walkabt

Scottsdale Lexus really wants me to overpay for service or on a new car from them! They never cease to amaze me and I never cease to take advantage when I can!

This week, I received a letter from Scottsdale Lexus offering me some deals ($10 more to have my oil changed than I currently pay for a Lexus certified technician at Toyota) on service for my Lexus and, if I went to test drive a new car, 4 Harkin's passes or 12 golf balls. Being super cheap, at lunch I went over to the dealership to collect my movie tickets and drive the IS300 5 speed.

Couple words: NOT impressed. Interior seemed really cheap for a Lexus - lots of dials, cluttered instrument panel that had angles that didn't go with the car, hokey aluminum or chrome package with IS300 in big letters in front of the passenger seat and the shifter was pretty bad. It was a "chrome" shifter that felt like a really light Christmas tree ornament. The throw was much longer than the S2000 (what isn't though) and the pedals were really close together and I kept hitting the brake when I hit the gas (I am shoe size 11 1/2). Piddled around in it for about 30 minutes and then went back to the dealership. DVD Nav system seemed out of place. It pops up when you need it and can tilt too, the controls are behind the shifter. Not something I would recommend in a stick. Even if I were in the market for this type of car, no thanks, BMW would get my money on a new 330. Disappointing since this is the first stick Lexus since the '90-'91 ES250. They did say that they only make 3-5% of the cars with the stick - out of 24 IS300s sold in December only 2 or 3 were stick.

Funny thing, does anyone remember a sticker on their S2000 stating that the tires may last less than 20,000 miles? The IS300 I drove had the performance tires and it had two stickers that said that (noted some federal regulation in small print). I don't recall that on the S.

The good news: 4 Harkin's passes good until 2004!! Hopefully, they will send me another offer when I use up the tickets

ceo2b

Hmmmm..... 4 Harkins tickets. Sounds like a good double date

Seriously, thanks for the post. I love the look of the car, and I actually like the dial cluster, but the car really does feel cheap for a Lexus. I haven't had the pleasure of driving, but sitting in it at the car show, I felt very cramped. Also, what's the point of having a back seat if you can't sit up straight without hitting your head on the roof?

Were I in the market, 330 would be my choice as well.

SonShine

I was considering both of those cars when I was looking around; of course, once I seriously checked out the S, it was no contest. I drove the Bimmer several times, but the IS300 5Sp had just come out, and they hadn't gotten any in yet when I decided to drop the 4 door "sport sedans" and go with the real sports car

I also have never been impressed with the IS300 interior - pretty cheap for a 30k+ car (hmm - kind of like the stock S2000 stereo...). I really liked the Bimmer much better overall; my wife wants to get one once our other car (SUV) is ready for limited duty. The other 4-door I seriously considered besides the S was the WRX - that car is a blast!

Guess I'd better start saving up now...

Ragingazn

so are you saying that is 300 a good buy? or not? you used some big words

AZDavid

I thought Jordan was going to buy a new car before I looked at the date. I was wondering why he didn't test drive the IS350.

l8brakr

I thought the "Harkin's passes good until 2004!!" was a joke.