Used 2009 Lexus IS 250 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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TERRIBLE Driving Position, Hurts R Leg
Traded TSX for IS250 AWD. Decided on IS over the G37, 335, TL, and WRX. Thought the IS had the most comfy front seats of the bunch. I was sorely wrong. Happy at first, nice ride and solid handling, until my right leg started to hurt. Didn't notice it much at first, but after 4 weeks in this car, there's a glaring stupid BUMP protruding out the driver's side. Simply cannot rest my right foot and leg in proper straight ergonomic manner. Right leg simply cannot straighten out, liken a repetitive stress disorder. BUMP part of AWD trans; whole body hurts to drive. Regret buying this car, will never buy AWD Lexus sedan again. May be forced to trade-in after only 1000 miles! Ridiculous.
Big Disappointment
I traded in a Audi A4 for the IS250 and have been quite disappointed. The transmission is rough when shifting, it has no get up and go, and the blind spots are huge. I find myself having to look around a lot more in this car and am way more cautious after several near collisions because of the blind spots. The Audi was fun to drive. The IS250 is a chore. I'm getting rid of it after only 1 year.
Expensive Corolla
My first year leasing the IS AWD has been "fine." It is a sporty looking pre-luxury all wheel drive vehicle, top notch reliability and a spectacular dealership experience. Beyond that it's an expensive AWD Corolla with added bells/whistles. It does do a great job in the harsh Midwest winters, but is not nearly as fun to drive as the Audi/VW cars I have owned in past. Its handling is okay but not sporty; the ride is generally compliant but at times punishing. It never "goes" when you need it to and then whines like a four cylinder. I am generally not as excited to drive this Lexus as I was my previous autos, and sadly look forward to returning to a German AWD car when my lease is up.
Good but not Great
I've owned this car since it first came out. Picked it up at the end of December 2005. The interior looks and feels great (but it's still not Audi in terms of physical feel). The seats look great and feel soft to the touch. However, after more than 45 minutes, they are so soft that your rear begins to ache as you can somewhat feel the metal platform underneath. They definitely need to take some cues from Germany. Nav system is very easy to learn and use, but like many others, you can't use it while moving. Interior lighting with LED accents is still state of the art.