[Flipside909]

Most IS F's are packaged by region. Here in the Western Region, Mark Levinson and Navigation is what you will find at dealerships here. In the Southern region, Mark Levinson/NAV and Park Assist. Those in the mid west and eastern regions get Mark Levinson/NAV, Park Assist and Headlamp washers. Because of the limited availability of the 2009 IS F, you will only see these packages listed above dependent on your region. I see that you are from SoCal, unless you happen to find a rare optioned package at your local dealer here in SoCal, everything outside of ML/NAV is special order only.


The only real factory options you can special order outside of ML/NAV would be:

Pre Collision System/Dynamic Radar Cruise
Park Assist
Headlamp Washers

If you are looking for these options all together or individually, be prepared to shell out MSRP if you have it special ordered. For example, my 2009 Starfire IS F was special ordered. I wanted Park Assist on my F, but because the Western Region only orders ML/NAV cars, I had to wait for mine. I took delivery this past December. It normally takes 3 months to special order BTW.

As for the additional options or port installed accessories, you can always have the dealership add them or you can order them at any Lexus parts counter and have them installed on your own. Here in the Western Region, the cars are packaged with:

Preferred Accessory Package: Wheel locks, trunk mat, cargo net
Rear bumper applique

Just for reference, Longo Lexus has every color IS F available at their dealership now. I just picked up my IS F from service and happened to walk downstairs to see what they had. Starfire, Obsidian, Mercury Metallic, Ultrasonic Blue, Smoky Granite and Matador Red. All of these cars are ML/NAV only.

Good Luck!

 

[Flipside909]

All VERY excellent responses,i will get the ML/Nav which will come with the BUC

Ummm not sure I understand what BUC is? ML/NAV is pretty much standard here in SoCal.

I really do want to keep everything as factory as possible as my younger days with new cars were filled with changing everything to "something better" which 80% of the time was not better and looked like it was "changed" too.

I highly agree with you.

Is the I-pod adapter a special order or is that one hit or miss?
Someone did say the smaller items can be easily added later w/o issues which if it keeps me from waiting 3 weeks for a SD GREAT!!

It is a Lexus accessory which you can order from your local parts counter and have it installed at delivery OR you can have it installed at the port if you have it special ordered. If you are inclined to do so, you can install it yourself in about an hour or less. It is plug and play, but a novice would probably need someones help to do it.

Is black not available? Prolly an off dark color?

There are 6 colors available for the IS F. Obsidian is black. The next darkest is Smoky Granite which is a charcoal gray.

I like the look of the two tone Alpine white face and black sides for Leather seat covers over the full black because i have no kids and the white would be spotless,is this as nice in person or is the full black the cats meow?

Good luck finding this interior, it is special order unless you happen to see it at a local dealer in their current inventory. The alpine interior is very very nice. You can check out my pics of these cars here:

IS F Gallery 1
IS F Gallery 2

Does an I-phone work as the i-pod and will the phone work/integrate well?

Yes it works as an ipod when connected to the ipod integration kit, but you will lose functionality of your phone. In order to work both at the same time, you would need to pair your phone with the car BT and plug in the ipod through the aux-in port via a rca miniplug.

How does the Blue tooth work,does it stop music and use the cars speakers then return to music when the call terminates?Any major issues or complaints on this?

Yes, it will halt whatever music or dvd you are playing at the time. If you happen to forget your phone inside the house and you're in the garage sitting in the car, it will pick up your phone.

Now about supply /demand/availability/MSRP vs Invoice other price and any special offers on rebates and or financing? Any insight on this is my real week area ATM.

There are no special incentives that I know of right now on any 2009 IS F. There were amazing deals with the remaining 08 IS F's with special APR and rebates. You should shop dealers in the area to see what they are offering. Your best bet is contacting the internet fleet departments of the local dealers. We actually have great Lexus dealers that are here on our forum, but they are outside of CA if you wish to deal out of state.

I know there was the 1st IS-F in '08' and now in '09',is this correct and was there just the two model year cars or were there several changes between years?

What were the major (if any) changes done in '09' and also the minor changes as well?

The changes for the 2009 from 2008 are all cosmetic interior changes. The exterior remains identical from 08 to 09. You can find the changes here:

http://www.lexusf.com/forums/showthread.php?t=649

Were there any problems which have been fixed or addressed since it's Debut in '08'?

No major problems however the center console's aux-in and DC plug platform was lowered for 09 so it can accommodate longer power plugs while allowing you to close the top of the center console cover.

Aftermarket wheels and tires seem to give the best choices for looks and traction and are 99% of the time cheaper if homework is done but again the fit and finish,offsets,wheel size variants,ABS.traction control and such have me wanting to make no mistakes in the quest for "better quality",is their $1900.00 upgraded wheels/tires the best way overall or is there a better choice i could make down the road?

Whos upgraded wheels/tires? There are a few important things you should look for when selecting aftermarket wheels. 1) TPMS sensor compatible 2) Correct tire sizing/diameter (plus sizing).

Well Happy Fathers day gentlemen!! Not sure if my first test drive day on fathers day is the best day or not but I'm guessing if any are open i may get the care and dedication i usually demand without ever needing to demand it.

Again,Thank you all and keep the comments coming guys!!

Same to you and good luck! Father's Day is not a legal holiday so all dealers are open.

 

[Flipside909]

Did a ton or reading and have come to the conclusion that even though the ML name has genuine roots in the audiophile book of fame(as does Bose with GM which i have and am not at all impressed)the adapted factory system will look great and sound very good at best at low to mid levels but will fall VERY short in so many other aspects it's silly.

How much will this system save me with the ML/Nav and BU camera?

MSRP for the ML/NAV car is roughly $61.7K. Back up camera is standard with any NAV equipped or ML/NAV car.

I have four two channel SONY ES amps(very high end/Low THD) already and was looking at the newest Alpine HD,DVD,Sat,Nav.back up camera,I-Phone,blue-tooth touch screen in dash receiver.

If you plan to install an aftermarket HU with a screen, it will need to be installed like this below:

These interiors are from a regular IS250/350 only...virtually identical to the IS F.

w/factory NAV screen:

w/o factory NAV screen:

So now in light of not getting the ML/Nav (which is the combo added for the premium IS-F here in Cali.)what other options am i looking at which may be available in stocked cars other than the 19" Forged premium wheel/tire combo(which i still need some input on?

Non ML/NAV IS F is going to be a needle in the haystack car which is almost non existent anywhere. There is no 19" Forged premium wheel/tire combo available for the IS F. The 19" Forged Aluminum 10 spoke graphite wheels made by BBS are standard across the board.

 

[Flipside909]

Do they let you pick and choose options in the U.S.? In Canada, Toyota, Lexus, and Acura don't offer the choice of individual options. You either get the base model or the option package. For the IS-F you only get to choose your leather and exterior colours, and if you want, you get the 'B' package with the Nav, ML audio, etc.

You do have the choice of ordering each individual option and/or color combo, but it is special order only. Most of the cars sent to dealers are already packaged. Here in the US, ML/NAV cars are pretty standard. Dependent on the region, they will package with ML/NAV, PA or ML/NAV/PA and Headlamp Washers. There is no limitation to the color combo.

 

[Flipside909]

Well now that i see that there seems to be no easy way to add an aftermarket HU in the same location as the ML, and the lower location seems like a waste i now need to reconsider the factory system.

I somehow got the idea that the factory wheels were a $1900.00 upgraded option.

So now after looking through nearly 1000 pix which were linked here(very helpful and "Thank you" to who sent them)i went from the darkest exterior color through the idea of both blue and red and settled on the silver but after looking at even more pix the white now is looking like a winner.

That with the AMG alloy wheels would look VERY nice IMO.

The interior color is still up for discussion,all black seem a little dull but the blue stitching would make it fit nicely together,that or the Alpine?

Any other options or suggestions guys?

What are some opinions on looking into an '08' with a factory warranty to save the big "off the lot" $$'s?

Is the fact that a dealer would be selling it make the savings not offset the fact that it is used?

Would looking for a private party '08' be a better option and does the factory warranty transfer with out any problems?

What is the warranty,i remember comparing the MB and BMW and thought i saw the Lexus had an additional 2 years o the drivetrain and an unlimited corrosion warranty throughout.

Anyone seen or have any pix of the AMG wheels on a white IS-F?

Know how much these wheels are and if they are compatible with all the needed requirements of the IS-R?

Thanx again.

Factory warranty stays with the car...granted the car was not modified to void warranty. Lexus bumper to bumper warranty is 4 years/50k and 7 years/80k miles for powertrain. Corrosion is 72 months unlimited miles.

http://www.lexus.com/models/IS/warranty/index.html

I think you should do a little bit more research on this car, then ask questions after. I suggest you start here

http://www.lexus.com/models/ISF

As for Mercedes Benz AMG wheels on a Lexus, they will not fit. Bolt pattern for most German cars are 5x120mm vs. general Lexus bolt pattern of 5x114.3mm (with the exception of the LS460/600hl's 5x120mm).

 

[Flipside909]

Thank you flip,your right about me completing my research first because several of these questions are obvious.

Things like cargo mat and net,all weather mats and the compatibility of the satellite with the I-pod adapter are not very clear at all,i can install anything which is plug and play like this adapter but why are they not sold together?

Will i need to decide on just one or can i get the car with sat. and add the I-pod adapter myself later?

The reason why the Lexus Accessory Ipod adapter and the Sirus/XM satellite interface does not work together is because there is one open slot for input in the backside of the headunit. There is only room for one plug in accessory so it's its one or the other. There is a company called VaisTech which offers an all in one unit. You can find more info here: vaistech.com

They are a vendor on Club Lexus and have group buys from time to time.

I am down to the nitty gritty really,it's these little details which will slow me down as i am way too detail oriented to just not think about them now because inside the dealership is no time for me to be deciding on things which should have been addressed prior.

Bummer on the AMG wheels though,the raw alloy look would accent a light color much better than the darker standard ones.

I'm going through every option so i may need some minor advice here,please bare with me,i will proly have purchased a total of 5 cars in my lifetime and this will be #3 at 44.

Attention to detail is key and does help you find exactly what you want and need.

 

[Flipside909]

Again excellent info!!

So i want both,so i should avoid both factory options then add this to gain both later?

These are accessory options that are not installed at the factory and yes can be installed later...i'm guessing you're talking about the Lexus accessory Ipod interface and XM/Sirius interface.

Will there be any cons to this VaisTech in reguards to how it makes both work within the whole audio system?

Nope.

And,what are the prices of both factory installed units and the VaisTech non-group and group prices?

I'm assuming both factory units are more money than this other one?

There is no factory installed unit just to clarify. The prices are on their respective websites.

Is this one of the things which will/could effect the warranty as it pertains to something which goes out and may be (even if only in their eyes)effected by this aftermarket item?

If either factory or aftermarket part is installed incorrectly or causes damage to your factory HU, it can affect the warranty of your radio.

How is Lexus in general about warranty issues and covering them?

That last question is proly more of a dealership related thing right?

Very good and yes.

 

[Flipside909]

Some questions:

Does anyone have the Alpine white anywhere local here in So. Cal. that i can actually see before i order it? Or any way other than pix?

Are you talking about the interior? If so, you will need to call around to find that particular interior. It's like finding a needle in the haystack at thsi point. There are a few of our own members here in SoCal that have the white interior.

When is the 2010 ordering going to start?

It usually starts from July on...but don't expect to get a good deal as they will be more scarce as the year goes on. There is rumor that future IS F's will be special order only meaning you will most likely pay MSRP for one.

Is there "any" planned changes to the 2010 to speak of?

The 2010 will most likely get the updated Gen 6 nav as in the current 2010 IS Convertible. No other changes have been reported yet.

Does a special order mean retail for sure?

Does it really take a month to get a SO?[/qu

For majority of the dealers yes. Because they are more likely to give you a better deal from their current inventory, it will take some time to order a special order car. Minimum is 3 months unless Toyota Motor Corp. decides to halt production like they did earlier this year with the 09 IS F.

I am thinking of the black with Alpine,i know its not called black but it is to me.

Obsidian is the official "black" color of the IS F.