J Henderson

Pheobe

I had an IS200 LE for 4 years before moving up to a 2nd-Gen model, and had also owned a few BMWs previously, and for me an IS200 can indeed be fun to hoon around in. Despite being fairly slow, the car's fundamentals - very nice steering feel, decent 6-speed gearbox and RWD chassis make it fun to drive on country roads. My own car had a lowered & widened stance that made it feel even better in the corners, otherwise it was standard. So yes, even with a modest 153BHP, an IS200 can be a fun car to drive. One thing I will say though, is that the auto should be avoided. I eventually sold my IS200 on to a friend, who also later picked up an auto one. He told me that the auto box kills off a lot of driver appeal. They're also incredibly thirsty compared to a manual one. If possible, I would follow Colin's advice and go for an IS300. These are also automatics, but have a lot more grunt and an extra gear to play with. And also, some semblance of manual control via the steering wheel buttons.

Still working (kinda) on the Lexus Link app. Accuracy and details about work carried out still a bit lacking though.

Integrale

How much oil are we talking here? I'd guess a little oil being consumed might be deemed acceptable on a high mileage car (how many miles)? And is the white smoke, definitely smoke, not condensation/steam being burned off after a cold start? What about coolant levels? Are they OK? In the event that it is the piston rings, it might be more economically-viable to just source another complete engine and swap like-for-like.

Much like reducing the use of plastic in food packaging etc, the diminishing use of leather in car interiors seems to be something of an industry trend that's probably here to stay and become even more prevalent. Basically its being done on the grounds of sustainability & eco-friendlness, rather than cost-cutting. Volvo even use it as a selling point. In a few years, it'll probably be demonised as much as having a diesel engine, so enjoy your leather seats whilst you still can. 🙂

Yep. Eagle Asymmetric 5 is a good tyre. Not used them personally, but they always fare well in group tests & customer reviews.

As Len says, the larger 245 tyres should be on the rear axle. Even before buying new tyres, you should switch your wheels around ASAP. The number after the size is the load index - basically how much weight the tyre is suitable for. Load Rating Some tyres are also "XL" variants, which have a higher load index rating. The letter (W,Y etc) is the speed rating. V = 149mph W = 168mph Y = 186mph

Yes, definitely direct-injection. The injectors are also audible when the engine is running - a faint ticking sound, so don't worry if you hear that. It's normal.

Be wary of cars with manual transmission as they're cheap for a reason. The road tax on one of them is nearly £600 per annum. There's a sticky topic in the dedicated 2nd-Gen IS Forum with a few pointers. EDIT: Never mind, looks like you found it already 👍

Footwork

Agreed, pishwater. Ran it a couple of times out of necessity and the car felt noticeably worse both times - sluggish, lacking torque, dull throttle response etc. Currently averaging 32 MPG on Momentum 99, which isn't bad for this time of year.

Sotheby's

Focus

Not sure if other bushes on the car can be uprated in this way, but the front lower control arm bushes can be swapped for IS-F items. I'd personally be wary of opting for "race" type polyurethane items as they can introduce a ton of extra NVH.

As mentioned, these cars are extremely reliable if well-maintained. I've had mine for over 5 years now, and besides brakes and tyres, has needed nothing outside of scheduled servicing. Also, during that time its apparently only lost a few hundred quid per year in depreciation, so it's hard to tell what a fair price is these days. But, given the state of the used market and knowing what these cars are like, I'd probably be comfortable paying that kind of price for a well-maintained example in really nice condition. A few things to look out for; If you can hear the car get started from cold, listen out for a rattle as the VVT actuators are known to make a rattling sound over time, especially if oil changes aren't observed, or poor quality oil has been used. The problem isn't actually that serious and can even be reversed by flushing the engine and making more frequent oil changes. Besides that, the engine should be really quiet, smooth and free-revving. A faint "ticking" sound will be audible but this is normal due to the nature of it's fuel delivery process (direct injection). As mentioned, the spark plugs ought to have been changed at least once, and actually twice if going by Lexus guidelines (every 60K, or 6 years), so use that as a bargaining chip if there's no evidence (receipts etc) to suggest they've been done. The plugs can be bought for around £60-70 and the change itself is not terrible to DIY, but involves disassembling the intake manifold with a few awkward to access bolts, so it can be quite costly if done by a garage. The gearbox is also known to be a strong unit and once up to temperature, should be silky smooth with gearchanges being barely noticeable. Apart from that, the IS is an extremely quiet experience inside the cabin, so any noises present should definitely be questioned.

Julep

Protracted

Clean glass is paramount. Dirty windows are more prone to misting up or taking longer to clear up. I notice this all the time driving different work vehicles. Like Nemesis, I leave the climate control set to Auto, with A/C on all the time. At this time of year, I also keep one of those dehumidifying bean bags in the car. I position it on the transmission tunnel, so I'm not sure how effective it is placed down there but I just view it as a passive measure that can only help.

Formby

Deliverance

Eurocarparts sell the Bosch S4. That's where I got mine. "068" is the correct type as putting your reg number into the website will recommend one with the terminals on the wrong side.

I had to swap the flasher relay when I changed my indicator bulbs for LEDs. Are the OEM tail lights and brake lights not LEDs to begin with though? They are on my facelift car.... Btw I also swapped my reversing lights for LED bulbs without any issues.

Edinburgh

Census