spwolfx

Cheers guys - Pre common rail derv units gave 10mpg more than petrol counterparts - so in this case a 2ish litre engine... This is not as good. Dunno, maybe I'm expecting too much... My A4 was quoted 51mpg (1.9 130bhp), and I always saw 54+ mpg on a regular commute...so with 44 quoted on the Lex, I expected at least 45mpg.... Looks like nearly 10mpg less... Not ideal...hope they find the EMU code to fix it...I'm light footed, so it ought to be OK...I get 14p a mile and a company car allowance...so I ought to be quids in still!! I'm annoyed as they have quoted a pup - something unachievable!! yes, but your Audi had 25% less hp and 25% less torque, and was probably lighter. Nobody "quotes" anything, tests are lab tests, done so they can be repeated time after time. i suggest that you wait until you get your car before you get dissapointed with mileage, lol.

didnt see any reliability surveys in past 5 years, and I mean any? obviously :-).

you are correct - it means you are changing its gears. However, what manual mentions is that if you stop, or slow down, car will still automatically select lower gear to keep you going.

I haven spoken with the sales manager at Lexus Poole today and he agrees that the mpg doesn't sound too good - I'm getting less than the around town mpg!! He's contacting Lexus UK next week to try and find out if this is unusual (my car) or if something somewhere has gone wrong with the diesel. Dunno what it could be, I'm technically car challenged so i don't know if they can change some values in the computer somewhere and magically improve the figures - in the old days we'd tweak around with the carb. I've tried heavy foot and light foot driving, it makes no difference. I've also pointed out to them that you can only use sixth gear by breaking the law (75+ only), not exactly a good advert for a new car. if you are doing a lot of short trips during winter, 35mpg is not bad for 180hp RWD diesel. According to tests of Avensis and Corolla Verso with the same engine, it usually gets about 5% less mpg than its lower hp friends from BMW, Opel and Ford, but with 15-30hp more and 20-25% more torque. Our company yaris with 1.3l engine gets 33mpg during winter, mostly city. My prius gets 40-47mpg during winter around city (60 mpg during summer). Our avensis 2.0d4d gets around 35-37mpg during winter. My friends audi a4 130hp got 29mpg in same conditions. Question is, what was your old car getting under same conditions during winter? Most people posting petrol 35mpg figures are driving highway only. Well, nobody lives on the highway :-). I can get between 60mpg and 70mpg at the highway in my Prius at any time, which still doesnt change the fact that during the winter I drive mostly short trips in the city which gets me down to some 45mpg. I could go around screaming that my prius only does 45mpg, yet that doesnt change the fact that itsy bitsy yaris gets a lot worse mileage than that :-). What I am trying to get to is that you need to compare apples to apples.

its winter time and that engine has 177hp. It can not spend less fuel than 130hp Audi or 120hp BMW.

I'm curious if there are any 220ds with the rattle(s). Mine's completely rattle free and if anything you'd expect the diesel to really exagerate any rattles as I suspect there is more vibration than the 250 as you reach the top revs through the gears. Anyone got a rattling IS220d ? who really knows, it might be the problem that was already solved in the factory when your car was built. USA members dont complain about rattles, so it might be something UK car specific that happened on 1st month build...

nope, take it in and they will fix it for you... IS has been pretty good, but you will find minor issues due to litterally buying one of the first models...

well, honestly if you dont like the ride of SE, how will you like stiffer Sport? As to the gearbox, just give it 5,000 miles and it will be smooth as butter, as every other Toyota gearbox...

thats very curious, since toyota has no 4.0 V8 engine, nor anyone ever suggested it will have one.

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/st...ories/21/1.html

thats old article that is simply not big bag of potatoes :-)

and Prius is the most reliable model in its class in USA....

it is brand new car, so usually stock does not exist, only first wave of cars delivered to the dealers. It usually goes like that until first few months are gone, and car manufacturer can build some stock. Otherwise, you have to buy what they have on the lots... All Lexus distributors have to decide about their sales volume and submit those to the factories for the production runs. If they dont gauge the demand properly, they wont be able to get more cars allocated for 3 months at least. Usually first allocations are anticipating high initial demand. For instance, new Rav4 is being introduced right now and we are going to have 400 units on stock, despite the fact that we usually sell about 50 per month. Thats the initial allocation. However, if customers wants some specific option (keep in mind there are different colors, engines, packages, options, etc) they would have to wait for next boat! Same goes for Lexus.

I expect it is by and for the majority of people who choose not to or cannot afford to take the MM option! The Specifications available are very varied. I've just returned from (another) test drive in the IS350 here in the States and also picked up a spec and price list. There's an 'NV' option here that has Nav system with AM/FM CD Changer & 13 speakers. Includes Voice activation, Bluetooth and reversing camera. The price of this option is $2,550 compared with the 'VN' option with the Mark Levinson system at $3,990. The thing is these are Factory options but not one that is available in the UK (don't know about Oz)!! I'm a little pixxed off with the limited options we have been offered in the UK. The States also have 18" rims as standard on the 250, a choice of G-Spider alloys or ISP alloys. Only the 250 AWD comes with 17" and they are the same wheel on all four corners. The other annoying thing is that the Sport Package offered here has a ventilated leather seat option well, US will sell 50,000 IS's this year, and whole Europe will sell 15,000, which is why they get them. Actually IS250's come with 17" standard, but usual paying option on cars at dealers is 18". Also, 18" wheel choices are dealer accressories, not factory options, meaning you pay $2,000 for the set. It is not much better over there. On the other hand, easy inventory system means you can get your car relaitvly fast, and dont have to wait for ages (at least until initial demand wears off)

accord diesel is more comparable to 150hp Avensis diesel. IS220d is 3rd gen common rail and is advanced in many ways - from injectors, common rail pressure, to special glow plugs. Avensis with 177hp engine is 1-2 seconds faster in overpassing (50-70, 80-100) than Accord (there was an test in german AMS).

it is an Toyota engine though, featured in Avensis, Corolla Verso and new Rav4. However, it is hardly an bad point - it is most powerful and torquest 4cly car engine in the world, and most advanced too.

you still relay on "normal" battery for startup, it has nothing to do with hybrid battery. Your battery wont deteriorate for 10-15 years, at least, and you have 8 year warranty on it.

are you suggesting that you should be able to dial via phone? :-).

Have you read the FAQ on that site, here's an excerpt!: " Q: 4 years since I read your AutoZine, are you still not having a car ? A: Yes. I can afford a decent new hatchback now, but I think my priority should be buying a house first, as it is the basic need for my family. As I've mentioned, taking public transport here is more convenient than driving. Q: So, do you really like driving ? A: Obviously not in Hong Kong. The traffic congestion in metro makes driving disgusting; smooth highway always have speed cameras; country roads are poorly designed thus risky to go fast. Sometimes I think the guys driving GT-R or WRX here are crazy (sorry if you're one of them). Q: You does not work in automotive field. You even don't drive. You are not qualified for writing about cars. A: Well, read my news and reports and make your own judgement. Do you know some soccer coaches do not play soccer ? " so he basically reads over few reports and then "makes up" his own? lol.

eh, why post assumptions? There is a great deal of technology that went into those batteries to insure they can last 15 years. Certainly, few months old car is not loosing its charge - it is not an sony cell phone! This is well known "problem" for all hybrid owners, of all vehicles. And yes, electric heater is fitted however it spends electricity which means engine needs to spin to cover it! Problem is with short runs when most of the trip, car is trying to warm your cabin. Long distance cruising isnt that affected at all. Car assumes that for few mpg, you would preffer to have your arse warm and not chilled, in 30k vehicle :-). New system in Camry will have an "eco" heating mode which will ease the pain during the winter.

p.s. great info!

I think someone reported first known hybrid battery (its not fuel cell) failure in 1st gen Prius at 460,000km. They were able to buy used battery from junkyard and get it replaced for 250E. Apperantly a lot more of them get totalled than need new batteries, so plenty of those around. Kind of glad Toyota puts them at back :-). Savings from brake pads alone should cover the cost of replacing battery at some 300,000 miles :-).

it is due to colder days as everyone said, and especially the heater. Try putting it lower so it doesnt have to work too much. I find 20c comfortable and better on the gas. Good point is that heaters need a lot less to heat up than in an diesel (almost instant).

so, as expected, press was talking crap. As I posted earlier in different threads, same engine in Avensis got better review in middle class comparo in Germany than 320d - it was significantly faster in overtaking speeds plus quieter. Even Autocar tested IS220d and admitted that in 30-50mph, IS220d was over 1 sec faster than in BMW. Give manual 3,000 miles to smooth up, as well as the engine, and it will be as sweet as they come. IS220d engine is one of the most advanced engines in the world. It has 3rd gen common rail, special glow plugs that heat up 200C more than previous ones, most advanced d-cat that makes it the cleanest engine in the world.

Autocar has as review on IS220d, again didnt like the diesel. Now, they do write some contradictory claims in there: "From 50-70mph in top gear took 9.2sec, compared to the 9.6sec required by the smaller-engined 320d, while 30-50mph in fourth calls for no more than 4.5sec, or over a second less than the 320d. This engine may have a rather narrow powerband, but there’s no missing the urgency when it is on boost." So car has narrow powerband, yet in top gear it is faster than 320d? They call it much slower than 320d due to it being porkier, yet it is more than full second faster 30-50 in 4th gear? Their passing speed tests pretty much equal those of Avensis with the same engine, in AMS german tests where ze germans called it superior engine than one found in 320d. (it was a lot faster in passing speeds, except at 0-100kmh, where it was marginally slower). In Avensis, it is also quieter than in 320d, in the same test, so I am figuring out where this "clatter" in IS220d comes from. Quite possibly from being tested in winter, with brand new engines, and IS250 smoothness to compare it to...