Considering An Is 220d

[nidgemo]

Hi Lexus owners!

I'm about to change my car, (I currently have a BMW 320D SE) and am considering a 2006 Lexus IS 220D I've got my eye on in a local dealers...

So, a few questions...

1. Fairly wide ranging question, but what are they like? What do you, the people who own one, think of them

2. Costs - is servicing or upkeep expensive?

3. Fuel - I've read official figures stating in the mid-30's MPG for these cars, but also read on these forums, many saying they'll get up to 50? What is actually a typical MPG for these? (mainly town driving!)

4. Sensors - I'm WAY too used to having parking sensors, but the model I drove seems to have them not fully fitted / activated - is this normal, and is it easy to repair?

5. Model - the one I drove has dual climate control, multifunction steering wheel, dash CD player, heated seats, metal pedals, electric memory seats - is this the sport model (just to make sure the dealers not lying to me!)

6. Faults - are there any faults common to these cars - something likely to happen that could cost me a fortune in the future if I'm unlucky?

7. Insurance and tax - tax is fairly high, but I suppose it's the price you pay, but insurance shouldn't be too expensive, right? My current car is group 12, and I think these are group 13?

8. Anything else I should know, or even any other questions I should be asking!

Thanks for all your help!

[simon k]

why the 220 and not the 250? would be my first question.

i have a 56 plate 220 and new i had made the wrong decision about 2 weeks later, this is my first and last deisel and probably my last lexus after owning one for the last 8 years or so. the mpg is dire i have been consistantly getting 29.9, its had various visits for re-maps and 5th injector change ect,new front seats due to rattles creaks,oil warning light comes on well before the service,rattkes from interior trim which i now live with as cant be bothered anymore taking it back, first and 6th gear are useless need i go on?

the car looks great but looks can be decieving

[JFB2]

Hi Nidgemo,

I've had my IS220d for about 2.5 years and am broadly happy with it. I would recommend it but with a few provisos. To answer your questions in turn:

1. "What are they like?" They are good. Very good looking, inside and out. The front seats are absolutely superb and beat a 3-series hands down. Very easy to live with too. The diesel does sound like a tractor on cold start, but soon warms up and is then a completely different car - smooth, reasonably quiet, refined. When cold, take-up at a junction can be a bit slow, so lots of revs needed, gearbox also better when warm. Great grip on large tyres, sharp steering, firm but not uncomfortable ride.

2. "Costs - is servicing or upkeep expensive?" I have found Lexus dealers very reasonably priced for servicing, and I prefer having set servicing intervals as it makes planning easier and you can sure that oil etc is all in order.

3. "Fuel - I've read official figures stating in the mid-30's MPG for these cars." I get 37 consistently in mixed driving conditions, and about 40-42 on a motorway run. This is a heavy car with a lot of kit, so that probably isnt too bad all things considered. But this is not a latest generation diesel, and Toyota aren't as good at engineering diesels as the Germans.

4. "Sensors - I'm WAY too used to having parking sensors, but the model I drove seems to have them not fully fitted / activated." You definitely need sensors as rear visibility is poor, and the rear camera some models come with is not as useful.

5. "Model - is this the sport model" Yep, sounds like it to me. Non-sports don't have metal pedals etc.

6. "Faults - are there any faults common to these cars" If you're unlucky you MAY get some shenanigans in relation to the engine - fifth injector and other stuff related to the emissions control system. I've not had any problems, touch wood, but I've had the recall adjustments - you should ask to make sure the car for sale has had this done, and check the paperwork is stamped. Otherwise, the odd rattle, but nothing is perfect!

7. "Insurance and tax" - I don't pay company car tax, but I find the tax disc OK and insurance very much depends on shopping around. I found esure much cheaper than Tesco for example.

8. "Anything else I should know, or even any other questions I should be asking!" - get a good price! Second hand values are in free-fall and Lexus is certainly not exempt. You can get a new one with £4k off if you look in the right places.

I think the 220d is a pretty safe bet. And it gets loads more looks that a 3 series. As someone else said on here - the 3-series is the copier salesman's car!!!

Cheers

JFB

[nidgemo]

why the 220 and not the 250? would be my first question.

Simple answer...

deisel

Work pays for it.

As for the other stuff, are these particularly common problems? I understand the natre of a forum like this is that you'll see more people posting with problems, and I've read the poll thread which highlights these problems - is it worth me looking into the car history with the dealer to see if they may already have been addressed? (car is two years old with 26,000 miles)

Thanks for the comments though!

Anyone else?

[nidgemo]

Hi Nidgemo,

I've had my IS220d for about 2.5 years and am broadly happy with it. I would recommend it but with a few provisos. To answer your questions in turn:

1. "What are they like?" They are good. Very good looking, inside and out. The front seats are absolutely superb and beat a 3-series hands down. Very easy to live with too. The diesel does sound like a tractor on cold start, but soon warms up and is then a completely different car - smooth, reasonably quiet, refined. When cold, take-up at a junction can be a bit slow, so lots of revs needed, gearbox also better when warm. Great grip on large tyres, sharp steering, firm but not uncomfortable ride.

2. "Costs - is servicing or upkeep expensive?" I have found Lexus dealers very reasonably priced for servicing, and I prefer having set servicing intervals as it makes planning easier and you can sure that oil etc is all in order.

3. "Fuel - I've read official figures stating in the mid-30's MPG for these cars." I get 37 consistently in mixed driving conditions, and about 40-42 on a motorway run. This is a heavy car with a lot of kit, so that probably isnt too bad all things considered. But this is not a latest generation diesel, and Toyota aren't as good at engineering diesels as the Germans.

4. "Sensors - I'm WAY too used to having parking sensors, but the model I drove seems to have them not fully fitted / activated." You definitely need sensors as rear visibility is poor, and the rear camera some models come with is not as useful.

5. "Model - is this the sport model" Yep, sounds like it to me. Non-sports don't have metal pedals etc.

6. "Faults - are there any faults common to these cars" If you're unlucky you MAY get some shenanigans in relation to the engine - fifth injector and other stuff related to the emissions control system. I've not had any problems, touch wood, but I've had the recall adjustments - you should ask to make sure the car for sale has had this done, and check the paperwork is stamped. Otherwise, the odd rattle, but nothing is perfect!

7. "Insurance and tax" - I don't pay company car tax, but I find the tax disc OK and insurance very much depends on shopping around. I found esure much cheaper than Tesco for example.

8. "Anything else I should know, or even any other questions I should be asking!" - get a good price! Second hand values are in free-fall and Lexus is certainly not exempt. You can get a new one with £4k off if you look in the right places.

I think the 220d is a pretty safe bet. And it gets loads more looks that a 3 series. As someone else said on here - the 3-series is the copier salesman's car!!!

Cheers

JFB

Thanks for all that JFB!

I did actually see a new one with £4,700 off today in a Belfast dealer, but it's still a LITTLE out of my budget.

That said, I think I'm getting a decent price on this from looking around - seems as low a price as any out there for 2 years old with only 26k on it.

As for the parking sensors - this being the sport model (which should have them) are they just likely to be turned off, or broken? There are definately sensors on the rear bumper, but when parking it during a test drive, there was certainly no beeping!

Regarding the rattling, are we talking the standard rattling which you get to some extent in all cars - an occasional squeak from interior, of proper, full on rattling and noise?

Also, do these have a 3 year warranty (I'd assume so) so any problems showing up in the next 8 or 9 months would be free dealership fixes?

[Parthiban]

I don't own an IS220d, but based on what I've read on here there do seem to be some problems with the early models, it does seem 57 plate onwards are a bit better but only time will tell really.

Economy seems to be variable, but doesn't seem to be enough of an improvement off the IS250 auto, especially with the difference in price of petrol and diesel.............

What's the difference in company car tax terms? 4%?

[nidgemo]

I don't own an IS220d, but based on what I've read on here there do seem to be some problems with the early models, it does seem 57 plate onwards are a bit better but only time will tell really.

And the one I'm looking at is an 06 plate, so a little worrying...

Do the common problems happen at a typical time in the life of a car (ie - is it a "if it's going to happen, it'll happen around the 40k mark") thing, or could they just show up at any time, or not at all?

Also, for northern irish based readers - where are the lexus dealers (or people who do lexus servicing) in Northern Ireland? I'm in Tyrone - are they all in Belfast?

[Parthiban]

Got to admit don't know a whole lot about the problems, but there is a lot mentioned about the 5th injector issue, which I'm not sure if it's a one time replacement, or if it needs regular replacement.

Other than that, a lot of people do seem to have a big problem with the general driveability of the car, with a big flat spot in the early rev range and a useless 6th gear, but I think the Sport doesn't have the latter problem.

My advice would be to take an extended test drive, and potentially ask to borrow one for a day or weekend to really get to grips with the car. If you still like it, then I'm sure you won't have any problems as there are many satisfied owners out there.

The thing that annoys most people is that the IS250 auto is so good, and the diesel doesn't really match up to the Lexus way. Plus the 250 auto can get around 27-28mpg around town (possibly more) so if the 220d is only in the 30s it isn't really good enough compared to all the extra refinement and luxury the 250 can provide..........

Btw, with regard to the parking sensors, they should work as normal, and if activated there will be a green P in the instrument cluster. I'd make sure it was working before buying the car though if it was me.

It has a 3 year warranty, so an 06 plate would still be covered, and if it's got full Lexus service history there will be nothing to worry about.

If it has Xenon headlamps, front and rear parking sensors and suede type seats, then it's a Sport model.

[Boothby Coggles]

Hi Lexus owners!

I'm about to change my car, (I currently have a BMW 320D SE) and am considering a 2006 Lexus IS 220D I've got my eye on in a local dealers...

So, a few questions...

1. Fairly wide ranging question, but what are they like? What do you, the people who own one, think of them

2. Costs - is servicing or upkeep expensive?

3. Fuel - I've read official figures stating in the mid-30's MPG for these cars, but also read on these forums, many saying they'll get up to 50? What is actually a typical MPG for these? (mainly town driving!)

4. Sensors - I'm WAY too used to having parking sensors, but the model I drove seems to have them not fully fitted / activated - is this normal, and is it easy to repair?

5. Model - the one I drove has dual climate control, multifunction steering wheel, dash CD player, heated seats, metal pedals, electric memory seats - is this the sport model (just to make sure the dealers not lying to me!)

6. Faults - are there any faults common to these cars - something likely to happen that could cost me a fortune in the future if I'm unlucky?

7. Insurance and tax - tax is fairly high, but I suppose it's the price you pay, but insurance shouldn't be too expensive, right? My current car is group 12, and I think these are group 13?

8. Anything else I should know, or even any other questions I should be asking!

Thanks for all your help!

I have an '06 (Dec) 220d SE with multimedia - now with 30k+ miles

1. Generally quite pleased but with hindsight think I might have been happier with the 250 auto.

2. Recent 30k service was about £215 - but did get quotes elsewhere up to £250.

3. Am averaging about 40 mpg overall since owning it with a fairly high proportion of town driving.

4. Agree with previous comment about reversing camera. Personally think audible sensor is of greater benefit

6. Gearbox. Found in the last couple of cold mornings or so that when starting 1st/2nd gears are tight & need some effort to change until it's warmed up a bit. Had modified 5th injector fitted with no problems - seems to be better for it. Also had modified selector fitted - improved change up from 2nd to 3rd - cleaner & smoother than before. Also modified interior mirror to get rid of vibration on the old one. (These last 2 mods will not be done unless you highlight the problem. 2nd/3rd gear mod only applicable to cars within a certain chassis no range, which mine was). Forget 6th gear unless you're doing over about 75!!! on the flat. The slightest incline causes the engine to start labouring if doing 70 and necessitates a change down to 5th. (But I believe the gearbox on the Sport is different to mine, so this might not be a problem for a Sport.

7. Tax (VED) is not too bad in the grand scheme of things. Could be a lot worse.

8. Paintwork is rather more vulnerable to stone chips than it should be for a car of this price & "quality".

Also, for me, there seems to be a slight offset between the seat & pedals. Not a huge problem but I do find myself trying to get more "in line" when I first sit in it.

[nidgemo]

Thanks for all that everyone - gives me something to think about!

Any more replies welcomed!

[philthy]

Thanks for all that everyone - gives me something to think about!

Any more replies welcomed!

If all you're after is a good looking diesel with rear wheel drive go get one. I had one and was dissapointed as you'll find on many a thread.

The thing with the latest IS shape is it is the best looking compac exec out there and it makes you want to make it fit your criteria. When you've paid your cash it's too late to decide it doesn't actually fit your needs. It's then that you realise that the fuel economy isn't as good as claimed. (I regulalrly managed 32mpg around town but had to drive very sedately to achieve it and that isn't easy with a rear wheel drive car.) The 1st gear ratio on non sport models is downright dangerous unless you want to add a bit of clutch slip or just shut your eyes. 6th gear is useless unless you're doing well in excess of the national limits. I think you'll find the boot space isn't as good as your 3 series and similar limitations on carrying adults in the rear. Don't even try putting child seats in the rear. It has plenty of gadgets, but so do most cars these days. Issues wise mine had the 5th injector recall and a noisy cab with noise from the gearbox/clutch. No problems with my upholstery but others have. One thing I will admit missing is the keyless entry and ignition. It's helpful not to have to fumble in your pockets for the key.

If I was in market for an IS again, I have to say it would be the 250 auto that got my money. It's a completely different car to the diesel. I'll never buy another Lexus but that's more to do with local dealerships than the product.

[dgman]

i would disagree with most of philthy's comments,i regulary acheive 43mpg in combined driving,in 6th at 70 on the motorway regularly acheive early 50's,i also have two children under seven years old and the car copes well for our family needs.we have had issues with our local dealer which would be philthy's main complaint and mine also.my car is an early model and has had some new model teething issues but having covered 45k has been 100 per cent reliable.i would urge you to do a friday to monday test drive on whatever you are interested in and then decide.

good look.

[philthy]

i would disagree with most of philthy's comments,i regulary acheive 43mpg in combined driving,in 6th at 70 on the motorway regularly acheive early 50's,i also have two children under seven years old and the car copes well for our family needs.we have had issues with our local dealer which would be philthy's main complaint and mine also.my car is an early model and has had some new model teething issues but having covered 45k has been 100 per cent reliable.i would urge you to do a friday to monday test drive on whatever you are interested in and then decide.

good look.

Fully agree with the reccomendation to do a long test drive. IF you're coming from a compacexec you won't notice the small cabin space as much as I did coming from a big luxury exec. Not the IS fault but mine for thinking I could cope with the reduced space. ALso my mpg is all town driving. On a run I did achieve around 45mpg doing 56mph for the journey.

[dgman]

i would disagree with most of philthy's comments,i regulary acheive 43mpg in combined driving,in 6th at 70 on the motorway regularly acheive early 50's,i also have two children under seven years old and the car copes well for our family needs.we have had issues with our local dealer which would be philthy's main complaint and mine also.my car is an early model and has had some new model teething issues but having covered 45k has been 100 per cent reliable.i would urge you to do a friday to monday test drive on whatever you are interested in and then decide.

good look.

Fully agree with the reccomendation to do a long test drive. IF you're coming from a compacexec you won't notice the small cabin space as much as I did coming from a big luxury exec. Not the IS fault but mine for thinking I could cope with the reduced space. ALso my mpg is all town driving. On a run I did achieve around 45mpg doing 56mph for the journey.

i still agree with the blue words.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Firstly - why do you need a diesel? Lexus are incredibly good at making what they know best - Petrol Auto's. They are the best around wen it comes to Luxury and equipment, with a superb creamy smooth feel...

The Diesels are somewhat different, though the ISD Sport is the Diesel one of choice (IMHO).

I'm sure that the newer ones are better. I have no doubt that Lexus will have addressed many of the issues on the new ones - especially on the facelifted 09 MY - that is the only one I would consider TBH!! But you are looking at an 06 - same as mine was...and I'm assuming you had the E40 series and not the E90 series?

My only advice would be to do the following:

Take one for a long drive, on your own (without a salesman or the Missus/kids distracting you), switch off the AC/fan, stereo etc. and reset the "Ave MPG" by scrolling to it and holding the button in for 2 secs:

1) Pay particular attention to the gear change - 1st to 2nd - can you accept it?

2) Drive at 65-70 in 6th, and constantly without cruise on and go up and down some gradients on a motorway. Then try and overtake quickly. Can you do it without changing gears? Is it acceptable day in day out? How do you feel about the 6th gear in the ISD Sport?

3) Stop somehere. leave the drivers seat in your position and sit in the back. is it acceptable? is there enough "knee" "Head" and "foot" room for your pasengers. Would you feel claustrophic as the windows are high (as that can cause travel sickness)...?

4) Drive in a busy rush hour and attempt some quick getaways at roundabouts from standstill. Is it acceptable?

5) Have a good look at the boot....is it acceptable for your gear?

6) Drive it different rev ranges in different gears on an A road at national speed limits. Is the expected performance and the handling good enough? What is the ambient noise like? Road noise on coarse surfaces? Vibrations?

7) Check the Ave MPG

I don't mean to patronise at all (honest) as people don't do the basics when they test drive a car. I didn't and have learned the hardway, in spite of a string of several new cars in the last 10 years...

What I have done though is highlighted those areas where I feel the IS has weakness's compared to the competition, after having had one for 2.5 years. I have no loyalty at all to any brand of car.

If you can live with these then you have your perfect car as nothing else comes close in terms of VFM (possibly except a Mondeo TitaniumX with Nav etc, but it's a Chav Ford with a silver chrome console )

Your immediate comparisons will be with your current car - which is regarded as a benchmark in the key areas where the Lexus can seem a little compromised according to most pundits (on a Lexus Owners Club these are regarded as being biased). Ultimately you and only you can decide!!

Good luck...

[giorgoXXI]

Hi Lexus owners!

I'm about to change my car, (I currently have a BMW 320D SE) and am considering a 2006 Lexus IS 220D I've got my eye on in a local dealers...

So, a few questions...

1. Fairly wide ranging question, but what are they like? What do you, the people who own one, think of them

2. Costs - is servicing or upkeep expensive?

3. Fuel - I've read official figures stating in the mid-30's MPG for these cars, but also read on these forums, many saying they'll get up to 50? What is actually a typical MPG for these? (mainly town driving!)

4. Sensors - I'm WAY too used to having parking sensors, but the model I drove seems to have them not fully fitted / activated - is this normal, and is it easy to repair?

5. Model - the one I drove has dual climate control, multifunction steering wheel, dash CD player, heated seats, metal pedals, electric memory seats - is this the sport model (just to make sure the dealers not lying to me!)

6. Faults - are there any faults common to these cars - something likely to happen that could cost me a fortune in the future if I'm unlucky?

7. Insurance and tax - tax is fairly high, but I suppose it's the price you pay, but insurance shouldn't be too expensive, right? My current car is group 12, and I think these are group 13?

8. Anything else I should know, or even any other questions I should be asking!

Thanks for all your help!

I drive the 220D Sport model (08) and here are my views:

1. Great car so far. It looks really good (to me and to others), handling is good and performance is good as well. The only downside are some dashboard rattles that appear sometimes in cold weather, although they are not a major issue, especially with the superb sound system.

2. Servicing is around £220 a year which isn't bad. I have a servicing plan, and pay for 3 years servicing in monthly installments at 0% interest.

3. The Sport version will do around 31 mpg around town (as advertised "urban"). On the motorway expect low to mid 40's.

4. The Sport model comes with parking sensors installed, you need to activate it using the satellite button under the steering wheel.

5. Metal pedals are only installed in the Sport model.

6. No faults so far, just as I mentioned minor rattles.

7. Tax is high for the Sport version, but not much of a difference if you take into account it's an annual fee (unless you are referring to company car tax in which case I wouldn't know). Insurance for the Lexus IS is generally quite low compared to other premium brands. Try esure.

8. The Sport model is imo the one to go for, because the gearing ratios are better. 6th gear is usable at just under 60 mph, and you feel less turbo lag.

Just one note, I'm not sure if you have mentioned if it has the Multimedia option or not. If it doesn't, then I would stay away from it. The MM just makes the car so much better.

[nidgemo]

Firstly - why do you need a diesel? Lexus are incredibly good at making what they know best - Petrol Auto's. They are the best around wen it comes to Luxury and equipment, with a superb creamy smooth feel...

The Diesels are somewhat different, though the ISD Sport is the Diesel one of choice (IMHO).

I'm sure that the newer ones are better. I have no doubt that Lexus will have addressed many of the issues on the new ones - especially on the facelifted 09 MY - that is the only one I would consider TBH!! But you are looking at an 06 - same as mine was...and I'm assuming you had the E40 series and not the E90 series?

My only advice would be to do the following:

Take one for a long drive, on your own (without a salesman or the Missus/kids distracting you), switch off the AC/fan, stereo etc. and reset the "Ave MPG" by scrolling to it and holding the button in for 2 secs:

1) Pay particular attention to the gear change - 1st to 2nd - can you accept it?

2) Drive at 65-70 in 6th, and constantly without cruise on and go up and down some gradients on a motorway. Then try and overtake quickly. Can you do it without changing gears? Is it acceptable day in day out? How do you feel about the 6th gear in the ISD Sport?

3) Stop somehere. leave the drivers seat in your position and sit in the back. is it acceptable? is there enough "knee" "Head" and "foot" room for your pasengers. Would you feel claustrophic as the windows are high (as that can cause travel sickness)...?

4) Drive in a busy rush hour and attempt some quick getaways at roundabouts from standstill. Is it acceptable?

5) Have a good look at the boot....is it acceptable for your gear?

6) Drive it different rev ranges in different gears on an A road at national speed limits. Is the expected performance and the handling good enough? What is the ambient noise like? Road noise on coarse surfaces? Vibrations?

7) Check the Ave MPG

I don't mean to patronise at all (honest) as people don't do the basics when they test drive a car. I didn't and have learned the hardway, in spite of a string of several new cars in the last 10 years...

What I have done though is highlighted those areas where I feel the IS has weakness's compared to the competition, after having had one for 2.5 years. I have no loyalty at all to any brand of car.

If you can live with these then you have your perfect car as nothing else comes close in terms of VFM (possibly except a Mondeo TitaniumX with Nav etc, but it's a Chav Ford with a silver chrome console )

Your immediate comparisons will be with your current car - which is regarded as a benchmark in the key areas where the Lexus can seem a little compromised according to most pundits (on a Lexus Owners Club these are regarded as being biased). Ultimately you and only you can decide!!

Good luck...

Not patronising at all mate, that's all brilliant advice - I'm going to see if he'll give me the car this weekend for a longer test, and I'll work through that whole list, and all the things people have pointed out above.

You can never have any guarantees, but you guys have been brilliantly helpful in (hopefully) me making sure if I buy this, it's because i know it's a good one with the necessary fixes already done (5th injector, ecu remap, modified selector) and all other niggles and things to look out for well checked!

Thanks all!

I'll be keeping an eye on this topic, so if anyone else has any comments or advice (particularly NI lexus owners on where dealerships are, and what ones are best) I'll still be looking!

[nidgemo]

Hello all again!

Had another talk with the dealer at the weekend - he only has one key for this car - how much does another one cost?

also, asked him about the 5th injector, and he gave me a copy of the registration book of the car to call lexus and check - they inform me that only a small percentage of cars with specific VIN numbers were affected by this, and that (according to VIN number) the one I'm considering was not one of them - is this true, of is it something still likely to arise and NOT be covered by the recall (and cost me lots of money!)

Also, lexus were not very forthcoming on ECU / selector issues - were these warranty recall / fixes, or something that only happens occasionally, and they'll only fix if they happen?

Finally, the car trip computer claims 32mpg average - is it likely this is what I'd get, or has the previous owner been gunning it?

Hoping to get it out for an extended drive this weekend, and, if happy, will be a lexus owner shortly after!

The car still has 8 months of it's original 3 year warranty remaining, so hopefully any little glitches that show up will do so within that time period!

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

Hello all again!

Had another talk with the dealer at the weekend - he only has one key for this car - how much does another one cost?

also, asked him about the 5th injector, and he gave me a copy of the registration book of the car to call lexus and check - they inform me that only a small percentage of cars with specific VIN numbers were affected by this, and that (according to VIN number) the one I'm considering was not one of them - is this true, of is it something still likely to arise and NOT be covered by the recall (and cost me lots of money!)

Also, lexus were not very forthcoming on ECU / selector issues - were these warranty recall / fixes, or something that only happens occasionally, and they'll only fix if they happen?

Finally, the car trip computer claims 32mpg average - is it likely this is what I'd get, or has the previous owner been gunning it?

Hoping to get it out for an extended drive this weekend, and, if happy, will be a lexus owner shortly after!

The car still has 8 months of it's original 3 year warranty remaining, so hopefully any little glitches that show up will do so within that time period!

Is this a main dealer? If so, why are they asking YOU to check?

As far as all 06, 07 and most 08 model years have been affected...

[nidgemo]

Is this a main dealer? If so, why are they asking YOU to check?

As far as all 06, 07 and most 08 model years have been affected...

No, it's a local independent - he doesn't really know much about it - but that's one reason the price is so good!

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

That explains it then!

32 MPG average culd have been due to the fact the car has had several "cold" short starts, but for an 06 model this could be normal where 60% is town driving...min was worse at times, but may be mine had big issues....who knows!

You have to ask yourself whether this MPG is acceptable for your needs. Only a long test can prove things...

The ECU recalls are normal - I would get your local Lex dealer to check things out IF you buy the car. The ECU flash and 5th injector won't necessarily improve MPG

[mattstheone]

Parthiban

quote

[The thing that annoys most people is that the IS250 auto is so good, and the diesel doesn't really match up to the Lexus way. Plus the 250 auto can get around 27-28mpg around town (possibly more) so if the 220d is only in the 30s it isn't really good enough compared to all the extra refinement and luxury the 250 can provide..........

What Extra refinement and Luxury does the 250 have over the 220d ??

Matt

[nidgemo]

So, (though I posted in another thread, but this will sum this one up nicely!)

I bought it.

Dealer is going to put a full years tax on it, a full valet, full service, fix parking sensors, 4 new tyres, new rear brake pads.

It's July 2006, 23k miles, and I got, I think, a great deal on it.

Traded in my 2001 3 series, and paid £9500

According to parkers price guide, I should have been paying £12,335! (at least - my BMW actually had 93k on it)

Does that sound like a good deal to everyone?

Had 3 good test drives in it, including a 100 mile run today which was a good mix of tight country roads, A roads, dual carriageway and a bit of motorway.

No problems with slow take off, or with 6th gear - I assume the problems I was reading about are fixed with the different gearing in the sport? Also, is it a possibility the famous 5th injector issue is not a problem with diesel / sport? As I said, I called lexus, and they said according to the vehicle identification number that mine is not included in the recall.

There WAS a crazy bit of vibration at one point, for about 10 seconds, which then stopped again, but I take it this is common and lexus will fix under warranty if it happens again or too often and gets annoying?

Finally, thanks so much for everyones help in this forum - it's really been useful to know what to look for, what questions to ask etc, and I'm convinced my knowledge of the car and potential problems helped me bargain with the dealer to get a good price!

Thanks all. I'll still pop in every so often to keep up with my fellow lexus owners, but hopefully I'll never need to be here asking about any problems!

[nidgemo]

So - now the "considering an IS" questions are over - I might as well use here for the "own an IS" questions...

First off -

what do people recommend for cleaning / waxing etc?

do people find fuel additives help with performance, smoothness or economy?

how can I keep the cellensia in tip top condition, prevent staining etc?

any other tips to keep the car looking great?

[Matus]

No problems with slow take off, or with 6th gear - I assume the problems I was reading about are fixed with the different gearing in the sport? Also, is it a possibility the famous 5th injector issue is not a problem with diesel / sport? As I said, I called lexus, and they said according to the vehicle identification number that mine is not included in the recall.

yes, sport version has different final ratio, so it is easier to drive.

washing - I always wash with clean water. I don't wax, I used to do it first year but now when I don't I can't see any difference.

Congrats to new car, wish you all the best. And don't listen to some people here, who will persuade you, that you did a stupid thing :)