Problems Sourcing An Is200 Sport

[Adam W]

Hi All,

Just having a few problems finding a IS200,

I have 2.5k and my Prelude to PX (Worth about £800-£1200 depending who you ask) and still seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, two so far, one accident damaged and poorly repaired and the other with 200,000 miles on the clock. The rest are 60+ miles away; am I being too narrow minded only looking for a Sport? or generally too fussy?

Not to offend anyone but I’m really not too keen on the cream interior ones either, which isn’t helping.

Cheers

[john99t-reg]

as your car to px doesn't appear to be of a massive value, if it was me i would save up for the right is200, i have the sport and like the tinted rear windows, lsd and lower suspension (saves modding costs later), if these features are important to you then get the sport, if not consider the se or s. by not changing your car with a dealer means you should of course get a better deal when buying and also get more for yours, as they would probably knocked a few hundred off yours and add a few hundred to their car, so you would be effectively giving them your car for nothing if trading in if that makes sense. i've only been in my sport but may be worth looking at a few se/s models to increase your chances of finding a car.

[ynotshi]

I would sell you car privatly the you will have about 3.5k witch should buy you and farly decent motor. I was like you and wanted a sport went and looked at quite a few travelled far with my dad and then a man about 6 miles away had a silver se for sale went and had a look and ended up buying it like john99 treg said its if you want the slight trimmings that the sport offers without extra cost or do like what i am doing buy se and put the parts that you like on because you can get plenty of good stuff from scrap yards and eBay and do stuff you self.

Because i think people will agree when you first get the car its good but then you want to make it suit you.

But hang in there and the right car for you will come along and you will now once you take it for test drive good luck in you serch

[eddieblock]

also don't forget about the LE version. it's a better spec than the S and Se models !

[fjcfarrar]

Hi All,

Just having a few problems finding a IS200,

I have 2.5k and my Prelude to PX (Worth about £800-£1200 depending who you ask) and still seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel, two so far, one accident damaged and poorly repaired and the other with 200,000 miles on the clock. The rest are 60+ miles away; am I being too narrow minded only looking for a Sport? or generally too fussy?

Not to offend anyone but I’m really not too keen on the cream interior ones either, which isn’t helping.

Cheers

The only "sport" features for the IS 200 sport are a limited slip differential which you may never notice and the car is lowered by about 1/2 inch - which is less than the standard car drops when filled with 4 passengers. The rest are purely cosmetic changes. The performance of the sport is absolutely identical to all the other IS200 models. They were often bought by people who didn't read the specs and thought "sport" meant fast & sporty, and have been thrashed to within an inch of their lives; so another version is probably a better buy.

[gji25]

personally i would go for the is200se aeropack. comes with full leather/dvdsat nav/rear lip spoiler/sport grille

[pejay786]

also don't forget about the LE version. it's a better spec than the S and Se models !

whats a LE version????

[Adam W]

Chees for the replies Guys,

I am putting the Prelude up for sale, just giving it some TLC at the moment, I have just seen a "S" model in moderate condition on a V and asking around £2700, went to see it as it was local, also was the third Green one I have seen

As for a LE I have seen one on eBay, full leather etc, little out of my price range though and cheers gji25 sounds interesting but also sounds rare.

Ah well back to trawling the net :)

[ibby]

Chees for the replies Guys,

I am putting the Prelude up for sale, just giving it some TLC at the moment, I have just seen a "S" model in moderate condition on a V and asking around £2700, went to see it as it was local, also was the third Green one I have seen

As for a LE I have seen one on eBay, full leather etc, little out of my price range though and cheers gji25 sounds interesting but also sounds rare.

Ah well back to trawling the net :)

what kind of service history and miles ?

[kam05]

Go for an SE if the Sport is out of your price range.

At least you will have 1/2 leather heated seats, 17" alloys etc. The S spec is basic.

[pejay786]

Go for an SE if the Sport is out of your price range.

At least you will have 1/2 leather heated seats, 17" alloys etc. The S spec is basic.

Yeah, go for SE, there much better spec, I am on my fourth one!!!

[Adam W]

Im in no rush so saving the cash and selling my car,

The S was a 1999 V IS200 S, 124,000 Miles, New cambelt and water pump, Issues were DIY referbed wheels and a fair few car park dings, no history to speak of either.

I am ideally holding out for a Sport but as you say I might find a SE, only really looked at the S as I didnt know what model it was at the time and it was under a mile away.

[pejay786]

Im in no rush so saving the cash and selling my car,

The S was a 1999 V IS200 S, 124,000 Miles, New cambelt and water pump, Issues were DIY referbed wheels and a fair few car park dings, no history to speak of either.

I am ideally holding out for a Sport but as you say I might find a SE, only really looked at the S as I didnt know what model it was at the time and it was under a mile away.

Found a pretty good one for on autotrader follow the link below

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/c...cleRegLetter=02

[lexington013]

Im in no rush so saving the cash and selling my car,

The S was a 1999 V IS200 S, 124,000 Miles, New cambelt and water pump, Issues were DIY referbed wheels and a fair few car park dings, no history to speak of either.

I am ideally holding out for a Sport but as you say I might find a SE, only really looked at the S as I didnt know what model it was at the time and it was under a mile away.

Found a pretty good one for on autotrader follow the link below

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/c...cleRegLetter=02

That does seem good value for an 02 plate with that mileage, bet with a bit of haggling you could get it for £2900???

[abbott]

when i bought my IS200 i jumped on a plane from Inverness to Gatwick and got a train from Gatwick to Newbury in Reading , left my house at 0500 and returned for 2300 in the evening !!

never be afraid to travel for a car as the journey home is a test drive !!

I have never bought a car (bar 2) from within 300 miles from my house !

[pejay786]

Im in no rush so saving the cash and selling my car,

The S was a 1999 V IS200 S, 124,000 Miles, New cambelt and water pump, Issues were DIY referbed wheels and a fair few car park dings, no history to speak of either.

I am ideally holding out for a Sport but as you say I might find a SE, only really looked at the S as I didnt know what model it was at the time and it was under a mile away.

Found a pretty good one for on autotrader follow the link below

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/c...cleRegLetter=02

That does seem good value for an 02 plate with that mileage, bet with a bit of haggling you could get it for £2900???

I reckon he is looking for £3000 cash and at that its a cheap car.

I just went on the train all the way from Stockport to Great Yarmouth 2 weeks ago, left home at 10am and got back at 1130pm! On the way back the majority of the distance was very narrow B roads but push the sports button on the gearbox and overtaking is a pleasure, put a big smile on my face all the way back.

I got a 53 plate IS200 SE Auto with 40K, 1 owner from new with full dealer history for £5250!!

This is the fourth IS200 I have owned in the last six years and I always found that full service history is imperative.

A Lexus IS200 thats done 100K with full service history should run the same as a one thats done 30K!!

[kam05]

IS200 thats done 100K with full service history should run the same as a one thats done 30K!!

Correct- my IS200 has done 124k and it drives like one that done 1/2 the mileage.

[tomo1981]

Yep, 190K full lexus service history, runs as smooth as the day I picked it up! (new)

[kam05]

Yep, 190K full lexus service history, runs as smooth as the day I picked it up! (new)

Have you had any unexpected work done on your car (apart from servicing)? What items have you replaced, eg: radiator, clutch etc?

I'm planning to take mine to at least 250/300k before getting rid, so I'd like to know what items could fail.

[ibby]

how much money do you want to spend ?

thanks

[eddieblock]

also don't forget about the LE version. it's a better spec than the S and Se models !

whats a LE version????

its got full leather hid,s with smoked lenses, i think that the colour i have (kodiak sky) is only available on the le. and probably a few other things that i don,t know

[Adam W]

Cheers again, I think I will take a look at that one on the link cheers, and God abbott that was one hell of a trip!

Im looking to spend around 3K, I have 2.5k already in cash plus my car which I am trying to sell in the mean time.

[ormi]

when i was after mine it had to be the sport and the best one i could find was in dewsbury which is over a 4 1/2 hour drive from were i live,but may i say i have no regrets and it has not cost me a penny(well apart from the mods lol) in a year and a half.

heres a pic of mine.

[Adam W]

Dribble, I am a fan of the wind deflectors too. I'm going to have to expand my search, seen one in Leeds for sale.

[Adam W]

Just a quick update, going to see this one Monday,

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/c...icleRegLetter=Y

What does everyone think?