll at all. Above all the little negatives and annoyances, it is an amazing car and definitely no regrets in the upgrade. I am amazed that I am not seeing them on the road yet. I've seen only one other in Sydney on Friday; that's it. It would be interesting to see the numbers they are selling and how they compare to the 2IS.

Going off the 3IS set up (not sure if same for 2IS), you need to set the mirror while in reverse to where you want it to tilt to. Then you will need to save this to your seat position memory.

Yes, the reps are only being given a guide to work with. Most of the time they wont have to negotiate much at all due to the demand. I know the rep you are talking about and he wasn't too impressed when i said that i bought elsewhere, but hey, gots to look after oneself. Also, with the falling dollar, i would only expect pricing to edge higher if the dollar gets back to 80c. I also thought of the CLA45, but it is a much smaller car and not really a direct comparison. The 3IS was a winner for me and a no brainer.

Well I suppose it is all relative to what you feel and expect. Me, i was coming out of a 2IS 250, therefore hoping into a 3IS 350 is a significant improvement in power. From a 2IS 350, which i have driven as loan car, the 3IS does seem a little big sluggish compared but am going to hold my judgement for now. People may say that modern engines do not need the same break in as the older ones, but there is something about a modern car with 10,000km on it as opposed to less than 500km. I will hold my judgement until the first service and feel that there is nothing more to get out of the car. Yes the 3IS is slightly heavier (65kg); and with the same times (0-60mph). i can assure you that you are getting so much more than a new look, handling and instrumentation. I thought the same initially, it was going to be a dressed up, quicker version of my previous car (2008 2IS IS250X), but it is so so much more. Also note, that the change over is not going to get any better. The more you wait, the more your current car will depreciate and i am sure they will hold pricing on the 3IS firm while the demand is there for at least the next 6-12 months. Unfortunately cars don't make money. May be better off selling privately. I secured mine for a pretty good price. I wasn't bothered with the hassle of selling privately and I ended up trading in and played around with the final figures, but this was the initial price i was given drive away for a IS350 F Sport with moonroof in starlight black. Good luck :)

Nice. its good to hear that function is working...........just wondering how would the system collect the live traffic data? where is it linked to ? It uses radio frequencies, I checked mine at the time and I was using Mix 106.5.

The live traffic is spot on. On the M2 this morning and the traffic markers were exactly where the traffic started and the notification changed from red to yellow when it started to flow again. Very impressive

Just a couple of quick snaps from this arvo after another beautiful day of driving.

Firstly big thanks goes out to @dis-lex-sic at Sydney City, car was wrapped up and presented perfectly. Impeccible service, as expected. Before even driving out, and going through a brief overview of the system, i was blown away by how quickly all my phone contacts, call history etc was uploaded. It was instant and no down time. Also the bluetooth media/music was impressivly quick also. Plugged in the iPod into the USB and am very happy with detailed search options. It allows for a more direct search of artists etc. Plus it syncs the album artwork and shows on the screen. A nice touch and a major improvement over the 2IS system. A current Lexus owner understands and appreciates the quality of the current sound systems, especially the ML systems... HOWEVER, this new 15 speaker 835w ML system just blows it away. It is a deeper yet crisper sound. Just perfect! The interior is stunning and is a pleasure to look at while driving, the LFA instrumentation looks fantastic and the detail behind the dials is great. I am so impressed with the comfort of the bucket seats and the overall driving position. There is so much more head room now that the seats go lower than previous. It feels completely different from the 2IS. Driving off, i'd be lying if i said i didn't have high expectations. With only 10km on the clock, i could feel it was a little tight and will take some time to show its real potential, but it totally met my expectations. It jumps well off the mark and responds quickly when you put the foot down. Oh and that sound... it is soooo sexy!!! Heading down the M2 on a Saturday, not much traffic and time to use the drive modes, set in Normal, it is just that, normal and comfortable, not ready to pounce but just nice. In Eco mode it just seems to float and is beautifully smooth on the freeway. Off the M2 and kick into Sports S+ mode and wow, you can feel it instantly tighten up the suspension and steering and is ready to pounce. When i got back home i had to put the baby seat back in and heading out for the day with the little one in the back, you can see that there is so much more room in the back. It is amazing how much bigger the legroom is. Well, all this after only half a day of owning it, i am completely blown away! Yet to discover so much more and experience it day in day out. But! And yes there are a few but's... The remote touch is slow and a little frustrating, it has never been one of my favourite features of a Lexus. I'd rather just touch the screen. Another thing, i noticed there was a bit of a lag between switching between screens and general browsing. Pretty slack actually, surely this could be updated with a firmware update maybe? I've made it known before, the headlight washers... don't like them. But seeing the LFA at Chatswood on Monday, this has them also, however they are colour matched. Maybe this could be an option? Centre console compartment is small and awkward to open and access anything inside. The positioning of the cup holders is a little silly due to the arm positioning to use the remote touch if there is a bottle of water in them. It just seems as though they were another last minute thought like the headlight washers. Home button cannot be assigned to full Nav screen, only split screen. Will take some getting used to. Overall though, initially it is recognisable as an IS; but stripping it down bit by bit, it is a totally different car in performance, appearance, comfort and technology; there is no doubt that this will give the Europeans a serious run this time around. I love it!

I recently had this same issue with my 250. The Nav screen died and needed to be replaced. I called them, i can't remember exactly how long they said it would take, but it was not 4 weeks, more like 2 weeks. After 2 weeks had passed, i called them and chased it up and they said it was due in the following day. I booked in my car and had it repaired. During this time, my rear sub had also blown and the same thing again, they said it would take a few weeks. After this time again i rang them and miraculously it was due in the following day. I am not sure what to believe here, do I have impeccable timing and are the parts magically turning up after I call or are they not ordering them until i chase them. I think the latter as the repairs were under warranty and not being paid for. I would continue to chase and chase until it is fixed. It does not seem right that these parts take so long to arrive. Good luck

Congratulations!!! I totally agree with you on seeing it in person and especially the interior. I love it! White with rose interior, nice. I just couldn't pass up on black though ;) I am lucky enough to be picking mine up tomorrow morning. Looking forward to that drive home.

Copied from previous post - to keep it consistent. Updated. Walking into the dealership I was like a kid in a toy shop looking for that toy he's wanted all year for Xmas. My first impression was, wow it looks... bigger! And hot! I actually love the front grille; but something needs to be done about the number plate holder; it hides too much of the grille It looks to sit lower but is actually higher, the rear door is longer giving the appearance of a bigger car. Sitting inside the 350 F Sport for the first time I noticed that the front seats are grander than the 2IS Fsport and I just seemed to fit better. Tick. On a negative note though, the centre console buttons (air con, volume knobs etc), do not look as though it has been given enough thought and doesn't seem to match the rest of the interior. I'm 6'1 so in the 2IS you'd be lucky to get a 6 year old in the back seat behind my drivers seat, but in this, with my position set, I sat in the back and there is stacks of room for me with wiggle room. Tick. Boot is massive and the folding rear seats are impressive, tick tick. Taking for a drive I was impressed with the overall feel and blown away with the driving modes, it can be felt immediately switching from Normal to Sports +, it just feels tighter and more responsive. I wasn't able to really let loose, but could feel the potential. Damn happy with my purchase! Can't wait to pick it up. One thing, who ever comes up with a mod to remove the headlight washers let me know.

Hopefully this week, if not, early next.

http://www.lexus.com.au/enform Enform info now on Aus Lexus site. Free during new car warranty. Destination assist - $2.97 per use (after trial). Will be interesting to see how it works when available. Also usable it will be while driving.

Essentially it came down to the extra power. Having driven a 250 for the past 5 years, I was always wanting that little bit more. I've driven the 350 as a service loan car and made the decision then. I was thinking about the hybrid but I put power over fuel saving.

Walking into the dealership this afternoon I was like a kid in a toy shop looking for that toy he's wanted all year for Xmas. My first impression was, wow it looks... bigger! And hot! It looks to sit lower but is actually higher, the rear door is longer giving the appearance of a bigger car. Sitting inside the 350 F Sport for the first time I noticed that the front seats are grander than the 2IS Fsport and I just seemed to fit better. Tick I'm 6'1 so in the 2IS you'd be lucky to get a 6 year old in the back seat behind my drivers seat, but in this, with my position set, I sat in the back and there is stacks of room for me with wiggle room. Tick. Boot is massive and the folding rear seats are impressive, tick tick. Taking for a drive I was impressed with the overall feel and blown away with the driving modes, it can be felt immediately switching from Normal to Sports +, it just feels tighter and more responsive. I wasn't able to really let loose, but could feel the potential. Damn happy with my purchase! One thing, who ever comes up with a mod to remove the headlight washers let me know.

Totally agree; they look like a stupid little silver pimple. Surely there'll be a mod to come to remove them. It seems like an after thought.

Sent PM

Genuine Lexus part; ISF Tail lights for IS250 (2005-2008 model) $250 ono Pick up (NW Sydney) or happy to post. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pfxphotography/9282302990/

Well I can't say I'll be driving it in anger on the Sydney roads ;) but it certainly sounds as though it is setting a new benchmark. Will be dropping into a dealer on Monday afternoon to drive. Hope to get delivery on Thursday or early the following week.

Save $5k by opting for EP1 instead of EP2

Yea good luck with that ;) I'm happy to put you in touch with the guys who helped me out when you're ready.

Found it. Pulled from http://mydrivemedia.com.au/launched-the-new-lexus-is-range/ IS350 EP1 $2500 EP2 $7000

I seen a table last night that showed all enhancement packs for each model and the cost for each. Once i can find it again, I'll repost. I do know that EP1 on 350 FS was $2500. I went for EP1, moonroof only; I didn't feel the need for the extras in EP2. On roads, metallic paint, EP1, lets just say that it has a 7 in front and is in the mid-high range. All dealers are quoting mid/high $80's.