Comparing Is 200 To Another Car

[asharb123]

Andy, living in London there are advantages to having an automatic as you spend of lot of your time going somewhere very slowly. However, I do know what you mean.

Pete, my only issue with the MII IS was economy. I had one as a courtesy car and was surprised that is was less economical than my BMW 728i. My BMW when it is on the motorway and cruising at a steady speed is economical. It tells you the range as in how many miles you can do with the amount of fuel you have. I drove the MII IS over the same distance at the same speed and the range was decreasing, whereas in my BMW the range increases. Which is surprising as the IS is newer and has the 6 speed auto.

[andyk134]

Completely agree Ashar we all buy our cars according to our needs. My boss drives 30k a year so has an automatic diesel with cruise for obvious reasons. I am lucky i do about 5,000 a year and buy a car first and foremost for the enjoyment of driving it. I have a quickshift on the gearbox which shortens the throw considerably and is a far more precise action.

In the end it is like everything else in life, its down to personal preference and need. But I still wouldn't swap mine for anything else of similar age and value.

[clifton 94]

Hi well I started this thread so a little more I still have my jag and it is a fantastic car but when I get back in the old Lexus it just feels like the car I feel at home in almost attached (personal preference ) and my wife loves it and if she's happy everyone's happy

[asharb123]

Lol, perfectly said.

[LexIS200Sport]

I had an IS200 Sport and then swapped it for a '07 GS450h SE-L just over a month ago. The GS is back at Lexus for some warranty work, and for the last week or so, I have been driving around in a '14 IS250 Premier and have clocked almost 1000 miles on it.

The following is my quick opinion after driving all three Lexuses for relatively extended periods:

Interior quality - IS200 feels like it has the most "solid" interior of the three. After 13 years and 130k miles, it is still creak and rattle-free. The GS on the other hand has a mixture of creaks and rattles depending on the ambient temperature and road conditions. The IS250 loaner has 2000 miles on the clock yet it does rattle slightly on certain coarse roads.

Ride quality - GS wins hands down. Very smooth ride and excellent seats. I find the IS250 to be rather firm (not uncomfortably so) and the IS200 is somewhere in between.

Handling - IS250 stands out here, it does feel like the successor that the IS200 would be proud of :). Very sharp car and I really enjoy driving it at the moment.

Audio quality - This baffles me. Both the GS and IS250 are fitted with Mark Levinson systems. Yet, to my ears, the 8-speaker system on the IS200 Sport still sounds the best! With all presets at neutral, the GS sounds bass-heavy whilst the IS250 is treble-heavy. To me, the IS200 has the most "natural" sound of the three.

That's my take on how the IS200 stacks up against those cars. :)

[noby76]

so in other words Ganesh, we should keep our MK1 IS's and run them as long as possible and forget about making an upgrade to newer IS's or GS's? LOL.. :)

[clifton 94]

Nice to see different views from people

[asharb123]

I did just over 500 miles in mine over the bank holiday and I cannot think of a reason why I would change it. Quiet except when I put my foot down (love the roar of the engine), comfortable and believe it or not economical. I was shocked that I only used half a tank of petrol and covered 210 miles and I wasn't going slowly. Ganesh is right hold on to our MK1 IS's. Lol

[doog442]

Great thread.

[LexIS200Sport]

so in other words Ganesh, we should keep our MK1 IS's and run them as long as possible and forget about making an upgrade to newer IS's or GS's? LOL.. :)

Haha... it depends on what you prefer mate. The IS200 served me very well and is fun to drive. It's one of the best cars that I've owned. That said, it was time for a change and I fancied something quicker and more advanced - so the GS hybrid it was ;)

[andyk134]

Nice looking car. But for me I would never want an automatic so although I have been tempted by the GS that has always put me off.

But yes cars are very much a personal taste like everything in life, food, art, music, films, books, holidays etc, the secret is to find what is best for you but also never be afraid to try new things.

I like the fact I live in a town of 200,000 people but there isn't another car that looks like mine in paint and wheel colour, how many can say that of a standard spec car? The downside of course is that everyone knows its me!

[clifton 94]

Hi just a update I have been in contact with someone else on this forum who has a jag R version and he has also said how he still loves his IS .

Even though the price when new was worlds apart that's why I will keep my IS don't get me wrong the jag is a fantastic car but my IS (which I've had for seven year now ) is just like a old friend

[LexIS200Sport]

I've still got a set of winter tyres from my IS200. Seeing that early high-milers can be had for several hundred quid these days, I am considering buying one back as a winter runabout :)

[Stuart Aspey]

I had a poor run of cars before Zorro. Kia, Kia, Corsa. It wasn't good. Zorro was 8 years old when I bought him, 125000 on the clock and easily the best car I've ever driven. The New IS is just too firm. The seats are firm the ride is firm. But, I suppose it's what the demand is.

[clifton 94]

Just been out in mine after driving my xjr loved it it's just so much more nimble around town

[clifton 94]

Hi here's a quick update had the jag about four months now and it has cost me more in parts than my is200 in Seven years that's build quality for you and I'm not talking about normal service items just repairs

[LexIS200Sport]

lol... what went wrong with it?

[clifton 94]

Rear ISO seat covers ,brake pipes, bonnet switch other little jobs the only thing that's I've needed to replace on my is 200 was a shock absorber and that only had a mist of oil on It could have wiped it off for the mot . Don't get me wrong the jags a great car has all the toys but the build quality is not up to the is 200

[noby76]

I must admit I do like the handsome looks of those Jag XJ's and their performance is up there as well but brake pipes and bonnet switches on a 7 year old car? that's bad build quality but I suppose you always have a grin on your face when you put your foot down to hear that supercharged V8 engine :).

[asharb123]

I don't think it is so much as bad build quality more like poor quality materials and parts. Jag's have always been synonymous with poor quality compared to the Germans. You would have thought that being built in the UK they would use better quality steel that didn't rust so quickly or more robust parts. However there are many of us, including that would like to own one a XJ or XJS or if the budget allowed a XF.

[clifton 94]

Asharb 123 you are right poor quality materials the xj are made from aluminium the whole body and a lot of it's parts. Don't like the look of the xf . Yes noby76 your right the performance is fantastic try running one of these if you have a heavy right foot makes the IS200 look fugal lol

[asharb123]

Tony, I was referring to the pre 2003 cars which were not made of aluminium. It was the third generation XJ (known as the X350) when Jaguar started making the cars with an aluminium body due to lightness and rigidity. What year is your car? I really like the facelift version of the XJ from 2007. I have mixed feelings on the current car. Still love the look of my IS. Can't think of a car of the same age that can better it.

[clifton 94]

Mine is a 2007 model but pre face lift but I agree I still like the look of the is200 best that's one of the reasons I kept the old girl. Im not a big fan of the latest model either but the ally body car has corrosion issues .