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Just throwing this out as observations from my own experience. My front tyres were due a change so I started rooting around various sources to check out various options. I had Bridgestone Potenzas -225.40.18 (came with the car at purchase) on the front and I was not overly impressed from day one. Noise was a bit of an issue but the thing that really got me was the amount of tram-lining. I had a full geometry set up done and made little difference. Grip was fine in the dry and ok in the wet. From the history record they have done 24,000 miles which is fair I guess. The rears are Bridgestone Potenzas 255.40.18 and are done in the next 2 months I would think...may just scrape MOT in early January. Based on what I had read and conversations had, I've had a pair of Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance -225.40.18 (bit of a mouthful eh!!) fitted (£206 the pair) on the front for the past week. They are rated at B for fuel impact, A for wet grip and 69dB noise. So far, I'm really rather impressed. I also had the full geometry done again (it was fractionally out on one wheel only). The road noise is much reduced...very acceptable levels now and the tram-lining has completely vanished. Grip in the dry and wet is very good. The car just feels more 'planted and secure' on the road now. I'll keep an eye over the next 2 months or so and may well go for the Goodyear EP's on the rears too in Dec. I have logged the mileage so I'll let you know how many miles they last.....hopefully be a fair time yet though!!

Back in September 2001 I was very excited to take delivery of a brand new IS200. For a twenty-three year old, not yet on the property ladder, it seemed a rather extravagant purchase, but seeing it there on the forecourt--with just 4 miles on the odometer--I was looking forward to it serving me well for many years. Well, thirteen years later I have exactly zero regrets about making that purchase. Yesterday the odometer rolled over 300,000 miles and the car hasn't let me down once. Sure, the cost of the petrol required to travel that distance has far exceeded the original cost of the car, but other than that it's been extremely reasonable to run and has had absolutely minimal problems. It's also remained both fun and comfortable to drive. If only all cars were as good as this :)

Well, I'm happy to report all is still good. They are definitely much quieter. I have driven the same route to work for the past 30 years! So the comparison to the last two with the potenzas is quite dramatic. Very good grip tonight in the rain and mist too.

The mirror dip behaviour depends on the position of the mirror adjust switch. I think you can set it to no dipping (middle position), passenger mirror only (left) or both mirrors (right) - I can't use this because the actuall passenger mirror on mine is faulty. I also think you can program the "dip" position separately to the "normal" position, but selecting reverse and then adjusting the mirror. However, be aware that there is a common problem with the dipping mechanism, and that there is a TSB about this. The mirror positiion sensor on the passenger side wears out prematurely, and the mirror gets lost returning to its "home" position. The mirror mecahnism needs replacement. I've already stripped mine down for the same reason, but I don't think the mechanism is practically repairable.

I had a '98 mark 4 with high miles and LPG. I think that a poor cambelt change prior to my ownership resulted in 3 out of 4 bolts that held the vvti unit in place coming off and blow a hole through the casing and twisting the camshaft. It needed a new engine really and I had to sell it on for spares earlier this year. It's all documented on here somewhere. Since then, I've had a great summer in the mx5 but it certainly ain't a Lexus!

Thanks guys. Much appreciated.

Sorry to hear you've missed out but I'm sure the next one you find will be as good or better. Keep a look out on the usual sites like Autotrader and eBay - bound to be another good one up for sale Thanks. As you say, they do come up occasionally. I've been second twice on two good ones but my time will come!

Sorry to hear you've missed out but I'm sure the next one you find will be as good or better. Keep a look out on the usual sites like Autotrader and eBay - bound to be another good one up for sale

If you go with anyone other than Lexus...yes. They have a specific machine that callibrates the wheel allignment (toe/camber etc) as well as alligns the steering wheel correctly.

I knew which car it was before clicking on the link, having just finished looking at it before coming on here. Good spot on the paint drip on the tyre, as the wheels were supposedly refurbished a year ago? Might be perfectly innocent, touching up a bit of a kerbing maybe, but certainly a reason to look for other signs. That said, if all he says is true, and he can back it up with the paperwork, it sounds a cracker. Only other obvious thing is, I saw no mention of service history, apart from what he's done himself. Oh, and insist on the car being stone cold when you test drive, as that's when any problems with the lpg system tend to be more obvious, particularly on switch over. Hope it's as good as it sounds, and you drive it home, best of luck.

When I owned my previous LS400 (Mk IV) version, there were occasions where the Sat Nav display would say 'Unable to read CD-ROM' and then when I took key out of the ignition and put key back in, it would come back to life. It sounds like ageing / temperamental electrics. You could try to source a used Nav Disc device from a breakers yard if the actual Nav Disc device in your car is no longer working but if it's the wiring from the boot to the dashboard, that will be more tricky and time-consuming to fix. My car had the original 1998 CD Rom and I bought the 2007 CD Rom from Lexus for £100 in 2012 (I didn't want to risk buying something non-genuine) and it made such a difference to the car. Lexus do not issue updated CD Roms updated beyond 2007.

Go on autotrader etc... Going rate for any IS200 is £500-£2k. Anything priced over that either needs to be completely mint or they're dreamers. I run a IS200/300 buy and sell site mate, see these change hands daily

On the Mk2's there was a vacuum pipe from the steering pump to the inlet manifold, so that the steering pump could lift the tickover if you asked a lot of the pump, by turning the wheels at tickover, it tended to suck steering fluid into the manifold, and the fix was to block it of, as it was a bit of a not really necessary refinement. Perhaps something similar is your problem? By the way, my "bit of a rubber band" was changed at 150k, and looked new, its the water pump you have to worry about...