andyk134

Agree with that and probably not safe if it breaks no, you would more than likely need a new engine! when was yours last done?

Maybe you were just unlucky and the previous owner didn't look after the car. Every car needs to be looked after properly no matter what it is and with that age and mileage, I know people with 20k on the clock who have problems and those with over 200k who dont. its a combination of luck and care really.

Not sure about a "sunstrip" on a Lexus but lets see what the pics look like first. welcome to the club.

The Sportcross seems to sit a lot lower on Eibachs than the saloon. I had a set of them on mine before I went to coil overs and the car still sat quite high especially at the back. If you are using unrated springs on older standard shocks it will become so bit "bouncy" as they struggle to cope with the higher spring rate so my garage owner explained to me. I gave found coil overs more comfortable than Eibachs and standard springs as well as better looks and handling.

There are some really good independent garages out there who do a great job at a reasonable price. Most parts are Toyota so not that expensive. I would take it to someone and ask them to go through the whole thing and make a list of what it needs to put it right and go from there. There are 2 things that affect reliability, how it was built ( or luck!) and how it is looked after. I have owned mine for 5 years and not a thing has gone wrong and the overall rating is good but there will always be unlucky ones. Good luck sorting it and it is a great car, the best I have ever owned and I have had more than a few.

Nice looking car. But for me I would never want an automatic so although I have been tempted by the GS that has always put me off. But yes cars are very much a personal taste like everything in life, food, art, music, films, books, holidays etc, the secret is to find what is best for you but also never be afraid to try new things. I like the fact I live in a town of 200,000 people but there isn't another car that looks like mine in paint and wheel colour, how many can say that of a standard spec car? The downside of course is that everyone knows its me!

Completely agree Ashar we all buy our cars according to our needs. My boss drives 30k a year so has an automatic diesel with cruise for obvious reasons. I am lucky i do about 5,000 a year and buy a car first and foremost for the enjoyment of driving it. I have a quickshift on the gearbox which shortens the throw considerably and is a far more precise action. In the end it is like everything else in life, its down to personal preference and need. But I still wouldn't swap mine for anything else of similar age and value.

How much are your local dealers charging for that? There are some very good independent garages out there who do a better job for less money.

Have to be honest and say the MkII does nothing for me and with the MkIII being automatic I will be looking after my MkI for many years to come. Not a fan of automatics or cruise control I like to drive not be driven.

I think the Lexus has always been seen as "an old man's" car, boring and reliable, which of course we all know it isn't and an awful lot more than that! I would imagine a shock absorber for a new IS300H wouldn't be far short of that price, but as you say less likely to be needed. And of course Jeremy Clarkson drives a Merc, so enough said!

Have to agree with you Ashar on that. I prefer the exclusivity and reliability of the Lexus but the Merc C series would definitely be my second choice. And i think their sporty hatch looks a lot better than the CT. As I cant afford to buy new (and not sure I would spend that sort of money on a car anyway) there is nothing to touch the 200 for price and reliability and looks. but if i did have money it might be a hard choice to make!

Not sure this would work on the humble 200, the ECU is pretty much unprogrammable unless you piggyback it. I havent found the response hard to control and is actually slower than my wife's Seat Ibiza 1.4! Has it had a major service recently?

Have to agree, If I am honest I have no idea what the mpg is and dont care. I do run it on V Power as it does pick up better using that and I just love the car. Despite it being 10 years old now it is still the best car I have ever owned and wont be changing for many years to come. If you buy a car for MPG, there are plenty around that will give you 60+ but I bet you wont enjoy owning one anywhere near as much as the 200. I work with people who spend more on smoking than i do running may car so what is a little mpg for the enjoyment I get.

Mine doesn't either, a manual one, how many miles has the car done?

Hi yes it does tend to be, but it may be different for your RX than it is for the IS. Have you gone to the main dealer?

I use the fuel additives on a low tank, it's more concentrated and for me seems to work better, but whatever you think works. I tend to spend a bit each year on the car so it feels a bit different all the time and more affordable! My last car was bought out of necessity after divorce and was the previous shape Civic 1.6 sport, but in 5 1/2 years it never let me down once and after adding springs, shocks and a front brace and bigger wheels it was really fun to be fair. Had 3 Audi's and 3 golf GTI's before that but the Lexus is my fav by far!

I think for cam belt it's age or mileage whichever comes first. Every 60,000 or 6 years to be safe. I have always worked the better you look after your car the better it will look after you (and your wallet overall). Sometimes cutting corners doesn't save you money in the long run! For fuel system cleaners I either go with the BK stuff on Amazon or from Quik Fit or the Forte one again on Amazon. I run the fuel low and then put 2 bottles in and go for a drive to run in through, then just fill up normally. I also ran a bottle of Cataclean through it and the emissions were lower at the next MOT. I am sure some will consider it overkill or not necessary but even if it only helps a bit then to me it's worth it. Mine runs really smoothly and can hit 60 in a shade under 8 secs (probably helped by the quick shift which does speed up the 2 gear changes you need to get to 60), but if you need to get somewhere quickly the car can surprise you if you keep the revs up, but also on the motorway it's as smooth as silk at the legal limit. I have spent nearly 2 grand so far on coil overs, roll bars, strut braces, wheel spacers the set up and the quick shift but I have a better handling, better looking more enjoyable drive than standard and my plan is to keep the car another 5 years, by which time the mkIII will be affordable, I am not a fan of the markII I am sure you will have many years of enjoyable driving.

Never even had an advisory on my 200, so it does seem a bit strange to be every year. Just because someone has done something for many years it doesn't mean they know what they are doing, just that people believe they do! Might be worth taking it somewhere else next time to compare?

Seems like you have found a good garage there then. Has the cam belt been done? That's a must at that age of car. Makes you wonder how Lexus can charge £500 for a major service, what do they do that your guys didnt I wonder? Maybe worth putting a K & N panel in there, it doesn't give too many horses but at least you wont have to pay for a new filter again. And some fuel system cleaner might be a worthwhile investment. For me I run mine on Shell V-Power, I can feel a noticeable difference and it keeps the system clean too, I know some on here don't feel its worth it, but for me I would always put the best fuel I can find in my car. The ECU adjusts to whatever you use so it will compensate for the higher octane. good luck.

That is a very good price but you might want to check the plugs they used as they will be £60 a set on their own for the NGK Iridiums! I go to a brilliant independent garage who charge £280 for a "full" service with plugs, filters, gear and diff oil as well as engine and a thorough going over of the car. Like most things in life you tend to get what you pay for (as long as you don't go to a main dealer!) so it would be a good idea to check what they actually did and what parts they used. It does sound a bit cheap to me. But welcome to the Lexus club, best car I have ever owned for sure and I have had a few!

looks a good job on the refurb. Have to say i prefer the darker ones but yes a very nice set of wheels

I dont think anyone buys a IS200 for its performance. do you really want to spend say 5 grand on a turbo and uprated suspension and brakes on a 2 grand car? Just enjoy it for what it is, an ultra reliable, good looking, class car with lots of kit that wont let you down and you will love owning. Well that's how I feel anyway.

This all sounds good to me. Mine clicked over 64k last months so clearly years of very enjoyable driving to come. Fab car, nothing comes close for the money for me. Hope you enjoy yours.

Thanks Ash. I have had it slightly raised as it was a bit too low for all the traffic calming where I live and with the spacers which I think really improve it. I have kept with the standard wheels to maintain the original look. I am lucky that my other half loves it and when she drove it for the first time a month ago started looking for a black one for herself! Mine has only done 64k so just about fully run in and ready for the next 64k!

I think for a comparison you have to look at what the competition would have been at the time. 10 to 15 year old BMW's, Mercs and Audi's from that era are 10 a penny and most haven't lasted as well. But for me it's that they are different and not so many around, I love this fact it is ultra reliable with every extra you sensibly need for the age, the way it looks (even more so for me after adding coil overs and spacers), there isn't another one that looks like mine that I have seen, how many people can say that. I will keep mine for another 5 years until the ISF gets to an affordable price, but I can't see beyond staying with Lexus at the moment.