Paradroid

Yeah those stats are pretty phenomenal. The A5 strikes me as quite a big car, to get performance like that out of a 2.0T in such a big car, AND with such low emissions and good MPG is quite something.

Doesn't it seem strange to have a car that is in insurance group 15 and yet is so low on CO2 and does 45mpg. That's an insurance group for high performance cars, yet the other figures sound like they're off a Nissan Micra.

But will you miss RWD I wonder.

Really sorry to see that, yours is a very nice car, I spent ages admiring it when I saw it at the Japan North Show.

I was looking at this place in Manchester called The Wheel Specialist.

Their gallery here shows lots of different finishes:

http://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/File/wheel-finishes.php

I like the black chrome finish because my car is silver so I don't think it would suit anything black or dark grey. The black chrome is like silver but just a bit meaner looking IMO :)

The other difference I've noticed on my manual IS200 is that there is less engine noise with the snow button pressed so more relaxed cruising.

If you ever get chance to go above 70 (say in Germany!) the engine can get quite noticeable, but press the snow button and it runs quieter.

Cant see the whole rear windscreen? Thats wierd

My mirror seems to have a slight curve to it because when lookin out of it everything seems slightly smaller (almost tunnel vision)

Ah, there is a few different kinds of mirror, you must have a different type to me, my mirror is definitely not curved.

Nice. Fair way from Blackpool to Bolton, guess that is that your nearest dealer?

Bolton is my nearest too, nice showroom, but it's pain to get there from Wigan. Only about 10 miles but really slow traffic clogged roads all the way.

I wonder how many people run higher tyre pressures when they go to Germany, I would say you should do if you're doing autobahn speeds.

and what speeds are they then........?

98% of the autobahn system is a maximum speed of 130km/h.(81mph), with large portions at 120km/h, and some parts as low as 80km/h

only a very small percentage of the autobahn network is now De-restricted

Yeah I have actually been, and around the Munich area there wasn't much autobahn that was derestricted. But I wasn'tsure about the rest of the country.

there is no "VVTi" point, the VVTi system on the engine is a constant variable camshaft, VVTi, is a constant....not a defined moment

I know it's not like VTEC. I used to have a vvc car and that was constantly variable too. But there's no denying that on the IS200 it picks up noticeably over the last 2000rpm.

Yeah I agree, every time I get in and sit down, I always look at the dials and smile just slightly, before starting up.

It's the little things that make a great car :)

That is really annoying, feel for you there.

I hope you told him to **** off when he came out with all that rubbish after just hitting your car. It's nobody's fault but his own. If he wasn't happy with where you were parked why didn't he ask you to move before he tried to reverse.

Hope it all gets fixed up nice.

£5 from me (but I can't make the party)

Cheers Stevie/Wozza.

Guess that noise is normal then. Where there's wiring to the steering wheel it normally goes through a rotary coupler and they can make a little bit of noise, so it's probably that.

At the moment I'm convinced my rattle is coming from the steering wheel so I will definitely take it apart and have a look.

i'll have one off you too mate.

Sorry to nag but I'd still like one too Tom please.

Last weekend we were at the Ford garage and were sat in the new Fiesta. I was soo tempted to nick the socket cover one out of that car for my Lexus!!!! But then thought it was a bit dishonest really.

Sales of small mega-economical cars are up apparently. But yeah cars like Lexus must be unshiftable at the moment. Another example of the Govt killing off a market (and one of their tax incomes doh!).

One thing to bear in mind about Glass's is that it's not what the trade uses. They have another guide called CAP (the black version not available to the public), which is what they use to value cars. Prices could well be different in there.

I wonder how many people run higher tyre pressures when they go to Germany, I would say you should do if you're doing autobahn speeds.

Cheers. Looks like the only way is to remove the whole pad then.

One thing I've noticed is that when I have the wheel centered, and wiggle it left/right slightly I hear a noise. Is this normal? Can anyone check for me please?

I think it's @4500rpm. Limiter cuts in at 6500rpm so only 2000rpm to play with.

I was quite pleased with the power on my IS200 when I got it though, I'd read a few people saying it was completely gutless below 4.5k, then it picked up. I don't find the difference that big, I find it pulls fairly well all round the rev range (but with more at the top end obviously), well it does for a big car with 155bhp anyway.

I think the picture below says a lot really. No way have you made a bad decision. The Astra is quite a nice looking car but it looks a bit cheap compared to that very nice IS at the side of it. Bumper paint colour match on VXR not good at all.

Can we have some pictures of the new paint job please, sounds interesting.

When I see my Platinum Ice car, I do like the colour, but one of my neighbours has a silver car which is a much brighter colour, and when they're parked together mine seems to look a bit dirty!

Performance good but handling is best not mentioned!!

I saw a video on Youtube of a car show comparing the latest Merc S Class and Lexus LS. I really like the looks of the new LS, but through the cones you could see it leaning over a lot more than the Merc.

Your LS will be the same I guess, set up more for comfort rather than optimised for cornering :)

so if the IS200 was rolling down a hill.....a long hill.....an unrestricted hill

in 6th gear, would it go faster than 143 or not ?

or would the gearbox be braking it ?

Not it would not go faster than 143. It's the combination of the rev limiter @ 6500rpm, and the lowish 6th gear, which means the car won't go quicker than 143.

in other words the gear box the lex has got is rubbish ??

As people have said above it doesn't mean the gearbox is rubbish. The IS200 gearbox is low-ratio and close-ratio. It allows you to keep the car in the power and make the best of the power it has. If the gearing was altered you could end up changing up and dropping below the VVTi point, which would knacker your acceleration through the gears. Or, if they'd put a taller sixth gear in, it might have poor acceleration on the motorway, say on inclines. You'd be having to change down to 5th which would make the car feel gutless.

I sometimes think I'd prefer a longer sixth gear for quieter cruising on the motorway, but then the car would need more power. So it's set about right I think. Snow button makes it quieter on the motorway too I find.

Sorry to hear about your car. Have dreaded the same happening to my IS200.

Consider getting Vredestein tyres next time you change. I got them (becasue they're renowned for wet weather performance), and my IS200 Sport has stonking grip in wet and dry.

I adjusted my pressures tonight to the value recommended by the tyre manufacturer, and took it round a roundabout. It was dry but grip was incredible, car was leaned right over so I was cornering hard and not even a chirp out of the tyres.

Thanks Mat don't know what I'd do without you.

Ok, so by the sounds of that guide the two torx will release the whole thing, plastic front cover, airbag, and a plate behind that I'd guess.

Could I drive the car (temporary) with all that removed (to see if that cures the rattle).

Alternatively, it it possible to leave the airbag in place and just remove the front plastic cover? I've seen two other philips or posi screws that are not in your guide at the back of the wheel?

Much appreciated.

Following on from another thread about trying to find a rattle in my IS200, I'm now looking at the steering wheel itself.

I want to remove the front "boss", so I can see the insides of the wheel and try to find the rattle.

There are two screws on the back of the steering wheel (not the allen bolts) which look like they will do the job.

Has anyone done this, and does it require cutting power to the Battery and waiting for power to dissipate from the airbag?

Cheer mate!

On your last question, it's the latter i.e. it stopped when the tilt lever was engaged slightly. Think it might be a red herring though.

Today I've been a bit further and removes the dash trim around the instrument cluster, and then I also removed the instrument cluster itself (well without detaching the wiring).

My latest theory is that it's inside the steering wheel itself, but the sound has been reverbing around to make it seem like it's coming from the steering column or behind the instrument cluster.

So, I need to have a look inside the steering wheel next and see if I can see it :)

I find the view out the back isn't great but don't think the centre headrest would make that much difference. I do think a slightly larger rear view mirror would have helped though because I can't see the whole of the rear windscreen through it.

I guess that's why a lot of the later model IS200's came with parking sensors, I think they're very useful on my car.