J Henderson

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

Could it be some of the pores in the seats have become clogged-up over time with accumulated dirt, cleaning product residue etc?

Squid

In terms of equipment, a 2010 car is the one to go for and this applies to both F-Sport and SE-L. The whole IS range received (another) small facelift for MY2011, which removed some features and equipment which had otherwise been standard. Main difference between SE-L and F-Sport is the interior. SE-L is more luxurious with full leather, wood trim on console and door cards, plus the seats are heated and cooled. F-Sport interior has heated-only seats, plus they are a different design with more pronounced bolstering. They are also only half-leather as the central panels are covered in Alcantara. The rest of the interior also has a more typical sporty feel - dark colour, including the headlining, whereas a large proportion of SE-Ls have light coloured seats etc. Both models of this vintage ride on 18" wheels, so the only real mechanical difference is the suspension. An F-Sport has different springs and dampers with a 10mm lower ride height. As for buying a newer example, there are some benefits. Main one is the looks, especially for the F-Sport. The 2011 version is more modern-looking with it's more angular bumper/spoiler and darkened headlights with signature DRLs. Also I'm not sure exactly what mechanical changes were made (if any) for MY2011, but I do note that its filled with thinner oil from new (0w20 vs 5w30). Anyway, whatever the reason, a 2011 car has slightly lower emissions and fuel consumption, and as a result, falls into a lower VED category and costs £25 less to tax.

Momentum 99 now up to £1.51.9 at my local Tesco.

Prometheus

The Bilt Hamber foam is quite runny by nature and not as thick as others I have tried. It's cleaning power is unrivaled though so it's my preference. That said, it should still cling/dwell to the paint for about 5-10mins before becoming ineffective. I've always applied it with the foam lance at max strength by having the adjustment knob turned fully in the + direction.

No need to remove the bumper to change headlight bulbs, but you do need to unbolt and/or remove the air filter housing, plus the filler neck of the windscreen washer bottle to have sufficient access. I swapped mine for Osram Cool Blue Intense 3.5 years ago, which improved light output. Supposedly, they have a shorter lifespan than normal bulbs, but still going strong.

Vampire