Kavey
February 20, 2003, 6:13 pm
I drove the IS200 extensively before I went the way of the Altezza....
Most of the direct comparisons are made here: [url="http://www.japanvehicles.com/newcars/toyota/Altezza/main.htm"]http://www.japanvehicles.com/newcars/toyot...ltezza/main.htm[/url]
Assuming you're talking about the RS200 (of course!) from living with the beast, here's my lowdown:
Pros:
- 210hp, 8000 rpm Redline, increased torque and a much easier engine to play with for modifying
- Better weight distribution and lighter front end make it much more responsive to drive
- Jap body kits like mine are much rarer than here
- The car DOES have fog lights - it's just that the boot lid lights also work as night lights, giving it a Skyline look at night
- 0-60 7.9secs, top speed 157mph
- Basic spec includes, Torsen LSD, Gearbox is same 6MT
- Good linear rpm/bhp power delivery curve, and great response from the power band from 5000 revs upwards - the engine is much better suited to the gearbox, where the IS200 1G-FE lacks some revs to exploit the close ratio gears
Cons:
- Higher insurance - expect to pay 50% extra on the UK spec, perhaps more. Some companies won't loan you a courtesy car if the car is in for repair due to the time it takes to get parts
- Some parts can only be ordered from Japan meaning longer wait time (up to 2 months perhaps)
- No UK warranty and most Lexus UK dealers won't touch it (I have a 3rd party warranty on mine)
- Basic servicing can be done at some 'friendlier' Lexus dealers, but if anything goes wrong with engine, most dealers don't have the kit to read/diagnose the ECU (or so I'm told - maybe this is propaganda!). I use Jemca/Lexus Edgware Road who specialise on imports. Expect to pay a bit more on servicing (but maybe that's just a London thing - but I do feel that I pay a bit over the odds...)
- No alarm immobiliser as standard, which you will need for Insurance
- Cloth interior as standard, no auto headlamps, no heated mirrors, no electric seats, no heated seats, no headlamp washers
- Standard Jap radio range is 77-90 FM, meaning unless you change the head-unit or get an band expander, you only get Terry Wogan in the morning on Radio2.
- Power delivery not quite as smooth as the 6 pot, but then it's easier to play with with induction etc, like I'm having done
- Need to run it pretty exclusively on Optimax/Super as the car's ECU is tuned to Jap spec 100 Octane fuel. You can run it on less, but you get a much flatter response.
- No 5th Alloy - space saver tyre.
- 60L fuel tank instead of 70L
- Harder to sell second hand
If you are buying a new one, bear in mind taxation, SVA clearance (authority to drive the car in the UK - it has to pass some basic roadworthiness tests), delivery time...
None of this is unsurmountable, and things like electric/heated seats and headlamp washers mean nothing to me. The RS200 makes the car the IS I wanted, however part of that is down to the body kit and sports spec I got from Japan. But then when I bought my car the TTE Supercharger was a pipedream... If you find an Altezza in the UK without the kit, it'll cost you a bomb to get the kit I have as aftermarket - looking on Steve Ganz's site, you'd spend around $2000-2500 to get the car looking slick. However, the TTE Supercharger, does bring the IS200 into same league as the RS200 performance wise. Personally, if I already had a kitted IS200, I'd probably stick with it and get the supercharger, as in the long run I'd save on the reduced insurance and not lose the equity I'd already invested in the existing car, and have a smoother 6 pot. The 4 pot is a racing engine and not so well behaved around town... though it loves letting rip on the motorway, especially accelerating hard to the 8000 redline!
As Graham would say... the choice is yours...
Hope that helps dude!
