Keep My Is250 Or Change To Diese/l

lexusisfan · December 28, 2014

Dear All,

I've recently purchased my IS250 and I'm very happy with it.

Was thinking of keeping it long term (I've kept the IS200 for almost 5 years, the longest I've owned a car for). but, I've been offered a job and I've accepted it to advance in my career.

This means that my commuting will change from working 2 miles to 20 miles from home.

The journey will consist of 2 miles in town, 8 miles in A roads and 10 miles in motorway. I will also be required to travel at least three times a week within a 50 miles radius or more if needed but this will be covered by the company (45p per mile).

I'm expecting an average consumption of aproximately 37 / 38 mpg on my commute. Not too bothered about the additonal travelling as it will be covered by the company.

What would you do in a similar situation? Would you keep the IS250 or would you change for a diesel / hybrid? ( IS220d , the german trio, ugly prius?)

I'm also conscious that a diesel will cost more to maintain and the cost of replacing a dual mass flywheel clutch, turbo or DPF could be more costly than the actual fuel saving?

December 29, 2014

I think stick with the is250 as you won't lose getting 45 pence a mile from work will more than cover the journeys that may lower your MPG

normski2 · December 29, 2014

No brainer....keep the 250 every time.

johnatg · December 29, 2014

Absolutely do not get a diesel - they have gone very rapidly from being a relatively environmentally-friendly mode of personal transport to being vilified. That will just get worse - eg plans to ban diesels from London and Paris (!), other cities will follow (even if not in the lifetime of current cars). And diesel fuel taxes will increase - possibly even road taxes.

And diesels are now far from the crude but reliable engines they once were. Now very refined - and much less reliable/more expensive to maintain. And you won't actually save much in fuel. (BTW - you'll need to drive with very light feet to get anywhere near 37mpg - but same would apply to a diesel (at least a IS200D))

Hybrids are great, but have their flaws - initial cost , CVTransmissions are a bit odd and the ones I've driven are boring, boring. Now if they could just sort out the IS300h to make it feel alive.........

I agree with Normski - no brainer to keep the IS250, at least for some years to come!

Derek870 · December 29, 2014

Totally agree with the previous comments, keep the is250!

Fishboy · December 29, 2014

200 miles a week at 112p a litre is small potatoes compared to how much it costs to change to amother car. I follow my old mans principles, buy what you want and then run it into the ground, trouble is with an is250 if looked after will last bloody ages compared to rot boxes in the 80's. I might be retired before mine is worn out!

Fishboy · December 29, 2014

As im bored ive just done the maths. If you get a 50 mpg diesel you will be spending about £1050 on fuel per year. Keeping the IS at an average of 30 mpg you would spend about £1630 on petrol, no brainer then...

stevet · December 29, 2014

Keep the 250 (if its an auto)as any diesel will feel so unrefined after it. After a year there wont be much difference in cost, taking into account fuel price, servicing ect.

Vintagesixtysix · December 29, 2014

Just to hit on another of the points....I had a Prius for five years for similar motivations to yourself. Had a top of the range just to try and take some of the boring out of it....but once you have played with the self park a couple of times, reversing camera and jumped a couple of more sportier vehicles on the lights over the first 20 yrds with the cvt....flat as a pancake after that....they are just mind numbing boring to drive. I also had a couple of inverter issues that were never really bottomed out by the dealer.....that were genuinely scary moments (one total power loss in the fast lane of the M5!)

I would never say never to anyone considering hybrid as they have already moved on considerably.....and I'm still convinced it's the future.....Lexus or otherwise.

While for me it was about company car tax as well as fuel costs it was kind of the right thing to do at the time....but when I look at the real cost vrs driving and ownership enjoyment.....probably wasted years.

We all have a budget.....if it's within yours....stick with your 250 ;-)

Sent from my iPad using Lexus OC

toffee_pie · December 30, 2014

Keep the 250 (if its an auto)as any diesel will feel so unrefined after it. After a year there wont be much difference in cost, taking into account fuel price, servicing ect

alas, if only other people could think like this before they go getting tractors.

is200 Newbie · December 30, 2014

Nothing to consider ... Keep the 250 !!!

Gtownsman · December 30, 2014

I've just swapped my 220D for a 250 and I would never go back, the 250 is 10 times the car.

There is a reason Lexus only made 1 diesel and no longer do.

aviator888 · January 3, 2015

Just read the 220d forum section £ they save on fuel is in many cases going straight to the garages/dealerships for sorting various problems.

lexusisfan · January 31, 2015

Thanks for all your replies.

Just wanted some reassurance that I'm making the right decision ( My wife believes that I'm just looking for any sort of excuse to keep it anyway ! )

Just an update, my average fuel consumption is 29mpg driving normal with some trashing around

Not too bad considering the low temperatures, it should increase slightly during Apr - Oct hopefully.

mikeyv · January 31, 2015

There was a documentary on the other night, and diesels were getting a right hammering with regard to harming the environment.

The only thing saving them at the moment, is that we were misled by previous governments into choosing diesel over petrol, and they don't want to admit how wrong they were.

I think, once a respectable period has passed, they will hammer us with taxes and restrictions in cities, that will make diesels a much less popular choice.

They never mentioned commercials though, which surely must be responsible for the largest share of exhaust pollution, not to mention buses and trains.

I definitely think you made the right choice lexusisfan, even more so if you were considering a Lexus diesel.

Derek870 · January 31, 2015

My commute is about 23 miles each way on a mixture of roads, I also sit in traffic for a while and I average 30mpg, not a stellar amount, but i'm happy with it and i just love my is250!!

I had a Volvo diesel that used to get about 40mpg the same journey, so IMHO 250 all the way baby!!

ps my wife has a RX350 that averages 19mpg lol

Verbout · January 31, 2015

We have just, in the past year, gone to petrol from two large diesel cars. I loved the MPG, but the bloody EGR, MAP, MAF, DPF, etc etc etc are a bloody nuisance.

I am mechanically minded and can clean, replace, repair most things on my car but I would not go back to a diesel, and certainly don't like the way the witch hunt club is forming regarding diesels and their polluting issues. Doh, as if this is news to us.

Mouser · February 3, 2015

We have just, in the past year, gone to petrol from two large diesel cars. I loved the MPG, but the bloody EGR, MAP, MAF, DPF, etc etc etc are a bloody nuisance.

I am mechanically minded and can clean, replace, repair most things on my car but I would not go back to a diesel, and certainly don't like the way the witch hunt club is forming regarding diesels and their polluting issues. Doh, as if this is news to us.

They also drive very differently. A high revving petrol can easily feel lazy until you hit the powerband, then the noise and excitement wind up. A turbodiesel can give a lot of shove in the back when you floor it, but that fades away as the revs rise, it shifts up before any interesting noises happen and that is about it. I find petrol stops me being silly, since I get a moment to consider if I really want to floor it as the revs build, whereas diesel I've already built up the speed. Sure, you can use the paddles to keep a petrol engine in the power band and leave the diesel behind, but it's not the standard way of driving, only when you're out for a spirited drive, the engine is warmed up and the road ahead is clear. To me, this feels a lot more special and when the v6 sound comes alive my grin is from ear to ear - try saying that about a 4 pot turbodiesel... or perhaps just sit in the pub mumbling about 'up to 45 mpg'...