Is220d (i Hope You're Sitting Down)

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Hope you're sitting down...

My first venture for work today in the new babe:

Pictures speak for themselves... but I brimmed the tank last night. First fill from new, TANK AVE showed 31.4, achieved 32.7 (!) when doing the math. Drove one mile home, garaged the car. This morning set off to Essex, mostly A road (dual carriageway) and Motorway, but one major hold up for 16 miles which took 50 minutes on the A14! So all of that time was 1st/2nd gear...

The entire journey was upto 5th gear (not 6th at all) and within 5% over the national speed limit of any road (so I was holding steady at 72-75mph when overtaking "dimwits", using Cruise at 70 but in 5th and NOT 6th).

Anyway, took the picture when I first stopped in the traffic - with AC on!! After 48 miles into journey....

ODO is set to Trip since filling up...last night!

The next one is when I reached my destination, and the one after is the range left in the tank

The last two are midway back. Note the Ave Speed for the journey...I'd now remembered to switch off the A/C!!! :duh:

This proves that the MPG as quoted is achievable (at least in my hands). I wasn't tanking it, but then I wasn't slouching it either...had to overtake on an A road, and boy does it shift in 4th... :winky:

So am I happy...well...err...not totally!

The b :tsktsk: d car has 2 small rattles!

Actually I'm chuffed...there was a traffic incident on the way back too, in total for nearly an hour I was travelling at no more then 10-15 miles an hours, grinding (bedding) the gears...and I never used 6th once.

I reckon 50+ is achievable, but you would have to try hard...something I was not used to in the Audi. But then this is a much better, and much more powerful motor, so I'm well chuffed!

I filled her up when I got into the city, £19.50 wirth of diesel, Tank Ave showed 49.4, and the actual was 49.6!! So that was 229 odd miles at average speed of 57...for £19.50!

Guys - if anyone is umming and arrring about whether the IS220d is good enough, don't! Scrubb that 3 series, Merc and Jag off your list and go buy the IS220d!

[1972pixie]

:) It's good to hear Jamboo, can you do a few more so we can monitor it.

Can anybody beat it ?

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Absolutely will do!!

The car has less than only 500 miles on the ODO in total from new, so this is quite simply stunning...it's on a par with any other diesel I've "run in", so I'm impressed!

That journey is a regular one for me, so I know the roads like the back of my hand. I was careful not to labour the car, and though I am wary of running in, I was driving it as normal 95% of the time.

It's just plain naff in town! Anything over 30MPG in solid town driving and you're doing brill...

5th at 70 = 2100rpm, about the same as my old 5 speed A4. 6th is just plain useless unless you want to get nicked! I suppose it'll feel better in 6th when it's all loosened up...

[Jerrycan]

Well got my car back from the dealers after checking fuel consumption. Everything is in order, and their comment was a mid 30s mpg is what their demos and courtesy cars are achieving, as well as customers cars.

[robmars]

now got 2500+ miles on my car...haven't got close to 50mpg. I completed a 270 mile round trip last weekend on a mix of A roads, dual carriageway and motorway and averaged 41mpg. 6th gear still nuseless under 80mph.

[spwolfx]

Absolutely will do!!

The car has less than only 500 miles on the ODO in total from new, so this is quite simply stunning...it's on a par with any other diesel I've "run in", so I'm impressed!

That journey is a regular one for me, so I know the roads like the back of my hand. I was careful not to labour the car, and though I am wary of running in, I was driving it as normal 95% of the time.

It's just plain naff in town! Anything over 30MPG in solid town driving and you're doing brill...

5th at 70 = 2100rpm, about the same as my old 5 speed A4. 6th is just plain useless unless you want to get nicked! I suppose it'll feel better in 6th when it's all loosened up...

i....told....you....so....! :D

In town mileage will improve with during summer as well....

[is250newbie]

Also you diesel guys will be saving £30 a year on road tax compared to us 250 guys so I suppose you have the last laugh......

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Also you diesel guys will be saving £30 a year on road tax compared to us 250 guys so I suppose you have the last laugh......

Mind you, the Diesel at my local Saino's is 92.9ppl, whereas the Petrol is 87.9ppl...swings and roundabouts me thinks. Plus you lucky Petrol heads get an auto option whereas us oilypants only get 5 and half speed manual

If the government were more worried about the environment than their coffers then we'd all be driving Prius's, or RX400h, or the new GS450h...now that last one is one I could grow old with...

0-60 in sub six seconds, >30MPG....

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Absolutely will do!!

The car has less than only 500 miles on the ODO in total from new, so this is quite simply stunning...it's on a par with any other diesel I've "run in", so I'm impressed!

That journey is a regular one for me, so I know the roads like the back of my hand. I was careful not to labour the car, and though I am wary of running in, I was driving it as normal 95% of the time.

It's just plain naff in town! Anything over 30MPG in solid town driving and you're doing brill...

5th at 70 = 2100rpm, about the same as my old 5 speed A4. 6th is just plain useless unless you want to get nicked! I suppose it'll feel better in 6th when it's all loosened up...

i....told....you....so....! :D

In town mileage will improve with during summer as well....

I knew you'd say that matey :winky: ! But I have 2 small rattles...one in the footwell (buzzing) and one in the drivers sun visor! Both are too small to worry about BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.

It scares me that other people like Scott are not achieving this economy. Especially when the Dealers are now suggesting that you should expect mid 30's...

This might sound "grandma and eggs", but...

The trick with diesels is that you use the highest possible gear, at the greatest possible torque push (so that doen't mean 6th at 30), which in this car is between 2000 and 2600 RPM. So on a motorway it has to be 5th in the usual 70-75mph range.

I tend to change up at 2700rpm max, bring the next gear in at 1800ish lowest. It gives you relaxed but reasonably quick progress and the engine does all the hard work.

I don't think that 6th will always help. The car has a great CD factor, but just by using 6th may not be the most econimical route. I tried 6th last week. It's so tall that the car is defo labouring. It's in the no/low turbo range at 75mph (1500rpm), and by the time the turbo's really kicking in, I reckon you'd be hitting 90mph! It's a very badly designed ratio in my view. Track days only!

Either that, or Lexus should have made this a twin turbo (2 smaller turbo's - one kicks in at 1200rpm, and then a slightly bigger one from 1800rpm). RThere would have been next to no lag and 6th would have been a fine cruising ratio at 70mph/1500rpm. This could have been one awesome machine!

I wonder how the Sport will fare with "differential" in the differential :duh:

I suppose my journey could have been extraordinary, but I can't see how. I just drove it, as I normally would have. I have driven Oil burners for years now, all manuals, and maybe it's second nature. I only "booted" it a couple of times to overtake dawdlers (boy it shifts :winky: ).

I'll do this for a few journeys to see what happens...but I'm housebound for the next few weeks now...!

PS - I remember the 320d not having this problem. 6th was 1800rpm or so if memory serves me, and the MPG would sit at 60mpg on a dual carriageway at 70!

[spwolfx]

i reckon that when you get it worked out and pass some 2,000-10,000 miles at least, 6th will be more comfortable.

I think they did the gearing on purpose - so you would not be at turbo spooling at its greatest.

Whole problem with being in 2,000-2,600 range is that your turbo loves it, and spends oil like crazy. This is why engine is so quick when you press it... It is powerful engine and it certainly will spend more oil than weaker engines...

A lot of people might have preffered 2.2 d4d 150hp engines but it really isnt an lexus anymore... It is more like an Audi. And Lexus is trying to say that there is the difference... They dont even have 4cly petrols at all, unlike their German competition.

[scott]

Back from a week's holiday in Devon - in the 807, not the 220.

Jamboo, that's excellent news and gives me some hope that maybe mine will eventually improve!! I'm still getting 34 mpg after 2100 miles, in fact it's getting very boring looking at tank and long term mpg, they never change, perhaps I'll peel the sticker off :D :D

Some thoughts about my mpg ...

* I car share with two other guys and a whole bunch of computer equipment, possibly the extra weight is having an impact.

* The weather has improved in the last week, much warmer than previous and most of my journeys have been in temperatures around minus two - plus 5 degrees. Perhaps next week will be better.

* You have the mk 2 :D :D and I need a software upgrade.

* We can say to the dealers that at least one person is getting good mpg AFTER 500 miles and not be fobbed off with "it will be okay after 4000 miles" crap.

Well done and keep us posted ...

[Lexus Pat]

Absolutely will do!!

The car has less than only 500 miles on the ODO in total from new, so this is quite simply stunning...it's on a par with any other diesel I've "run in", so I'm impressed!

That journey is a regular one for me, so I know the roads like the back of my hand. I was careful not to labour the car, and though I am wary of running in, I was driving it as normal 95% of the time.

It's just plain naff in town! Anything over 30MPG in solid town driving and you're doing brill...

5th at 70 = 2100rpm, about the same as my old 5 speed A4. 6th is just plain useless unless you want to get nicked! I suppose it'll feel better in 6th when it's all loosened up...

Jamboo

You'll have to teach me to drive. I have just filled up for the first time since I got the car on Friday.

I am averaging between 30 - 37 depending on if I've been in town or on the motorway.

I'm hoping that my initial excitement of getting the car wears off soon, so that I can drive more economically.

I'm driving the IS 220d Sport - not sure if there are many owners of that model yet who can advise of their performance results yet?

[spikes]

well done jamboo, i wonder if lexus gb will see your post :D

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

well done jamboo, i wonder if lexus gb will see your post :D

I hope so too. However, LGB, the "Urban" consumption is still terrible! I cannot see how 35+mpg is achievable unless you're in in 4th at 40 with no up hills and don't ever stop...somehow that official test could have been the "best" result...a bit like a "going home clock"!

This is not too much of an issue for me as my journeys tend to be m/way.

Until the engines fully warm, RPM at idle varies between 800 and 1200, "searching" from one to the other until it mid range of temp guage...so may be the IS is heavy on fuel on a colder engine in stop start (as being proven by Downsouth)...anyone else noticed that? It's almost like the auto choke is on most of the time...

This new diesel is no hot rod (inspite of the claimed 177bhp/295lbft torque); you do have to drive it moderately to get the best out of it...which is how I tend to drive to anyway...

The engine does not like being pressed beyond 3600 RPM (still religously running in :duh: ), and there appears to be more noise than momentum beyond 3600rpm.

I take each change swiftly (but not hard) to 3200 max now, and use 5th from 50mph...that's it...oh yes and "cruise control" as much as I can on the faster roads. So I don't think I do anything differently to what anyone else would be doing...

BTW - the car's so darned quiet. It's easy to creep beyond 75...and even if you shift to 6th, I reckon it takes some cranking by the engine to maintain the speed even if the RPM is <2000...so it spends the derv!! It definately feels much heavier than my A4 and feels in 6th as though your trying to pedal a fixed gear "velodrome" speed bike slowly...so until it's run in 6th appears a no go zone.

Anyway, I'll let you know how the rest of the week goes.

[robmars]

My car now has just over 3k miles and I have averaged between 38 and 42 mpg per tank. Is anyone bettering the quoted combined figure of 44.3mpg? Has anyone seen 50mpg+ on a reasonable length single journey?

[Brendan]

got 49mpg one week when i drove fairly carefully, while there was virtually no town driving, the longest journey was only 30 miles, standard though I'm getting mid 40's. does AC really make a difference?

[ColinBarber]

AC would probably take 2 or 3 mpg

[col75]

Just been to Bath and back for the weekend, went on the A43 and A34 averaging 45.2 mpg

[spwolfx]

which sounds about right...

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I'm venturing into 6th much more, the engine is loosening up and 6th is more usable. Also, today on a 210 miler I noticed how much more the car like to be worked through the torque...like my Audi...you can doodle around in 3rd at 15mph, floor it (loaded car) and it goes like a train now...

2 weeks ago it almost stalled....

Maanaging 42+ most of the time on the motorways, so I'm as happy as Larry as it spends 90 odd % on there, but town is not good...!...So I reckon these engines are very tight (far more than my experience of VAG or Pug's)....give 'em at least 10,000 miles (possibly 15,000) before they're fully oiled and bedded!!!

AND me rattles are gorn!

[romaro]

Maanaging 42+ most of the time on the motorways, so I'm as happy as Larry as it spends 90 odd % on there, but town is not good...!

Just out of interest Jamboo, how bad is "not good" around town? It's not too shocking is it?

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Maanaging 42+ most of the time on the motorways, so I'm as happy as Larry as it spends 90 odd % on there, but town is not good...!

Just out of interest Jamboo, how bad is "not good" around town? It's not too shocking is it?

romaro,

Put it this way...

Heavy stop and start - 20-22mpg

Moderate flowing town driving average - 26-30mpg

Mainly 40mph type roads ave - 30+. This is based on my experience of 1000 miles so far, and I have used it in town a lot more than I used the Audi whilst I'm running it in.

Interestingly - here's some trivia:

What diesel has 295lb/ft torque, gives 22-24mpg in town, around 40mpg on a long run? Sound familiar?

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wait for it

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Merceds Benz S320CDI...and an auto at that with 6 cylinders and a 3.2 oil burning engine in a car that must weigh all of 2 ton's! My uncle bought one last year and I saw it at the weekend for the firs time. You can get a 2003/03, 45k on the clock....£less than a new IS220dSE! with AMG wheels, Command etc.

I'm not a Merc fan, but look here!

Has anyone out there with the 220d hit the 36 mpg as quoted by Lexus/gov't figures for "Urban"?

[spwolfx]

i noticed longer work-in on all all-aluminium engines on Toyota's. Didnt notice that before on iron or part aluminium engines...

[romaro]

Have I got the hybrid version?

[scott]

Have I got the hybrid version?

Awesome! I'm just managing 36mpg after 4200 miles and have now given up any hope of seeing anything in the forties. The car is with Lexus tomorrow to fix a rattle and they're also going to have a think about why my fuel economy is so poor. Speaking to the dealership today it looks like more IS220d customers are now getting good mpg figures of 40+.