Napier

Hi Lex-mike, Put it this way as I should be able to give guidence on ride quality as I have gone from both extreemes and also had cars in the middle. My Evo was a hard ride, you felt the bumps at slow speeds but when picking up speed you didn't notice any problems really (unless going over a very big pot hole). With the Lexus it is bouncy, springy even. Not a hard ride but as you are going along rather than in the last lexus IS200 where it soaked up bumps it more springs each time it hits one. You dont feel the bump through the chair, the suspension seems to be still handling them but it is far from soft. However soft is not good as it turns into wallowy and then you lumber round corners. My confidence was not imediate in the car, however the more you drive it the more you realise it is very stable. It feels solid, you are quite removed from the steering. What I mean by that is you point and it goes but there is little feel through the steering wheel (don't get me started on that steering wheel again!)..... the steering is light at slow speed as the power assist kicks in but it does in many cars. I liked the steering itself, no problem, as I said a little numb but I would be happy to live with it. The suspension again you would get used to, however for a Lexus I am certain your friends and family would be suprised it is not as soft and fluffy cloud like the last IS and other models by Lexus. They are trying to give a better driving experiance, however they could have done with me to help out at the early stages I think :P The red does look gorgeous however my Fiance hates the colour red so its a no no I may get one in black, would need another think about it though as the Evo IX is looking a possibility also. I have to weight up comfort and toys for handling and power.... even with the stupid BBQ spoiler on the rear the evo is currently ahead. Napier

IS250 Test drive; Hi All, To give you some ideas of what cars I have driven before I start here is a list; Mazda 323 white Mitsubishi FTO GR red Lexus IS200 SE silver Lexus IS200 SE black Mitsubishi Evolution 8 FQ-300 black Seat Tolledo 2.3 V5 red I am currently driving the SEAT as a commute car, so you get an idea of my history with cars. Now I am very picky believe it or not as to what a car needs to have. I have always thought I would be perfect as a test driver or someone who comments on how cars can be improved so hopefully this review will be of use to some of you if thinking of purchasing the IS250. I took it out on Saturday morning, it was a standard SE without multimedia in black (Manual). The look of the car from the outside I thought was quite understated to be honest. I know some one here think its quite a radical design and bold, however I am certain in time this car will merge into the background and you will never be noticed in it. It was a bleak day and the car was not exactly polished and eventhough there are very few on the roads I didn't get any looks from other drivers. A bit dissapointing really as I already got the feeling I was blending in to the other metal on the roads. However in saying that looks are personal taste thing always. I actually really like the shape and design features throughout the car (mostly anyway but will go into detail on my niggles later). Overall this is a positive review as it is a good car. The exterior; It is muscular in shape and you get the feel it is designed to give stature on the road. You feel the car has more presence and if on a motorway would be given more respect by other drivers than in the old IS 200. The old IS was a smaller car, it was thinner and less agressive looking. The new one has a front the points downwards, the grill eventhough not intimidating does impart a feeling of status (eventhough I am not a badge man at all!). I liked the wheels, the alloys are nice again, as with the previous model Lexus realises that wheels do set the car off and give it that extra touch. I have having to replace alloys as aftermarket never quite looks right to me. Whatever you think of the exterior that is up to you. You can see the pics as there are many on this site and make up your own mind. For me its a nice looking car but in summary will quite soon blend into the crowd especially if Lexus push the IS into the rep market with the diesel on its way. The interior; First thing I noticed was the whopper ear lobes on this thing. They are massive, to the point where you think are people just staring at my cars ears. I got a bit of a complex :D However, in saying that they are superb in design and function. I love them and anything that makes it safer to drive the better. It makes it so easy to change lanes and I adore these things! Keyless entry, not sure about that and why it has it. To me its a gimic as it does not take much to press a button on a key fob to open a door. Loved the way it is secure until you place your hand inside the handle. So clever, it must have a sensor inside the handle to detect a break when you put your hand in. The light coming on under the wing mirror is a polite touch and I liked it. The led lighting was nice, very peaceful and calming. The seats were very comfy but do not hold you in on the sides very much if your slim like me. I am 11 stone and I didn't feel like I was being hugged in them, however they were of excellent quality materials used and again superb. The dials were excellent, clear, precise, everything was very well laid out. I loved the light saber start up routine. I worked out also how to have the stereo etc on when the ignition is not. It all has a very logical way of working. A bit of a shame they use the same switch gear to some extent as in other toyota's. However why change something that is not broken, these switches are great, just would have been nice for something more purpose built/unique. I liked the fact you can set your seat not only to warm your bum but also to cool it. Very nice idea! Also the seperate climate control for passenger and driver was a nice touch. The stereo is of high quality too and don't worry if you don't have enough cash for the multimedia package as its as good if not better than any other I have used. I did sample the multimedia package however and for me this is a must purchase if I am to get a 250. My reasoning behind this is that after a year I would be bored driving this car to a certain extent. I know that this package would hold my attention for much longer, I love my music and am an audio geek anyway. The rear camera is a nice gismo however no one needs a dvd player in a car (unless setup for rear passengers in head rests). The pedals were nicely places, the gear stick had a nice feel to it, the gear selection was a little notchy as I was driving a car with hardly any miles on it. Once loosened up it would be fine. The height of the gear stick was perfect, however one slight gripe was that when changing gear your arm is always on the arm rest. You cannot get rid of the arm rest really and it could become an annoyance. However after a while driving I felt it was actually ok. Second gripe with gear stick is that when selecting reverse your hand scrapes the handbrake, this is a feature that is not well thought out and happened every time for me. My main gripe of the car however was the steering wheel. It was not positioned right for me, I know you can change the rake and distance, up and down. However you cannot change the tilt measurment. It felt a little touch too much like a lorry drive positioning and less like a sporty driving positioning. I am very fussy when it comes to steering wheel design and positioning, for me this is a major factor of enjoyment in a car. I am even thinking about not buying the Lexus on this exact point as it is a major niggle. However on a more positive note the brakes were superb. You felt so secure with them, like you could in effect stand on them and you would stop. Very much like my Evo brakes, really great and confidence building. The ride was allot more springy than I thought it would be. I am used to with Lexus cars to being in a swaft of fluffy cloud smooth silent bubble. However with the IS on the motorway it felt unsettled and bouncy is the only word I can come up with. You get used to it fast and is not really a negative as I prefer a slightly stiffer ride so that cornering is not the downside of the driving experiance. It certainly wasn't either as it was more than capable with less body roll than the previous model and I thought that was good for that type of car anyway. You can't lower the seat anymore either, I felt my seating position was a touch high. The auto lights are a good feature but as I found with the old model can catch you out in tunnels etc and its as if you are flashing cars in front as they detect and then detect again outside light changes. You can switch this off though and its not an issue. The feel of the steering wheel, the material used was a bit strange to me. I am not sure what it was but moving the wheel through your hand does create quite a noise. Maybe it was how new it all was but I would have prefered the old leather feel, spongy and tactile. This one felt a little cheaper. The space for the driver and passenger was fantastic, loads of room I felt and in the back the seats looked so inviting. I didn't sit in them as not enough time but they looked really comfy! The material again used for them was of a very high quality, better than any other saloon in this catagory I would say. My personal summary of the IS250; I have test driven many cars in this class, I am a enthusiast when it comes to cars and have always been interested in driving and motorsport. This car is not and has never prentended to be a performance saloon. On its web page it details how impressive its engine is as it is a good one but no where does it state that its a leader in its class. It does not try and beat on this level, the car picks up just fine and sounds nice too when pushing hard. However its not going to leave you with a massive smile like a civic type R or subaru/evo etc etc. However none of those cars can come close to the IS for refinement, quality, toys, build quality and status. The IS 250 is a great car, there is no doubt in my mind that its one of the best in class. However that steering wheel position, feel and material used is poor. You use it every day, its the most used thing in the car and it feels like they have cut corners. Also the feeling I get that this car won't be anything that stands out in time to come as so many buy it. The accord, a nice car, nice looking car, nice rear lights and great drive..... just blends in, you don't notice it. I know its not in the same price bracket but so will this Lexus. I don't buy for the badge or to stand out, however when you are spending nearly 30k on a new car its nice to. Maybe I just contradicted myself ;-) Plus points; The lighting, dash, controls, brakes, seats, air con and climate, attention to detail, build quality, dependable servicing, no doubt enjoyable lexus ownership experiance and shape/design of car. Negative points; driving position, steering wheel, nothing in the design that really stands out in the crowd (possibly a plus point for some however - due to price I want to be noticed a little more maybe), would prefer more power (however perfectly adequate for 95% of drivers), rear leg room, driving experiance doesn't beat BMW yet however its a MUCH better car than the BMW! Overall; I am thinking of buying one, however not made up my mind totally. So that should give you a feel of how good it is as I am very picky! Napier

haha good point Supercharged but thats not answering if you are allowed these things. I think they are legal but not 100% convinced as I am not sure on the differences... Anyway you didn't mean it about the demon eyes... you like em really ;-)) Napier

I think eyelids look awful, its like someone has stuck some coloured masking tape over your lights..... Don't quite see why people are getting into this mod but each to their own. Napier

Hi All, Can someone tell me if I bought some demon eyes for a IS200 or Altezza if they are legal or not. I know that its a bit tricky to say without knowing what ones I am buying but can you give me a general idea what I should be careful of etc. I have little knowledge of these but they look sooo good! I saw some on www.lextasy.com after reading a post on here and fell in love with them. If anyone knows of anywhere in the UK you can buy them or the details about what they are, how you fit them, complications and how they differ from normal lights I would be very grateful to hear from you. Napier.

Supracharged-IS340 Can you e-mail me or PM me please as I want to import a Altezza RS200 soon as possible please. I am quick on the old e-mail so hang around for my response. Thanx.

Someone pleeeeeeeeease help me too I want a RS200 L edition in black or Silver if anyone could help me I would be really grateful Dave.