Scarlet Pimpernell

When you're in the wrong gear and the revs are too low for that gear e.g. being in 5th gear at 10 mph. Not really a problem for the auto though. Cheers Scott. Yes this wouldn't be a problem for the auto, man the changes are so sweet, you really cannot tell when it moves up a gear. Lucky man Saracen...how is the car bearing up? How many miles have you done, and have you stopped smiling?

I think at some point someone from the board/committee needs to take this up with Lex GB. I am not aware of any Aussie cars having this problem, or US ones...so is it really just the UK cars? My local dealer was adamant that they had sold quite a few so far, and many more were being registered this month - and not a single one back for rattles... :hocus-pokus: I did mention to them that as mine ought to be on the production line some time soon I would be angry if mine was delivered with the rattles... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for March...hopefully no rattles... else "Jamboo" will become "Hot Chilly" :arrrggg-matey:

Cheers Scott - I like the final comments that they would have one over a BMW...for the same reasons I would...it's simply a better all round proposition. The only car that I think "could" better the IS is the Audi A4...for the same price you can get a six cyl diesel (2.5) which is very very good, and the quality is as good, if a little staid inside...but it's being replaced...so it'll be worth peanuts in 3-5 years when you come to sell it... I think I have said it before - the Auto box in the 250 is fab. It's such a shame that Lexus decided not to make the auto... Not being heavy footed I expect to still enjoy driving the manual - I still don't think it's as bad as the journo's are making out, and you only know this when you've driven it personally. It's not 100% perfect, but then none of the cars in this bracket are!! I finally managed to find a picture in Mesa Red - so saved it as my Avatar. It's the only one I could get via Google Search...

Interesting . what does it read when actually driving at say 70-75 on the "real time" read out setting for the MPG? Good to hear you're getting on so well...keep up the good work, and oh yes, stick some shots on the other thread...

No good dealership will stamp your service book if you do your own oil change because they have no idea of the quality of the oil you used. If you subsequently had a problem due to the wrong oil being used you could present your fully stamped up book and expert repairs under warranty. If you supply your own oil for a service it must be in a sealed container and they will generally put "customer supplied own oil" on the invoice. I understand one of the selling point of the new IS is that it uses only ordinary mineral oil because of the short 10k service intervals and therefore you don't have to fork out for expensive synthetic oils like BMW and Audi owners. I don't know if this is the case for the old IS but 60 odd quid even for synthetic oil is an absolute rip-off, it must have genuine gold particles in it. I asked this question on an earlier post...what grade of oil does the New IS use? My previous car (Audi A4 TDI 2002) had "long life" extended servicing - at 42000 miles it was due for it's 2nd service!! It cost on average £136 per 10,000 miles travelled, which compares very well against the Lexus...even the new IS which I believe has similar costs to the old IS. The new one is supposed to be "Cheaper" due to mineral oils... but it goes in twice as often...I reckon over 40,000 miles my New 220d will cost me over £200 at least per 10,000, and that's with Mineral oil, over 40,000! Dealer stated approx £150, followed £250, Followed £150, followed by upto (gulp) £400 for 4 services... I know frequent changes are a good thing...and I am already planning a "dealer" oil and filter change every 5000, depending on cost. I intend to keep my IS for a long time...keep the missus pleased with me (she's only just got over the shock... of me wanting another £25+k car...)...

:duh: :D

And don't forget the shannanigans at Iran too...with sanctions etc a possibility...less Oil...more price...

Posted this on the IS220d topic, but no replies - any views? Running In -- that's a thought, what did Lexus say to you about that? I have seen the PDF and URL knocking about on another thread, but it's written in American... Also - did the dealer mention that you should have an oil and filter change at 600-1000 miles? This was the norm in the "olden" days. Of all the new cars I have ever bought since 1990 (except the A4) they have never recommended anything - just get in and drive...and I know the engines are built better and have been "Bench Pressed" at the factory...and don't need head bolts tightening any more (unlike Frankentein's monster)! My understanding from Audi was that for the first 750 miles AT LEAST you don't want to Labour the engine - it can do more harm than revving it over 70% of the maximum (in this case 3700 RPM), which you also should not do when running in. Then I was told you can gently increase the RPM up to the Red line if you really want to after the next 1250 miles, at the rate of an extra 200 RPM per 200 miles or so over a mix of Motorway or urban roads...making sure you don't sit on motorways/constant RPM for long periods...?? At 70 in 6th the 220d on the test drive was labouring, and you had to change to 4th or 5th to get going when overtaking, so mostly it's fifth gear I suppose. But that's not too bad, as it I kept forgetting it had six cogs anyway! It's one of the reasons I would never buy an ex-demo...(extreme you may think - ) Sounds all convoluted and complicated...hence my question :) Anyway, here's a another positive review, though the "3 Car Comparo" shows some strange stuff in the 220d SE Spec... http://www.newcarnet.co.uk/technical_Lexus...?serialno=28367

I did not think the windshield de-icer was like the Ford system (i.e. does not have small elements in the screen), but is like the Audi one - i.e. changes Vents to screen and put's on warmer air, aircon and high speed on the fan... Or does the switch just not do anything? If that's the case it'll take ages...but the Audi had an electric air heater to supplement cold coolant temperature (don't believe Lex has this). It never worked...the temp of the coolant had to be minus 40,000 Kelvin or something ridiculous! Correct me if I'm wrong...

Congrats - same colour and spec as mine (incl Black leather)...what made you decide against the beemer? Lucky boy.... They still haven't told me when I get mine...mid March...ish!

Guys, TonyDownunder's recomendation is a good one. A mate has one of these which he bought from Expansys and it has DSP/Noise cancellation and rechargeable battery (lasts ages): http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=121611 You'll find so many on the market, but some are really not very good. Many do not offer noise cancellation, for example, so the called/calling party gets all the background road and other noises. If I was not getting the MM, I would have gone for one of these or a Jabra BT250 which is also a good value for money, no nonsense headset. The modern cars nowadays have CAN BUS and other electronic BUS systems which "sense" every electrical component. You can bypass these things obviously, and whatever you do to the car's electronics can have a detrimental effect on the ECU and the like. I'm no expert in this area but I hate the idea of taking the car in for a rattle (!!!!dare I mention the R word!!!!) and the dealer being adament that someones bu**ered up the dash! They say the modern car has 20 imes as much electrogimmeckry as the Appollo 13 space mission...

I was led to believe that the IS version was the latest, faster mapping etc...but then was that compared to the old IS DVD Satnav or most latest/advanced in Lexus range...Who Knows? Mr Mole might know - where is he? We need a "Where is Mr Mole" Campaign... :P

Are you sure this is not the base seats? It looks just like them. It could be my eyes B) :duh: Can't see the memory buttons on the door for the e/seats...

Check they haven't put the diesel under the bonnet :D ...and if you see a clock or anything with TNT or ACME written on it, stand well back! Sorry Arkanoid - you'll get used to the bad sense of humour on these forums PS Arkanoid was my most favouritst game on my Commodore 64!!

I never had Cruise on any of my cars previosuly, but I was playng with the Hire car last week (Mazda 6 - very nice BTW but too platsicky for my liking). It stated on the button "Coast", and that's what it did, it merely decelarated the car by coasting for as long as the button is held down...so I assume it does the same, and if you're going down hill, it will take longer...try it up hill!

Scott - cheers matey - Cool, so Lexus are now encouraging us to break the speed limit... Only joking... Running In -- that's a thought, what did Lexus say to you about that? I have seen the PDF and URL knocking about on another thread, but it's written in American... Also - did the dealer mention that you should have an oil and filter change at 1000 miles? This was the norm in the "olden" days. Of all the new cars I have ever bought since 1990 (except the A4) they have never recommended anything - just get in and drive...and I know the engines are built better and have been "Bench Pressed" at the factory...and don't need head bolts tightening any more (like Frankestein's monster)! My understanding from Audi was that for the first 750 miles AT LEAST you don't want to Labour the engine - it can do more harm than revving it over 70% of the maximum (in this case 3700 RPM), which you also should not do when running in. Then I was told you can gently increase the RPM to the Red line if you really want to over the next 1250 miles, at the rate of an extra 200 RPM per 200 miles or so over a mix of Motorway or urban roads...making sure you don't sit on motorways/constant RPM for long periods...?? At 70 in 6th the 220d on the test drive was labouring, and you had to change to 4th or 5th to get going when overtaking, so mostly it's fifth gear I suppose. But that's not too bad, as it I kept forgetting it had six cogs anyway! It's one of the reasons I would never buy an ex-demo...(extreme you may think - ) Anyway, here's a another positive review, though the "3 Car Comparo" shows some strange stuff in the 220d SE Spec... http://www.newcarnet.co.uk/technical_Lexus...?serialno=28367

Be wary - the new IS does have a slight Road Noise and Hardish ride "issue". It's not that bad, but the difference between Base 16" and SE 17" is noticeable. I just worry what the 18" will do...especially as they are wider too. They do look alot better...form over function? In the eyes of the beholder (or suffer the numb bum!) I am sure you can get some cracking aftermarket ones, especially as the upgrade is not an upgrtade, but a new additional set!

I am sure that Koshime put some in the "IS250 Diary"...

From a performance perspective I can see that and if the Lexus could be bought with an automatic gearbox it would be the natural choice. What I am after, though, is more how the power is delivered and how well that fits with a manual gearbox. I have driven diesels for quite some time and those that have a narrow power band work fine with an automatic but in everyday driving I find them to be a hassle with a manual. The broad power band of the Honda engine, however, makes it work well with a manual gearbox. I guess that I will have to try the Lexus myself, but it is always interesting to hear the opinions of others while waiting for that :winky: The power "availability" is similar in both - I tried them within a week of each other. However, the Accord that I drove was particularly rattly and not that smooth! It was a courtesy car....the demo was sold! The IS has 2 very slight flaws which would not be noticeable if the engine wasn't so powerful, and in the Avensis (which I have not driven, but been driven in) I think it would be comparable to the Honda: 1) The Turbo lag is noticeable - below 1800ish little happens, then it all comes in one go until just before 4000 - Scott may be able to confirm 'cos I only had a 50 minute drive... 2) The gearing between 2nd and 3rd leaves you wanting a ratio in between sometimes... In the Accord the lack of the oooomph means that you think the power delivery is over a longer smoother plain. It's not, the IS diesel is crushingly fast when that turbo sings...you'll see what I mean. An auto would have been perfect... However, the car is just so much better than the Accord in every other way. Try it yourself... I tried everything in the class, this was the best overall IMHO...so we bought one!

Dealers get a wad of commission for selling finance. Also, the %age quoted can be haggled. You can also get a minimum of £1000 discount by quoting www.drivethedeal.co.uk (I got £1147 off on a 220d SE with Metallic and MM)...

I was quoted £495 for the same kit...but went MM instead. I think a bluetooth headset is the best way to go...cheapest...not invasive surgery into the Car's electronics...

Your situation is almost identical to mine, similar allowance etc (though I had an A4!!). The clincher for buying the 220d was the fact that car will still be worth thousands in 3 years (hopefully at least £10k)...which compensates for that little bit extra a month now...i.e. Insurance, tax, maintenance...it's a close call and not easy to decide... Good luck... If you're going for a VX or Ford, go for the Company option...let the lease company take the depreciation hit...

I would look at the banks and buildo's...You can get some seriously cheap finance...3.55% fixed is what I have been quoted and I believe Mint is even cheaper...less interest than getting on an ISA...but the down side is you have to put a deposit down. Do the Math!! I reckon with 70,000 on the clock in 3 years, you ought to still get at least £8-10k back minimum (it's so new)...even taking insurance and servicing/wear and tear, it should not cost more than £4k to run and it'll be under warranty until 60,000 anyway? Then there's the cheaper servicing packages, Lexus Gold club discounts etc etc Everyone says they are soooo reliable... So you could save £6000...that's a alot....but then if someone smashes it, dings the door...more heartache... Even so it makes me sick the Tax man takes even more of your dosh!! PS - if you're puting yur own dosh in, it makes you drive sensibly, tyres last longer...and hey, you can keep it longer if you want to, why be forced to part with in 3 years if it's running AOK and you can get 2 more years out of it...that's where the savings really mount up - years 4-6!!

Looks like a nice bit of kit...

Wow, well done mate and welcome to "de clubb". £730 a month, wow, that's like....£26000+ over 3 years plus a whopping tax bill...so it'll probably cost over £30,000! And then you hand it back and start again in 3 years... I know you do a lot of miles so it's probably worth it, but I questioned the prices that the lease companies charge - I ended up buying it myself and took the cash in lieu!!