New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

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Charles827si
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New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Charles827si » Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:44 am

I've meant to do a post about my (new to me) Lexus IS220D F Sport and so I got a spare few moments; here goes;

I've wanted one of these cars for a while and I've vaguely expressed my interest in the brand here before.
Been seeking to buy one as a daily in order to save the miles on the coupe.

As it turns out the coupe is in poor health but I was still hankering for a Lexi all the same and keeping both 800s I have as hobby, weekend cars tinkering cars - seems best to do.

The Lexus is an F Sport model and the rarer possibly more desired facelifted version.
Being a series 2, its the last of it's kind in facelifted form before bowing out in 2014. The series 3 replaced this car in 2014 in some markets and in 2013 in others I believe.
The last of the series 2 are one of the first models to use the F Sport brand.

And what you have with this version is not an out and out sporting car, but one which is the same engine, gearbox spec as the standard diesel or petrol, but with a front body kit and large 18" wheels.

The diesel is the same found in the Avensis.
The early units were (by Lexus standards) not particularly reliable with head gasket, liner issues.

Toyota/Lexus recognised the issues with this particular diesel engine and for the facelifted series 2 (which I have thankfully) redesigned the cylinder head and detuned the car to eliminate those earlier problems.

The diesel in these cars and the Avensis are about the average standard in terms of reliability compared to what you would find in an equivalent Audi or BMW.

Its a euro 5 compliment D, so tax aint really bad; £145.00 for the year.

Thats exactly the same as what my mum pays on her 17 reg MG3 1.5 litre engine by the way.
In terms of economy, these past 2 and half weeks I've been getting between 36.5mpg and 39.9 mpg local town driving.

I went to collect the car on train from a place near Leister.
I could see the car had been very well looked after by it's 2 previous owners.
12 Lexus stamps in the book and the last service carried out recently by the dealer I bought the car from.
The Dealer told me how much the previous owner had machined polished the car and there were Autoglym and other brand stickers on the windscreen.

Common problem with these cars (and the series 1 also) is they bubble up with rust on the rear wheel arch just next to where the arch meets the rear bumper.

This car I've bought is no exception and it's something I plan to have rectified by a body shop.

Other then this, and save for a few bumper stone chips, missing underbonnet clips; - the car is in splended condition and I'm very pleased with my first Lexi! :D

To say it now has 126000 miles on the clock I can truely say (having bought a Hyundai from brand new before) this Lexus feels like a 2 year old car!

Its a lovely drive, the gearbox still feels tight as drum, (save for some wear on the leather gearknob), and pleasantly the interior still has a new car smell. :D

No unwanted rattles or squeaks for the age and mileage that ive come across.

The first weekend I had it, I took the car for a very long 4 hour drive around the Yorkshire Dales.

I didn't stop until I got home. I got out the car still feeling good and refreshed.
Unfortunately I couldn't have done the same in my 800 coupe with its wider leather chair.

When new this car of it's spec was 28k.
I bought the car for just 5k.

It's still a fab car, especially for the money and as long as I look after this, the car in all probability will only increase, diesel or not.

There's still some time to go before I can be satisfied with electric cars, so until then, I'm ignoring the gloom, doom about dirty diesel.
(I know Scooby you tried to find petrol alternatives)

I did give the situation some thought beforehand.

Its certainly not a bad choice (in my mind) and until this inept government tax diesel through the roof I'm sure to keep this rarer Lexus as my daily.

I like the fact that there is similarity with the 800.
For example, the light switch is on the column stalk.
And like other Jap cars and the 800, the fuel cap is on the passenger side.
I find this easier at filling stations where your more likely to get a free pump on the left side of the forecourt. :D

Pictures to follow 8)
Charles 'Yorks'
"88 827si Fastback (manual) - Mum owned from new
"92 827 Coupe (manual)
"88 827sli Saloon (auto)
2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport
It's a stick shift? No, It's a grip shift!
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Manalishi
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Manalishi » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:17 am

Nice cars Lexus. I have a gs300 and the only complaint is the absence of feel when driving on the motorway. Its not a drivers car. But dead silent and comfortable!
Henrik
Rover 820 Vitesse Coupe 180bhp -93 (Italy)
Rover 827 Vitesse manual (non cat) -89 (Spain)
Lexus GS450h -13
Austin Seven Special -36
Gone:
Rover 820 ti -95
Rover 216 DOHC coupe -93
Rover 620 ti -98

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Charles827si
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Charles827si » Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:36 am

Manalishi wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:17 am
Nice cars Lexus. I have a gs300 and the only complaint is the absence of feel when driving on the motorway. Its not a drivers car. But dead silent and comfortable!
Completely agree; nice, comfortable silent cars. The diesel is surprisingly quiet and refined for a D. Can barely tell whats under the bonnet when driving.

I like the fact that being a series 2, this model has a proper manual gear shifter and not paddle shift like you get on the current car.
6th gear is really pointless unless your going at 80mph on motorways and autoroutes where the engine in 6th gear is comfortable.

For the year of manufacture, this car has many toys. Things like keyless entry are only becoming optional on todays compact saloons.

I like the new GS model as well. There is a good recent Top Gear review with Chris Harris pitting the GS F against the BMW M5.
Charles 'Yorks'
"88 827si Fastback (manual) - Mum owned from new
"92 827 Coupe (manual)
"88 827sli Saloon (auto)
2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport
It's a stick shift? No, It's a grip shift!
ImageImage

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Manalishi
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Manalishi » Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:48 am

My Gs is the older vesrion up to 2012. I would really like a Gs450h but they are too expensive as we need the model after 2012 (the boot is ridiculous on the older ones.

The level of luxury is very high for it's age, and ours is still only a "Comfort". The sound system is fantastic, keyless entry, the car lights up when I approach it. The climate pack is really smooth in action and just perfect. Never cold never hot. Good on fuel too at less than 10litres a 100km. On a long stretch it takes less than 7.5l/100km mwhich is better than our old Accord with 2.4 4 cylinder. This is a 3l V6.

The downsides are lack of space in the boot and the rear seats not folding.

I had a go in a IS300h, the new model. Really different. Large on the inside and small on the outside, and more of a drivers car.
Henrik
Rover 820 Vitesse Coupe 180bhp -93 (Italy)
Rover 827 Vitesse manual (non cat) -89 (Spain)
Lexus GS450h -13
Austin Seven Special -36
Gone:
Rover 820 ti -95
Rover 216 DOHC coupe -93
Rover 620 ti -98

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Charles827si
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Charles827si » Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:59 am

Thats good to hear Henrik - another satisfied Lexi owner!

That's one thing about the IS - the boot is not capacious and plus if there is one downside to the car as a whole; the rear seats dont fold down flat.
There is a compartment between the seats for holding skis (not that ive done ski sports since I was 18)

It's interesting that Lexus has gone down the route of hybrid cars across the lexus range.
This diesel in the IS was never a great seller in the UK. Hybrids at the time were preserved more for the GS, ES, LS.
I would say that a hybrid is both a cleaner alternative to diesel and better overall economy and emissions than a petrol only vehicle.
That's why Lexus did away with Diesel and focused on Hybrid as the economy alternative.
It's just nobody has the choice of a proper manual gear shift.
The reviews I've read on the paddle shift for the IS models have been a mixed bag altogether.
Charles 'Yorks'
"88 827si Fastback (manual) - Mum owned from new
"92 827 Coupe (manual)
"88 827sli Saloon (auto)
2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport
It's a stick shift? No, It's a grip shift!
ImageImage

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Manalishi
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Manalishi » Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:10 am

Yes forgot to mention, the GS has the ski-latch too. Useless. The new IS can fold the seats IIRC.

Now, I have a history of spending as little as possible for as much car as possible, so it may very well be that we keep this GS for a long time. We got it in december -15 and it was by then nearly 10 years old, silly cheap and had gone 30.000miles from new. Fully stamped book etc. It is however not beautiful as there are a few dents from doors etc. But it's ok, the inside is still as new and the enginge has a lot of grunt.
Henrik
Rover 820 Vitesse Coupe 180bhp -93 (Italy)
Rover 827 Vitesse manual (non cat) -89 (Spain)
Lexus GS450h -13
Austin Seven Special -36
Gone:
Rover 820 ti -95
Rover 216 DOHC coupe -93
Rover 620 ti -98

User avatar
Charles827si
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Posts: 1163
Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2009 10:08 pm
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Re: New to me, 2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport

Post by Charles827si » Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:10 pm

I'm sure the GS being a V6 will be a wonderful and sublime cruiser Henrik :D

In the UK (unlike the US) we never got the IS350 - the 3.5 V6.

If you compare the IS250 (2.5) V6 to the Rover 827, this engine in the IS is less efficient on combined mpg and overall has less bhp.
For a more modern V6, the IS250 is below industry norm.

I'm sure there were some hoping Lexus would bring the larger 3.5 to the UK.

Lexus must have thought there was less volume sales in that model.
There were less diesel sales as well. Yet Lexus must have known their diesel didn't match the BMW 320D for economy and power output - yet they still continued to provide a diesel and weirdly enough less powerful at the end of production.
After tweaking the IS220D it was still not on par with its nearest Germanic rivals for diesel efficiency.

So this must be the good reason that Lexus makes Hybrid these days and dropped diesel.
At least they didn't make the blunder JLR have done in the UK with Jaguar XE d and the like.
Charles 'Yorks'
"88 827si Fastback (manual) - Mum owned from new
"92 827 Coupe (manual)
"88 827sli Saloon (auto)
2011 Lexus IS220D F Sport
It's a stick shift? No, It's a grip shift!
ImageImage

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