Used Lexus IS200 review: 2001-2004

If you had $35,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you wanted to buy a car what would you buy?  Would you go out and buy a new Falcon, Commodore or Camry, or be a little more adventurous and spend it on a used Beemer, 'Benz or Statesman?

There's nothing better than the smell of a new car, one no-one else has driven before you, but that fleeting new smell comes at a mighty cost. The moment you drive it out of the showroom its value dives some 20 per cent and there's nothing you can do about it.

Your $35,000 would only get you a cooking model Falcon, Commodore or Camry, a base model with few frills, but for the same amount you can drive around in a prestige car that will have your neighbours thinking you've hit the jackpot.

True the model you would end up with will be one from the lower end of the maker's model range, but even that can be more engaging than a mainstream mass-produced model.  In the case of Lexus, a highly respected prestige brand, you would be able to buy an IS200.

Model watch

Lexus is the prestige brand Toyota launched to break through the image barrier that had it locked into a cheap-and-cheerful mould.  It worked a treat, the first model was aimed at the Mercedes-Benz S Class when the big German carmaker had let quality slip and it blitzed 'Benz into submission.

Having established itself as a maker of high quality cars, Lexus than began an expansion of its model range. One of the cars that came in that period of growth was the IS200, a car aimed at the BMW 3-Series.  It launched in 1999, followed by an upgrade in 2001.

There's little doubt of which car Toyota was aiming at when it designed the IS200; its looks, size and proportions all mirror the BMW 3-Series.
But that's not a bad thing given the small BMW is the style champion in the compact prestige arena. Its lines are taut, its proportions athletic, and above all it's timeless.

So too is the IS200, which looks as good today as it did when first launched almost 10 years ago.  The chassis is good too; it stops, steers and handles on a par with the benchmark Beemer.  Being a car with sporting pretensions the IS200's ride can be a little jiggly, but it doesn't adversely affect the ride harmony.

Under the bonnet lay a 2.0-litre six that packed a fair slice of contemporary technology in the form of double overhead camshafts, 24 valves, variable valve timing.  When at its peak it produced 114 kW at 6200 revs and 195 Nm at 4600 revs.

But it fell behind when it came to applying all of that technology to the road. While it would rev enthusiastically it was languid in the low end and mid-range compared to the BMW.  When pitted against the clock the IS200 required almost 12 seconds to reach 100 km/h and more than 18 seconds for the standing 400-metre sprint.

The IS200 came standard with a sweet four-speed auto transmission, and there was a six-speed manual available as an option.  Although it was a four-speed against the five most of its rivals had the transmission was highly praised for its smoothness. Its manual shift mode was also praised for its ease of use.

Inside, the IS200's interior was an adventure in design and tended to polarise opinion. The readability of its instruments was criticised, but the quality of its sound system and air/heater controls were roundly applauded.  The seats were generally criticised for being too flat and too snug, and the rear accommodation was held to be rather uncomfortable and cramped.

In the shop

Toyota quality is generally held up as the benchmark, but the Lexus is even better, with greater attention paid to panel gaps, paint quality, tightness and overall fit and finish.  Little tends to go wrong with them, what does are usually minor items that occur on a one-off basis rather than regularly happening across the Lexus population.

Make a careful check of the body looking for signs of panel damage, like mismatching panels, colour variations, over-spray and the like.
Check alloy wheels for kerb damage that could have ramifications for the suspension underneath.  Also check that all systems, air, sound etc, are working, and ask for a service record.

Listen for knocking noises when cornering or driving over a speed hump. If you hear a noise, check for worm balljoints.  Check around the water pump for signs of coolant leakage.

In a crash

Standard ABS antilock brakes with emergency brake assist and brakeforce distribution, on top of the IS200's agile chassis make for good primary safety.  Add to that a comprehensive array of front and side airbags and the IS200 scrubs up well for crash protection.  ANCAP rates the IS200 at five stars, a top rating.

At the pump

Driven with a careful right foot the IS200 will return less than 10 L/100 km, but if driven enthusiastically that will jump up to the mid-10 range.

Look for

Brilliant handling
Jiggly ride
Sweet high-revving engine
Lacks low-down grunt
Good build quality
Cramped rear accommodation

The bottom line

Prestige sports motoring for the price of a mundane family four-door