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Funding An Is200


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Alright everyone - i'm seriously considering an IS200 within the next year or so, and I'm jus curious about what the costs are usually in the region of.

My current car is a '91 Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi, and it's been played with a little bit (filter, exhaust & manifold, strut brace, ecu, lowered, harnesses etc) and it's an ace little point to point racer - the only problems with it are the fact it breaks down if the day ends in a 'Y', and has a rather serious problem with optimax (250mi to a tank, 45 litre tank!)

If I get an IS, I'll be keeping the GTi but modifying the IS in roughly the same way; lowered, exhaust, filter, front & rear braces (if poss) and a nice set of wheels etc, maybe a TRD kit. Plus I have a load of incar entertainment to transport into it (it's my job!)

Am I going to have to take a loan out for a lex and a loan for the fuel or is it more frugal than the GTi? What about servicing etc, having nigh-on rebuilt the GTi I'm handy with the spanners so is it a car you can service yourself without referring to a ripoff-sorry... specialist?

cheers for taking the time to read this!

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Think the IS is a 60 litre tank and I get about the same mileage as you're getting in the GTi :crying: If I'm on the motorways I'll get just over 300 to a tankful. I've got the SC fitted which increases consumption a bit

You'll get more if you're on the motorway but I'm back to country road driving again.

As for the braces, yeah you can get uprated ones.

I've got the TRD antiroll bars fitted front and back and have the Japsai braces (basically improved Tom's ones I think by Mat Clawley) waiting to be fitted.

Think you should be alright tinkering with the car if you're good with stuff like that - just buy the new filters etc and fit them yourself...

Good luck mate anyway!

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The IS200 SE is a 70L tank, for local/town driving I've been getting 300miles on a full tank (manual) - but i've noticed that this is well over 400 miles on the motorway...

I had a Nissan Almera 2L GTi, which was a bit better on fuel i'd say (for town trips), and faster, but IS200 much better driving experience! Go get one... new spec with 11 spoke wheels looks very nice indeed!

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Bewarned, the IS isnt the cheapest car to modify, mods, parts, tyres (and servicing) arent cheap :o But you'll love it to bits, I get around 28/29mpg using optimax. And as for the ICE you will have to rip everything out.

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well you sound like you probably drive it like me,

I have the HKS hiper exhaust, with the tdi carbon fibre induction kit with HKS filter.

Its lowered etc and there is a simple way of working out how much its gonna cost you if you drive it even remotely hard -

£20 = 100 miles!

So work out how many miles ya do and see if you can afford it.

Im lucky because i only have to drive my car for fun as i get the train to work.

Aldo factor in the higher cost of tyres and that they like to eat them quick.

£120-150 a tyre for a good one. and mine go in less than 7000 miles. more like 5000. :winky:

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I think an Altezza would suit you more mate.... (Don`t shout at me everyone!!)

You get 210bhp as standard (on the 6 speed manual) and there is a MUCH MUCH MUCH wider choice in performance parts.. Only limitation is your wallet basically!

The is200 is a fantastic car, but if its performance your after you might as well get a Tezz for about the same amount of money and instantly your 57BHP better off

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i must admit im getting realy tempted to swap to an altezza.

Been playing Need for speed underground 2 on the xbox and its made me realy want a turbo!

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On my Is200 SE auto I get just under 400 miles from a full tank. Last fill up gave me 380 miles, but much of that was hammering the car and getting stuck in traffic. After reading other peoples' mpg I'm thinking I'm pretty lucky.

Oh, and the car seems to run the same whether I fill up with Optimax/BP Ultimate or regular unleaded :blink:

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i had a saxo vtr modded before i got my is200 and i dont regret it at all , a little more expensive to mod and run but when u drive it you will no how and the street cred u get is unbelievable, i had a wee bird the othr week tellin me "im digging your ride" its truly great go get one mate enjoy the grin factor cos it dont go away

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lexy200 Posted on Jul 5 2004, 08:50 PM

  i had a saxo vtr modded before i got my is200 and i dont regret it at all , a little more expensive to mod and run but when u drive it you will no how and the street cred u get is unbelievable, i had a wee bird the othr week tellin me "im digging your ride" 

Did she 'really' say that? :blink:

Also agree with AltezzaScott........ you'll get more bang for buck and even more exclusivity! :P

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Sorry for taking so long to reply to this, I've had loads of stuff on!

I was looking at Altezza's, and a mate of mine runs a car import service so I could probably get one at somewhat preferential rates. I didn't know they were higher powered as standard than an IS200 though.

The GTi returns 50 miles to 10 quid whether I drive it like a nun or a nutcase (usually the latter, 6000rpm gearchanges and 120 on the motorway!) so 20 quid for 100 miles isn't anything I'm not already used to, I'd hope that would be able to be modulated somewhat though - ie drive it like a nun and maybe get 150 miles to 20 quid etc!

One thing that bothers me a little about an Altezza over an IS is the insurance - surely if it's 50+bhp up, and an import - most ins co's will baulk at it and add another 0 to the end of the premium price? It's taken long enough to get the GTi insurance down to manageable levels (£1095 fully comp - I live close to a dump of a council estate that is chavtastic...) so I would prefer to keep em that way - do people use specialist insurers or do the brokers show the right way to go?

Thanks for the input though everyone! It's been most helpful :D

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Sorry for taking so long to reply to this, I've had loads of stuff on!

I was looking at Altezza's, and a mate of mine runs a car import service so I could probably get one at somewhat preferential rates. I didn't know they were higher powered as standard than an IS200 though.

The GTi returns 50 miles to 10 quid whether I drive it like a nun or a nutcase (usually the latter, 6000rpm gearchanges and 120 on the motorway!) so 20 quid for 100 miles isn't anything I'm not already used to, I'd hope that would be able to be modulated somewhat though - ie drive it like a nun and maybe get 150 miles to 20 quid etc!

One thing that bothers me a little about an Altezza over an IS is the insurance - surely if it's 50+bhp up, and an import - most ins co's will baulk at it and add another 0 to the end of the premium price? It's taken long enough to get the GTi insurance down to manageable levels (£1095 fully comp - I live close to a dump of a council estate that is chavtastic...) so I would prefer to keep em that way - do people use specialist insurers or do the brokers show the right way to go?

Thanks for the input though everyone! It's been most helpful :D

if you are going to mod the is200 then the insurance is going to go up anyway?

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lexy200 Posted on Jul 5 2004, 08:50 PM

  i had a saxo vtr modded before i got my is200 and i dont regret it at all , a little more expensive to mod and run but when u drive it you will no how and the street cred u get is unbelievable, i had a wee bird the othr week tellin me "im digging your ride" 

Did she 'really' say that? :blink:

Its probably coz your married, Im always getting compliements from birds about my ride, infact i get surprised if i dont get on :unsure::whistling:

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lexy200 Posted on Jul 5 2004, 08:50 PM

  i had a saxo vtr modded before i got my is200 and i dont regret it at all , a little more expensive to mod and run but when u drive it you will no how and the street cred u get is unbelievable, i had a wee bird the othr week tellin me "im digging your ride" 

Did she 'really' say that? :blink:

Its probably coz your married, Im always getting compliements from birds about my ride, infact i get surprised if i dont get on :unsure::whistling:

i get loads of compliments from birds :D

usually big browny white ones splattered all over , usually just after i have washed it :P

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