GMB

I got a loan / demonstrator car 450h while the 200t was in for a service and was so disappointed in it. At first, I was looking forward to trying the famous V6 as in the IS 350 ? - WRONG! The V6, which should be smooth and revvy was strangled. When you put your foot down it gives a reluctant groan and hits full revs ( blame the CVT ). Sounds harsh, no engine character, rough and gruff sounding. What have they done to it? Have a go in a 370Z or similar to see what a Jap V6 is capable of. It was such a relief to get back in a proper car afterwards ( 200t of course 🍺 ) BTW - In the recent weather / snow there is absolutely no grip or traction. RWD feature? The "snow" button puts a little light on the dash but that's about all it does.

A lot of forum members don't like the IS 200t but I love it. - No CVT just a nice 8 speed auto with a mind of its own. A proper old school car. After over a year of ownership I think I am getting to slowly figure out how to drive it properly. Forget fast starts 0-60. A skoda yeti will give you a good run for your money, but just get it rolling to second, spinning up the turbo and boot it and it will take off like a scalded cat. That's what I like about it. It is a challenge to drive well. Responsive - No Fast - when it feels like it. Economical - No Quiet - Yes Full of surprises and pulls like a train ( when it wants to ) - yes. I have tried the 300h and it is just so boring compared to the fun of the 200t. Apparently they do not respond well to " chipping" remapping and tuning, but at the last service I asked the Lexus mechanic to see if he could tweak it for a bit more go and a bit less turbo lag, he certainly did something because it goes so well now.

Well, I have now had a go in three different electric vehicles (fully, hybrid and plug-in) and did not like any of them. Boring, characterless, no fun to drive, rubbish heaters, I could go on but don't want to sound like a Karen or a Brian. Sorry Karen and Brian! Believe it or not I think the 200t is quieter (yes really) smoother and drives better, mind you - some of that is due to a proper auto transmission. Don't tell Linus but I like it, especially since the mapping was sorted to get the engine response/turbo lag improved. The noisiest bit is from the tyres and road surface just as in the electric things. It is more expensive with tax and fuel economy but I think worth the extra penalty over electric boredom. I suppose it takes all sorts......

Yes, I got an extra year, so effectively 11 years😀

I had my IsF done last year - intermediate service £350 ish. It is due in next week for a full 100K service ( it has done 60K miles and had a spark plug change recently ). I am having the boot gas struts replaced as they have failed plus a couple of minor jobs such as getting the rattling gravel stones out from the plastic weather shields under the car. I am not expecting any change out of £1000.😥.

When I got mine someone had already done them in Orange. I did not like it too much and chose to have them re-painted "Brembo" red, but when I got it back they still look a bit orangey-pinky brake dusty coloured. But on a dark night in the rain in a dark street they look Brembo red (ish).🤩 No, I am not colour blind. I am trying to learn to like it🥶. Shiny black ( with Lexus logo of course ) with a topping of brake dust is probably best.

This granddad also remembers the horrid Daf44, even then they were considered "a joke". They were also ugly little buggers. I tried a CVT Lexus ( ES 300h I think? ) even though I had dismissed ever buying one and I was pleasantly surprised - until I wanted to go a bit faster - then the awful character of the CVT showed its ugly head. If Lexus carry on down this route to unpleasant driving then it will regrettably be the end of Lexus ownership for me. Needless to say my Lexus cars are 8 speed autos. The one in the IsF is far better than the 200t as it knows what gear it should be in under different circumstances. I think I will probably keep both of them for a long long time.

Hi Philippe We lived in S. france for 20 years. I hardly ever saw a Lexus unless it was a tourist. While we were there we usually bought our cars new because second hand ones were very expensive and not good value. Now, for some reason, the French and UK prices are very similar. Most cars were Citroen, Peugeot and Renault, but at least you had their garages everywhere and parts and servicing were reasonably cheap. It was a joy to come back to England to finally buy a nice " proper" car instead of an overpriced boring French bag of spanners. Mind you the local wine "en vrac" i.e. on draught, from the local co-op at £1.20 per litre was usually decent quality. Some things I miss but other things I don't. And don't even mention Brexit!

Regarding wiping off bird poo I normally find that it can't be done as the bird is usually miles away by the time I find something to clean it with. Lots of water and some kitchen roll works - if the bird is still at the scene, but they don't like you touching them anyway. Last week a pigeon yacked up a stomachful of cherry stones, that it could not digest, on to the roof of my car; at least it wasn't like the last time when it ( or one of its mates ) shat a ton of purple elderberry poo all over it. Wildlife is wonderful isn't it?

Similar car.......These are nice too! You can get a jap import Subaru legacy with the sti 2.0 twin scroll turbo, forged engine (about 260 - 280 BHP). A real sleeper. Never sold in the UK but spares available due to the impreza engine and common parts. Very nice, very quick, not expensive.

I've had a few dents put in various cars by careless parkers over the years but the best one was while I was in the car waiting in a supermarket car park, which was on a slope. Two old ladies parked next to me about 3 feet away, but I thought that the door might just about hit my car if it was opened carelessly. I considered moving my car but thought I should not be paranoid. Anyway, the other car passenger door was flung open and let go, under gravity and a bit of a push from the old lady it put an almighty crease in my door. She looked at me and said: Oops, sorry, with a smile. I know there is not a lot you can do and it is just bad luck but after fuming for a while I lost it and flung my door at great speed into the side of their car and said Oops, sorry. I still regret it and know I was wrong and will go to hell. The only other time, to cut a long story short, was when the passengers of the offending car threatened to call the police just because I had him by the throat. Call the nurse for my meds please.

They must be good... The Gendarmes bought 20 of them to replace their megane RS pursuit cars. £50K each brand new. Les 26 Alpine commandées pour la gendarmerie nationale seront produites à Dieppe. - Photo Paris-Normandie La rumeur était insistante. Et si les prochaines voitures rapides d’intervention de la gendarmerie nationale étaient des Alpine ? Le ministère de l’Intérieur a mis fin au suspense mercredi 13 octobre 2021 : 26 Alpine A110 Pure ont été commandées et seront affectées à des missions de sécurité routière et de police judiciaire sur autoroute, raconte La Voix du Nord. Deux d’entre elles sont dédiées à la formation en intervention rapide. Équipées chez Durisotti à Sallaumines Dans sa première finition, celle commandée par la gendarmerie, l’A110 est proposée au catalogue à 48.666 euros hors taxes (58 400 euros TTC). Comme toutes les Alpine, elles seront fabriquées dans l’usine Renault de Dieppe (Seine-Maritime) mais leurs équipements spécifiques seront installés par le carrossier Durisotti à Sallaumines, près de Lens. Par le passé, Alpine a déjà fourni des berlinettes A110 et des A310 à la gendarmerie. Les Alpine succéderont aux Renault Mégane RS restantes mises en service à partir de 2010 et qui devaient être remplacées par des Leon de chez Cupra (l’ancienne branche sportive de Seat) dont les livraisons ont été interrompues après que ce choix a fait polémique. L’A110 Pure est le modèle d’accès à Alpine avec un moteur 1,8turbo de 252ch. C’est une propulsion, tout en alu, qui se distingue par son poids plume (autour d’une tonne). Ce qui en fait une auto performante, agile et terriblement plaisante à conduire pour un prix « client » de 58400€ hors options.

If Lexus can't provide you with a suitable car then I think the nearest match would be Jaguar, with lots of models and engines. All they need is a picnic table so that you will be comfortable sitting at the side of the road waiting for the AA or RAC.

Don't get me started. As an OAP myself I used to enjoy some nice fine wines but now its not Puligny Montrachet .. it's Macon Villages!!!😪

Hi Phil How we get to CERN and the Hadron collider from a 200t sounds like more than a magnum has hit the spot. Anyway who can afford good Burgundy nowadays. 🍷

Hi FYI SVP 3db increase is a doubling of the sound level ( logarithmic relationship ). Google the 3db law. Fortunately the human ear can tolerate vast changes in sound levels - up to a point.

Lesson number one. The government don't care about you. They just want to use you. #2 The banks are not your friends. They just want to use you. Frank Zappa told us so! This has always been the case. The car industry was to some extent protected in the past because it maintained UK jobs and therefore UK taxpayers. Now we have almost no car industry so the government just want to profit from the use of cars. Cut to the chase - you are only here to provide revenue for the government and its mates. BTW Linas you must admit the 200t is "special" in the sense that the French use the word. I must remember not to post comments after a few glasses of wine. I'll get me coat.

BTW talking about having two brains in the car, the gearbox brain is definitely the BOSS.

I must be one of the few people that actually like the 200t. It reminds me of my old 1981 Audi 200t but a lot less brutal and less likely to chuck you down the road and kill you. It looks nice with the twin exhausts -but doesn't make much noise. This is a good or bad thing depending if you like sporty noises or quiet refinement. It can go quite quick depending what mood the car is in. It has a mind of its own believe me. ( Probably two minds actually, one in the engine and one in the gearbox, and I don't think they like each other very much ) It is not economical to run but it does have character ( another word for quirky ). It is at its best on motorways and faster roads, both for economy and performance. It is nice to drive and very comfortable - suspension, handling etc. Big plus - It has no CVT but has the same 8 speed auto as on the IsF. ( Mind you, sometimes it can't make its mind up what gear it prefers and likes to sit in 4th or 5th if you have been driving briskly. ) There aren't many about, especially "F-sports" because they were a bit pricey new. Ideally the 350 would be the one but Lexus did not think we deserved them. Bad points - Er .... I like it's unusualness so I can't think of any.

Reminds me of the Ducati Owners club motto: "Ducati - teaching you to be a mechanic one breakdown at a time."

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I had a 1976 Rover P6 V8 with dunlop denovo runflats. They were very expensive, a bugger to balance and cost a fortune. If you got a puncture and run it flat then the canisters inside the rim were trashed and the whole thing had to be replaced except the actual rim of course. Having said that they actually looked good and had quite a low profile for the 70's era. Tech note: The Rover rotted away and became an orange pile of ferrous ( or is it ferric? ) oxide on the road and the engine was prone to overheating but it was good for 120mph - just keep an eye on the temp gauge.

Hi Malc - I like the sarcasm. What a lovely thought, that the government are taxing us for our benefit. Maybe if you were one of their mates you might get some return on the investment, but the money is not going to the NHS or any other organisation that benefits the general public. Don't get me started I could go on forever ..........

Our lexus dealer gave us a 100% electric thing maybe a UX? After 20 minutes I was bored stiff with it. The heater was useless ( it was December ). Glad I don't have one. What a joy to get back in a proper car that has a character - the IsF. On the issue of rip-off fuel prices don't forget the government duty and tax take on every litre. As of today they have only given back 5p duty, most of which was nicked by the petrol companies. They need to halve the VAT and they will still be making a mint. Between the fuel companies and the Gov't we are all being taken for an expensive ride. Why do we put up with this. The French would be burning tyres and toll booths by now.

I just paid £630 road tax and only do about 2K "leisure" miles per year in the IsF. Fortunately we have our "everyday" car, an IS200t. This is the one that bugs me on costs. I just topped up with V power ( for the turbo's sake ) and paid £1.98 per litre AND it only does 26.5mpg; that's only 3 or 4 mpg better than the IsF. It all works out at about 40pence per mile just for fuel and tax and Insurance. I have considered a SORN for the IsF because I think that once the dust settles and we go all electric then these cars will become more desirable after a brief panic drop in assumed value. Who knows? Look at he price of old Dodge Chargers and Challengers, you couldn't give them away at one time. I still want one though🤪 1969 DODGE CHARGER RT 440 AUTOMATIC FOR SALE £118,271 AS STATED 1969