allpag44

I have had my 06 plate IS220 SE for about 18 months now and apart from the disappointing fuel economy (Average 33 MPG conbined), I have had no problems and am pleased with the purchase. The car is just coming up to 85600 miles on the clock and is no longer under warrenty. Last week was about 70 miles from home when the engine management, red triangle and skid lights came onto the dashboard with a message saying "Check VSC". The car then went into "limp mode" and I struggled home at no more than 40 MPH. Booked the car into my local Lexus dealer in Milton Keynes the next day on the understanding that it was going to cost me £100 for an hours labour to check the problem out and then they would contact me to let me know what the problem was and how much it was going to cost to put right. Had a call later the next day to say that the catalytic converter was at fault and needed to be replaced. Was told that it would cost around £2000 to carry out the required work but they were speaking to Lexus UK to see if they would be prepared to meet some of the cost of the replacement cat. Had a couple of sleepless nights at the weekend worrying about where I was going to find £2000 to sort the car out. Imagine my surprise and delight when the dealership contacted me Monday morning to say thay Lexus UK had agreed to fund the full cost of the replacement catalytic converter. I have just collected my car from the dealership, all sorted and at no cost to myself. What I'm really impressed about is the fact that Lexus Milton Keynes arranged everything with the manufacturer without me even asking. There is obviously a known problem with the catalytic converter on these cars and Lexus UK have done the right thing and sorted it out. I'm very happy with the Lexus customer service.

Tyre wear in the centre is definately due to over inflation. As the last post suggests - drop the pressure slightly and you should notice a difference.

Didn't sleep much the night before I was due to pick up my car, was so excited! It's been 12 months now and am still enjoying the Lexus. Hope all goes well with your purchase.

Not these days, as you say it's got a full lexus history, nothing to worry about All the recalls that that model would have had - check the vehicle no. on Lexus website Check aircon's nice and icy TBH, everything should just work if you're buying approved pre-owned If approved pre-owned from Lexus 14-15 If an indie dealer, 12-14 Private sale, around the 12.5 mark Hi, I purchased a 2006 IS220D SE last year with 68,000 on the clock. I was a little worried about the mileage but the car came with full service history and a years warranty from the dealer. Over a further 15,000 miles the car has performed flawlessly and I am very pleased with the purchase. Out of interest though, how do you check the history of your vehicle on the Lexus website? Have looked at the owners area and cannot find anywhere to enter a vehicle number.

Hi, Not sure about the Nokia C5 handset I'm afraid. But, what I've found using various different telephone handsets (Nokia, Blackberry, HTC) in my IS220 is that they all function perfectly well making and recieving calls via the Bluetooth link, but not all of them are supported when trying to transfer the phonebook to the car. Very frustrating and time consuming to enter names and numbers manually into the Lexus system. Worth considering when purchasing a new phone I think.

Nice looking car, sounds like a good deal on the price as well from a main dealer.

Have been looking at this myself on http://www.dieseltuner.co.uk/lexus.html Would also like to know if anyone has any experience of these type of "data boxes" on the Lexus.

Hi. Which tuning box did you have fitted? Have been looking at these myself (http://www.dieseltuner.co.uk/lexus.html). Would be good to get some more info from someone who actually has one fitted.

Hi. I bought a 2006 IS 220D SE last week. Spent a bit of time researching before I made the purchase and you are exactly right - the one consistent issue regarding these vehicles is the MPG figures. I decided that I liked the style and specification of the Lexus and this is more important to me than the MPG figures. My "heart always rules my head" when it comes to cars and in my case I was prepared to make the comprimise between the looks, specification, exclusivity and the reportedly poor fuel consumption. I have had Audi's and BMW's in the past and was looking for something in the same class, but a little bit different. The Lexus "ticked all the boxes" for me. However, a lot of people when looking at prospective diesel powered vehicles are certainly going to be concerned with MPG figures. I'm sure that we would start seeing a lot more IS's on the road if the Lexus diesel engine returned the sort of MPG figures that can be expected from the likes of BMW and Audi brands. I am surprised that Lexus as a manufacturer have not addressed this issue more vigarously. Good for me I guess as not every "Tom, ***** or Harry" is driving the same car as me, but not so good for Lexus as they are missing out on potential sales.

Just done the "hack" on my IS220. Struggled a bit to get the vents out, but after that, all went well. Thanks very much for photos and clear instructions. Don't think I would have attempted it without this.

Sorted. Was the display brightness switch that required adjusting as per Jalon's post above. Thanks very much for the help.

Still early days with the Lexus. I think that it's a nice looking car, interior has a quality finish and the specification is good. Just about got my head around the navigation system (I think) and the sound system is excellent. Bit annoying that some of the phone stuff and navigation can't be done on the move, but will probably upgrade the navigation disc and re-wire using the DVD and phone hack guide on these forums. Average fuel consumption is at 37 MPG at the moment, not great for a diesel, but have only done about 100 miles so far. Will have to see how this changes over the next few weeks. Here's a few pics.

OK. Thanks for the info, will check the dimmer setting as suggested.

Is there a "night mode" for use with the multimedia display? Using the map navigation screen whilst driving at night is very bright. Nearly all other in-car sat nav devices that I have used have automatically dimmed or used darker colours at night. Have looked through the user manual but have been unable to find anything mentioned about night driving and the display.

£13.990. Picking the Lexus up this morning. Really looking forward to getting my hands on it now.

Am I right in thinking that if i replace my existing sat nav disk for the latest available, I will then be able to input address information on the move instead of having to park up to use the system?

Cheers for the response. Its good to hear some good news stories for the car. Do you notice any issues in first gear or gear changing? I agree that the rear parking sensors is a must, the camera would be fantastic. My budget is tight so I am just gonna have to sit it out and wait for theright one to come along. Out of curiosity how many miles has yours done? Some have said the car gets worst once the miles get over 30k? The car I buy will have more than this to start with and i intend to keep it for atleast 5 years No probs changing gear. There is a bit of turbo lag in first gear but it then quickly takes off, ( you do get used to that). If you dont think you can live with that, go for the petrol 250 auto. I would have went for that myself, but tax on a 2.5 litre car in Ireland would give me a nose bleed. Mine has done 28k miles and has still another 14/15 months of warranty remaining. It is still on its original tyres, with a few miles left on them. By the way, the reversing camera also has guide lines that show the final positioning of the car as you turn the steering wheel! Turbo lag? Didn't think that these cars have a turbo fitted as standard.

Yes, The BMW is a great car, good to look at and great diesel engine. But, my experience has been soured I'm afraid by the attitude of my local BMW franchise. Decided to go for the Lexus as I belive that the IS is also a great looking car with good specification and a quality image. I know that the engine and gearing is not on a par with the BMW but I'm willing to make a compromise. To be honest, I just feel that the Lexus package gives me alot more for my money than what BMW were prepared to offer me. I guess I will only really know if I have made the right decision once I get the IS and put some miles on the clock.

Have just purchased a 2006 IS220D SE. Black with black leather interior and the sat nav multimedia. Picking the car up middle of next week. This will be my first Lexus and have been very impressed with the service from my local dealer (Lexus MK) so far. Am returning my 07 BMW 320D M Sport as the PCP has come to an end and BMW seem only interested in me giving them more of my hard earned money for the privalige of driving their brand. Lexus seem a bit more interested in retaining me as a customer without "screwing" me for every penny that they can. Anyway, really looking forward to getting the 220 next week. Will post some pics when it arrives.