Hello
Right, i'm new to this site and also new to Lexus's. I must say that of all the owners club websites around for various cars, this must be one of the most professionally put together and user friendly ones i've seen, so well done to whoever's responsible!
Like I say i'm new to Lexus's. I'm only 22 and in a month or two am planning on buying a new car. I've got 8-10k to spend (possibly a little more) and at the moment the best car I can think of for this money that combines looks, performance, image, comfort, low(ish) insurance and reliability is the IS200.
Its the first time i've spent more than about £3,000 on a car so I want to really get a bit of knowledge together first, so here goes:-
1 How crucial is it to buy an IS200 with as low miles as possible. Obviously service history is the main factor but in general are cheaper cars (some as cheap as £5500-6000) with higher mileages (80k+) best avoided?
2. Should I insist on full DEALER service history?
3. I'll want to lower it and fit new wheels (probably 18s). Should i therefore not worry about getting the model with 17s and lower suspension as this'll be binned anyway?
4. Is the (Sport) model with lower suspension still not low enough? (i.e. will 18s look daft unless you lower it more?)
5. One slight reservation is the performance which appears to be good but not blistering (9+ secs to 60) How does the car respond to minor tuning. (exhaust, induction, remap, etc...) I can't afford any supercharger/turbo conversions.
6. Is there a huge expensive service/cambelt change at a certain mileage?
7. How many cars come with leather? (if so what colour leather is available)
8. How good is the standard stereo system?
Answers to these questions and any other useful info would be hugely appreciated.
Many Thanks
Chris