The Challenge Is On!

[idmax]

Go test drive a BMW then you will know what I mean. For the Class it is competing in it should be a lot better. As I said I have owned 4 BMWs in the past so I am not talking :tsktsk: as you put it. I now drive an IS200 mainly for reliability and no sorry I cant be biased just stating what I think from my experience. I know people on this club like to look down on the BMW drivers but until you tried one you wont know why so many people buy them now. Acoording to Which magazine the latest 3 series is much improved in reliability so I may change to that. The fit and finish of the interior is well below german rivals such as Audi and BMW aswell, also much more noise inside aswell.

[Ruskie]

Im more intrested in the 400 miles a tank someone mentioned. Dream world. Either that or you drive very slow over very long distances. I get 320 on a tank of optimax. ,340 if i nurse it a bit.

[marcus]

I know people on this club like to look down on the BMW drivers but until you tried one you wont know why so many people buy them now. Acoording to Which magazine the latest 3 series is much improved in reliability so I may change to that. The fit and finish of the interior is well below german rivals such as Audi and BMW aswell, also much more noise inside aswell.

:tsktsk: there just no stoping you is there mate now you say the Finash is not as good as the B*W's and Audi IMO i think the IS Finash is 10 times better than the B*W as the IS is STD and for what you get in an IS, you would have to pay out about 8K more to get the same in a B*W as you get in an IS . reliability not that good in B*W but you still had 4 of them you dont have a B*W bage on your IS do you

[Lexus Jim]

Im more intrested in the 400 miles a tank someone mentioned. Dream world. Either that or you drive very slow over very long distances. I get 320 on a tank of optimax. ,340 if i nurse it a bit.

I average on 370-380 miles per tank of optimax and I wouldn't say I drive slowly. I normally cruise on m/way at about 90 odd. I do short journeys to work (2 miles 1 way) and I do a lot of country roads when I go climbing. I also nearly always red line it when accelerating on to the motor way. If I was more conservative I recon I could get 400+ out a tank If you cruised at 70 on the m/way and accelerated sensibly. I used to get about 320 to a tank when I used to use normal unleaded (95 ron), have you reset your ecu since using optimax?

[javaboss]

I drive to the Lake District - 325 miles - at 80mph and still have a quarter of a tank left! and mine's an Auto!

[idmax]

I know people on this club like to look down on the BMW drivers but until you tried one you wont know why so many people buy them now. Acoording to Which magazine the latest 3 series is much improved in reliability so I may change to that. The fit and finish of the interior is well below german rivals such as Audi and BMW aswell, also much more noise inside aswell.

:tsktsk: there just no stoping you is there mate now you say the Finash is not as good as the B*W's and Audi IMO i think the IS Finash is 10 times better than the B*W as the IS is STD and for what you get in an IS, you would have to pay out about 8K more to get the same in a B*W as you get in an IS . reliability not that good in B*W but you still had 4 of them you dont have a B*W bage on your IS do you

BMW wheels dont rust after 6 months. Enough said really.

[marcus]

I know people on this club like to look down on the BMW drivers but until you tried one you wont know why so many people buy them now. Acoording to Which magazine the latest 3 series is much improved in reliability so I may change to that. The fit and finish of the interior is well below german rivals such as Audi and BMW aswell, also much more noise inside aswell.

:tsktsk: there just no stoping you is there mate now you say the Finash is not as good as the B*W's and Audi IMO i think the IS Finash is 10 times better than the B*W as the IS is STD and for what you get in an IS, you would have to pay out about 8K more to get the same in a B*W as you get in an IS . reliability not that good in B*W but you still had 4 of them you dont have a B*W bage on your IS do you

BMW wheels dont rust after 6 months. Enough said really.

IF you dont like the :tsktsk: ing IS mate and you love the B*W so much why the **** did you buy a LEXUS for PLEASE tell, ;) Deep Down you know the IS is better than B*W thats why you have IS NOW :P

[whitie]

My last company car was a Beamer 325, then I got my IS.... Had the chance to buy both... Turned down the BMW.. Not enough character in them, you know, they all look the same, no va vaa voom

Then I got my IS, have had it three years then down the line, bought it.

Don't get me wrong Beamers are very nice cars, but for different reasons... You have to ask yourself, why are a vast amount of them company cars

[amolkarnik]

I've moved to the lex from a BMW 323 (E36). I think they make brilliant cars and are an even bigger marketing success. Even so I think the real 3-series to buy are the 330 petrol/diesels and the M3. Cracking cars. People drive debadged 316/318's only for the sake of being in a beemer and inspite of the fact that the engines arent bad, its kind of missing the point.

The amount of kit, a bit of uniqueness and customer services made me buy the Lex. All the IS needs is slightly better low down torque for the IS200, a 2.5 litre petrol and a 2.5 litre diesel and I bet you BMW will have a serious contender on their hands. The fit and finish on the Lex is on par with the BMW's and Audis; what it probably lacks is European flair in the cabin design (but thats what sets the cabin apart as well).

[idmax]

I know people on this club like to look down on the BMW drivers but until you tried one you wont know why so many people buy them now. Acoording to Which magazine the latest 3 series is much improved in reliability so I may change to that. The fit and finish of the interior is well below german rivals such as Audi and BMW aswell, also much more noise inside aswell.

:tsktsk: there just no stoping you is there mate now you say the Finash is not as good as the B*W's and Audi IMO i think the IS Finash is 10 times better than the B*W as the IS is STD and for what you get in an IS, you would have to pay out about 8K more to get the same in a B*W as you get in an IS . reliability not that good in B*W but you still had 4 of them you dont have a B*W bage on your IS do you

BMW wheels dont rust after 6 months. Enough said really.

IF you dont like the :tsktsk: ing IS mate and you love the B*W so much why the **** did you buy a LEXUS for PLEASE tell, ;) Deep Down you know the IS is better than B*W thats why you have IS NOW :P

reliability as I have previously stated

[LennyLexus]

You have to ask yourself, why are a vast amount of them company cars

E C O N O M I C A L :P

[OLI_EP3]

f*ck sake, this has gone so far off topic!

Slam> If you can't afford the IS then have you thought about the Altezza? I know you wanted black, but how about this really nice white RS200 tip on eBay?

TRD bodykit, low miles (compared to your 100k plus) DEFINITE head turner, more power, and yes it is an auto but with the tip gearbox!

As it's an import I wouldn't worry about taking it to a Lex garage, just find a specilist in your area that knows their stuff.

Worried about parts etc?

Plenty of ppl know about the Altezza, our resident experts Supracharged and AltezzaScott, to name a few

Companies? TDI, Fensport, Whifbitz, option, Nemesis.

Dont know what you could get it for but say you got it for £6.8k or £7k thats a bargain!

I know I would..........

altezza

[whitie]

E C O N O M I C A L 

Thats just it, cheap to run compared to other size cars... its not cuz they're better.. My old mans got a BMW company car, the only reason he's got it cuz the other choices were like passats etc.

Beamers are very over-rated.. Thats what I thought when I had one anyway

Plus the worste thing is when your in a traffic jam, and your surrounded by identical cars. (I've been there!! )

[whitie]

How far can one post go!!!

nust....get....back on.....topic

Ebay Altezza

[Lexus Jim]

Also they're worth bugger all second hand nowadays. You can get what you want in the colour you want for the price you want

[jason_l]

thanks oli ep3, whitie, and lexus jim for putting this back on topic!

i have looked at the altezza but i dont really want to pay the higher insurance, its already enough as it is! Plus i really want a manual.

Im still at uni at the moment, but i finish next thursday, then i have a month before i start my job to find one! i just dont have the time at the moment to look for one!

J. :D

[Gavin G]

I totally agreee with amolkarnik as regards to the BM's

The only ones worth having are the 330i, 330d, M3 etc. They are fine cars no matter what anyone says. My boss has a new 330d and it goes like a rocket for a diesel

If I could afford any of the above I would have it over the IS200, but then again I would consider an IS300 too :winky:

The IS200 is much better than the run of the mill 316i and 318i and I for one am happy with my IS.

Gavin :)

[lofty]

he.he.he

This is a fun, if a bit "off" topic. :D

Here's my two penneth.

OK. I love my IS.

I also really like a few high end beemers, and if I had the money then I'd definately have one.(330i,M3)

But let's be honest here. What is the comparable beemer to the IS200 SE?

It's a BM 318i. Oh dear. This is where it all goes horribly wrong for all those in the "beemer camp"

IS200 SE a shade under 20,800 o.t.r.

318i £20,950

So, that doesn't look too bad 'till you check out the additions you'd have to make to the beemer to bring it up to the IS spec.

Leather £1500

17" alloys £1500

6 disc changer £250

'Leccy sunroof £895

Colour coded door handles!!!! £95

.....the list goes on.

To spec the beemer up to the IS level would cost way in excess of 25 grand.

Im not wanting to slate the beemers, just making a point. You can't compare a IS to (say) a 330i. They are in different ball parks.

The BMW optional extras list goes on forever. Money, money, money.

I always found the Lexus "optional extras" catalogue amusing........

1) Sat Nav.

........errr, and that's it. EVERYTHING is STANDARD :D

Finally, BM 318i or IS200SE.......its a bit of a no brainer, don't you think?

Cheers

Lofty.

[whitie]

Your best bet is to call around, or look on something like a yahoo search for Lexus... Or even ask people on here "Altezzascott", may sort something out, if he gets a part ex in??

[Gavin G]

I know you couldn't compare the IS200 with a BMW 330i but does anyone know how the IS300 would compare performance wise with the 330i or indeed a 330d?

[OLI_EP3]

330i will whip the IS300

[dharms12]

cheap lexus is back on eBay check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...2480130323&rd=1

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...2480493433&rd=1

[scott]

330i will whip the IS300

Yep, it certainly will.

Guy across the road has got a 330 and he wants an IS300! He's fed up with every man and his dog driving around in a BM/un-badged BM.

You can do a compare between IS300 and 330 on the Lexus site. You get some more toys on the lex but that's about it. What you don't get with the BM is that warm feeling when you look around and realise that yours is the only one parked up on the motorway and then you count the BMs 1,2,3,4,5,6 .... I'm sure I see less mondeos nowdays :D