Paradroid

My normal usage for my IS200 is to fill it once a week with 35 litres of fuel (1/2 tank). This gets me to work five days (7 miles each way), and also a run somewhere on the weekend, to Manchester or somewhere like that. I usually get about 200 miles to my 35 litres, and considering the short trips to work this seems pretty good to me. A few days ago we went to Edinburgh, so I brimmed the tank. I was hoping to get there and back on this tank (it's 200 miles each way). But no chance! On the way back I pulled over for a break, and the fuel indicator was close to the light coming on, and there was only 330 miles on the clock! I was pretty disappointed with this, but then the motorways were very quiet in places so I had my toe down. Seems like that low 6th gear does economy no good on long runs unless you do 60-70mph?

I think the main two I'd have would be: Nissan GT-R Lexus LS460. These are both slightly over 50k though I think :(. Hmmm. Could I get a RR Sport for less than 50k?

Same here. I think you're probably noticing it more because of the time of year, it's colder and my car seems slightly worse than it did. Once the oil has warmed up it's ok, although 1-2 is always a bit tricky. It seems that you can't rush it otherwise it crunches slightly, but if you take too long the engine revs drop too much and then you can't let the clutch up smoothly. 3-2 is really smooth, just not 1-2.

Nice, Bose stuff does sound great.

Got a new iPod classic 120gb to replace my 4Gb Nano. It's already loaded up with 50gb of lossless audio files. Well pleased with it :)

Mine is silver, I really like the looks of the car in silver especially with the tints on the sport model, but silver is very hard to touch up and I have a few small scratches on the doors, so I don't think I'd go for silver again. Blue and the dark grey colour look great. The late model LE's in the special paint colours like Kodiak Sky are stunning too, but expensive.

Made me look up I tell you....................... Think 2009 will see some big names dissapear It is shocking to think that one of the healthiest car manufacturers going can post a loss when it never has done before. Plus I suspect the credit crunch and recession didn't affect the full years trading either. Certainly not outside of the US. I think Saab is finished, and Chrysler is looking extremely dodgy too.

I think the reason Toyota making a loss is such a big deal is because it's never happened before. Something like 70 continous years of profit (after their first year). The likes of GM,Ford etc. regularly turn in a loss!

Last in the series is the challenge they did in Vietnam. Looking forward to that one I have to say :)

Sorry to hear about your house being broken into and the car getting stolen :( Gig in Russia - wasn't Whitesnake was it?

Does look like it would be classed as your fault. I can see how it happened though and how you got caught out, unlucky and hope you and car are ok. A similar thing happened to me years ago, I went to overtake two bunched up cars on a big straight, the first stopped to turn into a dirt track entrance that I didn't know was there, I managed to get the brakes on and stop before he turned, but he must have checked his mirrors and seen me, so everyone stopped including me on the wrong side of the road Ah, my old hot hatch driving days

Interesting that your IS feels more nimble, I thought that's what BMW's were supposed to be really good at. I've always imagined that if I bought one, I wouldn't be disappointed with it, but neither would I really be that pleased. I just don't think they have anything to put a smile on your face, although they are usually very good cars. I just wish Audi's were RWD, and Lexus engines got up to par with BMW on power and economy. Then I'd feel like there is a bit more choice :) I like the new C-Class Sport, that's a really smart looking car. Supposed to drive well too.

I agree, it was a real pity that Longbridge closed down, I think a lot of people were disappointed it happened even if they weren't customers. I had a 200vi and a ZS180 off them which I really liked, especially the MG. I also had a ZR but that was a load of rubbish! I think the trouble with Longbridge was that it was already bailed out once by the govt, after the BL mess the govt nationalised it back in the late 70's and pumped in the equivalent of £11 billion in todays money. Then they sold it to British Aerospace for £1, who less than 10 years later sold it to BMW for £700 million I think. I suspect back in 2005 the govt just wasn't prepared to bail them out again. Funny though how it would have been small fry to bail them out, compared to what they can find to bail the banks out. That is a very interesting idea, because it's the reverse of what China (SAIC and NAC) did with MG Rover! SAIC were going to take a stake in the company, then realised it would be better for wait for them to go out of business and buy the leftovers cheap.

A good set of tyres (Vredesteins are optimised for wet weather) and geometry can work wonder for the IS. Mine was dodgy when I first got it, the back end was a bit wayward in the wet but the tyres sorted it now with the geometry done too it's a solid handling car.

Nice, quite aggressive. Would look great with the bodykit or on the IS250SR :)

My car had the same thing. There was no sign of any bodywork repairs on the front end and I spoke to the original owner who confirmed the only "accident" my car has been involved in was a parking scrape to the rear right door. So I think it's just been kerbed heavily and he'd not realised he'd messed up the suspension. On my car, the lower wishbone and the tie rod was bent. Also a suspension bracket near the hub. It cost me a fair bit to get repaired because the components are not cheap, they were £230 ish alone. Plus another few hundred for labour. Seems like you don't live too far from me, I'm no real expert but seeing as it's happened to my car, and I saw everything while it was on the ramp, I have an idea what to look for. If you want me to take a look at it feel free to bring it over and I'll have a look for you.

Good post I appreciated seeing those.

So you're looking at the very last of the older shape IS200. Well I can recommend that, I have a 54 plate which had 53k miles on it and I paid around 8k for it about 6 monthsn ago. It's a great car, will do long distances no problem and it's very comfortable with an outstanding audio system, so it's a great car for long journeys.

Well first off, I think you're looking at the new generation IS which is the IS250. The IS200 is the older model, which in the UK you could only buy new as the IS200 or IS300. They are both petrol engines, no diesel available. With the low mileages you do, and the odd very long journey I'd think the IS would suit you very well. I have the older IS and it's a very comfortable refined car, but is still quite sporting and fun to drive. I'm sure the new IS is the same (but better). Go for a test drive, and see what you think. I believe there is a 48 hour test drive offer at the moment :) P.S. Welcome to the forums :)

Yes from what I've read, it's a slightly different Toyota Camry, FWD and V6 engine. To be honest from the pictures I've seen, the interior and exterior don't look much like Lexus to me. The odd thing is I just checked the US web site and the ES is $3000 more than the IS. I'd take the IS any day.

I'm shocked by that new RX, it looks more like a Malaysian effort in styling, not the premium Lexus brand. On the current RX, it's been around a while but the rear end and side profile still look great to me, only the front end is a bit weak. But if this is the new one, they've changed the front end and made it even worse. I agree about the IS250c, it's a bit iffy in the design department. I can't see many appearing on UK roads. The new IS250 facelift looks nice though, it didn't need much changing as it's a gorgeous car but the new rear lights are an improvement.

News has emerged that a new Lexus - the HS 250h is being previewed at the Detriot Motor Show. There's no pictures of it I don't think except for some spy pictures which turned out to be Buick LaCrosse's! It's supposed to be inbetween the IS and the GS, which makes me wonder if it'll be something like that not-very-nice Lexus ES they make. If that's the case it might not come to the UK. Anyone got any more news? It sounds like the 2.5V6 engine in hybrid form.

The IS and Altezza share the same chassis because it's the same car, just different trim and engine specifications. I think the original post was more about completely different models with different bodyshells that share the same chassis (e.g. VW Golf, Seat Leon), and AFAIK there is nothing. Can't imagine any of the Toyota range (Avensis etc.) have much in common because they're all FWD.

The thing with that thread is that I wrote most of it before I spoke to Tony a bit more and realised they'd overcharged me compared to his rates. This put me off Drury Lane a bit. After all it was WIM/Tony that took the time to come up with these settings in the first place, so for somewhere else to use his work and charge more than him is taking the biscuit IMO. I'd either haggle up front and get a fixed price with Drury Lane (I didn't and regret this now), or just head down to WIM. I think I could have gone to Tony AND paid all my fuel for less than or the same as what DL charged me. In future I'll take my car to WIM even though it's a long way...

That is a pretty serious production. Is from Denmark? I thought our road safety vids were hardcore but that is pretty serious going. It does make the point well though, can't do any harm that they chose a haunting sountrack courtesy of Evanescence.