Car of the Week: Lexus IS200

I'm going to say something controversial; I think Alan Partridge might have been wrong when he called Lexus the Japanese Mercedes. Instead consider this, Lexus, particularly my car of the week is more the Japanese BMW. Ladies and gents I give you the Lexus IS200.

BMW DNA

It's all in the DNA of the IS200 that I reach my conclusion, attractive 3 box sedan, straight 6 up front, the option of a manual gearbox in the middle and power going exclusively to the rear wheels. All traditional BMW ingredients but wrapped up in a Lexus package the IS is cruelly overlooked, let me share with you it's merits.

Posh Toyota

First off we have excellent build quality, remember people Lexus is just a posh Toyota, makers of those "unbreakable" Hilux's and god forsaken Camry's. I harp on about European cars being reliable if you look after them, but with Toyota underpinnings a Lexus will probably just keep running in spite of you. And whereas a BMW might start to show some electrical niggles like dead switches by its 17th birthday you can bet an IS's rear passenger electric window button will just keep on going. Again not wanting to sound to hypocritical, I do believe in the affordable Euros, but a Lexus part is likely to cost you less come fixing time than a European one.

Plastic fantastic (not)

Where the Lexus might not shine so greatly is the way the interior has aged, cheap feeling plastics and faux aluminium trim are a far cry form the quality of a contemporary E46 3 Series but a leather sports wheel and luxuries like duel zone climate control, cruise control and electrically adjustable everything might help lessen the blow. One thing you cannot escape though is the Lexus style rear lights, yup, the IS started the whole damn craze that still lingers in the modified car world to this day, they are dated and utterly naff, but at least you can have some sort of claim to fame.            

Its all about the 6

Driver appeal and genuine race car potential are more reasons to look the 200's way. It all comes back to that drive train, smooth revvy 6 cylinder up front and rear drive makes for a excellent base. And when mated to a 6 speed manual the deal is surely only sweetened. With direct steering, a composed, balanced ride and decent brakes the IS200 only gets better. With the inline 6 only displacing 2 litres the 200 is no rocket ship, making do with 114kw, revving it out is the only way to make real progress, no hardship of course, the VVTI likes a stretch. But if you do find it a little slow don't worry as being of Japanese origin means the IS is open to a whole range of modifications to make it faster. Watch here to see CarThrottle turn one into a track car and just listen to how good that engine sounds with an exhaust!

Go get one 

 
I do like rarity in a car, being unique for me is part of the appeal and surprisingly a manual IS200 is rarer than an equivalent BMW E46 while still costing the same amount of coin. Prices range from $3000 for a rough high kilometer car to $10k for a modified one. Personally I'd go somewhere in the middle and a buy stock or just slightly modified example to give myself a blank canvas. The car I've chosen below is a good example and also happens to be the Sport LE version with a subtle body kit. Overlooked and underrated the IS200 is a hidden gem in Lexus's back catalogue, with an engaging nature and a drivetrain copied straight from the boys in Munich the 200 might just be the dynamic sedan you never knew you needed.

2000 Lexus IS200, $7440  

Trio of Mazda RX-7's go to auction

Originality is a lovely thing, it gets nerds like me all hot under the collar. So imagine the excitement when I heard not one but three early Mazda RX-7's are to be auctioned at Shannon's May 8th Sale.

Aussie delivered

The cars are not just early but run in sequential model order too, Series 1, Series 2 and 3. To top it all off the cars will be offered with no reserve. Here are some details, firstly all three are manual and have low kilometres, they were also Australian delivered as new, no JDM importing here, this makes me even hotter under the collar!

Series 1 RX-7

Unmodified 

It gets better though, all three cars have come from the same private collection, so despite having had little use they have been meticulously well looked after and ultimately kept locked up away from modifying hands. Yes that's right, all three have their Wankles intact with  not a hint of LS motor in sight! They even sit on their original alloy wheels. Inside the interiors are time warp, with factory spec'ed A/C and no sunroofs, not only does that make them that bit stiffer it's also one less place the RX-7's can rust from.

Series 2 RX-7

 Collectable

Increasing collectable an early RX-7 is a good place to put some money, despite their lack of reserve the cars are likely to fetch strong money. Shannon's predict the silver Series 1 will go for $20-26k while the Series 2 and 3 are expected to fetch $14-18k each. Pricey but still a darn sight cheaper than many a European coupe of the same condition and vintage. If you want one get to Shannon's Melbourne Autumn Auction on the 8th of May, and should the Japanese coupes not take your fancy there are many other cars up for grabs too.

Series 3 RX-7

     

What ever happened to 90's coupes: Toyota Supra

The Fast and Furious franchise has made stars of many cars, but perhaps none more so than a certain orange one driven in that first film, Toyota's top of the range 90's coupe, the Supra. Now of course if we get technical, a Supra badge has been glued to the boot of a Toyota since the late 70's, but back then it was merely a stretched Celica and although a bespoke Supra appeared in 1986 the curvy bewinged beast we all recognise didn't arrive until 1993.

From Zero to Hero

Sudden movie stardom for the Supra was a double edged sword though. A car that for a long time was only tuned by skinny Japanese men in cramped Tokyo workshops, suddenly had a cult following, thanks to Paul Walker everyone wanted one. This brought about an issue as in Australia at least Toyota hadn't bothered to sell the Supra. Turns out in the 90's nobody outside of the Japan really wanted a twin turbo Japanese coupe. So in order to buy one importing became the thing to do and for a tuning obsessed generation Y the Supra and its Nissan sparring partner the Skyline became the turbo whooshing, neon light sporting version of a good old Ford vs Holden fight. But let's take a step back for minute and forget installing boost gauges and huge sub woofers and appreciate what is an increasingly rare Japanese sports car.

Really?

Whats under the bonnet?

Ok, the headlines, 3 litres, straight 6, 2 turbo's, rear wheel drive. A claimed 206kw and up to 451Nm of torque however many reports suggest Toyota undersold themselves a bit with power actually nearer the 240kw mark. You also got a bewildering array of specs ranging from SZ to RZ over the cars 9 years in production, with some variants getting traction control, limited slip diff, pioneering active aero, trick dampers and later benefiting from variable valve timing or VVTI in Toyota speak. Your choice with a Supra really is endless, heck they even made a non turbo version without the big spoiler, but why you'd want one of them is beyond me.

Just leave it alone

Other reasons why I want to celebrate the standard Supra are an appreciation for the exterior and interior. While its Skyline rival went for a macho boxy look, the smooth surfaces of the Supra are hard to resist. That swooping roof line and iconic tail lights made the Supra look good straight out of the box and are too often spoilt by body kits and massive adjustable wings. Then there is the interior, not usually a highlight of Japanese cars of this era, the Supra's is actually full of 90's charm, like a tape deck, crazy patterned seats and a stubby gear knob. Check out the centre console in the picture below it's angled towards the driver, like a fighter jets cockpit! There is nothing in there you need to change, it's suitably epic as is. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate tasteful modifications but I think sometimes we need to take a step back and see how nice cars can actually look when they are just left alone.

Future classic 

Toyota's A80 Supra is one of those cars made famous by being modified but sometimes it can all get a little 2 fast 2 furious (sorry that was an awful pun), But seriously the Supra is rarely appreciated for actually just being a good looking, suitably fast 90's coupe with an interior to make you feel like a total top gun hero. Standard cars are increasingly hard to come by and quickly gaining value, a brief search throws up only a handful with prices well over $20k. It is a future classic for sure and with rumours of a new one coming I hope Toyota can regain their mojo while at the same time bring the name back for another generation to enjoy.  

         

New European car deals Australia

Off the back of my last post I understand that some of you out there might not be as keen as me to purchase an old, quite so cheap European car. So to rectify this I am going to the other end of the spectrum today to show you how reasonably priced a brand spanking new Euro can be here in Australia.

Fair Comparisons 

With so many models in each companies range though I could get overwhelmed merely quoting prices. So in a bid to keep things relatively simple I am going to focus on one type of car, a car the majority of European manufacturers do best, the basic to mid range hatch back. By giving a direct comparison to some similarly spec'd Japanese, Korean and Australian rivals hopefully it will be clear that buying European is not such an expensive business.

Servicing  

Also as well as that all important purchase price there is another key barrier that prevents people choosing a Euro in Australia and that is the perceived running and servicing costs being high. So in a bid to debunk this myth too and prove that the cars can be maintained just as cost effectively as their Asian counterparts I'm going to give the price for a 12 month service on each car. 

The Contenders 

To a selection of Europe's offerings first, the Renault Megane, Citroen C4, Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf all with manual gearboxes except the Renault. 

Volkswagen Golf 90TSI Comfortline

• $29,034*
• Frugal 1.4 turbo capable of 5.4L/100km, refined German styling and build quality 
• 5.8 inch touchscreen, cruise control, reversing camera, auto wipers
• Multiple safety systems
• 3 year unlimited km warrant and fixed price servicing (£330)

Citroen C4 Seduction (awful name by the way)

• $27,716*
• To quote Citroen, the C4 features a serene ambiance, what more do you want?
• Cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, MP3 CD radio, multifuction steering wheel
• 6 year unlimited km warranty and breakdown cover and 6 year fixed price servicing ($330)
• Economy of 6.2L/100km

Renault Megane GT-Line

• $26,990*
• Sat Nav, rain sensing wiper, auto lights, parking sensors, 17" alloys 
• 5 year unlimited KM warranty and 5 year Aussie wide breakdown cover
• 3 year fixed priced servicing ($299)
• Economy of 5.4L/100km

Skoda Octavia Ambition Plus

• $26,790*
• Powerful but economical 1.4 litre turbo engine capable of 5.2L/100km (DSG)
• Sedan like body provides more space over rivals 
• 5.8 inch touchscreen sound system and heap of driver aids
• 3 year unlimited km warrant and fixed price servicing ($286)

Peugeot 308 Access (admittedly this is the base model, but it is brand new to Aus)

• $25,449*
• Fresh design, winner of the 2014 European car of the year
• LED Daytime running lights, Air con, Bluetooth and USB connectivity
• 3 year 100,000km warranty, 5 year fixed priced servicing ($297)  
• Economy of 4.6L/100km

The Competition

Now compare those specs and prices to the Asian and Australian options, the Kia Cerato, Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla and Holden Cruze.

Kia Cerato Si 

• $29,490*
• Auto headlights, Keyless entry
• 7 year unlimited km warranty 
• Fixed price servicing ($286)
• Economy of 7.4L/100km

Toyota Corolla Levix SX

• $27,460*
• 17 inch alloys, sat nav, reversing camera, 6.1 inch LCD touchscreen
• Fixed priced servicing for the first 6 services at $130
• 3 year 100,000km warranty
• Economy of 7.1L/100km

Hyundai i30 Elite CRDi

• £27,190*
• Torque rich turbo diesel with economy of 4.5L/100km
• Touch screen sat nav, auto wiper and headlights, rear view camera
•  5 year unlimited km warranty
•  Lifetime of fixed priced servicing ($260)

Holden Cruze SRi

• $26,386*
• 18 inch alloys, heated front seats, smartphone connectivity, sat nav
• 3 year, 100,000km warranty 
• 3 years of capped priced servicing ($180) 
• Economy of 6.2L/100km

My choice of cars is by no means exhaustive, these are merely a random selection of the cars for sale right now. I should also point out that yes, by picking a more basic trim level to ones I picked you can dramatically affect price, but I just wanted a like for like comparison. Interestingly though if you take advantage of VW and Skoda's run out 2014 offers on their most basic trim levels some extraordinary value can be had. Base models of both the cars listed here can be driven away for £22,990.

To conclude, this whole exercise is not intended to be some hatred fueled rant against Korean or Japanese cars, I'm a lover of all things on four wheels. I can see for example that the Holden and Toyota have very appealing servicing costs and that the Korean pair have huge warranties not to be sniffed at. This is also not a comparative road test, that would be unfair as I've not driven them all. What I hope to have achieved though is show that picking a European hatch over the others does not have to be as expensive as some people would have you believe. All the cars here are within $4000 of each other and in some cases it can even cost less to buy Euro in the first place.   

*Prices are subject to location, dealer and current offers. 

Pictures shown are not of the exact specifications listed courtesy of Newspress & GM Corp