Buying A Is300

[lexus22]

Hi guys, having a second look at a 53 plate is300 tomorrow. Car has done 45k from new, 2 owners, full history and has full spec ie. sat nav, full leather, Areo kit etc. Is there any points in paticular that I should look at that may be a problem? The car has just had a new mot so I guess that there is nothing going to fall off! Did notice that the hinged cover was missing that covers the hole in the boot through the middle of the rear seats, my is200 has one, is it the same on the is300? Had a drive of it and the autobox is so smooth, hard to know when is changing, and the up/down buttons on steering work fine. Really like the car but just a tad concerned that i need to check certain things that are "known" problems.

ps. any one want my is200 sport?

[noby76]

Start from front and work your way back.

1. pop bonnet open and check engine oil condition note: oil should be golden colour so if its black then oil will need changing also make sure its sitting at the max mark if its too low will need a top up. check power steering oil level. level should sit on 'Hot' . most importnat check gearbox oil level and condition but this is done when car has been running for about 20mins and really warmed up, set the gear from P to R , N, D work your way down to low and then shift it all way back up again then remove the gearbox oil dip stik and check its level. should be sitting on Max and color should be pinkish redish its it dark brown or black it will need an oil drain and refill.
   
2. Car shuold start up first time any hesitation when stating might be signs of spark plugs or starter motor on thier last legs so might need replacing
   
3. when car is stationary do a full 360 full lock from side to side and make sure steering turns freely with no weird noise from steering any noise might be power steering or ball joint.
   
4. test all4 electric windows , sunroof, electric folding mirrors, ac, heater signals , horn , lights front and rear fog lights to make sure they all runing. lock doors from remote and check to see if all doors lock and unlock.
   
5. check all four tyres condition to make sure they have enough thread on them.
   
6. take the car for a drive both in town and on an open road to make sure transmission shifts through all gears i.e. 1 to 5 so test at sppeds of 70mph aswell as that will be in 5 gear and rpm will be sitting at 2500 if rpm is above that at 70 then might not be shifting in 5th.
   
7. check boot and under cloth to make sure there is a spare tyre.
   
8. let car idle for about 5 - 10 minutes to hear then fan kick in.
   

if all of the above are working correctly and fluids in good condition and correct level then you are a winner mate :hocus-pokus:

[lexus22]

_{Thank you for your time John, by the sounds of it you love the is300, my is 200 is fine but find i'm forever changing gear and needs "winding up" to get anywhere fast. I know that this is300 is due for a service but oil change etc should be no worries even if i do it myself. Appears that fuel is only a couple of mpg difference that the is200 and insurance only £11.00 more per year, seems a no brainer for the extra smooth performance.}

_{Love the look of this one in the metalic blue with full cream leather and Lexus areo kit/18inch wheels, does look much nicer. Have been looking almost a year for a low mileage good example like this, will check all you have said and give it a thorough going over before i agree to buy.}

_{How much do you reckon i should pay for a car like this?}

[noby76]

no problems mate so long as you have checked v5 form and chasis number matches v5 number checked on DVLA website against past mileage on MOT and its HPI clear you have nothing to worry about. whiles the bonnet is up dont forget to check the drive belt condition and at 45k it would nt due a cambelt change until 60k although you can stretch it to 100k if you know how to inspect the belt by taking the cam cover off also check coolant level to make sure its on max if not top up. during your drive listen for suspension noise when you go over bumps and also brake squeks when braking! as an IS300 owner am surprised the 300 model didnt really take off in UK compared to the IS200 as there is no difference in MPG due to the fact that the 2JZ-GE engine in the 300 has more torque low down so the engine doesnt need revving to get it to go as compered to the 200 maximum torque of almost 300NM comes as low as 3800RPM so driving is more relaxed and the autobox is a gem. I get 20 -24 MPG in town but the book states 18 mpg so as you can see it is not soo bad as people think! and when you want to have some fun in ECT-PWR mode boy it really goes and shifts like its got more than 5 gear ratios. if all looks good when you go check it again buy it and enjoy it if even for 6 months mate

[noby76]

oh for the mileage and year on full service history depending if its private or dealer i would guess anything between £2800 - £3500 maybe £4000 as yours has more toys like sat nav , body kit etc but try and haggle to get it at a price you are happy with.

[doog442]

Great car. I took a 53 plate IS300 for a very long test drive back in 2007 when it was up for 14K at a dealer....loved it but settled on the same plate IS200 for 4K cheaper at the time.

If I didnt have my sensible head on I too would be looking around for one.

How do they stand in the tax / VED stakes....?

[noby76]

guess what tax band from entry level IS200 all the way to flag ship model LS430 is £143 for 6 months and £260 for 12 months thats for all Lexus's registered from 2000-2004 I think. the new road tax prices started from ones registered from 05 onwards so doesnt really matther if you drive a 2.0, 3.0 or 4.3 litre engine they will be the same tax price.

[jasons]

Cam belt change for a 300 is 100k miles, not 60k like the 200.

When I got mine last year I paid £3000 for a 54 plate with 80k.

Tax was £143 for 6 months (bought in March)

J

[andy m w]

you will wonder why you didn,t go 300 much sooner ,,,loved my sportcross to bits ,way better on fuel than internet reading suggests & so creamy,smooth & quiet , , mine was ,2002 / 54k now in the safe hands of my father in law , , ,

only problem i encountered was frozen/sticking front calipers , ,the low miles would suggest yours as stood a lot & therefore if they haven,t been changed just bear in mind , , not major money at £100 a corner but better to be ready

enjoy the upgrade

[Bob King]

The is300 is one of the motor industry's best kept secrets, its is a faultless car. if you want to get picky the road tax is a bit steep, was £260, with the budget its now £270.

You will love it, more toys than you will ever need. I don't have sat/nav but iI'm told the update discs are very expensive .good luck.

[andy m w]

The is300 is one of the motor industry's best kept secrets, its is a faultless car. if you want to get picky the road tax is a bit steep, was £260, with the budget its now £270.

You will love it, more toys than you will ever need. I don't have sat/nav but iI'm told the update discs are very expensive .good luck.

agreed , ,mine was 10 years old & cost me £2700 , , the paintwork was better than some new cars , it had heated seats,xenon,s, folding mirrors & pop up satnav , , all extras that most new german motors still don,t offer as standard.

wouldn,t hesitate to buy lexus again , , ,budget luxury that does not cost the earth to run , ,keep it a secret eh ?

[Bob King]

I paid more than most for mine £4K 14 months ago but it had to be a spot on car,52 plate 54000 miles full Lexus history ,with all the bills to back it up. Wheel had already been refurbished and diamond cut so that saved me a job. Not many to choose from looking on Ebay/AutoTrader so buy the best you can. And if I'm correct the car never had a recall, its that well screwed together.

[andy m w]

yep , ,another pointer for those looking for a good example , , not a creak,squeek,groan,rumble,electrical glitch or any remote feeling of slackness anywhere , my sportcross looked & felt showroom fresh,

the lightness of the doors closing is something that surprised me after german motors , even the carpets & interior trim looked as new , ,

can,t praise the car enough & after 3 weeks with father in law he,s as happy as i was with it

[lexus22]

Well, I had another look at the car on saturday morning and gave it a good going over. It had been mot'd the day before and was noted that the tyres would need replaceing soon but passed ok. The bonnet and both front wings had been painted (not very well) which showed in certain light being metalic blue, this put me off as there was no record of this being done and no explaination from the owner. Last serviced 2 years ago but had only done 10k since.

So to sum it up the front end needed repainting, serviced, new tyres and poss wheels refurbed...lowest she would take was £3800, I reckoned £2800 so no deal, I walked away.

There must be a low mileage well kept example out there somewhere, so I will keep my is200 until I find it!

[noby76]

oh well if it doesnt feel right hold on to your money till one comes along!

PS. I have seen a few blue IS300's in good condition on autotrader might worth a quick look ..