Used Rare Lexus IS 300 Sedan, Gray, Manual Transmission for sale in Cary, NC

I am selling my super rare, super fun, manual 2005 Lexus IS300 sedan. Only 4,501 manuals were sold in 2005. Between 2002 and 2005, only 13,122 were sold. When I purchased this car in 2010, I had a hard time finding a manual that had not been in an accident, let alone in a desired color or with low mileage. Today, it is nearly impossible.

This car is my daily driver. Since I work from home, however, "daily" is more like once a week now. Every time I stop at an auto store or dealership, I get a lot of attention. The people at AutoZone love it. I was pulling out of a car dealership a couple years ago, and the sales guy ran out and asked if I was selling it. He said his manager was interested in it.

- No accidents. I think someone bumped into my rear bumper in a parking lot, which produced a couple nicks on the left side of the rear bumper, but it’s very minor. Carfax is clean.
- With only 161,000 miles, there is plenty of life left on the 3.0L Inline 6-cylinder 2JZ-GE engine.
- Regular maintenance. I have performed the majority of the oil changes myself. I have replaced O2 sensors. I had the clutch replaced last year. I have had the timing belt and water pump replaced twice, including once earlier this year. I replaced one of the side mirrors that was showing discoloration in the glass.
- The leather seats are in excellent condition, except for where the stitching is starting to separate slightly on the rear back seat shoulder by the headrest. Should be an easy fix.
- Many options. Upgraded premium 17" wheels. Powered seats. Heated driver and passenger seats. Sun roof. Cruise control.
- AC works great. Very cold. No issues.
- I completely removed the dashboard a couple years ago and finally fixed the "sticky dashboard" problem that plagued these cars, especially the southern cars. I removed all of the sticky substance, sanded, primed, painted, and clear-coated the surface.
- Very few, but elegant, mods. I replaced the air intake, but still have the original. I replaced the air filter with a reusable K&N cloth filter. I replaced the stereo/multi-disk/tape unit with a Pioneer AVH-2500NEX unit with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DVD player, and Bluetooth (original unit included as well). I ran a cable microphone to the back of the unit for hands-free calling. I swapped out the shift knob with a very solid rust orange colored steel ball. I replaced the cigarette lighter with a USB power outlet. I replaced the old worn antenna with the shorter better looking Altezza antenna.
- The sun roof has never leaked. It slides open or can just pop up for fresh air.
- I am the third owner. The first owner put ~20k miles on it in 4 years. The second owner put another ~20k miles on it in 1 year. Both owners were from the north (NY), so there is a minimal amount of rust under the car. The car has, however, been a southern car for the past 12 years.
- The paint is very good, but does have some small chips in the hood. The spoiler is the only place where the clear coat has worn down.
- The headlight auto leveling dash light is on. It has been on for years. The leveling sensor controls under the car seem to still be in the correct position. I think it just requires a new leveling sensor. Not sure which one. That said, the lights seem level to me and I have never had someone flash their lights at me while going down the road. When I start the car, both headlights do move up and down before settling in. I thought about yanking the sensor like so many others have done in the Lexus forums, but decided instead to just keep ignoring the light on the dash.
- Requires premium fuel.

I am well aware of the price recommended by Nada, KBB, and others. I am not selling a typically used car. I am selling a very rare manual transmission in excellent condition that is fun to drive and will run for years to come. I am not in a hurry to sell. Serious buyers only.

Price lowered per feedback. Headlights to be cleaned up and restored.