- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
153kW, 252Nm
- Fuel
Petrol 9.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
4 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2008 Lexus IS250 X review
We bought this, our second Lexus, with 26,000km on clock. Soon after we had the 30,000km service done we took it on a Brisbane to Melbourne return trip which was very enjoyable.
- Comfort with leather
- GPS
- rear-view camera
- style with nice lines
- reliability and servicing
- sound system brilliant when up load
- paddle-shifts for descending down winding roads
- Driving on rough roads with sports suspension
- not loads of room for back seat adults
We upgraded the tyres before we left as the original Dunlops were getting old and were creating a lot of noise. We replaced them with Michelins; they weren't cheap at $400 a tyre, but what a difference it has made. We attained 6.5L/100km and 6.8L/100km on the way back.
After having had muscle cars, a new BMW 320i in 2007, a new Holden Caprice and have campaigned a nine-second quarter-mile race car for eight years, I feel the IS250 is easy to drive, handled very well and the transmission is beautifully matched to the 2.5-litre engine. Yes, a 3.5-litre would be more powerful but I feel the gear changes would be much more noticeable. We wanted style, comfort, reliability and quality over performance and that's what we got.
It can be a bit noisy on rougher roads. Servicing is very reasonable, especially at authorised service centres but it may be a bit more at Lexus dealers.
The paint work is brilliant in red and after eight years still looks like new. We paid just over $20,000 for it in 2016, which has proven to be great value and it still drives like new. It has that well known Lexus reliability. This year I plan to buy a LS around 2008-2010 with low kms. My wife wants another RX. Will not go back to a BMW or C Class with their high service costs and lack of reliability.
I plan on keeping the car for four years and keep up to date with the servicing, wash it twice a week and polish it every six months and when we decide to sell it, someone will have themselves a brilliant and reliable car. I estimate it will cost me $2000 a year in depreciation. The original owner from new cost him $5000 per year. You do the maths.
Do your research and narrow down the vehicle you want. I spent four months looking at cars before I settled on the Lexus. I paid cash which allowed me to negotiate better. I bought the car out of NSW and had it transported up. Within two hours of picking the car up from the depot, I had it inspected and registered with insurance.
I will never buy new again. Top quality, upmarket cars are great options when four to eight years old, as long as you get with low kms. Compare the Lexus IS250 at $20,000 to a new car of same value, there is no comparison. Lexus is built on quality, reliability and high specs as standard where others you pay more to have the options fitted.
We had a RX330 for 10 years, we sold it with over 240,000km and that is what sold us on Lexus. We replaced the radiator on it plus the normal up to date servicing. That's it, never even changed a light bulb. Even with those high kms, it had no squeaks, rattles, noises, nothing.