H3XME

@JC12 I had a similar issue.. My car does have M&L system with the rear sub though, but I was looking into installing a big boy sub in the boot. I've got an aftermarket sub, but the stock amp isn't right for any sort of aftermarket setup as I found out the hard way. Which I reckon would be your case also.. and like you said, M&L amp plays big a role in the whole infotainment system working properly so the only feasible way to run an aftermarket setup is to have a car without this M&L bolloc*s - like yours. . I made my peace with the fact I'm stuck with stock sub because I don't fancy spending money on an amp & and whole lot of wiring to get my screen working as well just to get a little extra bass. However, if you decide to go down the route of aftermarket amp to make everything work for you, I'm happy to swap my box subwoofer for the stock M&L sub you've got..

If it's already in the country, all you need is DVLA registration with a proof of MOT. Registering a car is like £55 IIRC. You only pay VAT etc upon getting the car from the ship yard. So it's not gonna be a lot of money, just a lot of paperwork. Yeah lol, I can imagine the MPGs are similar to 370z.. 19 in town and 34 on the run. Almost 10mpg less in either scenario.

and it still will not get you to the power level of IS-F, close though. I think this was more feasible in the states, the prices are completely different for these cars. Here, it doesn't make much sense now that 350s start popping up from Japan almost cheaper than domestic 250s.. Yeah well..personal preference. Even I would just get an IS350 over supercharged 250 with a manual.

Oh no, it won't be on the IS-F's level. 350hp is realistic with the SC. It's just that if you already have a manual IS250 and want more power then £7k will give you more power and better brakes. That's just for the sake of retaining a manual gearbox. Otherwise it's a no brainer to get the JDM IS350 that are for sale at the moment. (I know you want one @Linas.P 😉, me too!) and again with IS350.. not comparable with the IS-F as the power jump between 350 & F is bigger than from 250 to 350. The cheapest IS-F is now for sale at £18,500 with 100,000 miles. IS350 - £6900 with 68,000 miles. IS250 Manual - £2800 with ~100,000 miles.. I think it'd be stupid to even consider the Supercharger on an automatic IS250 - it's cheaper to just go for IS350 and you have a better car then. However, if really want a manual then you gotta have a supercharged IS250. I think that's why the supercharger even exists.. literally just for people with manual IS250s otherwise it's just better to buy 350 or IS-F.

High compression engines are quite happy with superchargers (GT86 has 12:1 if not 12.5:1 CR & SC is a very popular option exactly because of the CR) - it's only a problem with a turbo as you're forcing the air to go in in a different way to a supercharger.. supercharged engine will act like N/A car on steroids - completely different to turbo. unless IS-F come down to ~£12k again, you're still way better off buying a 310hp IS350 for ~£7500 today or spending £7k on supercharger & brake upgrade on the IS250 if you want power and manual gearbox. I agree that it's never going to be sporty car, but with the right mods it can be changed enough. Doing basic suspension upgrades & tyres alone make a HUGE difference to the dynamic of the car. 2010 IS350 F-Sport 80k miles - £8900 > https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/684821345897608 2008 IS350 SE-L 68k miles - £6900 > https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/525608128971013

OR.. try this.. https://products.liqui-moly.com/additives/pro-line-oil-loss-stop.html if the leak isn't severe, it should help. Worth a try before spending hundreds on fixing it just for the sake of a leak if nothing else is actually broken.

They are 10mm lower.. I'd suggest going for TEIN FLEX Z coilovers. They are £780 so way cheaper than replacement shocks & new springs.. + added adjustability. Unlike cheap coilovers, they are actually very comfortable, and with damping adjustability you can have it just as soft as factory suspension. And for the ride height, you can be as high or even a bit higher than factory suspension too, so there is really no downside. https://coilovers.co.uk/brand/tein/tein-flex-z-coilovers-lexus-is250-gse20l-2006-2013.html

Stay away from IS220d. You can buy IS250 (2.5L V6 Petrol) for similar money.. ~£2500 will get you a car with about 120,000 miles but don't be put off it as long as it looks looked after and has a good service history. My IS250 gets 24-30mpg around town (depending on how I drive it) and 42mpg on the motorway at 70mph. This is generally better than the diesel and mainly a hassle free ownership.

If its leather with touch screen, and all the rest considered id say £6ish

Plug and play. Comes with same connectors like the stock ones. No issues at all. Its a good purchase

I agree. I don't like smoked lights as it is, but if one is to get them, might as well get proper ones that are built to be smoked and legal. @McShmoopy In terms of reflectors.. mine are red, but my friend has the below smoked lights + those LED smoked reflectors and no issues. Food for thought. Tbh if you're not sure that your MOT guy will pass them, I'd buy £3 black tint foil on eBay and tint them yourself. Should it be a problem with MOT, just peel it off. The quickest fix. Otherwise the bumper has to come off to fit new reflectors. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133944912120

The lack of mechanical sympathy in this statement pains me. Regardless of ride height & clearance, going over a speed bump at 30mph in a car (like the RC) with a quite firm, sporty suspension is just very bad for the shocks...

aww, don't tell me you're still salty over one honest review😂

I don't have an ISF but it's not something I've heard to be a common issue.. if something does go wrong, you'll notice straight away since the water temp gauge will spike, so you won't cause any damage to the engine unless you carry on driving like that.. if you can justify spending the money on something that might eventually go wrong, sure do it, but like I always say.. if it's not broken, don't fix it.

This is just disgusting what you wrote 😂 At this rate we might have to wait 15 years before the earliest IS300h are that price lmao

That made me laugh🤣 Mine is on just over 168,000 now and it's been nothing but good to me. Hopefully many more hassle-free thousands of miles left in it!

Works great for us, people who are not afraid to buy a car with 100k+ 🤣 you get an extra good deal that way. People here seem to think that once any car reaches 100k, it's on its last legs. And if you have 1.0L 3 cylinder polo on 100k that's been driven in the city all its life, then it might be the case, but you can't look at the IS250 the same way.. I don't mind high milers that have been serviced, but I tend to look away from cars in big cities such as London.. chances are, those cars have been driven at max speed of 40mph predominantly on cold engine..

Yes, I tried the manual mode. And like Linas said, it simulates the gears quite well, but it didn't make much of a difference in terms of acceleration etc.

Insurance companies simply take the p*ss. I only look for modified car specialists due to my mods, but I have never ever been charged extra for non-engine mods. Some only charge a little extra if you increase the power of the car.. That being said, a long-ish list of mods on my car is fully covered like for like without additional charges and premium of only £430/year. Someone I know once had an issue with this when they had a technician sent out to their car to install a black box and the tech. noticed that the callipers have been painted and the rear windows have been tinted... ridiculous. It's all classed as "mods". Lick of paint and some foil. wow.. if they want to be so anal about things like that, they might as well class Arnold Clark stickers on the windows as mods since the cars wouldn't of rolled out of the factory with them 🤣 It annoys me and I feel sorry for people that have to deal with this, but yeah... look for modified car specialists like Brentacre, Greenlight, Adrian Flux etc.

Just to put my 5p here, if you're thinking about automatic transmission fluid change, I'd recommend garages with LIQUI MOLY Gear Tronic. It's generally specialist garages or high end garages that offer this service, but it's well worth the money and you know it's done properly. Companies such as Autotek Clevedon Ltd in Bristol offer this.. They are VW specialists, but more importantly they are automatic gearbox specialists and have the tools to do a good job.. https://www.facebook.com/Autotek-Clevedon-LTD-719311011482020/

supercharger and install £6k.. not a bad way of getting to 300hp. But thats only if you want a manual gearbox since you can import IS350 for ~£6k that will give you ~310hp but its auto 🤷🏼‍♂️

Interesting. You pay more than me and I'm 26. I can't say I live exactly in a nice area.. funny how insurance works.

That's a lot of money.. even my GT86 (classed as a sports car) at the age of 22 wasn't as high as £1200.. Since 21, I've been with Adrian Flux, GreenLight and now Brentacre - they're all modified specialists.

It's either some VW or this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201211592675

You guys make me think the insurance doesn't get much better with age 🤣 I'm 26, 10,000 miles / year, all modifications fully declared, my insurance as of January 2022 is £435/year, fully comp, £350 excess, protected NCB (that cost me £25 extra!).