Is 220D - Things You Should Know

Sirc · December 16, 2010

Firstly, let me say I fell in love with this beautiful looking car, which has refinements and a quality feel. However, I advise that you look carefully at several issues before buying.

Offset pedals - Look down and the clutch is almost in the centre and not the left. This can lead to hip/back discomfort. The taller person that can move the seat back further may not have this issue. There are articles online that confirm the Lexus IS 220 has offset pedals.

Economy - The diesel engines have been changed/modified at least twice over the last 2-3 years in order to improve economy. Beware although latest models claim close to 50 mpg combined, 2008 and earlier models will do well to give you 40-45 mpg combined. Drive hard and you will struggle to get 40 mpg.

High gearing - No power at low revs and you have to regularly drop down gears to get acceleration unless revving hard. The 6th gear is only usable above 80-85 mpg and it has little torgue even then so is not really something that is of any use in the UK. This means that you have to stick to 5th gear, which leads to poor(ish) economy at motorway speeds. Excessive gear changing ruins the driving experience.

Loud crack - As stated elsewhere on the forums, I periodically heard a loud crack from the dash or windscreen. Annoying more than anything but have never come across this before in any car and I have had quite a few.

High idling - When cold, engine runs very fast for a long period of time. Annoying.

The Lesson - Forget the brand, go with your gut feeling. Too many issues for me and the Lexus is now history. An expensive lesson!

C4MYC · December 16, 2010

Hard to disagree with your points there.

I too feel I`ve wasted my money but would only write off this model and not Lexus as a Marque.

6th gear is a waste of time unless you`re bombing down the M/way.

As for the high idling, it`s only in cold weather. Must be a feature of this car.

My alloys are flaking and went to Lex Edinburgh who very kindly said the wheels were out of warranty and wasn`t their problem. If I were to return another day they`d take some pix and and Customer Services MIGHT replace them if they see fit. I never went back. It`s boll-ox. alloys shouldn`t flake and Lex should take care of it.

Anyway, mines will get punted in the Spring and that will be then of Lexus for me.

Matus · December 16, 2010

Firstly, let me say I fell in love with this beautiful looking car, which has refinements and a quality feel. However, I advise that you look carefully at several issues before buying.

Offset pedals - Look down and the clutch is almost in the centre and not the left. This can lead to hip/back discomfort. The taller person that can move the seat back further may not have this issue. There are articles online that confirm the Lexus IS 220 has offset pedals.

I am 1.73m and never noticed this "problem"

I do also drive other cars...

Economy - The diesel engines have been changed/modified at least twice over the last 2-3 years in order to improve economy. Beware although latest models claim close to 50 mpg combined, 2008 and earlier models will do well to give you 40-45 mpg combined. Drive hard and you will struggle to get 40 mpg.

agree that economy is not the greatest, but this car has 100-150kg more than competitors due to noise decreasing materials. You pay for the silence.

High gearing - No power at low revs and you have to regularly drop down gears to get acceleration unless revving hard.

gearing it quite high, btw same as in new mazda 6 (except 6th) - nobody complains. Why should they?

IS pulls beautifully from 1800rpm until 4500. In which car can you get 60mpg on second gear?

The 6th gear is only usable above 80-85 mpg and it has little torgue even then so is not really something that is of any use in the UK. This means that you have to stick to 5th gear, which leads to poor(ish) economy at motorway speeds. Excessive gear changing ruins the driving experience.

it is true, that 6th is unusable, but according to my experience, running 100-130kph is more efficient on 5th and also less noisy. And, the less gearchanges you need, the more comfortable car you have, don't you think?

Loud crack - As stated elsewhere on the forums, I periodically heard a loud crack from the dash or windscreen. Annoying more than anything but have never come across this before in any car and I have had quite a few.

agree, this is bad. but can be sorted for free in warranty.

High idling - When cold, engine runs very fast for a long period of time. Annoying.

why this annoys you? My experience is, that when cold engine is idling on standard revs (750-800) it is quite vibrating, on 1200 rpm it is more pleasant, although still very bad when comparing to petrol engine of course.

I think you have 3 real negative points with this car.

You should be happy. Other marques can be much worse!

bigmick777 · December 17, 2010

High gearing - No power at low revs and you have to regularly drop down gears to get acceleration unless revving hard. The 6th gear is only usable above 80-85 mpg and it has little torgue even then so is not really something that is of any use in the UK. This means that you have to stick to 5th gear, which leads to poor(ish) economy at motorway speeds. Excessive gear changing ruins the driving experience.

Not a problem with the 220 Sport - the gearing on that enables the car to be in 6th Gear under 60mph. Have to agree on the MPG as not being great but it is a heavy car and full of toys! On the idling.... its a feature. The revs are increased in cold weather to give more juice to the Battery / heater (theres a few posts on this).

javadude · December 17, 2010

Not a problem with the 220 Sport - the gearing on that enables the car to be in 6th Gear under 60mph

Agree. I tried a Sport and non-Sport before I bought mine and didn't like the gearing of the non-Sport. The gearing and handling of the Sport is great. Added to the torque of the diesel it makes for an awesome car. I'd not noticed anything wrong with the pedals or idling. I've had mine for four years and love it.

gordi · December 18, 2010

Hi

I had a loaner IS220F sport last week for the day as my own car had the master cylinder recall and I must admit I agree with everything you say especially 6th gear and the crack , the car was a 2010 with 4,000 miles on . My own car is an IS250 Auto and what a difference ! If I had bought the 220 it would have been history by now.

the_lone_rider · December 18, 2010

By searching and reading some posts of the IS220d is it really that bad ?? ok some had no pprobs/enjoy the car but seems like alo dont.......only reason my dad didnt get one is they dont offer a automatic so he got a IS250 auto, likes it though we all do! despite mercedes, bmw audi & lots of manufactuerer offering an auto diesel...

LexiMarc · December 18, 2010

Interesting OP,

I've only had my 220D F-Sport for a few months now and with around 700 miles covered, I guess I can't really speak with any kind of authority on the points mentioned. I'd certainly agree about the gearing but I had already read about this in numerous reviews and forum posts so knew what I was in for - it's not like it's something new - that bugbear has been around since the launch of the IS220D. I've yet to experience any crack, and have not noticed the offset pedals or found the car uncomfortable in any way but I've yet to do any long journeys in it.

The higher idling (around 1200 rpm) I only started noticing after seeing it mentioned here, but I've seen that before in previous cars during colder weather so it's not unusual. I certainly don't find it annoying as, like I mentioned before, I only noticed it after reading about it here.

Economy, again, I read about long before buying the car (who buys a car without doing some kind of research first?) but it's not unique to Lexus, one of my colleagues has a 320d M-Sport which has a claimed MPG in the high 50s and he doesnt see much over 40 at the moment, I was getting around 39mpg average from my 220d (town driving a a bit of dual carriageway) but now the cold weather has hit, that's dropping a bit - considering that the engine hasnt quite hit 1k miles and it is a fairly heavy car, I'm not complaining about it.

In fact my only real issue thus far has been the fact that during the snowy weather, it's been pretty much grounded in our drive but then, having formerly owned a 330d M-Sport as well as a FWD Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible that were both equally as bad with their wide 18" summer shoes, it's not really a Lexus issue is it? (I currently miss my previous car, a 2007 Nissan X-Trail that was just brilliant in the snow last year, even sans-winter tyres).

Chuckie888 · December 19, 2010

Have to agree with all the points, although I don't get backache from the pedals. You forgot the worst thing though - the gearchange which is probably caused by clutch drag from the failing DMF which Lexus dealers won't admit to. However, when you're quietly wafting along enjoying the stereo, it's still quite charming!

C4MYC · December 24, 2010

Have to agree with all the points, although I don't get backache from the pedals. You forgot the worst thing though - the gearchange which is probably caused by clutch drag from the failing DMF which Lexus dealers won't admit to. However, when you're quietly wafting along enjoying the stereo, it's still quite charming!

Yep.....had to replace my clutch at 55k miles. DMF has 22-24mm of play but hasn`t been replaced. Lexus don`t want to know, unless of course I pay them shedloads of money to fix it.

Chuckie888 · December 28, 2010

Personally I think it's bizarre how Lexus are trying to tell people it's normal rather than admit to the problem - looks like they've given up on the diesel, but many owners are now put off the brand. Shame, coz I don't the German brands and the values of their owners but will probably be inclined towards them next time as they are better value than the excellent Honda Accord and are a bigger metaphor.

Andyx11 · February 10, 2011

What is the DMF?

Ace8800 · February 11, 2011

I have a is220d se and in that i agree to the Crank when the heathers use to be on only, 6th gear was a waste, and mpg in winter time was poor, but so was my 320d m sport bkth giving 35 mpg,

But when i bought my is220d sport, it was suprisingly different, 6th wotks a treat on 70mph, and that crank aint there (could be cuz i have sat nav in this), but there slight noises from the cabin due to wear and tear but notjing noticable.. the only thing i can say is it does idle high, but again only with the heathers on whilst car is stationary.. I love my sport and much better than the se..

Oh one last thing, the clunk noise in lower gear changing does p me off, but that didnt happen in my se, maybe it was brand new.. And my sport is 4 yrs old now

Ace8800 · February 11, 2011

What is the DMF?

Dual Mass Flywheel

unhappyjoe · February 15, 2011

i have a 220d sport and have come to hate it. i have just posted some of my problems in another thred. in short its noisy, the gearbox is rubbish, the engine is rubbish, shocking mpg for a diesle worse that the 250 hire car i got the last time they rebuilt the gear box (fourth time lucky) no broken again. why dont lexus do what any responcabile person would do take it round the back and shoot it :-)

philthy · February 20, 2011

I got rid of mine 2 1/2 years ago and have only one regret; it cost £5,000 after 6 months of ownership to learn the lesson that the car was not for me. You will have two camps with the IS220d; those who think it's great and those who think it's diabolical. Doesn't make any of them wrong, each to their own as they say, but if it was my money, I'd be going with the majority opinion of the car and you'd have to be a fool not to realise what it is. Don't take any notice of the argument that you will only get adverse comments about the car on a forum; if it was that good it would be full of praising comments. You might be lucky and fall in the "love it" camp, but get a days test drive with one before you sign on the dotted line.

Lexus as a marque I'm not so sure about. Dealerships vary in their level of service. Where I bought mine from was only interested in getting my money and the service went downhill once they had it. Would I buy another car from them or indeed a Lexus? Yes, but forewarned is forearmed so I wouldn't be so ready to hand over my money without a deal I thought was acceptable and some cast iron guarantees. Would I use them for servicing? Absolutely not. I'd use a trusted independant all day long unless it was a warranty issue.

Lexus cars supposedly come with lots of gadgets on them. You can get the same gadgets on most cars these days and at similar prices to Lexus. The materials used by Lexus tend to be a bit too plasticy for me and feel fragile as a consequence. It's not a major issue, but it is something that levels the field against other marques.

I'm coming up to car change time again and haven't ruled an RX or LS out, but there are stacks of other manufacturers out there and if economy is one of the important factors in making your decision, then I'd look at them.

Matus · February 20, 2011

you said important thing - nowadays middle class cars (like C5, accord, p508, even Laguna) look great and can be equipped very well.

5 years ago, when I was choosing my car, it was easy - there was only 3er and IS. The other were cheap looking rubbish. (including mercedes and audi).

today I'd go for new Sharan, because my needs have changed, but if I needed "normal" car, that would be very difficult.

macdezhh · May 23, 2016

hie i have 10 years with my lexus is220d sport i previously owned an is 220d sel with so many issues, head gasket bubles in my reservoir tank and overheating , when at low temperatures revs go high to 1200revs , now no issues issues with this sport whatsoever except the cracking noise , everything is super up to now. The car doesnt hv high idling at low temperatures, in fact it idles at 800revs when cold unless you turn on heater then the rev goes up to 1200 , this is done to help engine warm up faster to give you cabin warmth faster. So when your car starts with high revs of 1200 with when cold with your heater off it means there is a problem somewhere with your circuits. This one doesnt hv any head gasket issues and because the car doesnt overheat, overheating in the lexus is220d is caused by a stuck closed thermostart, so regular changing of the thermostart is needed because this diesel operates at high temperatures then the wax in the thermostart is broken down quickly , well though the thermostart is rated at 82degrees, that means it starts to open when temperatures reaches those ranges and circulate thru the engine but then when you are in town that is where the problem is when moving slow , there is no ambient air to cool the radiator so you need to rely on the fans of which the electric fans only kick in when temperature reaches 97 degrees and cools back to 91 or 90 degrees, this means your thermostart is wide open at operating temperature of the engine and gives in quicker. I have done this regular service of the thermostart and the is220d sport runs super fine. Smooth ride , i can maintain 200km/hr for the whole hour without fear of damaging the engine through overheating,No issues whatsoever .i wish lexus never discontinued this diesel or if they can bring another diesel version in future. Throughout the years of owning this car its very reliable, fuel economy is good. Will be buying my new is200t F sport soon but have no intentions of selling my 220d sport.

ahmedali44 · May 23, 2016

I owned is220d se-l 2006 for 2yrs didn't have problems apart from calipers siezed,dpf blocked due to local driving, dmf noisy, new gearbox replaced under warranty after picked car from dealer only had under 80k.i never got more then 40mpg. Was nice to drive though, sold it with 93k on clock, now got is250 auto se-i 2009 much better car,smooth quite. I wouldn't really buy another diesel as don't go enough miles.it must b good reason why they stopped making diesels.lexus brand is mainly aimed at executive market, is220d engine is avensis engine.

macdezhh · May 23, 2016

as you mentioned your dpf was blocked in that case no way you can achieve good mpg. I drive in highways and my dpf was never blocked and i get 38mpg in highway which is fair enough for me. Issues with callipers seized i think you just forgot servicing them when you where changing your brake pads . About dmf im not sure because heard some people complaining about it but mine never had those problems , maybe it can be an issue of how one gets along with a manual gearbox. Otherwise i agree with you the car is sooo smooth. I will post if i have a problem ,now im on 108k miles not even a single problem with the 220d sport. Actually the sport model seems to be having minimal problems comparing to other models from the forums. Only reason why i will not sell this diesel cz has been very reliable unless i put it in the wrong hands. Has great power for a 2.2 litre in the highway though i may want more power bt for a 2.2 litre considering its heavy weight ,its a good car ,only if you dnt face problems others have faced.

ahmedali44 · May 23, 2016

Ur lucky must have good 1 spec doesn't matter engine is same but is250 is better car.i cleaned egr valve on my is220d, did make difference, diesels are good for long runs not local driving. Ur dpf will not blocked as u do motorway driving.most guys on forum had gasket issues but I didn't Have that problem