How Much Better Is An Is300 Over An Is200?

[Diapason]

I've been driving a 200 for a couple of years now but I've never even sat in a 300. They're pretty rare over here, but there's a nice looking one for sale at a pretty good price at the mo and I'm kinda tempted. Given that they're next to impossible to shift if you ever want to get rid of them, given that it'll cost more than double my current road-tax per year (with more promised in the future), and given that I never wanted an automatic, should I give it a look anyway? I would certainly like something a little faster than the 200...

[tyrrp]

I've been driving a 200 for a couple of years now but I've never even sat in a 300. They're pretty rare over here, but there's a nice looking one for sale at a pretty good price at the mo and I'm kinda tempted. Given that they're next to impossible to shift if you ever want to get rid of them, given that it'll cost more than double my current road-tax per year (with more promised in the future), and given that I never wanted an automatic, should I give it a look anyway? I would certainly like something a little faster than the 200...

They are very rare over here all right. Is it the 2004 one on Carzone that is in Kerry you are looking at. Looks nice. There seems to be always one on sale somewhere in the country but never near Dublin.

I have been tempted a couple of times but not willing to travel to Limerick or Cork which is where they seem to turn up. The real thing that does put me off is the extra road tax. €539 as it is for the IS200 but €1,109 for the IS300 is just to much to justify.

[Rikos]

The road tax over that side of the water sounds alot worse than this side!! I do feel sorry for you.

[Diapason]

I've been driving a 200 for a couple of years now but I've never even sat in a 300. They're pretty rare over here, but there's a nice looking one for sale at a pretty good price at the mo and I'm kinda tempted. Given that they're next to impossible to shift if you ever want to get rid of them, given that it'll cost more than double my current road-tax per year (with more promised in the future), and given that I never wanted an automatic, should I give it a look anyway? I would certainly like something a little faster than the 200...

They are very rare over here all right. Is it the 2004 one on Carzone that is in Kerry you are looking at. Looks nice. There seems to be always one on sale somewhere in the country but never near Dublin.

I have been tempted a couple of times but not willing to travel to Limerick or Cork which is where they seem to turn up. The real thing that does put me off is the extra road tax. €539 as it is for the IS200 but €1,109 for the IS300 is just to much to justify.

That's the one alright. I was considering super-charging my own but I'm sick of it. Then I was thinking of importing a supercharged one from the UK, and I still might, but I'm not sure how my insurance company would feel about that.

I'll keep you posted. Might give the place a ring anyway.

[Rikos]

Why are you sick of yours??

[Noel]

Take an RS200 Altezza for a test drive... 2004's starting to come on the scene these days, as standard they are a bit noisier but a lot quicker

[Parthiban]

Bizarrely enough, I've never even sat in an IS300 before either (probably better that way though or I'd find it even harder to resist!)

Everytime anyone's ever spoken of one though, it's simply that it is completely different to the IS200.........supposed to be much quieter, far more refined and just generally a better car all round. Not just as simple as an IS200 with the 3ltr engine dropped in.........

[janet]

I find the 3 litre is the 'right' engine for the car....normal/motorway driving (especially post Dr Bones) is superb, and otherwise (esp with the power button) brill. I went for the 300, when i sold my 200 as I wanted an unmodded car, standard for selling on/simplicity, and I wanted all of the advantages of an original sorted IS too, but the 300 makes the complete package for me.

Problem is that hubby is now jealous, and short of getting another 300 (maybe a bit naff like wearing matching jumpers though!) he's hanging his head over a Soarer twin turbo. Hmmmmmm. In the meantime he just nicks mine when I'm not looking!

[Diapason]

Why are you sick of yours??

Basically, I bought a "keenly priced" car from an independent, later found out that it had been stolen/recovered before and repaired with slightly dodgy 2nd hand parts. I've been eating brake discs for breakfast, recently replaced a hub, OSF wheel has been pushed back and so castor is out, car is sometimes "sluggish" for no apparent reason and Lexus can't find any reason and think I'm nuts, and to top it all off I have balancing problems that just will not go away, even having balanced the wheels on a mounting plate rather than the center holes. Basically, the sheen has long since gone off it and I'm fed up. I never really had the full Lexus experience though, and before I move to BMW or the like, I'd quite like to do it properly.

Take an RS200 Altezza for a test drive... 2004's starting to come on the scene these days, as standard they are a bit noisier but a lot quicker

I would, and have thought about it many times, but having been burned already buying from an independent, my next car will have to come from the main dealer with a full 12 month warranty.

Tell me now, the whole "automatic" thing bothers me, and I keep saying I'm too young for an auto. Should I just get over myself and forget about such things?

[Rikos]

For me the fun part of driving is being able to control the gears and in an auto you cant do that. Yes i know you have the semi auto option and can change gear yourself but it's not the same!!

Myself personally i wouldnt like an auto, and before it's mentioned i have driven one before and it just bored me. Thats just my opinion though.

The best option would be take one for a test drive and see how you get on!

[tyrrp]

Why are you sick of yours??

Basically, I bought a "keenly priced" car from an independent, later found out that it had been stolen/recovered before and repaired with slightly dodgy 2nd hand parts. I've been eating brake discs for breakfast, recently replaced a hub, OSF wheel has been pushed back and so castor is out, car is sometimes "sluggish" for no apparent reason and Lexus can't find any reason and think I'm nuts, and to top it all off I have balancing problems that just will not go away, even having balanced the wheels on a mounting plate rather than the center holes. Basically, the sheen has long since gone off it and I'm fed up. I never really had the full Lexus experience though, and before I move to BMW or the like, I'd quite like to do it properly.

Take an RS200 Altezza for a test drive... 2004's starting to come on the scene these days, as standard they are a bit noisier but a lot quicker

I would, and have thought about it many times, but having been burned already buying from an independent, my next car will have to come from the main dealer with a full 12 month warranty.

Tell me now, the whole "automatic" thing bothers me, and I keep saying I'm too young for an auto. Should I just get over myself and forget about such things?

I am of the opinion that if someone has gone through the pain, sweat and tears to design something to make your life easier it would be just rude not to use it. Auto is great. The amount of time you actually get a chance to play with your car nowadays, especially in this countries traffic does not make me miss the manual.

Modern Autos are very good units. Quicker change times, kickdown and economy (the new IS auto is quicker to 60 and more economical then the manual).

The reason I went auto is that my wife only has an auto licence and it makes life easier (I can decide to have a drink if we are out in my car rather then hers). I'll never go back though.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on. I might be pushed yet.

[Noel]

the 2004 one on Carzone that is in Kerry

OMG those rear parking sensors are brutal .... could they not have colour coded them

[tyrrp]

the 2004 one on Carzone that is in Kerry

OMG those rear parking sensors are brutal .... could they not have colour coded them

I agree. I got Halfords over here to put a set on for me last year. They said they could colour match as well. They put them in the wrong place and they sprayed so much paint on them the sensor couldn't work. Ended up costing them €850 for a new bumper, painting, pro fitting of sensors and car hire for 2 days but at least they look right now.

[Chris Skelton]

Wow!! £1000+ tax for a 3 litre! What's an LS then!!??

I agree with folk who like autos; even my Nissan S-Cargo (1500cc....how much for THAT?) is auto. I'd guess the IS300 would pull better, be a more relaxed drive? It's only £10 per week extra tax plus.......Hmmmm! See what you mean!

[Mike_B]

Seems to me that most people who have an auto for any length of time end up sticking with them.

[Ian M]

Seems to me that most people who have an auto for any length of time end up sticking with them.

I think that’s probably true. My Dad’s always been a big auto fan, so from the age of 17 I drove both his car and my Mam’s which were both autos (Rover V8 and Austin 1100 – contrasting cars!!). I then had a succession of manuals before I went auto with a Honda Accord several years ago. When it came to time to change the Accord earlier this year, I didn’t even consider going back to a manual. On those occasions when I have to have hire cars at work, I always order an automatic nowadays too – it’s surprising how often that gets you a free upgrade to the V6 Vectra in place of the 1.8 we order by default. (Vectra’s are crap, but at least the V6 is a bit less crap!!)

But, back to the question: Along with an A3, a couple of A4s, various 3 series models with petrol and diesel engines and even a V50 T5, I test drove a couple of IS200s (both automatics) when I was looking in the spring, but found that the 300 was just so much more powerful and relaxed to drive that it was no contest. That was 5,000 miles ago and I’m not regretting it one bit. In fact, last week on holiday in Pembrokeshire, I kept looking at my IS and thinking what a damned fine car it is and how it was nice to drive something a bit unusual.

[Edd]

Well I'm 21 and buyin the 300 was the best decision I made for a long time. It is a great long distance cruiser, superbly comfortable and it can move when it needs to!! I find that the semi-auto takes a bit of getting used to but now I cant think why I stuck with manuals for 4 years!

[doog442]

i took an IS300 for a test drive long before I ever sat in a 200..it was nice;..no doubt

As a result i ignored the IS 200 for months (thinking it was a lesser car) until I actually took an IS200 for a test drive .. :winky:

was i suprised...yes, big time, not in million years could i warrant 3 grand more for a similar spec car ,the only diff being 3 litre and auto

[Noel]

i took an IS300 for a test drive long before I ever sat in a 200..it was nice;..no doubt

As a result i ignored the IS 200 for months (thinking it was a lesser car) until I actually took an IS200 for a test drive .. :winky:

was i suprised...yes, big time, not in million years could i warrant 3 grand more for a similar spec car ,the only diff being 3 litre and auto

likewise i spent six moths looking for an IS200 sport but always felt it should have more go.... by chance on the way home after a 160 mile journey to see more overpriced underpowered IS200's i passed a Jap importers and finally took an RS200 for a spin...rest is history...

IS300 is luxury car with more poke than an IS200, the stigma of SLOW auto's is still around... modern auto's are a hell of alot better...

All depends on what kind of driving you do, driving an auto in stop start city traffic is so relaxing and when on a long cruise it's even better.....

[Diapason]

Wow!! £1000+ tax for a 3 litre! What's an LS then!!??

I agree with folk who like autos; even my Nissan S-Cargo (1500cc....how much for THAT?) is auto. I'd guess the IS300 would pull better, be a more relaxed drive? It's only £10 per week extra tax plus.......Hmmmm! See what you mean!

As it stands, everything 3,001 cc or over has the same tax rate of €1343 per annum. I think the IS is just below, so would be €1109. The thing is, they've promised to revamp the system soon (like, this year) to be more punitive to larger cars based on emissions, so anything could happen. FWIW your S-Cargo would be €313 per annum. :winky:

i took an IS300 for a test drive long before I ever sat in a 200..it was nice;..no doubt

As a result i ignored the IS 200 for months (thinking it was a lesser car) until I actually took an IS200 for a test drive .. :winky:

was i suprised...yes, big time, not in million years could i warrant 3 grand more for a similar spec car ,the only diff being 3 litre and auto

The funny thing is, because the IS300 is so hard to shift here, it's cheaper than an IS200 of similar age and mileage. IS300 is here and here's a list of '04 IS200s. Of course, there's the tax issue, but the car itself is well-priced.

IS300 is luxury car with more poke than an IS200, the stigma of SLOW auto's is still around... modern auto's are a hell of alot better...

All depends on what kind of driving you do, driving an auto in stop start city traffic is so relaxing and when on a long cruise it's even better.....

I'm hardly a little boy racer, most of my driving is done around Dublin, with occasional jaunts to Mayo. I enjoy the twisties, but they're far more fun in my fiancee's MR2 anyway. I guess I'm looking for a comfortable cruiser with a bit of poke when needed, I don't need a performance machine.

I spent a week driving a Lincoln Town Car around Long Island earlier this summer, and while it had the handling characteristics of a car ferry, and the kickdown was so slow you'd have time to shave, I kinda started to like it. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was cheating, somehow, but it was certainly relaxing.

I agree the parking sensors look naff.

I'll mull it over some more, and since it'll be a few weeks before I can make it to Kerry anyway it may be gone by then anyway. I'll keep you posted.

[Mr.Andersson]

I've been driving a 200 for a couple of years now but I've never even sat in a 300. They're pretty rare over here, but there's a nice looking one for sale at a pretty good price at the mo and I'm kinda tempted. Given that they're next to impossible to shift if you ever want to get rid of them, given that it'll cost more than double my current road-tax per year (with more promised in the future), and given that I never wanted an automatic, should I give it a look anyway? I would certainly like something a little faster than the 200...

Hi Diapason,

Have you thought long and hard on getting an RS instead of the IS?

Mine is imported this year recently got it actually. Got the Automatic version sick of getting my left legged pumped up sitting in traffic all the time. It does have the Triptronic wheel buttons for chaning gear which is a bit of fun but you quickly feel you dont have 100% control (I'd like to be able to change that) There might be an ECU box you can get that makes you better control the up / down shifting. It's all good I suppose you just can't harm the engine by misstake ;)

I deffo would not go back to manual wish the car didnt gear down that quick though might be my foot being a bit to hard at times ;)

You can test drive mine if you want to. I live in Dublin. - once you do you wont want an IS200 or IS300! Promise!

Currently the car is in the Garda station for fingerprinting, had some kn*cker break the rear passenger window two days ago...

Btw.. you never to young to drive automatic...

If you want to race it down in Mondello etc go for a manual

MrA

[Noel]

Currently the car is in the Garda station for fingerprinting, had some kn*cker break the rear passenger window two days ago...

MrA

Have you got connections in the Guards? .... never heard of them taking as much notice of a break-in before???

Brothers car was broken into a few years ago.... fingerprints? my *****, guards just took his name and reg and he gave them a list of what was nicked.... never heard from them again....

[Diapason]

Thanks Mr Andersson, that's a very kind offer. I may take you up on it!

Sorry to hear the scummers got at your baby. Had a quarter pane broken on my own one Christmas day. Charming.

[Smithy_843]

Why are you sick of yours??

Basically, I bought a "keenly priced" car from an independent, later found out that it had been stolen/recovered before and repaired with slightly dodgy 2nd hand parts. I've been eating brake discs for breakfast, recently replaced a hub, OSF wheel has been pushed back and so castor is out, car is sometimes "sluggish" for no apparent reason and Lexus can't find any reason and think I'm nuts, and to top it all off I have balancing problems that just will not go away, even having balanced the wheels on a mounting plate rather than the center holes. Basically, the sheen has long since gone off it and I'm fed up. I never really had the full Lexus experience though, and before I move to BMW or the like, I'd quite like to do it properly.

Take an RS200 Altezza for a test drive... 2004's starting to come on the scene these days, as standard they are a bit noisier but a lot quicker

I would, and have thought about it many times, but having been burned already buying from an independent, my next car will have to come from the main dealer with a full 12 month warranty.

Tell me now, the whole "automatic" thing bothers me, and I keep saying I'm too young for an auto. Should I just get over myself and forget about such things?

lol sounds to me someone needs to tell u about hpi chekcing, and u need to open ur eyes when you buy a car?

[Diapason]

lol sounds to me someone needs to tell u about hpi chekcing, and u need to open ur eyes when you buy a car?

Way to kick a man when he's down.

HPI checking doesn't exist here, and several mechanics who have seen the car missed the warped hub. But thank you for your input.