Help With Is200 (New Member Looking To Buy)

[jay101]

Hi all, im new to the world of lexus and am looking to buy my first. Im looking at the IS200 SE but dont know much about them. Apart from knowing they have the 2.0l straight 6 VVTI engine which is supposed to be reliable and almost bomb proof, thats as far as my knowledge goes with these cars. Is there anything i should know before heading out to look for one. Is there any particular thing to look for?

Im coming from the world of Skyline ownership and im making the change due to the kids getting bigger and the need for a 4 door car. Its also got something to do with me getting older (yeh i know aint we all) and so the need for speed and power isnt so high on my agender now. Yes ill be going from 400bhp down to 155 (if it still has all its ponies under the bonnet) but its a good platform im told if i do decide to up the antie a little. So if any of you guys have any advice on what to look out for when looking for my next car i would be graitfull.

Regards, Jay.

[Bluesman]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

[Stuart Aspey]

Hi and welcome to the LOC.

Things to look out for.

Make sure the cambelt has been changed. Lexus initially said every 100,000 miles, but some issues were found and they brought the figure forward to every 60,000 miles. So any vehicle over 100,000 miles, should've had at least one cambelt change.

Some owners have reported issues with calipers sticking. If you take it out for a test drive, make sure you take the vehicle over 50mph to check if the brakes are seizing. Apparently it's not noticeable at slower speeds.

The standard head unit has problems. So many people have had problems with the cd changer. Myself included. I replaced like for like and have not had any further issues, though, I've only had the car 6 months.

The car is pretty bullet proof in all other areas. Check for modded suspension. If it's been lowered, but still on stock shock absorbers, then you'll be fine.

And of course . . . . Check all the buttons on the test drive.

[jay101]

Thanks for the advice and welcome chaps. Ill be having a good look round in the next week or so to find the one i want. As for one thats been lowered ill be walking away as im looking for a standard car. Im a little fussy with other peoples mods as i like to do my own and if i do decide to uprate suspension ill do the job properley with coilovers and corner weighting the chassis. But im getting to old for all that now and want something sweet to drive. I have the mini and the skyline if i want to go hooding around at break neck speeds.

Ill let you all know what i find and how i get on. Nice to find a forum that welcoms new members and respont to daft questions too. Keep up the good work folks.

[Lexmanic]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

Hi & welcome. MIke why should he be 'careful' of those cars already LPG'd??? I have one that was LPG'd in 2002 long brefore I owned it & its great Mileage petrol wise at current prices it returns about 37-39 miles to the gallon This involves both urban and dual carraigway speeds of 40-50-70mph

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

This thread covers just about everything to look for when buying an IS :)

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/69388-what-problems-would-you-advise-others-when-buying-a-is200/

[Bluesman]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

Hi & welcome. MIke why should he be 'careful' of those cars already LPG'd??? I have one that was LPG'd in 2002 long brefore I owned it & its great Mileage petrol wise at current prices it returns about 37-39 miles to the gallon This involves both urban and dual carraigway speeds of 40-50-70mph

You were lucky, there are plenty of horror stories out there of cars that have been converted by cowboys and unless you know what you are looking at then be careful. The fitting of these systems has become much better with companies like Profess on the scene but there are still idiots who think they can install these systems and make an almighty *****-up of the installation.

I am sure you are aware of the numbers that have been on this board alone, many of which were just sold off in the end because the people who did the job messed it up and couldn't make the systems work. Those cars are still out there just waiting for the unwary. Mike

[Lexmanic]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

Hi & welcome. MIke why should he be 'careful' of those cars already LPG'd??? I have one that was LPG'd in 2002 long brefore I owned it & its great Mileage petrol wise at current prices it returns about 37-39 miles to the gallon This involves both urban and dual carraigway speeds of 40-50-70mph

You were lucky, there are plenty of horror stories out there of cars that have been converted by cowboys and unless you know what you are looking at then be careful. The fitting of these systems has become much better with companies like Profess on the scene but there are still idiots who think they can install these systems and make an almighty *****-up of the installation.

I am sure you are aware of the numbers that have been on this board alone, many of which were just sold off in the end because the people who did the job messed it up and couldn't make the systems work. Those cars are still out there just waiting for the unwary. Mike

I'm sure there are such stories many of them unproven & some put about by those with a vested interest to do so. UKLPG registerd firms seem to the most prolific in spreading such stories so much so tha I doubt many are true. AND when I've asked for more detail it appears to be very vague........ a friend told a friend who had a friend etc.

The OP on the otherhand can get an LPG'd vehicle checked by a competent unbiased engineer. I did & it cost me £200 (including service) which I since more than saved by having an LPG'd car. Also to ensure a fair & reasonable judgement I would suggest he use an engineer who is NOT UKLPG registered

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

How did this thread go from the OP asking about an IS200 to an LS400 LPG thread?

[Stuart Aspey]

Very easily and quickly. Jay, these guys are right mind, the price of 10 year old LS' are stupidly cheap and they are the top of luxury (from Lexus at the time)

[petayV8]

Since mechanical stuff has been covered ill talk about the cosmetic stuff

If its a SE your after the only thing that differs is whether it has navi or not. Later models had it as standard as well as a few other touches Lexus made along the way. but being a SE i think you'll be satisfied with the kit what ever model year you go for. If not and your budget is between 3 and 4k try and pick up a LE that had unique colours, alloys and leather seats and 04, 05 sat nav as standard i believe.

The SE is a nice balance of comfort and handling. The sport is a bit stiffer, which is why i also went for a SE. There were quite a few accessories available for the IS including body kits, mud flaps, spoilers floor mats etc etc.

Just to let you know since you said you didnt know much about these cars, the Sport had tinted windows, LSD, stiffer springs and sports steering wheel. Only available in manual. Incase you were interested :)

And you do know there was a IS300 dont you? which was the dogs dangles

[Bluesman]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

Hi & welcome. MIke why should he be 'careful' of those cars already LPG'd??? I have one that was LPG'd in 2002 long brefore I owned it & its great Mileage petrol wise at current prices it returns about 37-39 miles to the gallon This involves both urban and dual carraigway speeds of 40-50-70mph

You were lucky, there are plenty of horror stories out there of cars that have been converted by cowboys and unless you know what you are looking at then be careful. The fitting of these systems has become much better with companies like Profess on the scene but there are still idiots who think they can install these systems and make an almighty *****-up of the installation.

I am sure you are aware of the numbers that have been on this board alone, many of which were just sold off in the end because the people who did the job messed it up and couldn't make the systems work. Those cars are still out there just waiting for the unwary. Mike

I'm sure there are such stories many of them unproven & some put about by those with a vested interest to do so. UKLPG registerd firms seem to the most prolific in spreading such stories so much so tha I doubt many are true. AND when I've asked for more detail it appears to be very vague........ a friend told a friend who had a friend etc.

The OP on the otherhand can get an LPG'd vehicle checked by a competent unbiased engineer. I did & it cost me £200 (including service) which I since more than saved by having an LPG'd car. Also to ensure a fair & reasonable judgement I would suggest he use an engineer who is NOT UKLPG registered

I have no hidden agenda. I stated what I and others have experienced while looking to buy cars already converted and in some cases the poor devils who bought mobile bombs not realising what they had bought had to have the old systems taken out and new ones installed. Have a look through the archives on the LOC and there are many stories of people who bought cars with a system installed and others who had them installed with dreadful problems. The proof is in the archives unless of course all those people were lying.

I have no links or affinity with UKLPG and if you had read any of my previous posts on LPG which I have written at great length you would see which side of the fence I firmly sit. I have had mine and my families cars converted for the last 16+ years so I am no novice when it comes to LPG.

I assume you had already bought the car when you got an engineer to check it which was not the best route to take. How would you feel if the engineers report been an adverse one? Always get these systems checked out before you buy.

Now for my final question, why are you having a pop at me? Mike

[Bluesman]

How did this thread go from the OP asking about an IS200 to an LS400 LPG thread?

Simples. Mike

[jay101]

LOL so much going on for a simple question, but thank you all anyway. I will check out the SE but was looking at IS. Yes i did know that there was a IS300 but at this stage i dont know what im looking for from the car. It has to be cheaper to run than my skyline, has to have 4 doors and a fair sized boot. (for all the junk you have to carry with kids). Performance is not to high on the agender at the moment just as long as it can pull its self out of trouble on the motorway. Once i have woked out what budget ill have, i will be able to decide. I like the IS for the fact its a 4 door, has the boot and is in the mid range (size wise) ie its not a small car like the rover's and not big. Its a shade smaller than the skyline but the added bonus is that it does have the 4 doors and legroom for kids (adults might be in trouble on a long run) but i dont intend on being in the back lol. LPG would be a bonus as its cheaper than petrol but again not a buying point. (i wouldnt dismiss it if one came up).

[Stuart Aspey]

Practicality may be worth a bit of a mention at this point.

THE REAR SEATS DO NOT FOLD DOWN IN THE SALOON!?!

I purchased the SportCross (estate) and was told by many members that the SportCross was the only variant with the folding seats. So if you want to consider practicality, it may be worth a look. They started making them in 2001 and lasted til 2005.

There are only 1500 IS200/IS300 SportCross' on the road in Britain, so finding one locally may be an issue. Prices seem to start around £1500, but you get better headroom in the back and much more space in the boot. Fuel economy is the same (officially) and it's all down to how you drive. . . Lol.

[Bluesman]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

We are a friendly bunch and some members have amazing knowledge on all the marques that Lexus make.

There is a way of keeping power getting extra space and almost bomb proof engineering. Have a look at the LS range Mk4 LS400 are becoming very rare especially good ones but I am willing to bet that once you have driven one you wont be looking for any other model. Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted.

Good luck with what ever way you choose. Mike

Hi & welcome. MIke why should he be 'careful' of those cars already LPG'd??? I have one that was LPG'd in 2002 long brefore I owned it & its great Mileage petrol wise at current prices it returns about 37-39 miles to the gallon This involves both urban and dual carraigway speeds of 40-50-70mph

You were lucky, there are plenty of horror stories out there of cars that have been converted by cowboys and unless you know what you are looking at then be careful. The fitting of these systems has become much better with companies like Profess on the scene but there are still idiots who think they can install these systems and make an almighty *****-up of the installation.

I am sure you are aware of the numbers that have been on this board alone, many of which were just sold off in the end because the people who did the job messed it up and couldn't make the systems work. Those cars are still out there just waiting for the unwary. Mike

I'm sure there are such stories many of them unproven & some put about by those with a vested interest to do so. UKLPG registerd firms seem to the most prolific in spreading such stories so much so tha I doubt many are true. AND when I've asked for more detail it appears to be very vague........ a friend told a friend who had a friend etc.

The OP on the otherhand can get an LPG'd vehicle checked by a competent unbiased engineer. I did & it cost me £200 (including service) which I since more than saved by having an LPG'd car. Also to ensure a fair & reasonable judgement I would suggest he use an engineer who is NOT UKLPG registered

I have no hidden agenda. I stated what I and others have experienced while looking to buy cars already converted and in some cases the poor devils who bought mobile bombs not realising what they had bought had to have the old systems taken out and new ones installed. Have a look through the archives on the LOC and there are many stories of people who bought cars with a system installed and others who had them installed with dreadful problems. The proof is in the archives unless of course all those people were lying.

I have no links or affinity with UKLPG and if you had read any of my previous posts on LPG which I have written at great length you would see which side of the fence I firmly sit. I have had mine and my families cars converted for the last 16+ years so I am no novice when it comes to LPG.

I assume you had already bought the car when you got an engineer to check it which was not the best route to take. How would you feel if the engineers report been an adverse one? Always get these systems checked out before you buy.

Now for my final question, why are you having a pop at me? Mike

Lexmanic

I'm not generaly. I'm having a pop cos I don't think your

remarks are balanced. Yes they should have it checked out as they should

all of the mechanics but many of us me included think we have

sufficient common sense to know if somethings wrong

Also it wasn't personal attack

All I said was and there was only one remark not remarks and I quote from the actual post "Oh yes and go for an LPG conversion but be careful with ones that have already been fitted" Now what is wrong with that? to balance the remark I would have to say " don't bother getting the LPG conversion checked that has already been fitted" That would be sheer stupidity.

You chose to go down the route of, I know what I am looking at so buy it

now and get it inspected later so my advice was directed at people like

you as well although if everyone took friendly and common sense advice the way you have I

wont bother in future.

Your post was directed solely at me and my friendly knowledgeable advice it couldn't

be considered anything else but personal.

The stupidity of it all is that you agree with me getting the LPG system

checked out so what is the difference between me offering advice about

getting the system checked out and you?

Mike

PS the cemeteries are full of people who thought they new what they were doing.

[jay101]

Ok so after having a look round for a lexus i can confirm that i have found one. I have just put a deposit down on a Silver IS200 SE on a (51) plate. Everything in/on the car is working as it should even the cd player. Car has had 2 owners from new, full service history. Fresh MOT being done today along with a pre sale service. 85000 mile on the clock. Even has a sun roof. Air con is ice cold brrrrr.

Not only is it getting a new mot they have agread to do a full cambelt kit for free as part of the sale deal. Being as the car is with a trader it will also come with a free 2 year waranty. Not bad i dont think for £2500. So as of friday next week when i collect ill be the latest lexus owner.

Now the one other question i have is the clutch, i have now looked at a few and the clutch bite point seems to be quiet high on the pedal, is this something of the norm on a IS200 as a couple of folks i have spoken to say its normal? or should i bee looking at a new clutch.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Congrats on the purchase :)

With regards to the clutch, unless it's slipping it's fine. You might experience some clutch judder when pulling away, pretty normal too. Stop looking for problems with your new car. Case of new car paranoia I think :lol:

[Bluesman]

Congratulations on finding your car. Whats a clutch? Mike

[steve2006]

Interesting thread, I'm watching it people and I'll put some comments down to the present weather conditions we're experiencing :D

With regards to the original topic, congratulations on finding what sounds like a good low mileage,low owner IS200, they are still some out there it is just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

Apparently 1-2 gear engagement can be quite notchy on the IS but is considered normal. There again so is an LS blasting past you.

[jay101]

LOL if the LS goes blasting past me then i guess that makes me the winner, ill be getting more MPG .

[Bluesman]

LOL if the LS goes blasting past me then i guess that makes me the winner, ill be getting more MPG .

Not necessary it could be cooking on gas. Mike

[petayV8]

Sounds like a great example you found. You can potentially pick up these cars for penuts but to get a half decent one like that you have to pay a reasonable amount still i found. Still a great price and sounds perfect