Is220D Vs Is250

AshMan14 · May 22, 2015

Hi All,

1st post so please dont hammer me.

I've been looking for a lexus now for a bout 2 months. I was all for an is220d until I came across this forum and now it looks like the is250 auto is the best choice.

I know its been said here previusly but what should I go for?

is250 automatic or the is220d. Whichever model I get im getting one with all the trimmings ie, heated seats, leather or suede, rev camera, sat nav unit etc etc.

Driving wise I have a 24 mile round trip daily that consists of about 25 miles on the motorway. In 20 months ive done 23 thousand miles.

When answering could you give me a couple of reasons why if poss.

Thanks very much in advance

-A soon to be lexus owner-

AshMan14 · May 22, 2015

I can only spend 5/6k and something with approx 90k miles.

toffee_pie · May 22, 2015

the petrol 250 is far more reliable than the diesel, its more refined and generally a better place to be.

Just sit the 2 next to each other and listen to the noise.

For your budget you will probably get a high miler on either model so a thorough service record should be your top priority.

johnatg · May 22, 2015

Chances are that a 90K mile 220D could be a money pit - EGR and DPF problems start to rear their heads.

Chances are that a 90K mile 250 has 60-100K reliable miles left. with proper maintenance - primarily oil changes. And get the brakes checked every year at least (slider pins clean and lubricated - not on the Lexus schedule, but essential)

Of course, you could be lucky with a 220D or unlucky with a 250.

And fuel consumption of a 220D seems not to be great, whereas 250 fuel consumption is at least as good as you'd expect from a 2.5 V6 (Still a bit more than a 200D of course). Avoid a manual 250 unless it's a very early one - road tax on April 96 on ones is £480 (probably just gone up. The auto box is great anyway. 220D is always manual.

IMHO.

steveledzep · May 22, 2015

Fully agree with everything John says.

Only had mine 6 months or so, best car I've ever had.

My daily commute is only 5 miles there and 5 miles back, so a diesel isn't an option.

MPG is very impressive for the size of engine coupled with an auto box. My commutes are averaging 25 to 27 mpg (25 in cold weather), but long runs achieve approaching 40 mpg. My computer generated average is 32+.

Try to get the SE-L, that's the one with all the toys. My wife and I share the car and the memory seats are a boon, particularly when you program the key fobs too.

Let us know what you get please, with pictures too !

juicestop · May 23, 2015

I think you've answered your own question. You've read some of the 220D horror stories on this forum which has put you off the diesel. If you go for the 250 get an auto SEL with Mark Levinson sound system which will also come with rear reversing camera. I've had mine almost 7 years now and still love it like I did when I first bought it. I've not had any problems with it apart from the (well documented) corrosion of the alloy wheels and sticking calipers. Apart from those two issues it's run beautifully, just keep it regularly serviced (every 10,000 miles) and the occasional top up of oil in between when necessary.

normski2 · May 23, 2015

Chances are that a 90K mile 220D could be a money pit - EGR and DPF problems start to rear their heads.

Chances are that a 90K mile 250 has 60-100K reliable miles left. with proper maintenance - primarily oil changes. And get the brakes checked every year at least (slider pins clean and lubricated - not on the Lexus schedule, but essential)

Of course, you could be lucky with a 220D or unlucky with a 250.

And fuel consumption of a 220D seems not to be great, whereas 250 fuel consumption is at least as good as you'd expect from a 2.5 V6 (Still a bit more than a 200D of course). Avoid a manual 250 unless it's a very early one - road tax on April 96 on ones is £480 (probably just gone up. The auto box is great anyway. 220D is always manual.

IMHO.

John is quite right.

I've had both vehicles...the 250 is the best by a country mile or six in my opinion. You are not doing enough miles to justify a diesel anyway....that in itself could lead to problems with the EGR and DPF on the diesel. The diesel needs good long journeys...it does not want to be doing shortish run a rounds.

With care you can get 28-31 mpg around town and 36-40 is achievable on a run. Use the cruise control you will be surprised how efficient it is with your petrol. Most roads are pretty rammed so it's not like you can charge around like an idiot....you increase you chances of gaining points on your licence anyway. See people rush past me everyday...at the final set of lights..there they are 30 metres away,

If you want all the toys then it has to be the SEL with ML stereo with .....most definitely...the auto gearbox. Annual road tax is £285 or thereabouts. The manual gearbox has road tax of 285 but it changes around 2006 to a whopping £460!!

bluenose1940 · May 23, 2015

I have to agree with all that has been said above. I have had both the 220d and the 250, both very very nice cars but, the 250 wins easily. Both models that I had were the SE-L, I've no hesitation in recommending that you go for that.

I got very good returns with both cars.

VILLAN57 · May 23, 2015

Having had nothing but EGR problems with my Diesel and I do an 88 mile round trip to work of which 80 miles is Motorway I'd go for the Petrol if I were you.

My 220d averages about 38 MPG and has still only done 68k , I'd never have another one that is for sure ,

AshMan14 · May 23, 2015

Thanks very much for all of your insight it is much appreciated.

To be honest there seems to be only one winnner, 250 se-L auto!!!!!

Is there anything else that I should look out for when buying?

Thanks again

toffee_pie · May 23, 2015

service record, not sure will you get a ML unit with your budget but any 250 is better than a 220D.

steveledzep · May 23, 2015

Thanks very much for all of your insight it is much appreciated.

To be honest there seems to be only one winnner, 250 se-L auto!!!!!

Is there anything else that I should look out for when buying?

Thanks again

Just the usual things :

Stamped service history with supporting receipts.

All MOT certificates if possible. Recent MOTs record mileage at previous MOTs for the past 4 years or so.

Other than that, general condition.

AshMan14 · May 24, 2015

thanks for all your help guys. Other than the cost of tax is there any other reason why I shouldnt go for the 250 manual? (Looking at budget here as the manuals are coming in a bit cheaper.

toffee_pie · May 24, 2015

Mine is a manual, there is nothing particularly wrong with a manual aside from the tax. Its also a bit faster than the auto. It does take a while to get used to it, but I have had my car about a year and its plain sailing for me now.

Here are pics of mine after a clean and conditioning of the seats.

brycey · May 25, 2015

Hi I bought a 220d out of necessity my company car policy allowed a car with a maximum of 150kg/km of co2 and the 59 plate 220d I bought sits just under that. Overall I'm very pleased with it and I can get 47.5 mpg out of a motorway run which I was surprised at after reading the forums round town in the cold is 30-35 though.

I bought with full Lexus history and have so far had no complaints, saying that if I was doing short journeys and had the option the 250 would be the car of choice.

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

toffee_pie · May 25, 2015

the OP wont afford a new diesel, any older one will be a minefield.

JamieG4454 · May 26, 2015

Imo the is220 is a great car... but had mine since 96k and had dpf and egr problems at 115k. Its cost me approx 1200 to fix so far.

Without the problems the engine is great and powerful. But does not really like town driving or alot of clutch use if manual. And you can only get the best mpg wise on motorway journeys.

Saying that though... i still love mine 3yrs on as the quality of everything makes the car a dream to own

Just my $0.02 :)

lexusisfan · May 26, 2015

Mine is a manual, there is nothing particularly wrong with a manual aside from the tax. Its also a bit faster than the auto. It does take a while to get used to it, but I have had my car about a year and its plain sailing for me now.

Here are pics of mine after a clean and conditioning of the seats.

Toffee_pie,

Why are the exhaust pipes sticking out? Are they OEM exhaust pipes?

Mouser · May 26, 2015

I can only spend 5/6k and something with approx 90k miles.

You're not going to find much in that price bracket with all the options, and the ones you do see are likely to have some issues. I've been tracking prices for a while now, as I'm thinking of selling mine, which is a 57 plate SE with ~70k, and private sales are listing between 6-6.5 in normal condition, about 1-1.5 more than that from dealers.

As far as what to look for, full service history and recent MOT (were advisories done?) is a start, but I tend to look at the tyres, appearance and general cleanliness. A 200bhp car on cheap ditchfinders screams to me that the owner hasn't taken care of it. Mismatched or very worn tyres tell me that not only do they not care, but they haven't been able to afford the upkeep, so the oil will be old, the filters will all need changing, several brakes will have seized/worn to nothing and I can expect to find a whole host of broken or worn parts (e.g. leaking shocks, MAF sensors, budget repairs). Given a good set of tyres cost over £400, oil & filters £100, and respraying just the bumpers & bonnet ~£500, it's very easy for a 'bargain' to turn out being the most expensive car listed. If there are more serious issues, then you can be looking at a lot more than that, hence my caution in the first sentence about 'issues'.

toffee_pie · May 26, 2015

They are Tips from a Honda S2K, think the OEM ones are too small.¬)

I agree with what C said, well kept 250s in SE-L trim will cost a good bit more than the OPs budget. Mine is a 08 model and I would not sell anywhere near 6k.

istanbul05 · May 29, 2015

I really hope you are all correct on this.Yesterday i put a £100 deposit down on a is220d and discovered to my horror all these comments.Today i have called off the deal(losing my deposit) and will pursue a is250 instead.The is220d was lovely to drive and had full lexus service history but had done 100k.Hope i have done the right thing in changing my mind.

bluenose1940 · May 29, 2015

I really hope you are all correct on this.Yesterday i put a £100 deposit down on a is220d and discovered to my horror all these comments.Today i have called off the deal(losing my deposit) and will pursue a is250 instead.The is220d was lovely to drive and had full lexus service history but had done 100k.Hope i have done the right thing in changing my mind.

You definitely have done the right thing. I had a super 220d, no problems with it whatsoever but, I changed it for the 250 and it is far superior in my book.

johnatg · May 29, 2015

Be assured - you have done the right thing. Look for an IS250, bearing in mind things to look for (some described above) - eg service record, good tyres (tyres are quite expensive - get money off if they're going to need replacing soon, but good brands are a sign of caring ownership), check the exhaust if you can, especially the pipework in front of the back boxes (it will look a bit rusty but it should be superficial) and check that all the electrics work. Gearchanges should be smooth (if you are looking at an auto, which most of us here recommend).

The archives of this forum provide a mine of info on what to look out for.

istanbul05 · May 29, 2015

Ok thanks i will bear all this in mind, how much is a 250 auto to tax compare to manual or diesel?

toffee_pie · May 29, 2015

Auto is a few hundred a year cheaper. As I said I got a manual and there is nothing wrong with a manual. If you can get a manual with a good service record for a decent price you are doing well. Good tips on tyres, they are not cheap and give a good indication on how the car is maintained