Used 2012 Lexus IS 250 C Consumer Reviews
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A civilized sports car you'll love to drive
I bought this car two years ago and it's been trouble-free since then. My previous convertibles were Miatas and VWs, and my wife didn't like to ride in any of those because of the road noise. The Miatas just were unsuitable for long trips. The Lexus is a true touring car - great handling, quiet interior, and enough space for luggage. The rather complex solid top goes up and down in around 20 seconds and all you have to do is push a button on the dash. The interior is of high quality materials, although the leather seats were cracked and worn when the car came to me. I had them replace with new leather. Note that there are no after market leather seat covers available, so if you go the replacement route, it means custom hand-fitted work - not inexpensive. My car has the optional 18 inch wheels, which probably improve handling, but the front and rear tires are different sizes, so rotation to even out wear isn't possible. The HVAC, NAV and radio screen is a touch screen and is very hard to read on a sunny day. Even harder if you wear polarized sunglasses. My screen was badly worn from the previous owner and Lexus does not offer a replacement - they want you to replace the entire radio for over $2K. I found a replacement screen on eBay for $125 and did the work myself. The result is as good as new. On a related note, updating the GPS maps can be done only by a Lexus dealer and the cost is over $300! While my gas mileage has been good (24 mpg around town and 30+ on the highway), it does require premium gas. While I expected the three part roof to be a bit noisy and leak, it is perfectly quiet and as never leaked. On the highway, the car is quieter than my 2018 Lexus ES300H sedan. If you're looking for a quality convertible, this would be a good choice provided you find one that's been taken care of and with low miles.
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I love this car!
A beautiful, stylish, high performance car. Back seat is tight. Would highly recommend. Newer model ( no more convertibles!) are not as nice and seem smaller (4 door). Would not buy the IS now.
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- Base ConvertibleMSRP: $12,00046 mi away
- Base ConvertibleMSRP: $17,999219 mi away
- Base ConvertibleMSRP: $20,978258 mi away
Rattles,shakes,noisy
Ok,I bought a Lexus IS 250c thinking is a high quality car. I should not have problems for the next ten years.i was wrong . Car makes a very annoying rattle noise from convertible top. I took the car to serramonte Lexus in Colma ,the technician said is a common problem with hard top convertibles it needs to be realingend,and put some shims to aliviate the problem,and can not guarantee it will compleatly go away. He said it will take 16 hours of labor at $175 an hour = $2,800 or more to repair.
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The Ice Cream Car
This one is a lot of fun too. Sort of a little sister to the SC with a good engine and outstanding economy (typically 28-29 mpg)! Very peppy acceleration and corners like on rails. Styling is very similar and actually is shorter in height than the SC. There is more room in the trunk without the spare sticking up and the back seats are more accessible although certainly not intended for seating. The front seats are smaller than those in the SC and less comfortable. There’s also less elbow room between passengers. Mine also has paddle shifters for whatever reason On the con side is the early technology and no navigation. Dashboard information is very hard to see in the sun and there is but one cup holder. The ride is rough and you’ll feel every bump. Be very careful when parking as the front will hit the parking blocks and break the too fragile partition in the front - a very expensive repair. But for an inexpensive fun Sunday afternoon cruise with the top down it is perfect, stylish and lots of fun to drive. We call it the “Ice Cream” car for where we always take it..…. Wouldn’t recommend it for long trips but the SC can work for trips - get one of each! Very solid and reliable vesicles
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Love Love Love my IS 250C
Date: 12/21/16 - I purchased the car 11/20/16 and have driven it practically everyday for a month and I don't have any of the rattling noise noted by the other reviewers. The car is a 2011, has 59K miles and has had 2 leased owners prior to me purchasing it last month, so I am certain that the top has been down quite a bit; I haven't had it down yet because of the time of year here in the DMV area. The car rides extremely smooth and handles well, I can't wait until the weather changes . . . . . Praying that it continues to bring me joy for years to come.