Go Easy I,m Not Quite There Yet

[andy w]

hi all , a quick intro then down to buisness , age 43 , love cars predominantly german & in last 10yrs have had mercs/bmw,s/911,s & currently run a 03 141k vw passat 20v sport remapped for my daily donkey & a 520d sport tourer family motor ,

well aware of the legendary lexus reliabilty & great standard spec

am downsizing to free some cash from the tourer & have a budget of £4k & here,s where you guy,s come in , whilst the saloon IS200 is easier to bag the estate is more suited to our needs , frequent round trips(monthly) to scotland of 300miles + 3 or 4 juants over the channel of 1000 miles

i like the interior & exterior + the 3 ltr auto but what should i expect in routine service work/running costs on a 8yr old example 65k ish miles?

wife is main weekday user covering 8/10miles a day so if 20mpg doable can live with that but would i break the skin off 30mpg touring at 75/80mph ?

come on chaps ! convince me to leave the german,s behind

[steve2006]

Hi and welcome to the LOC.

I take it you are considering the IS300 Sport Cross?

The most important thing when buying is a full,preferably Lexus service history. make sure the cam belt has been done at the specified time which I believe is 60,000 miles or 6 years.

If you wish post up the link for the car you are considering and we will then give our views or buy it ourselves lol.

As for MPG this obviously depends on your driving style but low 30s on a run should be attainable,

Servicing costs are on par for prestige makes, if you can find a good independant even better or if you are DIY inclined better still.

It's a buyers market out there at the moment so some real bargains so don't rush in there.

[andy w]

thanks steve , some great value 200 saloon,s but really the estate is for me & the 210bhp creamy 24v 3.0 does appeal to the petrolhead in me , i thought the timing belt was 100k on the 3 ? if not what kind of ££ is belt kit/labour ?

i don,t mind spending on maintenance/servicing , like to have them in top order , Castrol edge in my passat every 7k & run,s like a rolex after 141k

[Gary Maxreflect]

Hi Andy welcome to the club, looks like Steve has got you covered, hope you come over

[steve2006]

thanks steve , some great value 200 saloon,s but really the estate is for me & the 210bhp creamy 24v 3.0 does appeal to the petrolhead in me , i thought the timing belt was 100k on the 3 ? if not what kind of ££ is belt kit/labour ?

i don,t mind spending on maintenance/servicing , like to have them in top order , castrol edge in my passat every 7k & run,s like a rolex after 141k

It could be 100K I was going on my 1999 GS300 which I think has the same engine and the service history states mine was replaced at 60,000.

My 1994 LS400 import had a replacement at the equivalent of 100,000 KM or 60,000 miles.

Best to confirm with a Lexus dealer.

[andy w]

deal done , collect in a few days http://pictures2.autotrader.co.uk/imgser-uk/servlet/media?id=1811881584

[tonyricha]

deal done , collect in a few days , http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201140419723224/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-from/3000/model/is/make/lexus/radius/30/quicksearch/true/page/1/postcode/bb120hr?logcode=p

Well done! you will enjoy this car, mine is now on 130K stills runs and looks perfect and I still prefer driving it over my GS450h, will squeeze just over 400 miles from a tankfull with mixed driving and I find it a usefull load lugger/dog transporter. I have mine serviced by a independent garage but now see Lexus offer a discounted rate for older models plus up to 20% off for gold members of this owners club- could be less expensive and they ( Lexus Milton Keynes ) collect and deliver.

Welcome to LOC and enjoy your car.

[andy w]

thanks all ,did squeeze 2 testdrives in on the way to really convince myself i was heading in the right direction ,318 bmw & a 325 , both considerably more money & both rough round the edges & not at all enjoyable to drive , once i,d viewed & driven the 300 it was a one way ticket , anyone looking for a IS200 saloon i also drove this http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201120387740867/sort/priceasc/usedcars/price-from/3000/model/is/make/lexus/quicksearch/true/radius/30/postcode/bb120hr/page/1?logcode=p

54 plate with good history in excellent order & hard to fault , £3300 was the low price but the 300sportX beckoned me B)