tyrrp

Well it's time for me to move on. Sold my IS yesterday. Unfortunatly my current work position makes it financially better for me to get myself a commercial vehicle. Thinking about one of the Crewcab pickups or one of the larger commercial SUV's. I'm not in a rush to buy just yet as I have a car I can drive for 4 or 5 weeks. Anyway when it comes time for me to return to a car again I think the IS 250 will be at the top of my list so I will return. Bye for now.

I bet it's a long time since anyone here has seen an Automatic €5000 cheaper then a manual.

It is really the vibration they are refering to here not the engine sound. You can dampen sound easier then vibration.

Carrol Kinsella in Blackrock in Dublin have one in as well. Hoping to get over to see it soon. I know the sales manager so if I am very very lucky he might let me start the engine.

I was invited to a launch of the LS 600h The Lexus GB Sales director said there was no plan for IS Hybrid for that very reason "Its The Reps Car" But Lexus have commited to having a Hybrid version off all their models (I think by 2010). It is true that the current Hybrid system will not go into the existing IS. It's just to small. That would explain a new car coming in 2010 though.

Because of the high Irish price and the exchange rate at the moment it actually works out a bit cheaper to get one from the UK and import it. Especially if you do it before the July changes to VRT and road tax.

Have a look at this thread. What you are looking for

have you tried a Toyota garage. They will have the right kit.

Am I not right in saying that they are IS300 lights which won't just fit straight in to the IS200. Thought there was a slight difference in the shape of the wings or the brackets at least.

A link for those confused Super Saloons stupid me, how could i forget to post the link Just finished watching it. Pointless review to be honest. Just talked about each car. Mentioned the torque of each compaired to the others but that's it really. Said nothing bad about any of them and didn't even pick his favourite at the end. Why bother reviewing them together if your not going to compair.

A link for those confused Super Saloons

Right. I am in a good position to comment here. We actually have one of each. I drive a 2001 IS 200 Automatic and my wife drives a 2001 BMW 318 Automatic. They have similar spec other then my IS has half leather and the BMW has all cloth. They also have almost the same size engine other then the IS being 6 cylinder and the BM being a 4 pot. Firstly on power. The IS has it much quicker off the line but the BM delivers it more evenly all the way up. My wife has nearly put mine into a couple of walls by not expecting the early power compaired to the BM. Ride. The BM feels smother alright but I actually feel it's to soft much prefere the feel of the IS. Grip. Yea, it's the BM but not by much. Practicality. Again the BM is bigger inside and in the boot. We always use hers when you are going anywhere at the weekends that we might end up buying something bigish. Finish. Again, I have to say that the hard plastic of the IS lets it down here. It has a nicer overall look and the fit is better but the soft touch plastic in the BMW makes it feel a bit more expensive. Running costs. Well we all know about the bad mpg of the IS. The BM is better but not by a whole lot. However for day to day problems of 7 year old cars the BM is much more troublesome and thus more expensive. All in all I still think the IS is a better car. If I didn't then her indoors would be driving it and I would be in the BMW. We have thought about changing one of the cars a couple of times and we only ever mention the BM as the one to go no matter which one of us gets the replacement. One really bad thing I find in teh BMW is with the cruise control. On the IS when you push the SET button you can take your foot off the pedal straight away and the cars sits at the speed you are at. With the BM however if you take your foot off the pedal it slows down a bit and you have to go slightly over the speed you want it to actually set at.

5th Gear review on YouTube.

No we are right hand drive. We have a system called VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax). Currently this is based on engine size and then a percentage charge of the "Open Market Selling Price" (Changing in June to be emmissions based percentage charge on the OMSP). The percentage on an IS-F would be 30% of OMSP. If the car sells here for 109,500 then the VRT would be €32,850. Then if you buy the car for $60,000 (€40,000) you then have to pay 21% VAT on the cost of the car including shipping. Lets say you are lucky and get the shipping for €1,000 that's €8,610 VAT. Next you pay Import Duty of 7% on the total including VAT. Another €3,472.70 Total €85,000 So it might actually be worth while but you would end up with a left hand drive car. Any word on the price in Japan yet? Try it through the UK. Same VRT. Start price £51,000 less 17.5% VAT £43,404 (€57,300) add 21% VAT (€12,033). No Import Duty from UK. Total €102,183 So if you had the money it might just be worth while. The difference might cover your first years insurance.

Well the arrival of the IS-F in Ireland is set at some time in April. All they have said about the price so far is that it will be less then €110,000 which usually means it will be about €109,500. For those of you across the water that equates to £83,000 or for those of you acroos the bigger water $165,000. That's €42,000 more then it will be in the UK and €69,000 more then in the States. Why oh why are we punished so. You could actually buy 2 in the States and have change to buy a couple of IS350's for popping down to the shops.

Was it Carroll-Kinsella in Blackrock. I got mine there as well. Delt with Ken who is a good guy. Very easy to deal with. I had actually bought from him before when he was with Nissan many years ago and went to that garage because he was there even though I live on the north of the city. For the insurance I go through a broker based in Portlaois. No body else seems to get the quotes they get. A company called Brophy & Co. 0578682129. My whole family have switched to them over the last few years because they are cheap.

I pay €350 fully comp with Eagle Star. I'm 36 with forever no claims though. 6 months warranty seems wrong. I thought Toyota and Lexus gave 1 year on all used cars. Check back with them on that. One other thing to get checked is the shocks. Look for any leaks. NCT picked up a leak in one of mine even though there was no deflection left to right. I always bring mine to Toyota garages for service. They are just as good as Lexus and a good bit cheaper. I pay around €190 for a standard service.

Think you would be better off over at the IS250/220 forum. The IS300 that this forum refers to is the first model. Your IS300 isn't even sold in Europe or the States but the basic car should be the same as the IS250. I know some of them were complaining of wind noise like you describe and they did get is fixed.

No problem I have taken it the wrong way then. I just get pi$$ed when these"Do Gooders" go up to 4x4 drivers and start telling them about being "Greener" when some old lady driving an old banger who is causing 3 times the polution is waved on bye. It's my money if I want to buy a 4x4 or a transit van then it's my business. I personally think a lot of the school runs can be avoided and are uncalled for but that is the "school run" in any car. And half of those "Do Gooders" are driving around in cars like the old 2CV thinking they are being eco friendly.

I drive a 4X4 (I don't do any school runs) but who are you to dictate to me what car I drive? Why am I crazy? I don't tell you that you can't drive a Lexus because it is high fuel consumption and that you should drive a Micra. If you don't like 4X4s then that is your opinion and I can live with it and respect it.But I don't think it entitles you to say I'm crazy because of my choice of car. I don't think he was having a go at all 4x4 drivers. I read it as having a go at the ones that drive them on school runs etc. down narrow streets and then complain about congestion. Can't complain if you contribute to the cause especially if you have the choice to drive a smaller car that won't have a much of a problem navigating narrow streets. One of the guy's in that programme was driving a blinged up Land Rover and was complaining about delivery trucks. The truck drivers don't have a choice about using trucks to deliver their goods most of the time but he had a choice in the car he picked.

Don't. I had a few of these systems to try out a few years ago. They just don't work well. Fine one minute then nothing the next. You just don't know when to trust them.

What ever do just don't let Halfords fit it.

It always stuns me when i here that a colour is only going to be available in one country when all the cars are made in the same factory. How difficult can it be.

It just seems insane. What it basically means is that if you buy a large engined high emmission car in June next year you will be paying €1490 road tax for the life of the car and 30% VRT. However if you buy the same car in July you will pay €2000 road tax for the life of the car and 36% VRT. What is that going to do to the resale value of cars. All this will do is keep the older higher emmissions cars on the road for a lot longer. Idiots :tsktsk:

This is mainly for Irish guys on here but I'm sure the rest of you are interested. We had our Budget for next year announced last night. The minister has decided to change out existing VRT tax system from an engine size system to an emissions based system. Here are the new rates that will apply from 1st July next year. A 0 - 120g 14% B 121 - 140g 16% C 141 - 155g 20% D 156 - 170g 24% E 171 - 190 g 28% F 191 - 225g 32% G 226g and over 36% For your information. Under the current system the Is250 either manual or auto is liable to 30% VRT on the "open market price" as they call it here. when the new system comes in the Auto will go up to 32% VRT and the Manual to 36% VRT. The IS220 will be 24% but the Sport version will be 32% where both are currently 30%. And if you look at the new LS the 460 will pay 36% and the 600H only 32% and again to now the 460 was 30% and the 600H was 16% (Hybrid discount) So in a country where we are already ridden like donkeys by the tax on our cars the prices are about to go up. Oh joy.