[novablackm3]

so finally 2 months left on the 36 month lease for a 2008 IS350 i got for the wife .

This will be the first and last lexus. I absolutely hate this car and here's why.

1.Rear view mirror fell off this summer while parked
2.Rain sensing wipers go off completely random (not a drop of rain)
3.Seats adjusters can only perform 1 function at a time when used manually. ( pull seat back and lean has to be 2 separate functions unless using memory - no memory on passenger seat so problem.
4.Vents blow out air of the last temp, even if its turned off. for example if i had the temp @ 60 last, ac/fan is off it'll still blow cold air. same w/ the heat. annoying during cold summer nights followed by hot mornings. (wishing for bmw's cold/hot knob here)
5.Side view mirrors are like dumbo ears ( yes they fixed it in later years)
6.Car down shifts really abruptly when slowing down on a hill.
7.Brakes lasted about 25k - common not even real high performance
8.More brake dust than my m3 - yes they also changed this eventually
9. Not enough info in the center info - again spoiled by bmw
10. bluetooth sound quality sucks - tried several phones
11. Plastic engine cover never seems to close shut and always rattles against the hood when car is starting.
12. Rubber matt recall was a joke - i had the deep groove rubber matts and they simply replaced it w/ cheap flat rubber for the fronts only. now i have non matching front/rear rubber matts.
13. oh and airbag light just went off this morning...

at the end none are really deal breakers for most but a bunch of annoying things.

My other daily drivers are a RSX-S , E38 740il Sport, E92 m3.

Wifey is waiting for the X3 w/ the M sports package.

[OBI_agent]

Can you also add ''lack of interior space'' to your list?? I know it's a sports sedan but camonnnnn, you have no space for a person whose close to 6 feet tall to sit at the back?? Correct me if I'm wrong but 3 series, a4, g35 all have better interior space then lexus IS. IS just looks so cramped that it should be specified as a coupe rather then 4 door.

I'm glad you have gotten rid of the car.

[Garduna]

Originally Posted by OBI_agent

Can you also add ''lack of interior space'' to your list?? I know it's a sports sedan but camonnnnn, you have no space for a person whose close to 6 feet tall to sit at the back?? Correct me if I'm wrong but 3 series, a4, g35 all have better interior space then lexus IS. IS just looks so cramped that it should be specified as a coupe rather then 4 door.

I'm glad you have gotten rid of the car.

Forget 6 feet tall. Try 5'6, so damn uncomfortable in the back. Feels very cramped. The IS should be a 2+2. Throw pets and bags in the rear, not humans.

[Silver-Bolt]

We bailed on our 3 year lease at 2 years for those same reasons and more. That car has no soul. Zero driver feedback was my biggest bitch. Lexus service is not all that either. Our Nav took a dump and it took them 4 weeks to get a disc to repair the software issue. Lots of road noise too. Our Z4 on run flats is quieter than the IS was.

[Sniz]

hell drive a is250AWD.....you dont even have room for the drivers legs in that car.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by novablackm3

so finally 2 months left on the 36 month lease for a 2008 IS350 i got for the wife .

This will be the first and last lexus. I absolutely hate this car and here's why.

1.Rear view mirror fell off this summer while parked
3.Seats adjusters can only perform 1 function at a time when used manually. ( pull seat back and lean has to be 2 separate functions unless using memory
4.Vents blow out air of the last temp, even if its turned off. for example if i had the temp @ 60 last, ac/fan is off it'll still blow cold air. same w/ the heat. annoying during cold summer nights followed by hot mornings. (wishing for bmw's cold/hot knob here)
5.Side view mirrors are like dumbo ears ( yes they fixed it in later years)
6.Car down shifts really abruptly when slowing down on a hill.
8.More brake dust than my m3 - yes they also changed this eventually
9. Not enough info in the center info - again spoiled by bmw
11. Plastic engine cover never seems to close shut and always rattles against the hood when car is starting.
13. oh and airbag light just went off this morning...

1) This is a Lexus thing I heard from others that their fell off in different models.

3) Doesn't bug me that much since I never had the need to go forward, up and recline at the same time. Once it's set it's done deal

4) Did you hit the off button and select circulate mode? If not it's still pushing outside air through the HVAC at ambient temperature. So on hot days hot air gets in and similarly for cold days. My only complain is the AC is a little too strong and auto temperature is not accurate. So 75 may be fine on certain days but other days it's too cold.

5) They finally fixed in in 2010

6) You probably have it in PWR-ECT mode and the car thinks you are braking hard into a corner so it downshifts aggressively for you to exit the turn. The automatic on this car in 2008 is the weakest point. Basically everything you hate about automatic.

8) yup

9) more annoyed by system locks you out when car is moving.

11) never had this issue

13) or this

The key selling point is the car is a looker and reliable. Probably the best designed 4 door sedan for awhile. The weakest point is drivability. Car is a pig at 3700lbs and the suspension is soft to discourage you from spirited driving. I picked one up last Thanksgiving and I am already looking at other cars. It's a good car but not for me.

Oh forgot one, it's more tail happy than BMWs.

[powertrip]

+1 for never owning another IS. My wife had hers for 48k miles and here are the issues we encountered:

1) Two full sets of brakes replaced (average life 20k)

2) TPMS malfunction that the dealer could never fix

3) Poor engine performnce and rough idle toward the end (carbon build up?)

4) The ABSOLUTE worst service from Newport Lexus that I have ever encountered

[Robert]

Originally Posted by powertrip

4) The ABSOLUTE worst service from Newport Lexus that I have ever encountered

You have to speak more on this. We bought 2 of our ISs there.

[OBI_agent]

Originally Posted by Garduna

Forget 6 feet tall. Try 5'6, so damn uncomfortable in the back. Feels very cramped. The IS should be a 2+2. Throw pets and bags in the rear, not humans.

Thanks Dude....BTW, I have seen many tall owners for the IS. I'm talking 6ft plus. I wonder how the owner adjust to accommodating passengers at the back

Originally Posted by powertrip

3) Poor engine performnce and rough idle toward the end (carbon build up?)

4) The ABSOLUTE worst service from Newport Lexus that I have ever encountered

Is it just me or are all the lexus dealers getting snobby??? This can't be no co- incidence as it's not a walk in the park for me either. The dealer here in Dubai, charge alot and act like smart A$$e$ if you ask them why they charge that much. I bet they are thinking '' Oh yeh, we sell reliable luxury car's from Japan with a proven background. How can any of our customer's question us for the fees we charge them to get the service done?' If there's a fault in the car, it's simply because the customer must have tampered with the car.''.

Anyway, about the carbon build up....are you serious? I get that same rough idle start in the LX570 I own. And I fear you might be on to something as this is one of the few models in this part the region, that has direct injection tech. The petrol grade in dubai really sucks so I got to be careful.

[majin ssj eric]

Originally Posted by novablackm3

so finally 2 months left on the 36 month lease for a 2008 IS350 i got for the wife .

This will be the first and last lexus. I absolutely hate this car and here's why.

1.Rear view mirror fell off this summer while parked
2.Rain sensing wipers go off completely random (not a drop of rain)
3.Seats adjusters can only perform 1 function at a time when used manually. ( pull seat back and lean has to be 2 separate functions unless using memory - no memory on passenger seat so problem.
4.Vents blow out air of the last temp, even if its turned off. for example if i had the temp @ 60 last, ac/fan is off it'll still blow cold air. same w/ the heat. annoying during cold summer nights followed by hot mornings. (wishing for bmw's cold/hot knob here)
5.Side view mirrors are like dumbo ears ( yes they fixed it in later years)
6.Car down shifts really abruptly when slowing down on a hill.
7.Brakes lasted about 25k - common not even real high performance
8.More brake dust than my m3 - yes they also changed this eventually
9. Not enough info in the center info - again spoiled by bmw
10. bluetooth sound quality sucks - tried several phones
11. Plastic engine cover never seems to close shut and always rattles against the hood when car is starting.
12. Rubber matt recall was a joke - i had the deep groove rubber matts and they simply replaced it w/ cheap flat rubber for the fronts only. now i have non matching front/rear rubber matts.
13. oh and airbag light just went off this morning...

at the end none are really deal breakers for most but a bunch of annoying things.

My other daily drivers are a RSX-S , E38 740il Sport, E92 m3.

Wifey is waiting for the X3 w/ the M sports package.

Wow. My wife has an IS350 and I have to respond to some of this:

1. This has never happened to us and ours is an 06.
2. Th rain-sensing wipers work great in our car (though cold air moisture confuses it sometimes.
3. Never noticed this problem and ours has memory on the driver and passenger sides.
4. Never noticed this as a problem.
5. Yes, the mirrors are big but not obtrusively so.
6. Never noticed this. There is no rev-match option though for downshifts like in my G37.
7. Brakes do appear to be a weak point.
8. Got the TSB performed and haven't had any more dust issues.
9. Seems like plenty of info to me, but this sat/nav system dates back to 2006.
10. Phone quality could be better.
11. No issues here for us (though our cover did crack).
12. No rubber mats for us. They did perform the footwell/pedal recall and it was done well.
13. Never had any warning lights but have had a series of TSB's performed under warranty (and Lexus service is beyond reproach).

Like you said, there are some nits to pick with this car (like any other) but overall we are very satisfied with our IS350....

[Crimson92]

I think the IS is a great car, just not a car for me.

Op your complaints sound more cosmetic than mechanical

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by novablackm3

so finally 2 months left on the 36 month lease for a 2008 IS350 i got for the wife .

This will be the first and last lexus. I absolutely hate this car and here's why.

1.Rear view mirror fell off this summer while parked
2.Rain sensing wipers go off completely random (not a drop of rain)
3.Seats adjusters can only perform 1 function at a time when used manually. ( pull seat back and lean has to be 2 separate functions unless using memory - no memory on passenger seat so problem.
4.Vents blow out air of the last temp, even if its turned off. for example if i had the temp @ 60 last, ac/fan is off it'll still blow cold air. same w/ the heat. annoying during cold summer nights followed by hot mornings. (wishing for bmw's cold/hot knob here)
5.Side view mirrors are like dumbo ears ( yes they fixed it in later years)
6.Car down shifts really abruptly when slowing down on a hill.
7.Brakes lasted about 25k - common not even real high performance
8.More brake dust than my m3 - yes they also changed this eventually
9. Not enough info in the center info - again spoiled by bmw
10. bluetooth sound quality sucks - tried several phones
11. Plastic engine cover never seems to close shut and always rattles against the hood when car is starting.
12. Rubber matt recall was a joke - i had the deep groove rubber matts and they simply replaced it w/ cheap flat rubber for the fronts only. now i have non matching front/rear rubber matts.
13. oh and airbag light just went off this morning...

at the end none are really deal breakers for most but a bunch of annoying things.

My other daily drivers are a RSX-S , E38 740il Sport, E92 m3.

Wifey is waiting for the X3 w/ the M sports package.

The way I see it:

-annoying Japanese quality
- no mechanical issues, major ones (though its only 3 yrs)

-no HPFP failure.

[Silver-Bolt]

Just saw on the news today that IS250 & IS350's are being recalled do to brake issues. Those of you that still have an IS may want to look into it.

[mtla4]

Funny I just went to the dealer to test drive one to replace my current DD. Thinking about pulling the trigger. CPO car cant go wrong.

[michaelthepsycho]

As a driver most of the time, I've had the displeasure of sitting in my friend's IS350. I swear to God, it was one of the most back-breaking vehicles I've ever rode in as a passenger.

The Good - Engine Usability / Exterior Styling / Interior Quality
The Bad - Suspension was hard as SHIT with sports package.
The Neutral - Handling was neither stellar nor bad... Just right for the average Lexus demographic.

[Raine]

The seats are so soft and comfortable though. At least the front seats LOL

[Kartelli]

I traded my 07 IS350 luxury package for my 08 M3.

All I can say is moving from lexus to bmw is a downgrade from "luxury" and an upgrade from "performance"

1. Never had a problem, I prefer the IS350 mirror to the M3
2. I couldnt figure out the computer logic, it was hit and miss
3. Seat adjusters are more friendly on the is350 than on the m3
4. I miss this
5. M3 mirrors are tiny and require me to double check before merging, never had that problem on the is350 haha.
6. Had to be a mechanical issue, didnt have this problem.
7. Brakes were much cheaper to DIY. Lexus gouged if you had them do it.
8. YES!
9. I preferred the Lexus Navi vs BMW Navi
10. Mark Levenson... eats bmw premium sound system for lunch.

Rest I won't comment on. Needless to say this will be the last BMW I ever own, however I'd buy a another Lexus in a heartbeat. Had the trigger pulled on an 08

The warranty + customer service here in Edmonton is real showmanship versus the troubles I've had with BMW.

Originally Posted by novablackm3

so finally 2 months left on the 36 month lease for a 2008 IS350 i got for the wife .

This will be the first and last lexus. I absolutely hate this car and here's why.

1.Rear view mirror fell off this summer while parked
2.Rain sensing wipers go off completely random (not a drop of rain)
3.Seats adjusters can only perform 1 function at a time when used manually. ( pull seat back and lean has to be 2 separate functions unless using memory - no memory on passenger seat so problem.
4.Vents blow out air of the last temp, even if its turned off. for example if i had the temp @ 60 last, ac/fan is off it'll still blow cold air. same w/ the heat. annoying during cold summer nights followed by hot mornings. (wishing for bmw's cold/hot knob here)
5.Side view mirrors are like dumbo ears ( yes they fixed it in later years)
6.Car down shifts really abruptly when slowing down on a hill.
7.Brakes lasted about 25k - common not even real high performance
8.More brake dust than my m3 - yes they also changed this eventually
9. Not enough info in the center info - again spoiled by bmw
10. bluetooth sound quality sucks - tried several phones
11. Plastic engine cover never seems to close shut and always rattles against the hood when car is starting.
12. Rubber matt recall was a joke - i had the deep groove rubber matts and they simply replaced it w/ cheap flat rubber for the fronts only. now i have non matching front/rear rubber matts.
13. oh and airbag light just went off this morning...

at the end none are really deal breakers for most but a bunch of annoying things.

My other daily drivers are a RSX-S , E38 740il Sport, E92 m3.

Wifey is waiting for the X3 w/ the M sports package.

[ALPINE6SPD]

Biggest problem with the car is that you cant use the Navi without the car being parked. I do NOT know how people can live with this. I would say the problems you have are minor IMO and the real issue is that it drivers horribly and hard with 0 sportiness. IMO the previous IS drove/Handled better. I am also tired of the interior thing. The interior on thr IS is SOOOO cheap looking and old. The center console is awfull looking. Also how about some real wood Lexus since you are a LUXURY car brand. The quality of the interior is down against a 3 series as well. You can tell this is a toyota interior the second you open the door. The seats are perfect if your over 60 and like sitting on a flat surface. The sport seats in the BMW are light years ahead of the IS. The is does have ventilated seats which a 3 series does not so I guess its better in some ways. Overall IS is nice but lacking in all of the areas I find important when owning a car.

[ChrisK]

My wife's is250awd is going back to the dealer (Lease End in a week)...

What a POS. I have had almost everyone of those issues and some.
I also had all the paint peel off from her wheels. Had those replaced.

Never going to buy another Lexus.

[Yogi335]

I had an 06 IS350 which i traded for the jeep. I liked the 335 back then but since it was 2007 at the time only 335s out were new and i got a used IS with all options for $33k.

I never had any problems with car in 30k miles. The local lexus dealer is still the nicest, best, friendliest dealership i have ever been in.

My biggest problem with the car was there was NO soul. By this i mean there was nothing special about the car. It was a luxury car and thats it. I need to have something special about my car. Also every one i saw always had a chick driving, i couldnt get over that. Lastly there were NO performance mods. Intakes and catbacks but neither did anything but noise. Lastly, even in manual mode, if you floored it it would downshift (REALLY annoying).

I did like the feel and look of the interior but it was very (japanesey). The one think i absolutely LOVED and wish every car had was the cooled seats. Even in 105 texas heat i never got sweaty on the leather. If only my vette and bimmer had this.

[Cdnrockies]

Originally Posted by Kartelli

I traded my 07 IS350 luxury package for my 08 M3.

All I can say is moving from lexus to bmw is a downgrade from "luxury" and an upgrade from "performance"

That's an easy call...lol. Same as moving from an 335 to an M3....or a 350 to an F.

The warranty + customer service here in Edmonton is real showmanship versus the troubles I've had with BMW.

Lexus of Edmonton is awesome...(thanks Keith).

We bought both of ours there but wouldn't spend a dime here in Calgary. Ironically, the Calgary BMW that we've been dealing with has been the BEST dealership of any that we've ever dealt with....to this point.

Originally Posted by ALPINE6SPD

Biggest problem with the car is that you cant use the Navi without the car being parked.

HUGE pita. The necessary over-ride is a wayyyy bigger pita to make it work.

Originally Posted by ChrisK

My wife's is250awd is going back to the dealer (Lease End in a week)...

What a POS. I have had almost everyone of those issues and some.
I also had all the paint peel off from her wheels. Had those replaced.

Never going to buy another Lexus.

Your experience is clearly and statistically in the minority, but your opinion is certainly valid.

Originally Posted by Yogi335

I never had any problems with car in 30k miles. The local lexus dealer is still the nicest, best, friendliest dealership i have ever been in.

My biggest problem with the car was there was NO soul. By this i mean there was nothing special about the car. It was a luxury car and thats it. I need to have something special about my car. Also every one i saw always had a chick driving, i couldnt get over that. Lastly there were NO performance mods. Intakes and catbacks but neither did anything but noise. Lastly, even in manual mode, if you floored it it would downshift (REALLY annoying).

Again, very valid opinions, but completely and totally subjective.

Who's driving all the 328's?

Performance upgrades are defintiley an area where Lexus is lacking.

[DASHOCKER]

Lexus has some new commercials on the tubes featuring the IS line.. There is one in particular depicting a blue IS drifting around the 3 series, C class, A4. Hell, it is echoed that the Lexus IS has more HP & torque than a 335i..

Screw the dyno numbers.. Keep the IS350.. It is a kick ass car that would out run & out handle all in its class!