Paradroid

Quick update: There is only one key but it's a black one so should be ok from the advice on this forum. I was a bit bothered this morning and nearly changed my mind because I still hadn't seen the history and have a few concerns about some (quite professionally done) minor paintwork repairs I managed to spot. They are almost invisible though to be fair. Anyway, I've now seen the history of the car and confirmed it with the company that owned it. All checks out fine, it was the MD's car in fact. The service history is all spot on too, full Lexus. The dealer has agreed to let me reinspect the car with a friend of mine who works in a paintshop, he'll be able to tell me if anything looks wrong, or can be improved on. So after nearly changing my mind today I think I'm going for it now!!! Woohoo :)

None at all? Do you get the reverse warning beep? Do your parking sensors only beep when something is in close range? Are they factory fitted or aftermarket ones?

Cheers, good to know it's normal :)

I see - thank you for the explanation! Sounds like the sensors might be working properly then. It's a bit mad all this beeping! With parking sensors you get a warning beep in reverse anyway (if the sensors are working) so you don't really need the separate reverse warning buzzer!!! Can the reverse warning be deactivated?

Thanks dude :) I'll check the keys now I know what to expect. You're right about company cars, this car in particular does not have immaculate paintwork. What I need to make sure of is that the two signs of paint repair I can see - one small area on the rear wing and one on the back bumper, are not part of one big repair job on the whole rear end!!! To be fair it all looked fine under the boot carpet so I think it's just smallish things that have been done over time... Looking forward to getting it and joining the forum properly :)

Maybe I'm getting confused! On an IS with no reverse parking sensors, I would expect to engage reverse and hear one beep only - is that right? When I engaged reverse on this car which DID have sensors fitted, I heard the standard single warning beep, then a different warning beep that was continous. This I thought was the parking sensors malfunctioning because it was clear at the back of the car. They look to have been painted over, which I thought might affect them.

I'm about to shell out on an IS200 54 plate that i've already placed a deposit on, can anyone confirm: a ) this is the car - http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/122447/stocklist.htm. Third in the list at the moment, the silver one. Does anyone recognise it and have any info? I've been told it's a company car so might not be owned by anyone on here. b ) I checked the boot, alloy wheel and tyre is in there, as is the toolkit tray. Might have been the odd tool missing but not too worried about that. I'm new to Lexus, what else should I get? Manual? Two keys? Anything else important? c) right down in the boot floor under all the trays and the spare wheel, there is mastic visible on some of the metal seams. I've seen this on other cars - you get this on the Lexus too right?

Thanks :) My instinct tells me it's a few small repairs rather than one big one. The paintwork is generally very good indeed. Just the one spot about 1.5 inches across where the fine scratches are under the paintwork indicating filler. I think I want a better look round in the boot before I commit to buying. On my current car there's quite simple pop clips that let me remove the boot lining on each side and see the inside of the rear wings. Is this the same on the Lexus? I think I saw the clips, does anyone know if special tools are required?

I test drove an IS200 Sport (2004 54 model) with reverse parking sensors. Were these factory fitted or would they be more likely to be aftermarket? When I engaged reverse the warning buzzer sounded, then the reverse park sensors beeped continually. Trouble was, there was nothing behind the car. Is that normal on a Lexus? The way I expected them to work is not beep until they "see" something, then start beeping, with the beeping getting quicker as the object gets closer. That's how other makes of car I've driven work. Might be buying her tomorrow so would appreciate people's thoughts :)

If only Lexus had sold manual IS300's in the UK, if it was manual I'd snatch your hand off mate I really would! I've seen a few comments on the 300 saying it's got much more grunt and is hardly any more thirsty. If anyone else is selling up with a "facelift" IS200 (new wheels and light clusters), low mileage and in good nick please let me know. You have about 12 hours tops!!! I know what you mean, but when I engaged reverse I heard the reverse gear warning beep first (once). Then after that there was a continual beep from the rear parking sensors. In other makes of car I've driven, the parking sensors only beep when they actually detect something. This makes me think - were parking sensors ever standard or are these aftermarket jobbies? Either way I will speak to the dealer tomorrow and suggest they might not be working.

Back on track, I've now driven her and was very impressed. Loved the engine note, absolutely perfect. All the controls feel great, gear shift was good, a tiny bit notchy into second but still good. I didn't get chance to really try the performance, below 4000rpm it was better than my expections (I'd heard very slow). Above 4000rpm it didn't wake up quite as much as I was expecting. I noticed the lower gearing, at one point I was in 4th doing 50ish on a dual carriageway and could hear the engine revving a bit higher than I'd expect. The car I'm looking at is not immaculate, but it's pretty good for 4yrs old and the asking price is low at £8395 I feel (54 plate with 53k). However, I did notice one thing. On the rear wing there is a small area where fine scratches are visible beneath the paint, a sign of a bodyshop using filler and not sanding it down well enough before painting over. Can anyone tell me - is it easy to remove the boot lining down the drivers side? I might just want to take a look behind the lining to see what damage is present, as there is evidence of it from the outside. Oh, one last thing (sorry to go on but am excited!!!), I think the parking sensors are broken. They beeped continously when in reverse even with nothing behind for 10-12 feet. This isn't right is it? The dealer said the rear bumper has to be repainted because of a scratch, and I think they might have been really stupid and blown over the sensors. Hmmm.

Excellent thanks guys, the car is the later model IS with the different styled alloy wheels so I'll check there's five with the car! Can't wait for 5pm, going back to take another look and to test drive :)

(Looking at buying an Is200 sport) What should be in the boot under the carpet? I've heard it's an alloy wheel, but is it a full size one with full spec tyre? When I looked under the carpet, the carpet was quite awkward to get up. The toolkit was there but I didn't have time to check underneath that to see what the wheel was.

Thanks folks. Car is for sale in Wigan where I live. I've got deposit down and HPI'd it now so it's just down to the test drive later today!!!!! I hope I like it, I'm in something a fair bit quicker and possibly better handling at the moment so we'll have to see. Good point about parking sensors, will check they work. From looking underneath I thought the undertray looked damaged but hopefulyl not. If it needed replacing I guess it's not expensive and I should be able to do it myself, got a trolley jack :) By the way I was stunned at the audio quality when I played a CD - wow!!! My current car I upgraded with a £300 Pioneer head unit and Infinity speakers, and it's nowhere near as good.

@ilovemylexus: So that's where that car went - I phoned up about that car last week and they'd sold it the previous day. Been looking at a silver 54 plate in the area, which looks good - but not as nice as yours with the aero kit!

Hi folks, I've just been looking at a late-model IS200 Sport - the one with the new light clusters and alloys. It's a 54 plate with 52k on it. When checking the car out I was very happy with it overall. There's a few very minor bodywork things that need sorting, but there was three things I would appreciate some advice on: 1) I noticed something hanging down slightly at the front, checking further showed it was the engine undertray on the drivers side towards the back of the engine bay. Should be easy to sort? 2) There was a small set of white/blue wires hanging down slightly at corner of the rear bumper - the exhaust side. The car has reverse parking sensors fitted. Again they probably just need clipping back up? 3) I started the engine and it sounded lovely and smooth from inside the cabin. When outside the car, I could hear a very slight tappety noise. Given the engine was cold is this ok? I've not test driven it yet but have got it reserved as I really like it. Just hoping I like the drive. Thanks, hoping to join the forum properly soon :)

If it comes with the girls I might be interested :D

They are and they aren't. When I was looking recently it was looking like 12k for a nice 03 plater with low miles, which in some ways is good given the quality and original cost, but then it's a lot for a car that's just gonna lose money as they get in the hands of young lads who muck them up (sorry if that offends anyone!). Shame, I really did want one. But a change of job is on the cards now, and - nightmare - I think I need a diesel!!! Mr. Paradriod won't get getting a Lexus anytime soon now

It's such a shame, IS200's are getting chavved up at the moment. A lad near me has one with blue led washer jets. Waste of a really nice car, I've always really wanted one myself but I'm not sure now, chavvers will do residuals no good in the long run!

Do you like that sort of thing??? I think it sounds like a really crappy rasper, can't believe there's an IS350 on the end of that tailpipe. Surely the standard car sounds better than that.

"I'm comin' out, da da da I want the world to know etc. etc.

I drive an MG and on my forums we used to wonder the same question - do MG Rover staff read or post on the forums? Well when the manufacturer went out of business last summer this question was answered because a couple of forum members "came out" as being employees of the company. I think you'll find that even if Lexus UK people do post on here they won't be able to identify themselves otherwise people would start to think the forum was no longer impartial. Plus they'd get bombarded with questions and hassle!

Good move. With a "full body buff" most paintshops will just make your paintwork worse, it'll be full of swirls and shimmers because they can't use an orbital buffer properly, especially on black paintwork. Don't go near a bodyshop unless you have to! Good ones are few and far between.

What engine will this beast have - is it a new one?

Well my first thought was that if we're not getting the IS350 then they should at least bring the IS300 over here! But to be honest performance will be too similar to justify much extra money. They just need to get the IS350 over here