Bmw 320i Vs Lexus Is200 - My Verdict

[Outsider]

Ok guys. This will get you going while I wait patiently for an answer to this one:

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...showtopic=31486

Having moved from a BMW 320 to a Lexus IS200 I'm confident that my next car will be a BMW. I am not a BMW fanatic, if I was I wouldn't have bought a Lexus but now having driven one for a month I've seen many design weaknesses in the IS200 that my old '95 320i didn't have. I'm not on a wind up here - I'm merely trying to point out some design differences. Flame me if you want but I would be interested to know if any of these issues have changed in later model IS200 (mine is a '01).

Starting from the front here are 10 reasons why I miss my BMW:

1. The bonnet doesn't stay up on its own but requires a stick. How quaint!

2. Windscreen wipers stay at a constant speed even when car is stopped. BMW handle this much better by switching to intermediate when slowing down or stopped in traffic.

3. Rear fog light switch is on the right console beneath the steering wheel. Front fogs are on the left stick. Is it too much to ask for 2 buttons beside each other?

4. The ignition key is on the panel/console. If you have a bunch of keys they keep banging against the panel. With BMW the ignition key is in the steering column - plenty of space for keys to swing freely around.

5. The power windows do not work then the ignition is off. Very annoying when you get out of the car and have to put the key in again to wind up a window. BMW take the sensible approach that if a door is opened then the windows will power up and down.

6. Windows should close when the alarm is turned on. Or what's the point in having the alarm on with the windows open?

7. Power window controls should really be on the gear stick console, not on the window. Otherwise entering into an underground car park whilst rolling down a window to grab a ticket and changing down gear requires a lot of coordination to keep one hand on the wheel.

8. No arm rest and not really any space for one?

9. You cannot raise and lower the height of the driver seat! This one really surprised me! I'm tall enough not to need it but I'm amazed its missing on a luxury car.

10 Two fuse panels are placed in totally inaccessable spots around the driver and passengers feet. The fuse panel maps are in Japanese. Could they not have been translated?

[MacRS200]

To help you out on your points.

1/ Gas strut kit available

2/ Neat idea but what use is that, what happens at high speed to the wiper blades fly off :D

3/ Buy a Tezza and you get the front fog switch on the right stick closer to the rear switch.

4/ I hate people who have a zillion keys on the car key ring anyway, car keys are car keys.

5/ Drivers window will wind up before you open the door with ignition off, why do you want to get out of the car to close the window?

6/ Closure kit available

7/ Drivers window is single shot

8/ Defo no space look HERE

9/ Yes you can

10/ Common to a lot of cars

Oh and my major reason for buying a Lex was because I liked the styling of the car or I could have "Joined the herd and bought a beemer".

[Outsider]

Thanks for the reply.

Definitely can't raise the vertical height of my drivers seat, and I only have 1 other key on my heyring, banging off the console! Otherwise I accept that you can buy modifications for the other things but that's not really the point. Cheers anyway.

[MacRS200]

Thanks for the reply.

Definitely can't raise the vertical height of my drivers seat, and I only have 1 other key on my heyring, banging off the console! Otherwise I accept that you can buy modifications for the other things but that's not really the point. Cheers anyway.

My reply was a bit "tounge in cheek" mate :D

Welcome to LOC BTW

Sorry I can't help with the fuse question but I am sure that someone will be along who knows, strange that the manual don't list it.

What model IS do you have, my sport seat can be height adjusted and so can the non-electric one in the Altezza.

[Outsider]

What model IS do you have, my sport seat can be height adjusted and so can the non-electric one in the Altezza.

Plain old IS200 from 2001. I'm not that bothered about it really, it is one less setting for the missus to mess with!

[Tony9r]

Sounds like you should have gone for the GS... :P

[PhoneDrome]

7.)---> You definitely sit on the wrong side of the car :D

[MacRS200]

7.)---> You definitely sit on the wrong side of the car :D

Yes but you drive on the wrong side of the road

[nicnac]

F..K me I thought i had heard everything!!!! Outsider..........Live long and prosper!!What planet do you come from???

[Pip]

I understand your point. Small that they are but make a difference. The arm rest thing was a stupid mistake by lexus. Cost me almost £200 to fit an OEM one!!!

I can adjust the height of the seats.

[Outsider]

F..K me I thought i had heard everything!!!! Outsider..........Live long and prosper!!What planet do you come from???

nicnac... you're not ready for Part II then?

[Parthiban]

1. The bonnet doesn't stay up on its own but requires a stick. How quaint!

Agree, should have gas struts, but hardly ever go under there so doesn't bother me

2. Windscreen wipers stay at a constant speed even when car is stopped. BMW handle this much better by switching to intermediate when slowing down or stopped in traffic.

Agree, the renault I came from did that too, and it did annoy me for a while

3. Rear fog light switch is on the right console beneath the steering wheel. Front fogs are on the left stick. Is it too much to ask for 2 buttons beside each other?

Agree, think the reason is that in Japan they don't have rear fogs so it was just added for the rest of the world - although again barely use them so isn't really a problem

4. The ignition key is on the panel/console. If you have a bunch of keys they keep banging against the panel. With BMW the ignition key is in the steering column - plenty of space for keys to swing freely around.

Never had that problem, even when I used to have a fair amount of keys on it, get a better keyring

5. The power windows do not work then the ignition is off. Very annoying when you get out of the car and have to put the key in again to wind up a window. BMW take the sensible approach that if a door is opened then the windows will power up and down.

Agree, I do like that feature on German cars

6. Windows should close when the alarm is turned on. Or what's the point in having the alarm on with the windows open?

Full closure is a nice feature if you have it

7. Power window controls should really be on the gear stick console, not on the window. Otherwise entering into an underground car park whilst rolling down a window to grab a ticket and changing down gear requires a lot of coordination to keep one hand on the wheel.

Think most manufacturers disagree as the majority of cars have the window controls on the door

8. No arm rest and not really any space for one?

Yep, early Lexus mistake, later cars have it

9. You cannot raise and lower the height of the driver seat! This one really surprised me! I'm tall enough not to need it but I'm amazed its missing on a luxury car.

I'm sure you can, even on cars without electric seats

10 Two fuse panels are placed in totally inaccessable spots around the driver and passengers feet. The fuse panel maps are in Japanese. Could they not have been translated?

Never looked in there myself, but if they're Japanese then that should really have been translated

Now I've answered all your questions, please answer one of mine:

My IS200 cost £24k new in 2002, why was the equivalent BMW 320 pushing £32k?

Should I really have paid £8k more for the comments you have made which are no more than tiny niggles?

[crazylex]

My SE has seat height adjusting.

What spec is your IS200 ?

What spec was your 320

Some of the things you have said are right, the problem with BMW is they are to common, and in the 3 series which is probably the main model, there is a model to suit all pockets.

As for the gas strut to hold the bonnet up, I think these are dangerous, if they go weak, and the bonnet starts to drop - which will be slow to start with and may not gather pace until your heads in .. trust me I have experienced this on another type of machinery and I was laid out on the warehouse floor.

I hate window buttons in the middle, in the end you end up looking down for them.

Not knocking BMW because some of their motors are very good. (I almost bought a 330d spt a few months ago)

[crazylex]

My SE has seat height adjusting.

What spec is your IS200 ?

What spec was your 320

Some of the things you have said are right, the problem with BMW is they are to common, and in the 3 series which is probably the main model, there is a model to suit all pockets.

As for the gas strut to hold the bonnet up, I think these are dangerous, if they go weak, and the bonnet starts to drop - which will be slow to start with and may not gather pace until your heads in .. trust me I have experienced this on another type of machinery and I was laid out on the warehouse floor.

I hate window buttons in the middle, in the end you end up looking down for them.

Not knocking BMW because some of their motors are very good. (I almost bought a 330d spt a few months ago)

Actually just thought about what I put, on the car the bonnet would not go up if it was a weak strut. Ignore that then. I'll stick to selling printing presses.

[spikes]

is200se auto 2001

power window will raise after ignition turned off.

power seats on driver and pasenger plus heated.

has arm rest :)

also better looking and less common :winky:

[nicnac]

Outsider...Im sure we can arrange for a shuttle to take you back to your planet should your transporter be inoperative :D

[alpappy]

IMHO

its simply that the BMW has a better ride( on our poor roads) and that is it for me

Lexus has a great engine and geabox Very high quality finish (leather etc) First rate audio system.

But you still feel every bump..worse at low speed

alan

[nicnac]

alpappy....put 16s on if you need to soak up the bumps

[Kazi]

Leaving the window down is great in the summer. The alarm is not motion sensered its not a problem. Would agree about the window wiper snag mind.

Does my head in when their still going crazy stuck in traffic!

On another note.....when all said and done and people can deny it till they are blue in the face, the IS 200/300 is a TOYOTA through and through. Many would argue its not a true Lexus.

IMHO

its simply that the BMW has a better ride( on our poor roads) and that is it for me

Lexus has a great engine and geabox Very high quality finish (leather etc) First rate audio system.

But you still feel every bump..worse at low speed

alan

Buy an mondeo then, more spec, cheaper and less on the road

[Pip]

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

[Kazi]

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

[NetOne]

As for the gas strut to hold the bonnet up, I think these are dangerous, if they go weak, and the bonnet starts to drop - which will be slow to start with and may not gather pace until your heads in .. trust me I have experienced this on another type of machinery and I was laid out on the warehouse floor.

This is very true. The boot cover of my old SAAB 9000 fall down occasionally after it is opened. The boot is really huge and deep, and the cover weights over hundreds kilo. if you have your feet on the ground with your head inside the boot, it can chops you into half if the cover fall down.

I think I have the latest model of IS200. It does have arm rest and adjustable electric seat height.

Regarding the windows closure I would say it's great to have it functioning this way. I used to turn the alarm on with windows half open so that the hot air can escape in the very hot day. Since it's got the radar, the alarm will go off if someone sticks their hands in.

[crazylex]

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

Or better still Toyota prices

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

Or better still Toyota prices

You guys seem to forget, you bought a Toyota badged as a Lexus

I've bought one that's pretending to be something else at the mo ... a childs "rattle" (get it)

[tyrrp]

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

I will take my 'toyota' then over the current shambles 'first production' line that is the LEXUS is250

The new IS is a little different. I was not launched in Japan as Toyota, then re-branded as Lexus everywhere else.

One thing that does p me off about Lexus, every part I have bought for my 'Lex' has been boxed as Toyota. Not being funny, but I think that if im paying Lexus prices, I should get Lexus bits!

Or a least a Lexus box :winky:

Or better still Toyota prices

You guys seem to forget, you bought a Toyota badged as a Lexus

I've bought one that's pretending to be something else at the mo ... a childs "rattle" (get it)

Are you all gone mad. Everyone knows that ALL Lexus cars are Toyota and in Japan they only launched the Lexus brand last year.

The only reason the Lexus brand came into existance was because the western world didn't believe that a Japanese car firm could make luxury cars.

The IS220d is using an engine developed for Toyota and why does that matter.

Relax guys. You have one of the best made cars in the world. Does it realy matter what the badge is. You will be happy when you go to sell as well.