astrid

Mine was the MkII GS300 - I like the 2JG engine (also in the older Supra models) and gives good acceleration on straight expressways ... even when launched from stationary ... which the IS200's 1G-FE engine cannot match ... perhaps the IS300, which uses the same 2JG engine as the GS300. However, My present IS200 thrills me everytime on tight bends at speed. Nothing beats it ... not even a BMW 318i (2L Valvetronic E-46). I say this based on numerous test drives I have done on both cars, before I bought the IS200. Its steering response is so direct and its weight distribution is so balanced. p.s. From auto circles 'in the know', the IS200 is really an reincarnation of Toyota's classic Trueno / Levin.

The most obvious differences between the old IS200 and the new IS250, other than their engine capacities are: o IL-6 (better :) ) engine vs the new V-6 IL-6 config is inherently more stable and offers more grunt at higher RPMs. There is a reason why BMW stuck to IL-6 engines for the longest time. o Double wishbone suspension setup for front and rear (better :) ) vs the new IS-250's rear-only double wishbones, with the front relegated to multi-links. o Hydraulic power steering (better :) ) for the IS-200, vs the new electric power steering.

Before I bought my IS200, I test-drove the Audi A4 1.8T and 2.0; BMW 318i Valvetronic and 320i and the Merc C200 Kompressor. Rejected the Audi: Loud road/tyre noise, hard and uncomfortable suspensions that go crash and bang. Wind noise at speed (above 120 km/h) was also apparent. Quality of fit though is first class. True-blue German. Rejected the BMW: Again road/tyre/wind noise at speed was pretty bad, but better than the Audi though. Handling and road holding, especially around bends was superb ..... very good feedback control and maneuverbility. From South Africa, the door panels and body construction just lacks the ultimate German feel of the Audi though. Rejected the Merc: Actually owned the E200 Kompressor (W210K) just before I switched over to the Lexus .... wanted to downgrade to a smaller car then. The 2001 2-litre Kompressor engine was loud. Doors of the C-Class do not close with a resounding thud. Body panels (including roof) were hollow-sounding. Again, a sign of less than top-notch South African assembly and QC standards? Handling is the poorest among the 3 makes mentioned. Good only for freeway cruising. The IS200 was the first Japanese car that I thought has European quality built in ..... just slam the front doors. Handling was close, even on par with the 318i. Noticed that the car battery and heavier components like ABS and all are set way back in the engine bay. This concentrates the weight of the car between the two wheel axles - which minimizes yaw and sway when going around bends at high speeds. Other than the 320i in my compario, the IS200 is the only model that has an in-line 6-cylinder DOHC 24v power plant. Its engine is longitudinally-mounted ..... sports cars have it, but we see less of such mountings lately. Exhaust extractors are optimised on a 6-2-1 configuration. On top of that, it has double wishbone suspensions with gas-filled shock absorbers for both front and rear ..... none of the other cars I compared have this ... unless you go up to higher models like the S-Class. Brake rotors at about 300 mm diameter front and rear are the largest in the list above. Comes with 17" alloy rims as standard, shod with 215/45R17 Dunlops. The Audi, being an FWD car, cannot match the driveability of RWD cars in the compario list. I feel that both the VW 2.0L and 1.8T engines are rorty and unrefined, especially at high rpms. The BMW Valvetronic 2.0L 318i engine is sweet (in fact, sweeter than its 2.2L 6-cylinder stable mate), but I have heard enough of problems with the Valvetronic engine (teething they could be) from morning starts, to fluctuating rpms / engine dying out, squeaking windows and dash board etc.. All said, I still think the Audi 1.8T and BMW 320i can take on the IS200 anytime on straights ..... but that is not all there is to it ..... or is it? For long haul high-speed cruises, I still think the Lexus gives me the best / quiet ride (perhaps maybe second to the Merc C200). The Merc's supercharged engine however, does become harsh beyond 4000 rpm, but the IS200's exhaust note sounds much nicer to my ears at higher rpms. Definitely less ear fatigue for me. Most of all, I chose the Lexus because of its reknowned reliability and I am now living witness to that view shared by hundreds of thousands around the world .... of Toyota quality and reliability. I have owned cars made by Fiat, Honda, Alfa Romeo, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz and I can vouch that my Lexus has so far, proven to be the most reliable of the lot. If I can rank the cars I have owned, based on the first 2 years of ownership (although I have owned each of them over varying periods of time), just based on reliability only, the best first: - Lexus - Mercedes Benz - Honda - Volkswagen - Alfa Romeo - Fiat

Thank you all for your feedback. :) Well, overall I think the pluses of the GS300 far outweigh its minuses, from what I hear. Have arranged for some test drives over the weekend and will seriously consider upgrading to a GS300 if it feels and moves better than my IS200. That's a given, I think ..... :winky:

Hello all. I own an IS200 for some time now. Great car, but mine's an auto transmission and gets a little out of breath from standing-start red-light sprints, until its second-wind RPMs are developed between 4000 to 6000. I also need the space (just a little bit more), to fit a family with 3 kids. Am thinking of switching to a GS300 and would appreciate your experiences with this car model, good or bad, to help me make an informed decision. Is there anything to watch out for? Have read problems relating to internal rattles, fidgetty suspensions and wind noise. Are these very common to be concerned about? I plan to keep the car for at least 5 years, should I buy it. IMHO, I found my IS200 to be a very well-built. Solid and tight. I hope to be able to say the same for the GS300 after my test drive (arranged next weekend). Thanks.

Sorry to disappoint you mate. In Japan, in addition to the Toyota Altezza RS200 (which has a more powerful 210 bhp engine, than the IS200), there is also the Toyota Altezza AS200 (which is really the IS200, including the 1G-FE 2L 6-pot engine). There is no Lexus brand in Japan. Only Toyotas. The "Lexus" models in Japan all sport Toyota labels on the chassis, windows and steering wheel. The Lexus labels are only stamped for the export market to USA, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. In Japan, you only get to see the following Lexus models as: Toyota Celsior = LS430 Toyota Aristo = GS300 Toyota Harrier = RX300/330 Toyota Windom = ES300 Toyota Altezza = IS200/300 From the latest news reports in the Japanese papers, Toyota will be introducing the Lexus brand in its home country by about 2005 (the irony of it all!). The business driver is to cut down the parallel imports being done into the Lexus markets, at Toyota prices, re-badging the cars as "Lexus" and selling them to end users at a premium. Such tactics are prevalent in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong - where one can buy a Toyota-equivalent model, at a much cheaper price, but get to drive a Lexus. That trend, I believe, may have caught up elsewhere in Europe. But it is still the SAME car. Even in Japan, the well travelled purchase Lexus labels and rebadge their Toyota-equivalents to achieve the "rarity" factor. p.s. I spent 5 years in Japan. Oh, BTW, in Japan and even Singapore, a 3L Toyota Crown costs about US$30K more than a Lexus GS300 or ES300. And the Crown gives a much more refined and plusher ride than either of the Lexus models.

Actually, the high cost of cars is Singapore is due to the high taxation and also the need to purchase a certificate of entitlement (COE) before you can buy a car. This is the govt's way of controlling the absolute number of cars on our roads. The COE has to be bidded and there are only a fixed number of COEs released a month (depending on the number of old cars being scrapped). So for a car like a brand new BMW 320i, it would cost SGD 180,000.00. That would be about 89,552.00 Euros. The open market value of the car is only about 24,000.00 Euros. The COE (at today's going price) is another 15,000.00 Euros. The balance 50,000-odd Euros is pure tax.

Vince, The USD to Euro conversion can only be applied when comparing prices in Europe (or USA). For the price of a car in Singapore Dollars, I converted that to USD and again, to Euros, using the SGD-USD and SGD-Euro forex conversion rates. This week, the forex rates are as follows: 1USD=1.78SGD 1Euro=2.01SGD If you tried dividing the Euro-SGD rate over the USD-SGD rate: 2.01 / 1.78 = 1.13. Thus it will not be the same as a direct USD-Euro conversion, which would have been 1.08. I guess, that's how forex dealers all over the world make their living! :) Cheers!

Hi, I am from Singapore. An IS200 Auto costs SGD135,000/- ..... about 67,000 Euros, or USD75,800. A GS300 Auto costs SGD185,000/- ..... about 92,000 Euros, or USD104,000. Above are all brand new car prices. I guess for that kind of money, you can buy a Ferrari or Porsche elsewhere!