Lexus IS250, any good?

I've a good one for you if you want utter exclusivity - Alfa Romeo 156 GTA.
3.2 litres of the best busso engine you will ever find.
But id also think about the 535d - that's an absolute animal and if driven sensibly you could see 40mpg.
The thread does seem awfully convenient though for a certain fanboi but you'd want to be a) mad to spend nearly 10k on an is and b) stupid to not even consider anything else in that tax band.
I don't want to even try to understand how you went from an is250 to a Mazda 6 unless you were thinking of the mps

Contrary to popular belief cars are made outside of Germany too, Japan being one such country.

here, lets show on a map




Now, Lexus are from the Toyota motor Company and are Japanese and some people actually buy them.

Mainly for being the most reliable petrol cars you can probably get as well as build quality and reliability.

Southampton is a busy place, like most cities in England. As I head off to work soon I will no doubt encounter one of the half dozen or so Germany cars at junctions
(actually for the purists, there are more traffic lights apparently in Southampton than any city in England per population count). Lexus cars like a petrol is250? not much so (in fact I have yet to see one, incredible as it may sound). So I feel a bit more satisfied than I am a bit left of field and not driving what everyone else has.

Clearly this thread derailed by BMW fanatics, a guy is interested in a Lexus and I have told him about it, does he have to buy one? absolutely not, but he should at least be given some informed decisions to help him decide, being told to buy a 535d is not one of them.

zweton wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I am looking for a new car, have 10k to spend and recently the lexus has been pleasing my eye, whats the deal with them? are they reliable enough?
i like the one in the link below. What do ya think:)

drunkmonkey wrote: »

530d or 535d if you don't mind the tax, the se is a lot more comfortable to drive than the msport. Loads in your budget, not much on the road can touch them.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

An E-Class Mercedes 2008 with the 1.8 petrol engine is in Budget. (184bhp)

If 6 cylinders isn't on what makes a car nice list, it might suit you.
Probably not on your radar but an automatic gearbox in a luxury car is a must, and an absolute necessity in a Mercedes.

kceire wrote: »

So ignore us if we say anything bad about the IS, but listen to is if we say anything good about it. Not sure how that works?

OP, I'd have an E60 525i or 530i over the IS anyway but it's personal choice. Drive them all and see what you like.



With the budget, I'd rule out most premium brands including the IS I would have thought.

BreadnBuddha wrote: »

Did the OP not rule out the IS250?

You're not going to do this all over again are you?

zweton wrote: »

sorry revisiting here, what are thoughts on below? i have decided i dont mind the high tax if its something i really want to buy.
but what i want to know is this spec the highest to be found in ireland do you think? i see most others are poverty spec. im willing to wait for a decent spec then pounce:D

http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/lexus/is250/used-2007-lexus-is250-executive-a-dublin-fpa-200914370392857160

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I've had a few 3 series coupes and convertibles, if I had to spend 10k in the morning on one it'd be something like this http://cars.donedeal.ie/view/9313708

You'll probably find one with lower mileage, but you get the idea..I'd say this time of the year he'd take 8.5/9 for it..

drunkmonkey wrote: »

50k in 8 years, that'll give you an idea how afraid the last owner was afraid to drive it...your tax and juice bill will be epic and forget about trying to resell it.

CharlieCroker wrote: »

This thread has to be a pi55take????

with all the BMW fanboys it sure is

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Your forgetting I've had an IS, she might have been diesel and I do like the car just not the diesel, friend has a is250 he bought new so I'm pretty familiar with both the petrol and diesel versions.

Went bmw, Mercedes, Lexus, and now back to bmw.
I'll stick with my ultimate driving machine, think op would be cracked to by an is250 at that money. He's into big boy tax and that opens up a lot more choices, suddenly the Lexus doesn't seem so hot.
Back to if your going to spend on high tax, it's time to test drive a 530/535d

really, a 535d...thought you wanted him to get a 3 series convertible a while ago, getting desperate at this stage it seems.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I wouldn't go near a Lexus with a ten foot barge pole

I wouldn't go near a BMW with a ten foot barge pole.

Here's an actual recommendation

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-audi-a6/9915356

don't mind power. It's not as if you can race around this country all day with speed cameras and garda around. Just go for comfort and reliability like this.

Audi 2.0TDi, LOL

A V6 on the is250 vs this, yoke - with 120k miles.
LOL

bear1 wrote: »

I've a good one for you if you want utter exclusivity - Alfa Romeo 156 GTA.
3.2 litres of the best busso engine you will ever find.
But id also think about the 535d - that's an absolute animal and if driven sensibly you could see 40mpg.
The thread does seem awfully convenient though for a certain fanboi but you'd want to be a) mad to spend nearly 10k on an is and b) stupid to not even consider anything else in that tax band.
I don't want to even try to understand how you went from an is250 to a Mazda 6 unless you were thinking of the mps

Alfa Romeo, hello. People who buy Lexus generally buy them for reliability.

A 535D, Zzzzzzzzz

Ahhh hachiko.. The resident madman.
Alfa Romeo are not reliable... Riiight.
So the japs are making the best petrol cars in the world are they?
So they are only good at making 50% of what engine fuel cars can run on and yet the Europeans are able to be masters in both.
You speak of being left field and yet a GTA isn't? Have you ever driven one? Have you ever driven a 535?
Somehow I doubt it. Go make yourself a cup.of tea there like a good laddie

Seriously people buy a Lexus for reliability? But only if its a petrol yeah? Hahahahaha

Hachiko wrote: »

Somehow doubt the OP wants an ancient GTA by the looks of things with scary running bills.

I dont want a diesel 535d that chokes the environment with shoite, a petrol V6 or V8 is much more refined than that lump

I just had my coffee, cheers.

50% cars running fuel masters of both, what...sorry lost you.

Reread it, it will come to you. I said tea not coffee..
How do you know the running costs of a gta? Cause I do.
They are old yes, but it wouldn't stop me.
If he wants the newer version then there is the 159 3.2.

Tea 1000 wrote: »

The Japs used to make the best petrol engines in the world. Now they just make mostly reliable ones, but not often technically the best.
Europeans are currently best for diesel due to emissions driven targets forcing most people to buy them and subsequently many hundreds of millions in R&D spent by the manufacturers in developing them. But these days too much regulation means much less reliability.
Europeans in general aren't exactly masters of petrol, VW and Ford only had all shít petrols until recently, can't remember the last properly good French decent petrol, Italians always had reasonably good ones. BMW used to have excellent ones, efficient dynamic ones are great on paper but unreliable, and recently they have mostly 4 cylinder turbos. Mercedes are littered with brilliant and below average ones. Audi have two or three gems and the rest used be terrible, until VW started making good ones a handful of years ago.

You are forgetting about Volvo/saab/fiat.
They have excellent petrol and diesel engines.
The notion that the japs have the most reliable petrol cars in the world isn't something ill agree with.
The fact that Lexus man thinks everyone drives a diesel bmw though is beyond idiotic.
The country is awash with Japanese cars, I have one.

bear1 wrote: »

You are forgetting about Volvo/saab/fiat.
They have excellent petrol and diesel engines.
The notion that the japs have the most reliable petrol cars in the world isn't something ill agree with.
The fact that Lexus man thinks everyone drives a diesel bmw though is beyond idiotic.
The country is awash with Japanese cars, I have one.

It's been a long time since Saab developed an engine. Fiat, I mentioned in Italian one really, and as I said, plenty of decent ones.
Volvo are a mixed bag, mostly fairly decent, their new D4 in-house engine is supposed to be excellent too, and I like their 5-cylinder petrols. Many engines in recent Volvo's were from Ford though.
And I do think the Japs have the most reliable petrol cars in general. Like anything there are specific examples to disprove the point, but in general, to a lay person, you hand them money to buy a car, all else being equal if they buy Jap statistically they'll have least chance of problems. That doesn't mean I want to buy an Auris though...

bear1 wrote: »

True but my point also is that they are not good across the board. Diesels are not their strong point, cdti, 220d, the boxer diesel etc.
Whereas in the eu we have the best of both worlds.
Re Volvo id agree, the 5 pot turbos are fantastic to drive and the 5 pot diesel equally good.
We are going off topic somewhat but nice debate with you there.. Someone who has an iota of knowledge is nice to read once in a while
Thought id add this as well that generally a proper drivers car is considered to have the m badge on it or an r/rs badge.
Op be unique and get a monaro

Debates are good! Rare enough around here though, muck slinging is more common!
I like the boxer diesel to be honest, bit noisy when cold but it's decent enough. It'd be one of my more preferred 4 cyl diesels out there.
The Volvo 5 pot diesel was good, but supposedly the new 4 pot D4 one just out less than a year is supposedly better, the british press gave it a great review, and it compared favourably to the BMW diesel, surprisingly, as I'm convinced they're all sponsored by BMW, Ford and VW...
Proper drivers cars are a different topic!!!
A Monaro is the dogs alright. There's a VXR8 in Sligo, one approached behind me and my ears pricked up before it passed, the brain lights flashing "wait a minute, something that isn't a diesel or tarted up petrol is coming..."
Felt like going up, knocking on the window and shaking his hand!!

Ugh, another thread ruined.

Hachiko wrote: »

BMW owners as usual derailing it. When I posted up that fine spec 2007 is250 the place imploded. God forbid if the OP created a new thread in a few weeks.

'New motor, 2007 is250'

*boards goes into meltdown

Not disimilar to the Audi A6 2.4 thread that turned into the Lexus is250 gearbox thread.

I am making a new thread for OP since this is now gone to waste.