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That's interesting. Does this mean that the 4-pot Altezza is more economical than the IS200? Both have the same chassis and engine sizes, which got me wondering Not necessarily. If the designers have chosen to concentrate on economy it could be better; if on performance it could be worse. But all things being equal, a 4 will be more economical than a 6, sometimes only by a small margin.

When you say IS2006, I hope you don't mean IS200 2006. They stopped early 2005 although the very original dealer could have had yours hanging around in stock. However, the main point is that if the mileage proves incorrect - this is the dealer's responsibility. He is obliged to make reasonable effort to check the odometer is correct and declare if it isn't - and if you have found incorrect mileage without a load of effort; this is taken as the dealer having failed in his obligations. An overall declaration that the mileage "may not be correct" is not a get-out if reasonable checks show it definitely isn't.

It might have been less of a no brainer if you had found an earlier dealer-pre-registered/ex-demo/etc model with delivery mileage plus some of the improvements £30k cheaper though - and these exist.

Basically the IS200 is not an economical car compared with similar 4-cylinder cars. It inherently can't be. 6 cylinder engines have more bearings contributing friction & when one cylinder fires has to lug around the friction of five others. This is slightly made up for by a smaller dead-zone between each firing etc. Overall, 6's require different driving habits to get the best out of them and if you have been used to driving a zippy, high-revving 4cylinder car; it is going to take you some time to get used to the different characteristics to achieve reasonable economy. But over and above everything, nothing in its class can compete with the silky smoothness & reliability of the IS200's straight 6 even if it does drink a bit more fuel.

I suppose a LPG conversion is viable as a DIY project, and it could work out well for you - and if it didn't you could rip it out. Talking to people who have done such conversions over the years, they are rarely trouble-free & don't usually save as much as hoped. There are obviously happy exceptions. Generally though, LPG conversion seems too often to be a way to turn a nice car into a turd.

There are changes to everything you mention except options. The UK only has optional sunroof & a choice of 2 types of alloys. There are NO other UK options. There are NO extra instruments or toys - the original ones have been updated & better laid out. The changes to ride/handling/brakes are reported as at best minimal - most of the improved track times are attributed to the mechanical LSD which goes back several years. Improvements to SatNav/Multimedia are useful. And yes, the colour/trim range is a little wider with repeaters included in the door-mirrors, DLRs have appeared etc; but the technical specs are unchanged - power, speed, economy & acceleration times remain identical. I expect the ride is more comfortable on the latest version - but have no problem with it on the earlier versions. The largest & most significant change has been in the price. I don't suggest the other changes are worthless - just maybe not really worth the extra cost to many people. The above explains why I say that there are no ESSENTIAL differences between the latest iteration and even the original MY2008 spec. (also covers 2009 cars. There was no UK MY2009) which is why I suggest it is an idea to consider "new" MY2010 & M2011 cars of which some are still available at very heavily discounted prices plus you will not have to wait for them to be built......

The ISF has only ever been built to order. The UK version includes all the options that are extra-cost on USA cars - leaving only a choice of colours & two options: wheels & sunroof. I think if you order one through a Lexus Dealer it will be the latest Version. However, some dealers have ISFs in showrooms on which they took a punt, and depending how long they have had them; are selling them at reduced prices with delivery mileage, ex-demonstration etc. - but are of various model years. I have not tried the latest version with "softened" suspension, but the reports I have read suggest no difference on normal roads although improved on lumpy surfaces & on the track. I do not really notice harshness in the suspension on my MY2008 ISF except on really terrible, unmade roads. Later versions have also added improvements to instrument-cluster, control layout, Mutimedia, colour range & a Thorsen LSD as standard rather than the electronic LSD - small improvements, but really nothing that has made any essential difference. Unless you really want the improvements - such as better SatNav & connectivity in the multi-media, it is worth considering the ISFs available from showrooms at a lower prices to avoid some of the absolutely massive depreciation on a freshly ordered, full-price car.

I think this all started a whike back when some "experts" suggested we should all drink litres of water daily. Many got used to always carrying water-bottles & sipping from them all day long. This has now been medically proved to be total nonsense & even possibly harmful - but people are stuck with a habit that does nothing except make them p*ss a lot, and with fizzy drinks fart massively as well as rotting their teeth.

My IS200LE had Lexus raised rear spoiler fitted. No problems at all with car washes - although I don't like them much because they don't do the best job. I am lazy, so I occasionally use them anyway.

First: Check If the pedal operates the stop lights on & off. If not, check the switch/connector S11 which is operated by the brake pedal. Second: Are you sure there are no dead bulbs in the brake lights or rear window high-level brake light repeater? If there are, the lamp-failure module is working as it should. Third: If the stop lights are all OK, find the lamp failure module L3 which is somewhere on the LHS of the boot under the trim. Unplug it. The warning lamp should go off. Working the connector a bit may clear the problem. If not, fix the module if you are into electronics or replace it after you have confirmed it is faulty using the repair manual data shown below. You can find this all on the wiring diagram here: http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/IS_98-05/menu_tree.html Look in Electrical Wiring Diagram\System Circuits\Stop Light then click on Outline/Hint & window will pop up telling you how to check it.

Are you sure it is worth it? To fill up the boot, reduce performance a bit (inherent & unavoidable) and to have to drive at least 12000 miles on LPG alone to recover the costs (using Mr Rudus' figures) - probably including a fair few finding LPG stations. Add to this the real possibility of fitting a system you find causes problems or doesn't live up to expectation. Yep, all very fair points. Omega boot is massive, although the tank does block the though space on the saloon as the seats back drop down, rarely need this usefull feature though, so cheaper fuel takes priority. Sport cross estate has deep spare wheel well with the option to elevate the floor, so a large teroidal donut tank won't notice at all. Although a wheel bag for the spare isn't ideal, there's always the option to leave the spare at home if the full load space is needed, and risk a puncture. Finding gas stations gets easier as you get used to thier locations, but it's mostly a daily commute that I plan around, we don't usually fall short on holiday either. I'm more concerned that the Mrs can't re gas the omega tbh. It's big clunky filler system, her little hands don't have the strength, and she doesn't like the gas venting when remove the filler nozzle. (sigh...) I suppose there is one final point. If I were looking to buy a 300 Sportcross - a really nice vehicle; my main issue would be how much would it cost to get rid of any LPG conversion which compromises how well it runs both on LPG & petrol. I may be alone in this; but don't think so. IS300s aren't usually chosen for economy

See circuit diagram Here: http://bahamutcars.free.fr/workshop/IS_98-05/menu_tree.html

Are you sure it is worth it? To fill up the boot, reduce performance a bit (inherent & unavoidable) and to have to drive at least 12000 miles on LPG alone to recover the costs (using Mr Rudus' figures) - probably including a fair few finding LPG stations. Add to this the real possibility of fitting a system you find causes problems or doesn't live up to expectation.

The clue is in the name. Cup-holders were designed to hold cups you drink from when stationary. If you find you need to keep drinking from a water-bottle etc. when driving; you should see your GP.

If you just want to change the sound; cat-back will make very little difference. The final silencer does most of the shaping of the exhaust note. If you have welding skills you could modify a used one to remove some absorption-material/enlarge baffle holes/partially bypass etc. 6-cylinder engines with their more frequent, almost overlapping firing impulses are more difficult to make sound deep & throaty than 4-cylinder engines. They are inherently quieter. If you want to do more; a "high-performance" exhaust system will not improve performance in ANY way. You have to think about superchargers for that.

Sorry to have misunderstood your question: The Lexus ECU is designed to adapt itself to different RON ratings for fuel, but because of tolerances in the system cannot do this perfectly; so will find the best compromise lies somewhere near the centre of the stated range. And again, because of tolerances, some will lean towards the lower end for best results - and some to the higher end. The only thing that I can state with any certainty is that my IS200 didn't care what petrol you put into it, nor does my ISF - but I have had cars where there was a noticeable difference. No help at all to you really because it means a bit of suck it & see to find what best suits your IS300.

Although this is a common problem; have come across IS200s which are getting on a bit now & the lubricants in the ignition-switch mechanism have dried out making it stiffer. A good squirt of WD40 (other products are available) down the key-slot seems to cure this and make the keys less inclined to break their casings.

Supermarket & Branded/"Superfuels" all come from the same refineries and are produced to the same rigid specifications as far as RON ratings are concerned. "Superfuels" contain a range of additives & claim advantages CAN result form using them. Independent tests confirm this is true: some cars are marginally improved - and other cars are actually marginally made worse. The effects are usually so slight that specialist measuring equipment is needed to detect them in cars that are running properly in the first place. The main thing to look for is a fuel source that sells large volumes so that there is no stagnation or loss of volatiles in the storage tanks also that these tanks are clean and actually contain only the fuel shown on the pump. Generally, all fuels of the specified RON rating will provide very similar results in terms of performance and long-term wear - but if you find one works particularly well in your car; stick to that.

Just stick to the normal Lexus-specified oil, changing it as scheduled. The IS 200 engine is not even faintly highly-stressed so there will be no benefit from using fully synthetic oil.

Have never had tyre-pressure sensors; but have been told that they are not much better than giving the tyres an occasional kick & just tell you that you have a flat if you had not noticed the flop-flop noise & unusual handling. Is this just "information" from jealous people who haven't got them?

If it is any help, the attachment was issued to Lexus Dealers when the ISF first appeared. It is a provisional document (Nov 2007), not generally issued to customers. Because it predates UK cars, there are a couple of small specification details that are incorrect - like tyre-pressure sensors, which were not actually fitted. It contains quite a full technical explanation of what goes on with the gearbox and engine management in the various driving modes. Because it started out written in Japanese & was converted; not all the graphs line up properly in the PDF file, but it is obvious enough. Hope it helps. ISF Spec MY08.pdf

The Gearbox, Engine Modes, Suspension Tweaks etc are all integrated together in the overall control system, so the exhaust noise can only really be easily altered by fitting a different silencers etc. However, have to point out that most of what you hear from inside the car above 3600 rpm is induction noise, so even a different exhaust may not do what you want.

They can fail but not through simple age - usually making an IS200 obviously run very badly especially under heavy acceleration. Even then, if they are very dirty which holds moisture, they may just need wiping. Poor fuel consumtion on the IS200 is almost invariably because it is so easy to drive in a way that makes it gobble fuel without going any faster. Try driving yours like an old lady for a week & if the economy improves to a reasonable figure - the coils are fine.

Brake fluid is the most neglected - when you pump fresh fluid through, blackish sludge which can slow the response of the brakes is often discharged. Power-steering fluid degrades very little & changing gearbox/diff fluids are rarely worth the effort without good reason because often specified to last the life of the vehicle - but 115k could be close to theoretical vehicle life. For peace of mind, coolant is worth replacing to make sure it is the appropriate type & in the correct concentration. None of these is urgent & can be delayed until it is warmer. However, it is absolutely vital to ensure the idler/cambelt is not damaged nor exceeded its stated life, and if it needs changing you might as well replace the the water-pump at the same time - as a precaution because they are inclined to become dribbly.

I think your anaylsis is correct. TRC brakes a slipping rear wheel a bit, also reducing power until grip re-establishes - a warning light briefly comes on. If in the same situation with TRC off; it would likely spin more until it gripped. TRC only helps & is not quite a LSD. Heavy acceleration at near full lock (particularly on up-slopes) on surfaces with loose grit such as is swept on at junctions try the system most.