Colm

You need to find out how people are getting their MPG figures. I discovered that my trip computer produces vastly optomistic figures ;) My trip computer reports 27mpg, while I'm actually getting 21mpg. Over 30% out ;) (IS250) If anyone is quoting mpg from the trip computer, I think you can ignore them if my experience is anything to go by.

My IS250 (12 months old, 25000km) is driving 50% of time to work, and 50% local trips. The work trips are appx 70% motorway, and 30% stop/start. The local trips I suppose average 15-20 minutes of urban driving. According to my trip computer I was getting about 27mpg. I decided to check this with actual consumption, by filling the tank to the brim, resetting the trip odometer, and dividing the mileage by the fuel loaded at the next refill. ie. exact measurement, ignoring the trip computer, but relying on the mileage reported by the odometer. Turns out I was actually only getting 21mpg. This was with lots of aggressive acceleration, which is my normal driving style. (I didn't by a 2.5L car to drive slowly ;) ). I tried then doing the opposite, and for one whole thank, I drove as fuel friendly as I possibly could....low acceleration, ensureing that I stopped at traffic lights with as low speed (and as little braking and lost energy) as possible etc. I managed 27mpg. So I'm really surprised at 38mpg! Will I now drive ultra conseratively to get 25% more mileage? We'll as I said, I didn't buy a 2.5L car to plod along in

Barry, You're correct about it destroying sales of diesels in the first half of 2008. However, I suspect the issue is that they won't have the info on file about your cars CO2 output, and therefore can't automatically issue motor tax bills under the new system. They could of course look up the details for each one, but I suspect that's too much work for them. There is another way of looking at it though. You purchased your car expecting to pay appx €800 per year in road tax. Now that's going up by 9.5%. You would of course have expected that your road tax would go up by inflation each year, which is currently running at just over 4%. So if you bought your car in the first half of 2007, you would expect to have to pay an extra 4% in 2008 (but you won't, because it will not come in until after you renew your tax), and you would expect to pay another 4% in 2009. So you'll only end up paying 1.5% more than you would have reasonably expected to pay when you purchased your car. If you bought your car in the first half of 2006, then you'll actually be paying LESS than you would have reaonably expected in 2009, as you'd have an extra year of inflation! In other words, you got the deal that you signed up to. If you want to change the deal, then change your car after 1 July next! Anyone who thinks an IS220 is an environmently friendly car is mislead. It may be significantly better than it's petrol brother, but it is not envirormently friendly. As much as I love my IS250, I think the government are right to be encouraging us not to drive them in their current format. I really wish Lexus had brought out a hybrid IS. I certainly would have bought it. Colm

Looks like the IS250 Auto will be less expensive than the IS250 Manual! As much as it pains me to have to pay extra tax, I think this was the right thing to do. We can't all keep pumping out massive amounts of CO2. Hopefully other countries will follow suit, and this will force the car manufacturers to speed up the move to alternative fuels. Maybe next time around we'll have a hybrid IS250H, or maybe in a few years a hydrogen IS250H2! Colm

Yep. I had my windscreen replaced. Thankfully my insurance comes didn't apply any excess to windscreen cover, and it didn't affect my no claims bonus. C

If you don't like the auto settings, why not just turn the auto off, and control it manually using the mode switch? I don't understand why you had to tape the side vents shut.....I'm sure mine has little roller switches to close them....in fact the roller switches even light up in the dark! Colm

Would a big magnet work?

Ha! I did the same thing once myself when the car was new. I parked on the street (didn't hear the beeps as I got out for some reason) and got a parking display ticket. I put the ticket onto the dash (via the passneger door which was street side), and couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't lock! It was beeping at me, and I couldn't figure out why! So I decided to go back around to the drivers side, and start the car, then stop it again to see if that solved the problem. As I was walking behind it, I noticed some steam coming from the exhausts opps! C

Where did you get the Lexus touch up kits? Do the dealers sell these? Colm

I drive a manual IS250. 50% motorway, and 50% local driving. I tend to drive agressivly, looking for quick acceleration all the time. I get apx 27mpg.

About 10% for me too. My gps=120kph, speedo =134kph

I'm an IS250 manual (not auto) owner. I had some minor rattles on it. Got them fixed by the dealer. To be honest, the car is very quiet (much quieter than the diesel version). It it wasn't so quiet, I don't think I'd ever have noticed the rattles. Anyway, they were sorted without fuss by the dealer. I've since developed another one, but haven't got around to taking it back yet. Again, it's only a minor complaint. No other problems to date (18K km). What amazes me about the car is other peoples reactions to it. I've never had so many strangers compliment me on a car before. Whenever someone gets inside for the first time, they always, without fail, remark on how nice it is. I certainly have no regrets about going Lexus. I considered the BWM 320I. When I test drove it, I considered it under powered. Having got used to the Lexus, I know I made the right decision. If I go away for a weekend (flying), I can't wait to get home to drive it again. I've had two occasions to drive a diesel IS, and thought it a totally different car. I didn't like it at all. The petrol is a much more refined car than the diesel version in my view.

I thought it was only a diesel problem? I've certainly have had no problems with the mirror in my IS250. Had a diesel IS garage car twice, and the mirror drove me demented.

Photoshop

I've an 07 IS250. I've only had it 6 months, but have 15K km on the clock so almost your 10k miles ;) I'm very happy with my car. Only two disappointments. 1. Despite the 07 model, there are still rattles. In fairness my dealer solved almost all of them. One they failed to solve, and another one or two minor ones have developed in other areas since. They are less than I've been used to in other cars, but it's a matter of expectation, and I didn't expect ANY rattles, minor or otherwise, in my Lexus. 2. I left it in for it's first service recently. Lexus kindly offered to touch up some paint marks (none of which were my fault!) free of charge. They did this, less than perfect, but since it was foc I've no complaints. However they did return it with a NEW scrap on the passenger door handle. Too small to complain and make an issue of. I've always dreaded leading a car into a garage as they always seem to suffer from some sort of garage rash, but again it's one of expectation, and I would have expected more from a premium marke. Other than the minor scrape in the garage, I've been very happy with the service I've received from the dealer, from demo to 1st service. On the up side, I love the power of my IS250. I've no problem with the 27mpg as it's more than I was expecting (again expectations are what counts!) and I'm constantly getting compliments on the car. This is my first Lexus, and I would certainly consider another one, though I'm not so sure about the styling of the other models! I just wish they could produce a car that was rattle free, first time, and stayed rattle free........I'd happily pay them more if they could guarantee this. I would never consider a diesel Lexus though, having had a diesel IS as a courtesy car.....the diesel and the petrol and worlds apart in my view, and the refinement of the petrol is definately worth the extra running costs. Colm

Dayglow, I find your post very interesting as I have almost the exact same issues with my manual IS250. When I accelerate hard in 2nd or 3rd (up say past 5000rpm) and I've now reached the speed I'm happy to cruise at, if I put it straight into 6th, I get gear crunching. It doesn't happen if I put it from 2/3 into 5th, then into sixth. While I could (grudginly) accept that I should do this (even though every other car I have driven had no problem with such activity), that is not the only time this happens. It also happens if driving at (illegal) speed in 5th gear...so the the revs are high in 5th, then changing straight from 5th to 6th at high revs gives the same grinding sound. Not easy to show to a dealer, or for them to test....we don't want to lose our licences....but it would appear to be the exact same problem. I took it back to Lexus and they told me that they had a fix for it. The fix made no difference whatsoever. It's going in for service next week, and I've asked them to look at it again. I THINK this is the same problem as I have. Do you mean that the sound happens as the needles move around, or does it continue when the needs are steady (after whizzing around)? In my case when rpm exceeds 5000rpm or so (exact value changes with each gear), I start to get a rattling/vibration. It stays present until the revs drop back again. I asked Lexus to fix this along with a number of ther rattles. In fairness they 90% solved the other rattles, but this one remains the exact same. Colm

About 27mpg on average....split about 2/3 city short hop driving, and 1/3 motorway. A pure motorway trip returns about 38mpg (constant 120kph/70mph) no stop/starts. My 27mpg is regularly using performance to the full....heavy right foot.

I had a similar experience but with other features. I drive an IS250 (petrol) without the MM, and got an IS220D (Diesel) without the MM as a courtesy car. I couldn't believe the difference. I kept hearing how much better diesels were these days, and wondered if I'd made the right choice in getting a petrol model. All doubts were instantly cast aside. The diesel is A LOT louder at low speed. On the motorway it wasn't too bad, but around town it was totally different...no chance of mistaking it for anything other than a diesel car! The acceleration was very fustrating too. I put my foot to the floor and nothing happens for almost a second, then I get a little acceleration....suddenly I get massive acceleration (more than with the IS25) but it lasts for maybe 2 seconds and dies off......change gear, and now I have a repeat...waiting for a second for the car to react to my foot.....etc. While it was faster than the petrol when accelerating, the waiting at each gear change made it overall much slower, and more "jumpy". And I can now see what you all complain about with the rearview mirror! I can't believe it's as bad as it is! And yes I understand now why you complain about the 6th gear! Put your foot to the floor in 6th gear at motorway speeds, and the not only do you feel the vibration through the car, but you'd think the mirror is about to fall off! Also I noticed...the lack of double exhausts at the rear! Oh and very strangly I noticed that the diesel didn't have an auto function for the fresh air vents!! The petrol model allows an auto function, which lets fresh air through the a/c system, but changes to recycled air as soon as it detects pollutants, and returns to outside air once it has cleared. Work extremely well. It really did feel like a totally different (inferior) car. I won't be changing my petrol for a diesel anytime soon...MM or not ;) Oh, and I have an 07 model...and it does have rattles...all the usual ones. Centre concole speaker...driver side airvent, and passenger side windscreen creaking as car warms up. In fairness Lexus seem to have fixed most of them. Colm

I took mine off, just to make sure I knew how to, so wouldn't be stuck if the need arose ;) It just clipped back on without any hassle......Sorry, I know that that's not much help.

Page 164/165 of the User Manual. If you press and release the TRC button you loose traction control. The orange skid detection light activates. However once your speed exceeds 30mph traction control is re-engaged. If you press and hold the TRC button for 3 seconds, then you loose traction control and VSC. The orange skid detection and the orange VSC lights activate. Both stay off until you either turn them back on manually, or your switch the car off, and back on again. This is the 2007 model. If you both an earlier version (the 2006 version) then this function wasn't there. Colm

Definately too much yellow on the bigger plate.

I agree with Parthiban. I think it just looks weird, and the standard one looks much better.

I don't understand that. Aren't all the new IS's rear wheel drive? (Well except the AWD, but I don't think they do a diesel AWD).

The only differences I noticed in 06 and 07 models were: a couple of the buttons (such as fuel cap release, and boot release) are now illumunitated, and it's not possible to turn off traction control and VSC if you don't want it active. The basic lexus has a 13 speaker system. If you go for the MM system, then it has a 14 speaker system.

Yes, unfortunately it's only available on automatics. I would have loved it too, but I just love a manual too much to give it up ;)