Is200 Or 300?

Lex-Scott · December 18, 2012

Hi guys, new here. Obviously. Had an IS200 sport for 8 years until last month some drink drive woman decided to write it off while it was parked! Was my baby and I miss it so much

Now the question is, do I go for another 200, or go for the 300?

The auto box is slightly putting me off. How many members had an is200 then got a 300 and were happy with the switch?

Thanks

Scott

Lex-Scott · December 18, 2012

Sorry somehow managed to post topic twice. Stupid iPad :-)

noby76 · December 18, 2012

didnt own the 200 but test drove about 3 before settling for the 300. have always driven manual cars and wanted an auto for a change and the auto does not lag behind when it comes to kicking down effectively and responsively. the 300 has over 200 horse power and almost 300NM torque so acceleration in any gear is no problem. can also be driven as a manual i.e picking and selecting the highest gears you prefer e.g. when approching say a round about or twisty road in a manual car you can clutch down and force the car into 2nd gear which translates to more torque at the wheels to propel you out. a normal automatic car doing the same might anly drop to 3rd gear as the ECU does not know what the driver wants to do because it has no eyes to judge distance only sensors but with the E-shift you can force the box into 2nd gear just like a manual box and this will translate to the same torque out of corners/twisties. and if you want the car to hold a gear you can do the same in M mode i.e you can take a long sweeping corner when you select 2nd/3rd gear and it will hold in that gear during the corner/bend without shifting up like some traditional auto's will do.

in a nut shell the IS300 is a better car when it comes to performance it holds the road better and doesnt feel light as the IS200's i test drove and goes better . if you still want to clutch down when driving then go for another IS200 and tune it for more power if you prefer :winky:

IHgs300 · December 18, 2012

I did the above and the is300 was an improvement over the is200, mpg was about the same but loved the auto/manual box. You also get full leather interior, front armrest, self dipping rear view and side mirrors, halogen headlights and of course more power.

wouldnt have gone back but i was unlucky enough to get one with what sounded like a minor repair to gearbox (oil pipe) but ended up much worse. couldnt afford to buy another so went back to is200 purely because of purchase price.

Definately go for is300 if you can but when viewing dont let your heart rule your head......lovely cars.

Lex-Scott · December 18, 2012

Cheers guys. Just waiting for the 3rd party insurer to improve the ridiculous settlement offer on my car.

jasons · December 18, 2012

You need this, your 200's older, better brother...

Lex-Scott · December 18, 2012

Love the aeros! Is it not his younger brother ;-)

Man I miss my car! A month is too long!!!

petayV8 · December 18, 2012

If you can afford the insurance get the 300. Only thing stopping me. As for the auto, its not like most slush boxes in the IS, especailly with M in the 300.

ChrisIS200SportTTE · December 18, 2012

300. I wish I'd got one. Don't be put off by the auto box, it's meant to be one of the best for its age and was ahead of its time. You can also manually change gears using the buttons on the steering wheel :)

I've driven my mates 300 and I wish my 200 was as quick as his!

matt-c · December 18, 2012

If asked this question 6 months ago, I'd have said 200, purely for the 6speed manual box (as far as manual boxes go, it's up there as one of the nicest I've ever driven)

However, ask me now - after I've had a 200 for a while, and I'd have to say 300 - purely for the auto box!

Don't get me wrong, the 6sp manual, as I said, is a lovely box, but what I've realised after owning and driving an IS for a while is that the auto box is much better suited to how I drive an IS compared to how I used to drive cars. The IS has changed how I drive; now it's all about quiet, smooth and relaxed. And an auto box is perfect for that (and from what I've read, the W55 box in the 300 is a very nice auto). I originally thought about an auto 200, but didn't like the 4sp box in them, so I'm very tempted to switch to a 300 just for the 5sp autobox. I'm not fussed about the full leather, already got the armrest in my 200, and xenons, the extra power is a bonus, but not a necessity, and the few other features (like the auto dipping mirrors) aren't really a concern to me - it's all about the lazy-box ;)

panya · December 18, 2012

All I can say is test drive a few is300 first and compare to is200, than I'm sure u will come to the conclusion.

sjrainsford · December 18, 2012

I've not driven a 300 but I love my Auto. Off the mark it isn't fantastic as there's such a large gap between first and second it seems. But otherwise I find it more than adequate and a very refined cruiser.

If I had the choice though I think the 300 would have been on my list to try had it been in my price range at the time. I would honestly be sceptical about fuel consumption being similar though until i'd tried it myself. I mean even if it does 3mpg less, thats circa 40 miles less out of a tank. If it does 5 less (which i'd say is more than likely) then thats over 60 miles less to a tank.

So to me it all boils down to if its worth say 50 miles less out of a tank of fuel to run a 300. By the sound of the love of the 300 on this site, I'd say the answer may well be yes!

noby76 · December 18, 2012

if IS300(26mpg) does 3mpg less than a manual IS200 (29mpg) this works out at exactly 400 miles rather than 447 miles to the tank full when you drive the 300 over the 200. a difference of 47 miles sounds like a lot but only works out at 1.62 gallons or 7.35litres when 47 miles is converted into gallons using 29mpg as the convertion figure(47/29). if a litre of petrol is 131.9 this works out £9.70 extra to fill the tank of an IS300 over an IS200.

I personally would fill in that extra £10ner and enjoy that extra 60bhp and effortless in gear torque acceleration which comes with it :D . all that extra power and torque will only set me back a 10ner at the pump to a full tank but i only fill my cars half tank as carrying extra fuel(full tank) results in high fuel consumtion due to extra weigh being carried around so this actually works out at a £5ver

Lex-Scott · December 19, 2012

Thanks guys. Helps a lot. Have test driven one, but didn't get a chance to open it up at as was on some unfamiliar country roads. May go for another drive though

Lex-Scott · December 23, 2012

So I've taken the plunge and got the 300. Time will tell if I notice much difference in fuel.

47,500 miles on the clock which I'm very happy with

matt-c · December 23, 2012

Good choice. I had that in my watch list, and thought about going to view it. What did you give for it in the end?

Lex-Scott · December 23, 2012

3k

Was the lowest he'd take. But I'm happy with that. Happy he didn't sell it as I've been waiting ages for insurance company to up the settlement fee for my 200. Thought it would have sold quicker

matt-c · December 23, 2012

That's not bad. It originally went up for £3250, and then he dropped it to £3150. I was tempted to offer £2800, but I thought he'd probably stick with £3k. Never saw it in person but it looks a good'un from the pics, and the specifics (mileage etc) are spot on. Get some better pics up when you get a chance

Lex-Scott · December 23, 2012

Yea hoping to take some tomorrow as it was getting dark when I got home.

He got offered 2800 on the final day of the listing but declined it. Brilliant condition inside too. Smells new still!

Only a 20min drive from me so didn't have to travel far. Was a really nice guy too!

noby76 · December 23, 2012

47K on an 03 plate?...man that 2JZ engine is barely broken in!!and for 3K thats not a bad price actually...reset ECU for gearbox to adapt to your driving style, feed it with good engine oil and fuel and normall driving wont be any different to the 200 untill you open all cylinders up but cus it goes better than the 200 you wouldnt even care :) . as time goes on you would know how to drive it for economy and when to let it loose every now and again. Enjoy