Is220d - Any Help Appreciated

[kcbabi]

Evening all.

New to the site but thought I would try and get some honest feedback. I'm a BMW driver (sorry), but my brother in law is a Lexus man and is talking me in to the is220d. Just had a little girl so need a 4 door car and am stuck between a 520d m sport, or the is220d. I've heard a lot of pros and cons (poor fuel rates, rattling etc) for the Lexus - can anyone give me any advice as to age etc of the range where there were problems - whether it was the first of the 220's or whether there are still problems. I guess from what I know, the 250 has a higher CO2 rate and of course is petrol, but ignoring the somewhat unrealistic mpg with the 220 would I end up paying out more for the 220d? Like I say, I'd be really grateful for any adivce you can give me

Cheers

[Gord]

Evening all.

New to the site but thought I would try and get some honest feedback. I'm a BMW driver (sorry), but my brother in law is a Lexus man and is talking me in to the is220d. Just had a little girl so need a 4 door car and am stuck between a 520d m sport, or the is220d. I've heard a lot of pros and cons (poor fuel rates, rattling etc) for the Lexus - can anyone give me any advice as to age etc of the range where there were problems - whether it was the first of the 220's or whether there are still problems. I guess from what I know, the 250 has a higher CO2 rate and of course is petrol, but ignoring the somewhat unrealistic mpg with the 220 would I end up paying out more for the 220d? Like I say, I'd be really grateful for any adivce you can give me

Cheers

Hi welcome, nothing in it mate 520d Msport all the way if you really wanting D power, is250 if petrol :D and the is220/250 js not going to be as big (inside) as the 520d Msport

[DJP]

Evening all.

New to the site but thought I would try and get some honest feedback. I'm a BMW driver (sorry), but my brother in law is a Lexus man and is talking me in to the is220d. Just had a little girl so need a 4 door car and am stuck between a 520d m sport, or the is220d. I've heard a lot of pros and cons (poor fuel rates, rattling etc) for the Lexus - can anyone give me any advice as to age etc of the range where there were problems - whether it was the first of the 220's or whether there are still problems. I guess from what I know, the 250 has a higher CO2 rate and of course is petrol, but ignoring the somewhat unrealistic mpg with the 220 would I end up paying out more for the 220d? Like I say, I'd be really grateful for any adivce you can give me

Cheers

Hi welcome, nothing in it mate 520d Msport all the way if you really wanting D power, is250 if petrol :D and the is220/250 js not going to be as big (inside) as the 520d Msport

I sort of agree, but it's a personal opinion and based on what you feel are the most important factors. I for one, would not consider a d, being a petrol head, and having joined this forum a few months ago have seen quite a lot of negative posts about the d - the 6th gear and 5th injector ( what ever that is ) seem to crop up a fair bit. I've seen no complaints about the auto box, and I am certainly a fan, easily the best car I've had - ex Jag, Saab, Merc etc.

You will get plenty of feedback like this which won't really help, because at the end of the day it will be down to your individual preferences and budget etc etc.

Good luck.

[Lex Bhoy]

I was in similar situation, we had a son so had to lose the TT and went for 220D. Nice big comfy car with lots of toys and better looking than BMW or Audis.. But as for space in the rear it's not great...

If I was in your shoes and through experience would avoid the Lexus, although to be fair to Lexus you are looking at a car which is targeted against the 3 series and A4, for comparable space you need to look at the GS but guess its diesel your after.

Will through a spanner in the works and say go for the A6 2.7 or 3.0 TDi, had one for a week when the TT was off the road, well impressed, personally don't like the inside of the 5 series.. See it's all about individual preferences as mentioned above :)

[Robertb]

I reckon you might find the IS a bit dinky for a little girl and all the bits and bobs they travel with. The 5 will be much more practical, and BMW engines are exceptionally good. A6 worth a look too. My preference; get an older 535d M sport touring- looking tempting value used now.

You can also get the 520d as an auto, if that matters.

If you want to appease your in-law, then get a test drive in an RX hybrid which would be a great family car as well as satisfying the eco-mums at the school gates when the time comes.

[egnot]

Interesting how you are all comparing a 220d ( a 3 series competitor) against a 5-series or A6! Its coming up in the world!

I have run a 220d (Basic) for 3 years with Teenage daughter and Son at College and can fit most things in the car for Holidays and College trips. You have to be a bit inventive on the packing.

I have had some of the advertised problems but Lexus Bristol have fixed them without fuss and inconveniance. As its a Company Car and I just scraped it in on my level (£22,300) I am extremly happy with it, especially as my level is £3k short of a comparable rep-mobile 3-series or A4!

If the problems have already been fixed and you recognise that it is not as sporty as a 3-series then you will thouroughly enjoy it. If you want to speed everywhere and throw it around the lanes, buy a Porsche!

[Parthiban]

If you want a diesel, I wouldn't go for anything else other than the BMW. Having read the horror stories about the 220d, it's not a car I'd take a chance on. However, the petrol 250 auto is sublime, very good fuel economy and a great car all round. Take them all for an extended test drive and make your choice :)

[Robertb]

I'm always impressed coming back into my IS250 with the handling- its very nice along the twisties, as fast as you need to go on roads anyway, steering nicely weighted and the ride is very good vs BMW M Sport.

And it is nice driving something different to the usual suspects!

[reganlives]

I'd go for the bmw all day long compared to the 220d. After having read so much about the issues with them I think I'd stay clear and if I were to get another lex then it would be the 250. As for diesel tho...how about the honda accord diesel? they're amazing cars and u'd be surprised how economical they are.

[kam05]

Agree with Reganlives, the Accord diesel is a very good car (if your are in the market for a Jap diesel).

We have one in the family (brother's car- 04 2.2 CDTI Executive), can't fault it, in terms of build quality and economy. IMHO the Accord diesel is what is IS220d should have been. Guess you could say that the Accord doesn't have the prestige badge.

Have you considered the IS250? If you really want a diesel (not a Accord), then go for the 320d/330d/335d.

[kenfoxy]

Way back in 2006, I test drove 4 cars. IS250 SE, 325 SE, A4 2.0tdi, 6MPS. They were all in the same ballpark price wise. Coming from a IS200, the IS250 had huge showroom appeal. However, I was turned off by three things. The centre console obstructed the gear change, I could only drive it with the lid up. When I changed up gear there was an overrun on the engine. The car felt a bit remote compared with my Is200. I was very disappointed as I thought Lexus were going to build on the sporty feel of the IS200. It's what BMW have always done. The 325 SE was like a sportier and improved version of the IS250, but pricey. The A4 2.0tdi was a revelation. It had a sporty feel to it, you could even hang the tail out like a RWD car and there was plenty of punch from low revs. I went for the 6MPS in the end because whilst it didn't have the magic carpet driving experience of the IS250 or the 325 it just blew me away in every other area, except fuel economy.

Today if I was going for a diesel I would steer towards the A4. It does not surprise me that there are so many on the road.

[reganlives]

I defo agree with kamo5...the Accord 2.2i CDTi is defo what the 220d should have been like. If I were to ever go for a diesel I think i'd go for the accord simply for its build quality and economy. The accord can also be very easily remapped to 192bhp and roughly 300lbft torque.

[adjust8r]

Some friends have the BMW 520d, and it cant be faulted either on performance or consumption. It is much bigger than the IS220d and for that reason alone, it may suit your needs better. However, the BMW 5 series is due a model change in a few months, so you could find yourself very soon with an outdated model which will depreciate like a grand piano falling off the cliffs of Dover. As other posters said, the 5 series is not the comparative model to the IS220d. Also, not everybody complains of rattles and poor consumption. I for one am delighted with my 220d.

[Buzzable]

I have on my drive a 320D M Sport 07 (fleet car tourer) and a 220d 08 SE-L

test drive both; Its a personal thing!

320D great car but very hard on a long drive and had three recals so its always not always smooth sailing with BMW;

I love the Lex. I unlike some of the post seen here mind has been great. I never had an issue and the ride is so much softer... I think the beamer is great for a short sporty drive; On the other hand the German gets around 34.7 and Jap around 42 MPG

But for a long trip the Lex i my view is a better.. but i agree the the boot is as small as a A4

PS Lex cooling seats in the warm today was ummmmm !!!

etc

The Buzz..

[Buzzable]

PS ?

BMW diesel recall

BMW recall!

They have changed three on our fleer including a 06 520d at the last service

It says

BMW is recalling all recently-built models with a six-cylinder diesel engine, including the X5 3.0d, 730d, 535d, 530d and 330d. Cars made in December 2004 and January 2005 but i know they went up to 07

Rgs

The buzz...

[kcbabi]

Thanks for all the help and comments. Seems like the 250 may be the better option. Not really worried whether or not it's a diesel or not as such, just the 220d and 520d were models I like. I know the 5 series is bigger than an IS but don't want a 3 series as there are too many of them on the road. Trying to head to test drive them over the next few days, but in the mean time I wanted to thank you all for your comments. Nice to hear real people's views rather than just 'top gear' or '5th gear' reviews

Cheers

Graeme