Lexus IS250 AWD: Opinions Please

[slick2404]

I've been debating selling my 05 Acura TL, and move towards a smaller car with an automatic transmission and AWD before winter rolls around.

I was previously looking at the 06 BMW 325/330xi...but didn't really fall in love with the car.

Now I have been seriously looking at the IS250 AWD and it seems like it really does have quite a bit of bang per buck....except performance wise, which is not of real importance to me.

Now my budget is in the 35k range, finding one with everythign I am looking for within this range would be prime.

What is your opinion on the IS in terms of reliability, driveability etc.

For reference this is my car now:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g249/slick2404/6096_251383035656_665975656_8358817.jpg
2005 Acura TL A-Spec
Automatic with Navi
87K

and here is a Lexus for sale in Edmonton:
http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/090814/624r5/4648kh6_20.jpeg
http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-Lexus-2006-LEXUS-IS250-AWD-W0QQAdIdZ148773441

[dj_rice]

Im sure Redlyne can find you a nice one for good priced

[black13]

What do you not like about the TL? I've heard only good things about it. I haven't driven an IS250 but aren't they in the same class almost except one is AWD and a downgrade in performance.

[TorqueDog]

I'd either stick with your current TL, or buy a newer TL - that IS250 is boring in comparison.

I see that and I immediately think...
http://torquedog.gotdns.com/lulz/is250cab.jpg

[slick2404]

^ haha thanks for totally ruining my perception of that car.

but as for the TL, I love it performance wise and fit n finish was perfect....it just really comes down to size, and it's just too large. I end up being the only one able to drive in the family (which is usually a good thing lol)

I've been used to small cars (Civic and Lancer) and the 250 is a almost a good foot shorter. As for side by side comparison, I'm sure the TL would come out on top but I'm just concerned about the pros/cons of the IS right now....performance isn't high on my list of concerns.

[Jlude]

Love TLs ... if you do sell yours... shoot me a pm first. I've been on the look out for one.

Lexus IS are nice cars, but I wouldn't go with a 250.

[Xtrema]

Go test drive a Corolla, it's moves just like one and a lot of switches and parts ARE from Corolla.

I won't bother with 250, especially a AWD one, especially you're coming from a TL A-Spec.

Even a A4 2.0T is better than it.

[C4S]

It is not a bad car .. but slow ...

It is even way slower then a BMW 323i ..

But I guess people drive Lexus, they dont care about performance.

My buddy has one, but her mom's RAV 4 is much faster .. however, she rarely go deerfoot at all.. so it is ok.

[Hakkola]

Opinion: AWD is a fucking waste of money.

[cjmr34]

Too bad you cant get AWD in a Camry,you would save thousands on what looks like the same car,thats even too bland to be a taxi!
Lexus is truly the new Buick,an old mans car!

[n1zm0]

you would be downgrading for engine 'oomph' , how about a legacy gt?

an a-spec UA9 is really just aero, suspension, rims and a decal, unless you had a dynamic it's really just like a stock one, that said i've driven countless UA9 TLs in winter and a good set of blizzaks or observes and they are heavy set cars and they show it but great in the winter, especially if you have a dynamic with LSD (i think they had them for the 6speeds)

[BenC]

I really like the is250. In rwd. I've seen a black one dropped with emotion kai's and it looked gorgeous

[B4tMan]

http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/090814/624r5/4648kh6_20.jpeg
http://www.carzunlimited.com/uploads/side-1/Car-Styles/462/200934210_2009_TOYOTA_COROLLA_XLE_1.jpg

[corsvette]

Wow!A $35,000+ Corolla!

[B18C]

This was the car I wanted for a long time. When I went to test drive it this past winter I was extremely disappointed. It is quite a small car (I wanted something bigger) and the performance was downright bad. A lot of people I talked to thought the interior was cheap but I thought it was fine.

[tomt64]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Go test drive a Corolla, it's moves just like one and a lot of switches and parts ARE from Corolla.

I won't bother with 250, especially a AWD one, especially you're coming from a TL A-Spec.

Even a A4 2.0T is better than it.

I can agree with the AWD version being pretty slow, but it handles far better than a new Corolla ever would. Makes me wonder if you have ever driven any IS at all.
The ES350 drives similar to a Corolla...

250RWD is preppy, but the 350 is where its at. Only minus is the 350 only comes w/ an auto only.

The interiors are much higher quality than Toyotas.

Most brands with a luxury division use similar parts in their cars; Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura. It would be uneconomical not to.

[TorqueDog]

Originally posted by tomt64
The interiors are much higher quality than Toyotas.That's not saying much. I find the Lexus interiors to be just awful. The old IS was terrible, but the new IS isn't much better, I'm afraid to report.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by tomt64
I can agree with the AWD version being pretty slow, but it handles far better than a new Corolla ever would. Makes me wonder if you have ever driven any IS at all.
of course not, this is beyond.

imo, you're comparing one of the most boring cars to drive in its class, the TL, to the IS which is leaps and bounds ahead of it in terms of actually driving the car. sounds like an easy decision for me, especially when big horsepower isn't a priority.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by tomt64


I can agree with the AWD version being pretty slow, but it handles far better than a new Corolla ever would. Makes me wonder if you have ever driven any IS at all.


Not the AWD but I did 250 and 350 back to back.

May be the 350 induce my bias against the 250. But to me, the 250 feel like a econobox. And while I can say 90% of the interior is unique to IS, there are crap load of parts like window switches that looks and feel like they belong to a much lesser car.

Give credit where its due, 350 is fun.

[max_boost]

AWD is nice to have but a regular IS250 doesn't have much going for it in terms of luxury, you have to pay extra if you want the heated seats/sunroof/sound system/HIDs etc. not sure if that's important to you or not. That will definitely drive the price to $40k+. 200hp also just doesn't cut it when you are spending that type of money. You might say it's not important but who doesn't want a quicker car? :burnout:

I'm sure it drives fine. I'm sure it's reliable because it is a Toyota and no I've never driven one other than the IS-F and found the interior to be way too small in the rear.

Just my opinion but the WRX is still the best bang for the buck for under $40K and that's why I have 2! lol

[max_boost]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Not the AWD but I did 250 and 350 back to back.

May be the 350 induce my bias against the 250. But to me, the 250 feel like a econobox. And while I can say 90% of the interior is unique to IS, there are crap load of parts like window switches that looks and feel like they belong to a much lesser car.

Give credit where its due, 350 is fun.

haha but when you talk about the 350, that opens up a whole different discussion because in the $50K range, you are competing against a whole new lineup of cars :D

[corsvette]

Cadillac CTS with AWD would be on my list,A client of mine bought one last winter and loves it.

[B4tMan]

Originally posted by max_boost
Just my opinion but the WRX is still the best bang for the buck for under $40K and that's why I have 2! lol
That's correct. It is a shame the design is lacking for subaru, but performance vs price is incredible in that package.

As for Lexus ... save your money and if you REALLY want it, get the toyota version and consider that a smarter buy. In the end, it is a RWD / AWD corolla.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by B4tMan

That's correct. It is a shame the design is lacking for subaru, but performance vs price is incredible in that package.

As for Lexus ... save your money and if you REALLY want it, get the toyota version and consider that a smarter buy. In the end, it is a RWD / AWD corolla. um, you should go back to working on that r8 conversion for you altima since you obviously have no idea what you're talking about

[Team_Mclaren]

Since you just want a smaller car with AWD, imo the is250 is perfect. Else I wouldve recommend the G37X or TSX. For 35K there's nothing better if you want luxury, reliability and AWD


Originally posted by B4tMan

That's correct. It is a shame the design is lacking for subaru, but performance vs price is incredible in that package.

As for Lexus ... save your money and if you REALLY want it, get the toyota version and consider that a smarter buy. In the end, it is a RWD / AWD corolla.

OP doesnt give a shit about performance. As a dd the is250 is perfectly fine in terms of power.

Do you drive around in your Altima thinking you're driving a G37? Have you ever sat in an IS?

[Zephyr]

How tall are you? That's a big question I forgot to answer when I bought my IS350. The second gen IS is TINY for tall people. I have to put the seat all the way down and the steering wheel max height and barely clear my legs. The back seats are a joke, unless you have midget friends, or children, it most likely won't be used. IS250 is extremely slow, I driven them as rentals, so glad I paid the extra amount for the difference in power.

My gf has a 09 Corolla, and the room inside is bigger than my IS. The IS does look a lot better than cars of its category, and the interior is awesome, but it lacks performance, practicality (couldn't fit certain things in the car when my gf's corolla could), terrible gas mileage (a few friends with the AWD 250 barely hit 22mpg) and if you're a dealer maintenance type of person, have fun with that.

It's very reliable, and generally a good car, just like I said, it's tiny (unless you're small) and slow, very, very, very, very slow.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by max_boost


haha but when you talk about the 350, that opens up a whole different discussion because in the $50K range, you are competing against a whole new lineup of cars :D

Of course it won't be my first choice for $50K range. Especially you now have S4, 335i, C350 only a few thousand $ more and G37 and G37x for a few thousand less.

[slick2404]

Thanks for the posts guys...those who actually know what they are talking about at least.


Originally posted by Hakkola
Opinion: AWD is a fucking waste of money.
Is AWD in general over rated, or just in the IS? I haven’t driven an AWD car and am now wondering if its even worth it.


Originally posted by corsvette
Wow!A $35,000+ Corolla!

:facepalm:


Originally posted by gpomp
imo, you're comparing one of the most boring cars to drive in its class, the TL, to the IS which is leaps and bounds ahead of it in terms of actually driving the car. sounds like an easy decision for me, especially when big horsepower isn't a priority.

Right. HP is defo not a decided factor, but more of switching to a smaller car which is comfortable, yet still mid class in terms of luxury etc.


Originally posted by max_boost
AWD is nice to have but a regular IS250 doesn't have much going for it in terms of luxury, you have to pay extra if you want the heated seats/sunroof/sound system/HIDs etc. not sure if that's important to you or not. That will definitely drive the price to $40k+. 200hp also just doesn't cut it when you are spending that type of money. You might say it's not important but who doesn't want a quicker car?

Your right, who doesn’t want a fast car lol. But for me, as a DD i honestly don't think it will matter...your right, I will be looking for a IS with those features....whether or not it falls in my price range is another story haha.


Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
Since you just want a smaller car with AWD, imo the is250 is perfect. Else I wouldve recommend the G37X or TSX. For 35K there's nothing better if you want luxury, reliability and AWD

OP doesnt give a shit about performance. As a dd the is250 is perfectly fine in terms of power.

Do you drive around in your Altima thinking you're driving a G37? Have you ever sat in an IS?
^:rofl:
Exactly. G37x. even the G35x could have worked, except that are just too big for me.


Originally posted by Zephyr
How tall are you? That's a big question I forgot to answer when I bought my IS350. The second gen IS is TINY for tall people. I have to put the seat all the way down and the steering wheel max height and barely clear my legs. The back seats are a joke, unless you have midget friends, or children, it most likely won't be used. IS250 is extremely slow, I driven them as rentals, so glad I paid the extra amount for the difference in power.

My gf has a 09 Corolla, and the room inside is bigger than my IS. The IS does look a lot better than cars of its category, and the interior is awesome, but it lacks performance, practicality (couldn't fit certain things in the car when my gf's corolla could), terrible gas mileage (a few friends with the AWD 250 barely hit 22mpg) and if you're a dealer maintenance type of person, have fun with that.

It's very reliable, and generally a good car, just like I said, it's tiny (unless you're small) and slow, very, very, very, very slow.

Good points, I'll have to keep the practically part in mind when I take another look at it. I'm not a tall guy by any means, so I'm sure I'll fit in fine.

[max_boost]

I'll tell you right now if you want all the things that are considered in a luxury car, HID's, heated/powered/memory seats, sunroof, sound system, that's going to drive the price of the IS250 to $42K+tax! Maybe redlyne_mr2 can hook you up with a deal.

Don't listen to Hakkola, AWD is NOT a waste of money. On dry pavement you probably won't notice it but when you are trying to get going at an intersection with the white stuff falling down or in a deep pile of snow, you'll understand why so many people PREFER AWD. :burnout:

[Team_Mclaren]

^^ from his link it looks like hes fine with a used IS250, in which case one that's fully loaded can be have for <35K

[pinoyhero]

save a few more bucks and get the is350

[SCHIDER23]

Originally posted by Team_Mclaren
Since you just want a smaller car with AWD, imo the is250 is perfect. Else I wouldve recommend the G37X or TSX. For 35K there's nothing better if you want luxury, reliability and AWD



OP doesnt give a shit about performance. As a dd the is250 is perfectly fine in terms of power.

Do you drive around in your Altima thinking you're driving a G37? Have you ever sat in an IS?

I don't think he can get a G37x at that budget range, maybe a 07 G35x for sure or even lower:dunno:

[TYMSMNY]

Originally posted by pinoyhero
save a few more bucks and get the is350

agreed but I believe OP wants AWD. The IS250 AWD won't disappoint. As another user put though, if you're tall, having someone sitting behind you is not the nicest thing to do as there is any leg room left after you adjust your seat.

Best of luck with the purchase. White looks great too.

[preludez]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by C4S
It is not a bad car .. but slow ...

It is even way slower then a BMW 323i ..

But I guess people drive Lexus, they dont care about performance.

My buddy has one, but her mom's RAV 4 is much faster .. however, she rarely go deerfoot at all.. so it is ok. [/QUOT



car is not all about the performances.its what u drive...

[preludez]

[Q

[sillysod]

how can anyone say a good AWD car isnt worth it.

Especially if you go out of the city in the winter? :dunno: