ISF-350

Congratulations!! I sold my 2IS 350 F Sport 7 months ago and am itching like crazy to get in to a 3IS 350 F Sport as soon as I can.. At this stage I'm hoping to place an order around November, ready for very early 2014 production and delivery.. I'm pretty much sold on the White Nova with Dark Rose trim and will be opting for Enhancement Pack 2. Speaking of which, Franky, do you know how much the enhancement packs add to the price? I can't find anywhere online that gives any indication. Did you opt for EP1 or EP2 at all? Also, do you mind me asking what it came to including On Road Costs?

More or less. From what I can tell from the brochure you miss out on the automatic/electric rear windscreen blind and front fog lights. Even the 2IS F Sports were specced up very close to the Sports Luxury - there wasn't a great deal of difference between those either. I'm over the moon that we get the better specced (European) F Sports rather than the US F Sports. We get real leather (NuLuxe (vinyl) would of been a deal breaker alone for me), ventilated seats and more of the cool tech like radar cruise over the US models! I'm thinking I will be ordering an IS350 F Sport in White with Red interior with Enhancement Pack 2 late this year for early production and delivery next year... Enform is also coming late this year for the IS which should be cool :)

AWD isn't coming here. AFAIK, it's for UK, US and Japan only.

Interesting. Not sure what to make of that because one article states that the IS350 F Sport is priced from $73,000 and the other states from $84,000 Not sure which is correct. I'm hoping they have F Sport and Sports Luxury mixed up - F Sport is always mid-range on every other model, yet one of those articles states that it is "top of the tree" ... It would make sense that the 350 F Sport will be from $73,000 because that's only a minor increase over the previous model. There's also no mention of Enhancement Pack prices. I managed to get the official brochure as a PDF in an email a few weeks back and according to that the only options available on 350 F Sport was: Enhancement Pack 1: Moonroof Enhancement Pack 2: Moonroof Radar Active Cruise Control Lane Departure Warning Pre-Collision Safety System Automatic High Beam These differ from the IS250 F Sport Enhancement packs: Enhancement Pack 1: 15-Speaker 835W Mark Levinson Audio System Moonroof Enhancement Pack 2: Radar Active Cruise Control 15-Speaker 835W Mark Levinson Audio System Moonroof Pre-Collision Safety System Lane Departure Warning and Automatic Highbeam aren't available on 250 F Sports...

I took a big hit and let it go for $54,000 :( I haven't replaced it as yet... I've got a current model BT50 dual cab as a second vehicle for work etc. that I'm just using full time that I only bought last year too. I'm waiting for a couple of new vehicles to be released before I decide if or what I'll replace it with. Thinking about the new IS350 F Sport, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG or the A45 AMG. Or I possibly may sell my work ute and get a Land Cruiser Sahara and just have one vehicle. I haven't decided as yet and I won't be ready to buy until this time next year. Have you tried calling Lexus Australia (the customer service/relations) to let them know of your dissatisfaction?

I feel your pain mate.. It's not acceptable (I don't care what anyone says). They're marketed as a premium brand and they happily tout the "best build quality in the business" line freely - they have no excuse really... From my experience, I can tell a massive improvement in fit, finish and overall quality in the interiors of the new generation models such as CT and GS. Their dash and interiors feel as though they're put together a lot better. The interior of my IS350 was crap. Granted, it's quite an old design now - but I was very disappointed in it. For the $82k+ I paid for it - it should've been so much better. I gave up with mine in the finish and sold the car 4 months ago..

Hi Andrue I managed to sell the car between Xmas and new year sorry. Had a good offer that I decided to take while I could.

Too picky? It's an $80k prestige vehicle. There's no way it should happen and just be accepted. Persuit of perfection... If thats anything to go by then they've got a fair bit of Persuing to go yet...

Hmmm mine didn't sound anything like that....... Try this link: ^ that was one of mine - was traveling at about 110km/h when that was recorded. As I said, sounded like polystyrene being rubbed together. Take it back plus show them those videos/email them to the service manager etc.

Exactly, they shouldn't do it. Being in the industry - I drive a LOT of vehicles and a lot of vehicles that are classed below Lexus and cars that are often half the price seem better put together in that respect. Obviously you have to expect rattles/squeaks to a certain degree in any car, but I don't think the ones I experienced were at all acceptable.

Keep going back to your dealer - if they don't seem interested, ring Lexus Australia and let them know that you're really disappointed and that it is no longer a pleasure to drive your car with it like that. There's literally nothing more annoying that squeaks and rattles in such a refined interior. My RH Air Vent was replaced under warranty, no questions when I told them there was a rattle coming from that area. I don't think that was what was causing it though. From memory, there was a rattle around that area and it disappeared when I pressed two fingers on the bottom corners of the air vent assembly itself. Let the pressure off and it would come back again. This was a metallic type rattle. I also had rattles that were fixed by the installation if felt tape that were coming from the A Pillar area of the dash on both sides. This was a squeak more than a rattle. There was also a horrendous squeak coming from around the instrument cluster on hot days that sounded like two blocks of polystyrene being rubbed together constantly. This is the one I was referring to when I started this thread and could be heard with the stereo on Volume 45 - so wasn't a minor one. Was fixed by having more insulation packed around the instrument cluster and the dash itself. There's a video on YouTube of this squeak that I got on my phone. Will try and find a link. There was also the metallic type rattle coming from the lower dash panel I described 2-3 posts ago. And the front door rubbers and sunroof seals chattered/squeaked. I reckon yours would likely be one of those so there's some areas you could mention to your dealer or check yourself. The more information you give them, the better chance of them being able to do something about it. In all honesty - I just think the design of the 2IS interior is really starting to show its age and even though these are very new cars - they aren't really up to today's standards for a prestige vehicle IMO. I'm certain the interior of the new 3IS will be much, much better in terms of fitment and quality.

Although you shouldnt have to - keep taking it back. Lexus are great for claiming how quiet, refined and well built their cars are. They need to stick by that and back up their claims - or fix it! Mine ended up going back more times than I care to remember and I was beginning to think I was being too pedantic an I ended up selling the car after having the dash removed twice. I finally found my last annoying rattle only days before unsold it - the plastic panel directly below the steering column between that and the knee airbag panel. Was hitting/rubbing on a metal bracket/surface and stopped as soon as I popped the plastic clips out of their retainers. Came back as soon as I pushed it back in. Packed it out where it could touch/was touching with double sided tape and pushed the panel back in and it was dead silent. Wish I found it earlier though lol! Not sure if its the same noise you are having (I had 3 or 4 separate ones that were all relatively bad IMO) but could be something to mention/look at. Keep going back - especially if you bought new - it's a lot of money and it should be right!

Edit - double post

I reckon a license plate will help the grille and break it up a bit. If I had one, a small slimline number plate with black background would be used. It will certainly be a car for Lexus that will go one way or the other. It won't be inbetween in terms of sales. I just hope it looks so much better in the flesh and also hope that within the next week before its official launch they reveal that they were just joking with the headlights! Wishful thinking, huh!

Inside looks spot on! Exterior I'm a bit up in the air about. Don't like the 2 piece headlights/DRLs at all. Didn't like them on the concept, don't like them on here either. Shame that they are on the F Sport models as that's the only grade I'd consider. I was sure I'd be buying one of these but I'm not so sure now. Thinking I will put it off until mid-cycle refresh and hope that they tone down the lights and revert to a one piece set up. Apart from that it looks good. Love that they've finally gone all out on the spindle grille. Would need to see the tail lights in real life - they look a bit overboard also but I'm guessing this is all only standing out so much because Lexus is renowned for being conservative. This is very "out there" for them.

Cargo tray can usually be found on eBay or as a genuine accessory from your Lexus dealer. I remember paying ~$180 for a genuine IS cargo/boot tray when I bought my IS so I don't think the RX would differ too much in price. It's pretty much the same thing. As for mats - I'm not sure if Lexus Aust do genuine rubber mats for the RX (they are usually just the woolen mats that come with the cars when new). I know they don't do them for the IS so I bought a set of genuine IS rubber mats from a dealer in the UK (Europe do them for RHD - LHD from the States are no good) and had them shipped over by a friend. Didn't work out cheap as they are quite thick and weighed a fair bit - think they were somewhere around $300+ from memory, landed. Fit perfectly though with the embossed Lexus Ls on them and don't look aftermarket or anything at all. Very happy with them.

I was planning on trading my 2011 IS350 F Sport on the new 3IS350 F Sport late in 2013 (around September - when my current IS turns 2) but I bought a second car for work (new BT50 Dual Cab) last month so might put the IS purchase on hold for a further 6 months or so and wait until 2014 for a new IS. Depends on finances of course. Will try and stay away from the dealer when they are released because I know I won't be able to help myself. Also got a few holidays lined up for 2013 so a new car may not work in with those either. Must refrain from buying a new car every year! :D

Looks like the interior was totally revealed - there didn't appear to be any gaffa tape over anything from what I could tell. Couldn't see the centre screen though! :( I was hoping for the same screen as the GS/LS but I reckon it'll probably end up being a more modest 8" or something. I'm liking eveything about this car so far! Very impressed.

Wouldn't be helping the cause, that's for sure. It's obviously a limited market down here for these sorts of cars. I'll likely buy a new IS when they arrive next year (whenever that may be) so will always have the option of trading then anyway. I'm just testing the waters to see if I can off load it for a better price in the mean time. Hopefully when it comes down to it mid-2013 I'll still be able to fetch $45k+ for it. Being a Sunday car now it won't be getting that many kms put on it between now and then either which should work a little in my favour hopefully.

I also have a 2011 IS350 F Sport with 22,500kms bought new in September 2011 and is in absolute as new condition. Recently bought a new Mazda BT50 dual cab and was offered $46,000 trade in for the IS. That was the best price they could get from a wholesaler after 2 weeks of ringing around. The actual dealer I dealt with wasn't interested in trading it/trying to sell it. Refused the offer and bought the Mazda with no trade. Have advertised the IS on carsales for 2 weeks and not a cracker at $56,500 so today put it up for the 3 Day Dealer Offer option to see if any dealers offer me anything for it. Had one offer this afternoon for $15,000 but suspect that was a piss-take. After the 3 day period it will go back on carsales (if there's no decent offers) for $54,500ono in the hope I can get $50k+ for it. Can I ask why you're selling?

Certainly isn't an isolated incident. The IS250 loaner I was given last time (BRAND NEW - 6kms on it) had similar dash rattles - although not as severe..... But that's how mine started out...

While I don't have an IS-F, I've still had the unfortunate displeasure of putting up with all these rattles and squeaks in my '11 IS350 F Sport. It's got to the point now where I have just bought another car and will look at selling the IS because I'm totally over it. I've had the drivers door seal rattle and the ONLY way it can be fixed (and its only temporary) is to lube the seal with silicone spray/tyre shine (wtf!?).. Not something you should have to be doing regularly on a ONE YEAR OLD car that cost in excess of $80k! As I said, it's a temporary fix and as soon as I wash the car and dry it/wipe out the door jambs and seals - it obviously removes the lubricant and the rattle comes back instantly. It also disappears in the window is dropped slightly. Pathetic IMO. Dash rattles - where do I start!? The RH outer air vent area rattles and drives me insane every single time I drive the car. It's only a very feint rattle (similar to static in a speaker etc) but in such a refined cabin - is easily heard. Car has been back 5-6 times for this issue alone with the entire dash being removed last time (which annoyed me no end) and not making any improvement what-so-ever. I also had an insanely irritating squeak coming from the dash panel above the instrument cluster on hot days. Sounded exactly the same as two blocks of polystyrene foam being rubbed together constantly. Obviously something was expending with the heat from within the dash causing the problem. I once had to drive 3 hours listening to it constantly (was heard even with the ML sound system set to volume of 45) and was ready to write it off! Captured it on my phone and took it straight to the dealer principal/manager. They had the car for almost 2 weeks and managed to rectify the issue - being a lack of insulation between the instrument cluster and the dash pad or something. Sunroof creaks and rattles in the tilt-up position (the usual position I like it to be in) - not sure if this is wind deflector related or the seal itself rubbing on the roof sheetmetal. So just keep the thing closed now - well worth the $2,500 extra at time of purchase - NOT! Also have static type rattles from the B pillar area on coarse chip bitumen and a slight rattle from the rear parcel shelf area.. I love my IS, it's a great looking car and has so much packed in to it for the price - but the interior is absolutely crap IMO. The only thing I will give it is that it's a car that's virtually 7+ years old in design so that can be used as an excuse as to why the interior is dated/lacking in build quality. The dealer has been fantastic, I've never been without a car or inconvenienced because of it - they've always picked my car up and delivered it (which is handy because its a 450km round trip to my dealer) and I can't fault their service at all - but in a car that costs as much as it does, carrying claims (self made claims) that its one of the best built car in its class is just garbage and shouldn't be something you should have to deal with. I'm hoping the next IS is faultless in these areas because I really want to upgrade to one of those and I won't be happy if I go through all this again!

I still maintain mine was a post-tsunami-catch-up-rush-job lol... That's why it rattles :P

A lot of the rattles come and go - its usually dead silent when there's none. Where I work though, the streets are slightly uneven concrete slabs that used to have tram lines in them. It's also a heavy industrial area so a lot of heavy vehicles use the roads. Combined with the hard suspension (too hard for daily driving IMO) it is most likely what's causing a lot of them to occur. There's an E90 3 series M Sport in the family too - rattles galore and the BMW dealer doesn't want to know about them. They blame the roads/run flats/suspension calibration etc. One thing I can say is the Lexus dealer can be highly commended on their after sales support and care in this regard. It's possibly one of the biggest reasons I'll be staying with the brand when trading.

I've had my IS350 F Sport back to the dealer more times than I care to remember now for rattles. Dash rattles everywhere - particularly around the instrument cluster, A Pillars and behind the right hand side Air Vent. The entire dash was removed last week in an attempt to remove the final rattle on the right hand side (sounds like something plastic is broken inside the dash and is rattling slightly). A week later and I THINK they may have rectified it this time. Door Seal rattles were insane. The dealer acknowledged it was a common fault and that mine was the worse they'd heard. When driving over rough/broken surfaces, particularly at low speed, it sounded as though the drivers door was about to rattle itself off its hinges! The doors were adjusted to shut tighter - which in turn have modified the factory-perfect panel gaps/alignment - albeit very slightly - and the seals libricated and this seems to have stopped them for the time being. I'm sure they will return, just like they did last time. I've also got a rattle of sorts coming from the B Pillar somewhere around the seat belt retractor that rattles on course chip bitumen when cruising at 80+ km/h. Gets irritating. There's also a rattle now coming from the rear parcel shelf - haven't investigated this yet and doubt I will at this stage. Sunroof also rattles/squeaks when closed or in the tilt up position. Obviously the seal rubbing on the edge of the roof sheetmetal. No amount of lubricant on the rubber has helped this. Not to mention the mess silicone lubricants leave when it gets wet/rained on as it runs. I still love my IS, but for the $82k I paid for it - I was (and rightly so I think) expecting so much better! You would kind of expect these little niggles in a ~$30k mass produced car - but when were talking about $80k+ prestige/premium cars - it's not really acceptable IMO. I'll be trading up to the new IS next year - I really do hope the get on top of these issues by then!