Gunther

Having driven both cars (530i manual and A4), I get the feeling you'll like the sharpness of the Audi A5, and it looks superb, the interior is well made and it's more modern than the 5er - which is in it's final year now. The 5 is big, and if you are constantly having to park in small spaces you'll find it overhangs a bit too much in the spaces :o Good luck

There is a small garage in Bruntingthorpe (leicestershire) - called GD Marketing. They are a family run car sales place who have lots of cars from Lease companies, fleets and Motability. Cars are all cheap, up to 3 years old, full service history and they treat you like royalty. I bought 7 cars (mainly toyota's and Honda's) from then in over 12 years, and every car was almost perfect, even though a few had over 60,000 on the clock!

The Lexus Bluetooth is very basic compared to some cars.Would be even a bit better if you could browse the phonebook and directory. So if you use your work phone, you get work contacts, if wife uses her pink Samsung in the IS when she is driving, she get's all her friends contacts, etc. That would be much better in my opinion.

Of course. Market value is important. Unless you have a crash. Then, because your car is worth so much less, but the parts still cost ££££$$$$$££££ you are very likely to suffer a write off. Then the insurance company offers you current market value, which is trade. For a car with a V8, it means little money in todays values. Unless you can find a really cheap one to replace it with, which you may. This very thing happened to my Jaguar in early 1990's. I couldn't find a replacement for same money unless I went Auction. Best thing to do is get GAP insurance policy if you do buy any car. Dealer has just offered me a new 250SEL with MM (09) for £27000 (my car plus £16500) if I take the new one before Christmas. Mine is August 2006 IS220d SE with MM and 22000 miles. They are sooooo keen to do business, but it is stretching my budget. I have said yes, but £14000 to swop. They are considering (but don't think so). Lets see what Santa brings. I don't want a used one, as my Lexus has had rattles so new one must be facelifted car. Heart says Lexus, Head says cheaper Audi. I'm stuck.

I have a problem too. I have been looking sell mine, on line it says £12000, but a Merc Dealer has offered £10250 if I take delivery before end of December on new C 200 Sport Auto, Command and Parktronic (9% off RRP), or £10000 against BMW 320i Sport with Media pack (10% off RRP), and £9250 against Audi A4 2.0 S line Quattro with DVD nav (6.5% off). They all say the same and Lexus will not shift easily into 2nd hand market. Why is this? I paid lot for my car 12 months ago. I paid £22000! So now I am to stay with Lexus, not because I want to, becasue I have to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That young kid was Bruno Senna - he had an Uncle Ayrton who was a bit handy behind the wheel too. The show was not very good, and when they say a ISF is just like a Lexus, I can think of only one thing - possibly they were talking about the steering. I had just been skating everywhere in an M3 (2003 model before buying the IS) and compared to my IS the steering is what allows you to drive it properly. It was just like the one in the programme competition but insurance was doing me in. You cannot compare really anything to M3. The steering is a living being! Lexus is a different type, BMW is a different type. I haven't driven a new shape M3 or the ISF, but that is one area where BMW is King - the feedback of steering wheel is so perfect in almost all BMW's since the 1970's and one reason why they called it the Ultimate driving Machine. Even if new ISF is better than new M3, people have stereo'd views and you will never win the arguements. It is true that Tiff was driving in a more sporty way. May be that is why the girls liked it (and what did they really know? The looked un intelligent :shutit: ) Ayrton Senna said in 1993 his nephew would be world champion one day, he will of course, I'm sure. They should have let him drive the cars back to back (M3 and Lex) rather than making fun. Top Gear will be same - they don't like Lexus too. And yes - GTR is a killing machine! I want one.

Lexus is good value. Ford Mondeo is even better value, especially the Titanium X model. But....would you buy one? It actually drives really nice, but you will be able to buy one for the same price as bag of spuds in 3 years....... Forget what extra options a car has. It HAS to drive good, unless you are passenger all of time. New 5th Inj is not supposed to improve economy. It is last final fix for 220d. So it must be 100% OK now. Only stopping the safe go home mode. Everyone you ask at Lexus dealers comment there are some problems.

Been looking. Claims are very same to High Perf diesel, which makes no differences in my car. Is it a false pill (plassebo)? May be I need to try. Will go Halfords tomorrow.

Full tank average, 37.4 mpg, driving at 70-3mph over 486 miles with CC where I can. 420mls in motorway, rest all town. Not too good, and if you don't mind driving Auto, forget about the manual diesel. Diesel has had much bad writeup, some justified.

Yeah, and the diesel more in VED and company car tax than any of it's competition (just about). The 250 AUto is still over 200g/KM, which is way too high now adays...somewhere nearer to 180 would be better!! Lexus/Toyota have been too busy making hybrids whilst everyone seems to have run off into the distance making their existing engines so much more efficient. Only time will tell if the strategy is right (looks to be).

That's what I thought until I test drove the IS250 Automatic. The manual 250 is not to my taste and is thirsty. The IS220d is a better car. 30.7 averages sounds like you had the Manual????? But drive the Automatic vers. It will give you averages of over 35mpg regularly and is so smooth, like a real Lexus has got to be. Im My opinion. It is the only IS worth buying. Even that will not compare to some opositions. Take BMW325i, which actually is 3.0litres. It is faster, smoother and much more economical. Petrol engines have moved way forwards recently. It is the way to go with diesel prices so high up (and only getting even more higher).

Finlex is correct - braking is evil and ruins MPG. But.........When was the last time you could drive in an English motorway at a constant speed of 75mph to keep momentum? The roads are terribly congested and you could be breaking the law. You can average 48-50mph only no matter where you go during the day on a motorway. And the car only gives high 30's in MPG. In most cities they have started to "stack" traffic using traffic lights which appears to stay Red longer than green on all major routes going into town centres. So you are always stopping and starting. Use 1st and 2nd gear and the economy goes down. This is where BMW with ED has hit the right measure for Englands roads. Lexus is an excellent car elsewhere, let down by a slightly old fashioned design. It is still classed as E4, not E5, so when people say it is the cleanest, what do they mean? CO2 is very high too. Does any person here know what the particulate emission measure is and how it compares to others? It is possible that Lexus have been standing still with the 220d engine trying to fix the bad emission design with all complaints, and everyone else is running away into the distance.

Mine is an early 220E with MM. It also has fuel economy which is poor. The car has always rattled like mad, the rear view mirror is bad, the dash has been out for mods, and yet it is still disappointing. All modifications and recalls completed recently and no differences. On a long trip at 70mph on speedometer, with Cruise control or not on, I can really only get 40-42 mpg max (normally 36-40), no matter how long I drive for. Town driving can be as low as 20. What I notice in some pictures posted on here is that 6th gear is being used at 68mph. The handbook very clearly states that it is not intended for speeds below 75mph. So you could be damaging the engine, possibly the clutch, flywheel etc, as it would be like a car pulling a very very heavy caravan. The speedometer indicated 68 MPH is more like 64 actual. The 56MPG indicated by car computer is more like 53ish. So may be it isn't so good?

Thank 2 all - the search now begins. The missus still prefers a diesel as she gets all environmental, but I want an automatic. Let the marital war begin! She needs to try a diesel properly and I need to drive the GS300. Will let you know what happens, but at the moment a used 250 Auto SE-L looks to be right on the money. With some remarks on soft paint, I might stick with silver and black leather (may be grey leather too). PS - a lovely forum.

Bin a lurker for months, now can finally spend the cash as missus agrees the Lexus is a good car::: First poster so be gentle Petrol or diesel? I have read lots of notes and posts on here, and understand the Auto is a good choice, so that's my preference What Spec - is the SEL really worth the extra. I drive both SE and SE-L and really only had time to try the rear (and front?) sensors. With the camera they are great!! I'm not sure about the sattelite Nav - is it worth it? I saw some posts on "nanny" - My Tom Tom does the jobby at the moment and I could live without the camera but I like the BT What colour? I like black, but I know I'll be washing it all day everyday. What other colour is easy to look after Should I wait for 57 plate? Or should I buy ex-demo? Head says Ex-demo and hart says new. Or should I get a GS instead? It's a Private buy so I don't care about company car or tax, just want a good car I can waft around in during retirement. Any help would be good. TIA