Ho, got the up and close look at the new IS350 demo, fully loaded. Was ready to go to LOH and turn in the G for it!! But, not for sale yet. When my good friend secretly told me the MSRP, I wanted to flip cuz it will mean the end of the G35 reign, until 07 that is...

 

^ yeah, it looks okay from the front. imo, the sides, and rear are fugly. plus, isn't it heavier than our G's?? i still wouldn't get it because it's 4 doors. if it came out with a coupe, i'd be 1st on the list for order the only sedan from Lexus i'd push is the LS430.

 

That shiet looks PIMP...

 

^ you should get one. the name, "LS430" just kills Infiniti period, regardless of performance.

 

^... that's for sure VIP status... duh.duh.dayammmmm

 

^ i can see you in it already. taking the Kunia exit, with super camber back.....go for it. plus, you can pimp with the baby seat! MEAN!

 

you guys are such donkeys... at times...

mmiyama: Did you drive it? How did it handle?

 

^ you're a donkey.

 

Actually that's the exactly the opposite reason why my wife and I are getting rid of our G. I'm not complaining, the way I look at it, it's an upgrade power-wise.

 

dayam. if i had the money i'd keep my G and get that

nice car defiinetly but i love my G and it's been my dream car since it came out so i'll be happy for another 4-5 years

(still sometimes i wish i had gotten the coupe and not the sedan...hope baces doesn't see this!! LOL)

 

I'm surprised that Servco Lexus didn't release it yet; it's already available on the mainland.

As for prices, SL charges no markup and is pretty much MSRP (like Lexus' corporate site) - unless you know someone and can get it for below MSRP.

'06 IS350 RWD 6AT (base)
MSRP $36,030

The real crappy part about SL and its dominance of the HI market is that they get to choose the option/equipment packages you can buy in HI. That said, you can't get any Lexus - not even the LS430 with a nav system. Really sucks cuz the nav system comes w/ the voice-activation and backup camera (tho the sales rep at SL told me that some of their '06 GS430s actually came w/ the backup camera - not that I was actually looking at the '06 GS...). One of my co-workers went up to cali to visit some relatives in Beverly Hills and the family member had a Lexus - the Nav system was nuts - she was driving and the Nav system said "Turn Right at Stoplight" and she past it, and it kept saying "turn around" and she kept ignoring it and it kept saying "going wrong direction, turn around." lol. Supposedly the Infiniti nav system is going to be operational in '06?

Anyway, the IS 350 seems like a really nice car, although it looks kind of cramped in the back. Fully loaded it costs about $40k, but that's including the nav system you can't get here, so it'll probably top at around 38, 39K? As far as the IS250, I can't believe it starts at $30k for the RWD 6MT. I thought they'd charge it at around the price of a TSX or something. Even the '06 325i has more hp than that... why not just carry over the i-6 w/ 215hp from the '05 (or, use the '05 GS300's i-6 w/ 225hp?). It's almost like Lexus is afraid of putting in too much hp/performance in their cars. And then there's the '06 Avalon, which makes absolutely no sense IMO. Are grandmothers really going to need a 280hp engine?! lol

 

I do see a good number of them driving the G35 as well.

 

sedan baby!! nice!! does that thing come 6spd? i'd like to drift that!!

 

nope. only the puny 204-hp 2.5L IS250 has 6-MT, and the reviews on that tranny haven't exactly been "stellar." plus, the 6-AT w/ paddle shifters will change the gears for you to prevent damage...