Lexus IS250 or alternatives!

[acme]

Next winter I’m going to need a shed/winter hack. Ideally a four wheel drive car (not SUV) would probably be best given I live rurally, but with few if any options I can see I’ve settled on a barge.

I did start looking for a MK2 Lexus GS300 (I want as close to turn key as poss) but they’re thin on the ground and post March 2006 incur 600 pa tax. So I’ve settled (I think) on a Mk2 IS250, autos don’t incur the 600 tax and less than 100k milers can be had for 5k.

Question is are they like a mini barge ie wafty & comfortable and what are peoples experiences of them?

I’d probably put winter/all seasons on to in part mitigate the rear wheel drive issue.

Any alternatives?

Cheers in advance.

[Krikkit]

BL/BP Legacy or Outback would be my choice - 2004-2009 generation.

4WD but without silly ride heights and poor handling. Very comfy seats, heated things, very reliable and easy to work on should anything need doing (they're very well engineered). Boxer 4-pot is very smooth.

The 2.5 is reasonable but won't set your hair on fire, and ours averaged 35mpg:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303155...

You could also look for the 3.0 for a bit more pep and thirst, or even a JDM 2.0 turbo one.

[cheesejunkie]

acme said:

Next winter I’m going to need a shed/winter hack. Ideally a four wheel drive car (not SUV) would probably be best given I live rurally, but with few if any options I can see I’ve settled on a barge.

I did start looking for a MK2 Lexus GS300 (I want as close to turn key as poss) but they’re thin on the ground and post March 2006 incur 600 pa tax. So I’ve settled (I think) on a Mk2 IS250, autos don’t incur the 600 tax and less than 100k milers can be had for 5k.

Question is are they like a mini barge ie wafty & comfortable and what are peoples experiences of them?

I’d probably put winter/all seasons on to in part mitigate the rear wheel drive issue.

Any alternatives?

Cheers in advance.

I’ve owned one and don’t have a bad word to say about them other than what does winter road capabilities mean to you? They’re good car but in my experience useless in snow unless you fit winter tyres. I mean hilariously useless. Even getting out of the driveway was a challenge.

Something wafty and 4wd/awd, I’d be looking at a Volvo or maybe an Avant. I’m sure others will have more experienced options.

IS250 is a good car. It’s absolutely terrible in the snow. Terrible.

[Shabaza]

Id go for a Honda Legend
Theyre AWD, come with all the toys etc

[acme]

Krikkit said:

BL/BP Legacy or Outback would be my choice - 2004-2009 generation.

4WD but without silly ride heights and poor handling. Very comfy seats, heated things, very reliable and easy to work on should anything need doing (they're very well engineered). Boxer 4-pot is very smooth.

The 2.5 is reasonable but won't set your hair on fire, and ours averaged 35mpg:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303155...

You could also look for the 3.0 for a bit more pep and thirst, or even a JDM 2.0 turbo one.

Thanks for that, appreciated. I did see these when I did a random four wheel drive search on AT but know next to nothing about them. Seems I need to do some research.

Cheers for that one.

[acme]

cheesejunkie said:

I’ve owned one and don’t have a bad word to say about them other than what does winter road capabilities mean to you? They’re good car but in my experience useless in snow unless you fit winter tyres. I mean hilariously useless. Even getting out of the driveway was a challenge.

Something wafty and 4wd/awd, I’d be looking at a Volvo or maybe an Avant. I’m sure others will have more experienced options.

IS250 is a good car. It’s absolutely terrible in the snow. Terrible.

Your post/honesty about their snow capabilities made me laugh!

Guess I should put this into context, I got snowed in before Christmas for a week, living down a small country lane that has less chance of being gritted than we do of getting a competent government (of any party)!

Its abilities in the winter do concern me a bit, but I certainly won’t be going off road! Plus I don’t like nor need a SUV.

How was your experiences of reliability etc & at what age/mileage?

Volvos I don’t know about, Audis I’d only want petrol & as best I can tell oil consumptions an issue plus at 5k they’re more proper sheds. I think.

Cheers

[cheesejunkie]

acme said:

cheesejunkie said:

I’ve owned one and don’t have a bad word to say about them other than what does winter road capabilities mean to you? They’re good car but in my experience useless in snow unless you fit winter tyres. I mean hilariously useless. Even getting out of the driveway was a challenge.

Something wafty and 4wd/awd, I’d be looking at a Volvo or maybe an Avant. I’m sure others will have more experienced options.

IS250 is a good car. It’s absolutely terrible in the snow. Terrible.

Your post/honesty about their snow capabilities made me laugh!

Guess I should put this into context, I got snowed in before Christmas for a week, living down a small country lane that has less chance of being gritted than we do of getting a competent government (of any party)!

Its abilities in the winter do concern me a bit, but I certainly won’t be going off road! Plus I don’t like nor need a SUV.

How was your experiences of reliability etc & at what age/mileage?

Volvos I don’t know about, Audis I’d only want petrol & as best I can tell oil consumptions an issue plus at 5k they’re more proper sheds. I think.

Cheers

It’s still in the family but I don’t own it. 15 years old and still runs well. Never gave an expensive problem other than the exhaust. Rear calliper was expensive too I suppose but that can happen to any car. It never had a problem with oil consumption.

Lexuses, lexi? Of that era are built to last.

But they’re st in the snow. Levels of st you have to experience to know how st they are .

[2wheelsjimmy]

acme said:

Thanks for that, appreciated. I did see these when I did a random four wheel drive search on AT but know next to nothing about them. Seems I need to do some research.

Cheers for that one.

Farmers car for a reason. I run an Outback with Geolander tyres and live at 1000m and cross 2000m passes in winter. Never been stuck, can drive though snow no hassle. The tyres aren't the best snow tyres but I need to drive off road a lot so I leave them all year around. If you want something that will never leave you stuck, it's ideal. Unless you want a Shogun or Land Cruiser. I reckon my H6 3.0L outback is bombproof. I treat it like st (it gets used hard) and never let me down. I'm a proper fanboy of it. Goes like stink, never gets stuck, load it up with the family and cruise with the sluggish autobox across countries or enjoy the heated seats on a cold morning. Mind you I don't pay the road tax on it. Drinks fuel like an alcoholic though.

Edited by 2wheelsjimmy on Thursday 23 March 17:34

[ZX10R NIN]

acme said:

Your post/honesty about their snow capabilities made me laugh!

Guess I should put this into context, I got snowed in before Christmas for a week, living down a small country lane that has less chance of being gritted than we do of getting a competent government (of any party)!

Its abilities in the winter do concern me a bit, but I certainly won’t be going off road! Plus I don’t like nor need a SUV.

How was your experiences of reliability etc & at what age/mileage?

Volvos I don’t know about, Audis I’d only want petrol & as best I can tell oil consumptions an issue plus at 5k they’re more proper sheds. I think.

Cheers

The IS250 is a good car but is a rubbish in snow unless you fit some winter tyre, reliability wise they're a good car BUT you need a late 57 plate onwards as the earlier models aren't E10 compatible.

An alternative is the 2.0T Insignia Elite/SRI, these are very good option, like Haldex AWD system you need to see thatit's been service as per schedule or plan to get it done yourself:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302284...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303075...

[Truckosaurus]

I have an IS250 that I bought as a cheap stopgap 6.5 years ago when nothing was taking my fancy when my last lease car went back.

The reason I still have it is that I can't think what to replace it with. Everything newer seems to either be a dull 4-cyl turbo or too exotic/complex to risk (and the recent price rises mean that when I bought my IS250 at 9yrs old, they were £5k for a low mileage one, now a 9yr old IS (albeit a hybrid) is mid-teens).

Plus Points - nice smooth engine and never goes wrong. Cheap servicing and Toyota parts bin for most consumables.

Minus Points - Auto gearbox is old fashioned and there isn't a manual mode for it. The boot is fairly small and only has a small orifice, also the rear seats don't fold.

[georgeyboy12345]

I'd be more tempted to go with your original brief of a 4WD non-SUV shed. Here are some great ones I have managed to find, all with fairly long MOTs on them

Volvo XC70 D5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303215...


Jaguar X-Type 2.5 V6 SE

Manual
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303175...

Auto
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303225...


Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 4x4
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301283...


Audi A4 Avant 3.0 Quattro
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301173...


Audi TT 1.8T Quattro
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...

[ZX10R NIN]

Truckosaurus said:

I have an IS250 that I bought as a cheap stopgap 6.5 years ago when nothing was taking my fancy when my last lease car went back.

The reason I still have it is that I can't think what to replace it with. Everything newer seems to either be a dull 4-cyl turbo or too exotic/complex to risk (and the recent price rises mean that when I bought my IS250 at 9yrs old, they were £5k for a low mileage one, now a 9yr old IS (albeit a hybrid) is mid-teens).

Plus Points - nice smooth engine and never goes wrong. Cheap servicing and Toyota parts bin for most consumables.

Minus Points - Auto gearbox is old fashioned and there isn't a manual mode for it. The boot is fairly small and only has a small orifice, also the rear seats don't fold.

There is a manual mode pull the lever over when in drive then use the paddles & it'll even bounce off the rev limiter with no change up, you don't get more manual than that.

[acme]

ZX10R NIN said:

The IS250 is a good car but is a rubbish in snow unless you fit some winter tyre, reliability wise they're a good car BUT you need a late 57 plate onwards as the earlier models aren't E10 compatible.

An alternative is the 2.0T Insignia Elite/SRI, these are very good option, like Haldex AWD system you need to see thatit's been service as per schedule or plan to get it done yourself:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302284...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303075...

Thanks for your reply, I was hoping you’d chip in as I always enjoy your unusual suggestions.

Funnily enough I knew about the E10 issue, but only cos I read a previous thread you commented on, so much appreciated for that.

The Insignia was a good suggestion but unfortunately they’re 600+ tax, dam!

[acme]

Truckosaurus said:

I have an IS250 that I bought as a cheap stopgap 6.5 years ago when nothing was taking my fancy when my last lease car went back.

The reason I still have it is that I can't think what to replace it with. Everything newer seems to either be a dull 4-cyl turbo or too exotic/complex to risk (and the recent price rises mean that when I bought my IS250 at 9yrs old, they were £5k for a low mileage one, now a 9yr old IS (albeit a hybrid) is mid-teens).

Plus Points - nice smooth engine and never goes wrong. Cheap servicing and Toyota parts bin for most consumables.

Minus Points - Auto gearbox is old fashioned and there isn't a manual mode for it. The boot is fairly small and only has a small orifice, also the rear seats don't fold.

Cheers for that. The small boot & lack of folding seats is a pain as this will also be my tip/garden tools etc shed, though I rarely carry much etc.

I’ll have to compromise & if all seasons are any good it might do. SE-L’s are so well specced.

If not it seems a Subaru could be a good shout.

[ZX10R NIN]

The tax is more swnsible if you go for the FWD version:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302094...

[acme]

georgeyboy12345 said:

I'd be more tempted to go with your original brief of a 4WD non-SUV shed. Here are some great ones I have managed to find, all with fairly long MOTs on them

Volvo XC70 D5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303215...


Jaguar X-Type 2.5 V6 SE

Manual
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303175...

Auto
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303225...


Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 4x4
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301283...


Audi A4 Avant 3.0 Quattro
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301173...


Audi TT 1.8T Quattro
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301313...

Thanks for all those, appreciated.

Can’t deny 4x4 does make sense, it’s ironic when in towns you see SUV’s everywhere yet only one of my neighbours has a proper 4x4 (Discovery)!

No disiesals I’m afraid. But Volvos do appeal, I suspect in my budget petrols will be hard to find. Thing is come summer it’ll get little if any use

[Shifter1]

The IS250 is brilliant in my opinion. It's the type of car which will surprise you and get under your skin. One of those cars which are way better driving than on paper.

A very good friend has one, and I have driven it several times. As Truckosaurus here, he also bought it as a stop gap. But he couldn't sell it. In his own words, it's just ridiculous what you get for the money and nothing else for that money beats it. So despite still buying another car, he keeps the IS250 too.

His is a 6 speed manual though. It's a joy to drive. If you just want to cruise and a waffy experience it's quiet, smooth and creamy engine, very comfortable. But if you want to push it, engine comes to life at higher RPMs and the suspension will beat bends and allow you to carry more speed than the equivalent 3 series. Not a surprise since the IS has higher skidpad numbers than the 3 series. Once you get to know the car and push it, you are left with a feeling of, how or why it does that? It isn't supposed to be that good. It's a somewhat heavy 4 door luxury saloon. But it can also be quite sporty, considering.

This element of surprise is what makes it brilliant. Because you just don't expect that from it. Specially if you just listen to what forum people say. You know, that mindset that only BMW saloons can be a good steer. Give me the IS250 over the contemporary BMW, Mercedes and Audi any time. And it still look great today. Specially again, if compared to its contemporaries.

And it's loaded. It has everything. From normal stuff like cruise control and heated seats, to cooling seats and self leveling headlights. His is a 2005. It has many features much newer and even new cars don't. All for very affordable money. Hard to beat.

In the years he has had it, nothing but consumables. Bullet proof as you would expect from a Toyota.

But yes, dreadful if it snows. Winter rubber is a must and he found that out the hard way. With winter rubber they are as good as any RWD car. But it's a great car and you can't go wrong even if you don't just consider what you get for the money IMO.

[Truckosaurus]

ZX10R NIN said:

There is a manual mode pull the lever over when in drive then use the paddles & it'll even bounce off the rev limiter with no change up, you don't get more manual than that.

You might wish to read the manual (no pun intended) - The IS250 has an 'S' mode for the paddles which is 'speed range' (the true manual mode cars (eg in the GT86 or GS250) have an 'M') - flicking the paddles changes the number shown on the dashboard but that is actually the number of the highest gear it will use, and might not be the gear you are in.

If you set it to '2' for example it will just use gears 1 and 2, and as you mention once you get to the top of the rev range it will not change into 3.

If you nail it, full throttle, with '2' selected and click up to '3' when you are at 4000rpm it won't change into 3rd it will stay in 2nd all the way to the red line and then change into 3rd. You might as well leave it in Drive and use kickdown.

Using Drive with the 'PWR' button selected is fairly 'sporty' it changes the throttle response, and changes down more often when you brake.

[Krikkit]

Truckosaurus said:

If you nail it, full throttle, with '2' selected and click up to '3' when you are at 4000rpm it won't change into 3rd it will stay in 2nd all the way to the red line and then change into 3rd. You might as well leave it in Drive and use kickdown.

Not really, because you can't stop it then changing straight up to 5th/6th when you lift off

[Tinkermantony]

Great cars. Had a 2006 SEL between Dec 2017 and Dec 2019 Bought for £5k and px for £1.8k at 95k miles. Apart from routine maintenance never spent anything. Just checked and it's now on 145k.

For getting round the country in comfort it's ideal.