Zoot

Hi Eunos Glad you are happy with your new IS I envy you. I suppose I could have waited but I expected the value of my old IS to continue to tumble and the new IS to have very strong initial residuals. Also the deal I got from Honda was too good to turn down.

Hi Everyone Just thought I would let you all know that its a sad good bye from me ive sold me beloved LEX. A new job with me doing a much higher milage means the straight six was just too costly. I waited and test drove the Lex diesel but unfortunately due to the very high depreciation now on the IS200 it meant I couldnt afford the cost to change. Also I was concerned because on the test drive the best mpg I could get by careful driving was 28mpg - no better than the staright six! So dare I say it ive gone for a Honda Accord ICDTI EXEC. all the toys and leather etc and probably a better diesel than the LEX, but obviously not the overall quality, image and services etc that comes with owning a LEX. Honda have just released their 2006 Accord minor changes (new front grille and bumbers etc and now with 6 speed manual box.) So I got a fantastic deal on a 2005 brand new model, which made better financial sense. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the help and advice that you have given me over the last 2 years. Thanks and Good Bye Zoot (aka Richard)

I didnt get one. I guess there are no bargains in Birmingham!

Hi Scarface I bought a TomTom Go 700 two weeks ago £549.00 expensive but I think worth it if you really need satnav Its got a full post code data base for both UK and Netherlands and full street plan for Western Europe Good battery life for stand alone - 4 hours ish plus mains re charger and cigar socket recharger. Plus lots of web sites where you can download additional stuff such as speed camera locations etc.

I have never understood why anyone would want a tatoo. Something that is in fashion now i.e. various Chineese and far eastern designs may be thought of as crap in 10 years time. What do you do then when it cant be removed. Also there are the health risks associated with tattoos - why take the risk? Sorry but just my opinion.

I have a IS200 auto and have experienced a vibration through the accelerator pedal since the car was new. The dealer (Lexus Birmingham) was not very helpful and described the problem as a characteristic. (Note this was 18 months ago and Lexus B'ham seem more helpful these days). However I continued to persue the problem with Lexus GB - we found that if you turn off the Air Con ie the compressor the vibration virtually disapears. .......Strange but true!

Well done young man. Ive had my scarletti red is200 now for nearly two years. I still love it to bits.

A quick couple of questions for those of you in the know. a) My is200 is now 2 1/2 years old - warranty runs out in February 2006. My calipers are now looking pretty poor with most of the grey paint now peeled off. Can I make a warranty claim for this? B) If not and I paint them myself will it make the warranty void? thanks.

Bog standard - just as Mr Katayama intended!

Reason 998 - not to vote Labour today!

What would Mr Katayama say?

Sounds like I was ripped off then?

Just had my IS200 done. I paid £426.00 from Clarke and Evans Birmingham. These were recommended by Lexus Birmingham. Top quality job and the whole car looked like it had been steam cleaned (even the engine bay) when I got it back - looked like brand new. I did have cheaper prices in the low 300's but I love my Lex and reckon it was worth paying the extra. Bonnets are the most difficult part of the car to spray and normally have to be blended with the wings so do cost more to spray than you would probably expect.

A great shame for the British Motor Industry. I feel for the people who work there that now have an uncertain future. The directors nearly pulled off a great deal, but why have the Chineese been so slow? Now watch the 'cherry pickers' move in.

1st Class! The cars a credit to you mate. I also enjoyed the photo's in gold section with the 'ladies'.

I think the black spots were caused by the black stuff that dealers use to 'dress' the tyres with when they sell a car. Vaseline may be good but 'wheel wax' is probably better.

Lexus Birmingham always wash my car to a high standard.

In terms of value for money I think £49.00 a month is pretty good for the London area. I go to a 'Virgin Active' gym up here in the midlands and pay about the same but then I'm not tied into a contract. If you are prepared to be tied up on a rolling twelve month contract then you pay just £39 a month. I think my gym is about the same standard as your i.e. large with indoor and outdoor 25mtr pools. I dont like the idea of having to pay for parking though, and even worse in a shoppers car park where there is probably a higher risk of your car being damaged. I'm sure if you cancel quickly you wont have a problem - especially with the job you do, after all they obviously respect and appreciate your profession otherwise you wouldnt of been offered a discount. So I would be surprised if they made things difficult for you. Best of luck mate what ever you decide.

I have no specific experience with the RX, but I do have many years experience of transporting mountain bikes around the country. Products made by THULE in my opinion are very good. http://www.thule.co.uk/ A lot of car manufacturers buy from this company and badge the product as their own but sell at inflated prices. Regards Zoot

There are lots and lots of threads on this subject - just try a search. My personal choice is the DUNLOP SP9000. There are two types, one of which is specially made for the LEXUS IS. The Lexus tyre is made in Japan the other is made in Germany. These tyres are a slightly harder compound than the OEM Bridgstone so will do a higher mileage. Expect to pay between £120 - £140 per tyre. The non-lexus tyre tends to be about £10 cheaper.

Worth considering the Seat Ibiza. Spanish flair with VW German engineering. WhatCar car of the year 2003 & 2004. My wife and son have shared one since June 2003 with no mechanical breakdown after 25K miles. Weve got the 1.2 3 cylinder basic model, 45 to the gallon and cheap as chips to insure (relatively speaking). My son drives it hard during the summer up and down the motorway from the midlands to Cornwall and North Devon with surf boards on the roof. I am sure larger engines are available with an auto box. Shame about the dealer though.

We are not talking TNT or DHL here. This is Joe Bloggs from Walsall working out of his kitchen who has subcontracted to his mate in Dudley and he doesnt even have a kitchen. They know all the tricks in the book and both graduated with honours from the Arthur Daly school of business. In their world you can get a complete respray for £500 so when I present them with an estimate for £400 to fix the scratch on my bonnet they think I'm trying to rip them off. I am surposed to be receiving a cheque in the post for £150 along with details of where I can get the job done for this price. However there is no doubt the best course of action is to pursue the company we employed for the full amount, with the threat of no future work if they dont come up with the cash. Or withold payment of current invoices.

Scarletti Red No other colour fires passion and emotion like RED. Some cars it wouldnt suit for example the GS or LS. But in the IS with its aggresive styling it looks the business.

Thanks for all the advice. Seems there is only one sensible course of action if I want to get the money fast. I will talk with the MD of the company we employed. I will let you all know how I get on. Thanks again Zoot

A delivery driver damaged the bonnet of my car during a pick up at my place of work. He drove off without saying anything. I have a witness and he has admitted liability. He agreed to pay and I got an estimate from the body shop recommeded by Lexus Birmingham. I sent it to him and gave him a month to respond. I have chased him consistantly since and im being given the run around - his latest response is that he has phoned 'chips away' who can do the job far cheaper than my estimate and that he will send me a cheque for the value of what 'chips away' think it should cost. I have phone chips away and they dont repair bonnets. Do I a) Take the individual concerned to the small claims court. or B) Persue the company who we instructed to pick up the goods on the basis that they are responsible for the action of their employees (even though he was a sub-contractor).