Lexus IS200 - opinions solicited

knifey_spoonie

Squirrel wrote:

I'm driving a toyota that cost me more than 40 grand I can see that being respectable

Remember: Your drivnig a hyundai that cost 30 grand and its not a trajet or a coupe.

So whats your point

Squirrel

Have you seen the Trajet, one of my friends mistook it for a hearse when we went past a parked one. The coupe didnt suit my needs at the time as I have something better, a 93 toyota MR2 G-Limited T-Bar, in black. Just out of curiosity, what do you drive? Also my car happily takes me all around the country for athletics meets. The car suits me perfectly and for a car that size and the amount of kit you would be paying alot more elsewhere. The only car that gets near close is the Kia Magentis which, on the looks front is hideous and uses technology from the previous generation Sonata.

vector

unkel wrote:

...nowhere near the status/style of the Mercedes or the driving qualities of the BMW...

Very well put

ambro25

Style of a Merc? Unless you're talking about the new SL, they all look the same since the 80s, IMHO. Same shape, marginal lifting around the eyes...
It's an acquired taste, just not mine.

So a BMW drives well. So I've been told. I've tried a few over the years, one not so long ago (a '96 520 manual) and wasn't particularly impressed. I enjoyed driving my dad's C5 HDi more this Xmas - for the comfort. Not bothered about Beemers, can't get more of a look-at-me-too car these days...
Resale value holds good & build quality's commendable, though, I'll give them that, but I'm not looking for something to go round Mondello or burn Passats at red lights (leave that to people with shares in bushes & gearbox manufacturers) ( unkel), since I'm gonna become an electric scooter man myself :eek:

twinturbo

If your going to get a lexus try and get an altezza one they are more expensive and quite rare but their is definitley a marked improvement in performance from what i've heard

DukeDredd

twinturbo wrote:

If your going to get a lexus try and get an altezza one they are more expensive and quite rare but their is definitley a marked improvement in performance from what i've heard

Thats only with the Altezza RS200 - more power but only 4 cylinder engine. Pretty much a souped up corolla engine in that one - i'd say it'd be fun to drive though!

ambro25

I thought std engine was straight-six? Or is it a 4 cyl on some models only (e.g. Altezza)?

(Can't be asked to Google it - some apparently knowledgeable people on the Forum )

unkel

Straight 6. That and RWD and fairly good handling and sportyness were deliberaty instilled in the IS200 by the force of Toyota's marketing department to compete with the 3-series

puntosporting

Was at a tunning crowd recently and they had a standard is200 on a dyno pack and it only made 140 bhp at the flywheel,pretty poor i taught i never got its torque reading do!

unkel

puntosporting wrote:

and it only made 140 bhp at the flywheel

That is poor. Standard output is 155 bhp

Dan_B

I owned a Subaru Legacy for two years and cannot speak highly enough of it.
The best car I ever owned bar none.
Sold it to my Father and he drove it for 3 years and says the same thing.
Totally bullett proof, comfortable, plenty of poke and I always liked the idea of driving something a bit different.
Was let down by the interior but newer models have rectified this.
Subaru has constantly been in the top 5 of the JD Power survey in the UK which is compliled from owners experiences not trouser suited women.
Defenitley worth a look IMO.

ambro25

Don't need converting to the fold - I currently also drive an Impreza ('97, 2.0 Sport ed.). Check my earlier posts in this thread and you'll see that if the IS200 (test-drive coming this w/end, yay!) doesn't measure up, then it's back to Mr Scooby

Incidentally, what would I get for my Scoob 2nd-hand around these parts? ('97, green met, 65k, full Magnex s/s exhaust line, nearly new Yokohama tyres all-round, SH, vgc). It's on Brit plates, btw. Thinking of selling that private & part-exing the MX-5 (if they'll take it).

Dan_B

Have a copy of the blue book lying around somewhere but if it's UK reg?
Suppose you could subtract the VRT from the value in the south.
Should give you a ball park figure.

ambro25

Dan_B wrote:

Suppose you could subtract the VRT from the value in the south.

I'd have thought that VRT would be on top of the Blue Book value, not subtracted from. OMSP calculator gives €3381, which seems low to me, as I'd have expected closer to €4,500.

ambro25

Right, my good people. I have test-driven a '00 IS200 on Saturday & am now speaking with some knowledge of the thing...

1/ for a 4-year, 43k miles on the clock, the thing was in a rather sorry state, (rust on metal wiper holders & in places under the bonnet, headlights outer plastic casing 'scuffed', etc.) - unless it was mostly unloved, which is totally possible, this doesn't entice me that much to the alleged build-quality.

2/ thoroughly enjoyed driving the thing, felt responsive in all the right places

3/ I hear the argument about constantly changing gears + the under-powering question... But I think it's down to the gear ratios (it's a 6-speed, so the first five 'bottom out' much earlier than more conventional 2-litres saloon)

4/ The useful room is smaller then my Impreza! :eek: Boot's smaller, legroom in back is smaller as well as the driving position 'abode'.

5/ Absolutely no part-ex on brit plates (even though I'd have been pretty 'generous ' ).

So, after much deliberations... I'll keep driving the MX & the Scoob for another year and they'll both be Irish-reg'd/NCT'd/Tax'd by the end of the week. Thanks to all for the contributions.

Dan_B

I meant if you subtract the vrt you'd have got a value without having paid the duty.

Thanks for the feedback on the IS200, funnily enough I was considering one as my next car, Seen a NI plate 01 200 sport for 10.5K Stg.
May take a look anyway though you have not been kind!!

ambro25

Dan_B wrote:

May take a look anyway though you have not been kind!!

I've tried to be fair. I used to get all emotional about which car and this and that, but it's a sign that I must be growing up when I let my wife do more than half of the test drive and am nit-picking about the car to the n-th degree...

As I wrote, tbh, I think the poor motor had been somewhat neglected (or had spent an inordinate amount near the docks, to account for the corrosion) - and that's down to that particular one, not all of them.

And I did point out that yes, it drove superbly for a mid-sized family saloon - the sound of the straight-6... pure delight and I'd have bought it just for that, were it not for the lack of room.

Do you have kids? Of pram-in-boot + full-on-armchair-on-the-backseat age? When you do, you'll realize what I meant in respect of boot size and legroom...(and that's because I absolutely refuse to drive a 4x4 / SUV / MPV, as a matter of personal taste).

Dan_B

No small people so buggie / pram not a problem.
In fact a single seater with enough room for a set of golf clubs
would fit my needs!

Was thinking of 318Ci but have been put off by stories of it being underpowered and fuel gauge's going down when you open the door :eek:

Cheers.

ambro25

Golf clubs? Forget it... No Sh1t, the very dealer who had it on the forecourt told me Saturday that he used to drive the IS 200 'Chanel' ltd edition, but got rid of it soon after as the boot couldn't comfortbaly accomodate his golf set (I mean, the boot is small for car of that size). Sorry for you...

1 seater with golf bag, mmm...let me think... Honda S2K ragtop? Boot's decent (possibly bigger than IS200 ).
Or an Impreza, boot's quite large for the size (mine takes the [big] 3-wheeler pram, two fairly good-sized week-end bags and two rucksacks, with some spaces left here and there).
Or a Legacy (a sporty twin-turbs one ), boot's positively cavernous, you'd fit a coffin lengthways in there...