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  

Super Cheap Euro's: Vol 3

If you haven't read my previous super cheap euro pieces then let me give you a quick run down. I'm convinced that European cars need not be expensive things to own or at the very least buy in this country. This means that every so often I search online for a bunch of bargain euro's to give you guys out there some inspiration. A European car for under $2000, here are an eclectic mix I found earlier, what could possibly go wrong?

Fiat Regata

Do you want to own something that literally no one will have ever heard off? Coming complete with a slice of slab sided but oddly stylish 1980's Italian design flair I give you the Fiat Regata. As far as I can figure out Fiat did actually sell the Regata down under and I can only speculate they did not sell many. Making this car a rare survivor, especially given it's outstanding condition and the fact it's only recently run out of rego. For $1000 (if I was closer) I'd have it bought.
1987 Fiat Regata; $1000

Peugeot 306 Cab

From an Italian car to one that was designed by one of the countries finest design studios. The regular 306 is pretty thanks to the Pininfarina styling, but chopping its roof off only makes it better. Roof down, leather seats poking out the 306 convertible reminds me of a gorgeous Riva speedboat, only with the useful ability to drive on land and of course cost a fraction of the price. There are both phase 1 and 2 examples available, with the phase 1 just a little bit more angular in appearance. The car I've chosen is a phase 2, painted gold, because if your impersonating a luxury speedboat, why not?
1998 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet; $1800 

BMW 3 Series

Want to be part of BMW history for not a lot of money? Then the 3 Series is your answer. With over 10 million made you could buy into that staggering statistic. Of course they are popular for good reason. For years only BMW offered buyers the combination of luxury and driver involvement, wrapped up in a solid Teutonic looking package. With so many around it's no real surprise they are cheap however, it also means there is choice galore. I've picked a manual, it is a drivers car after all.
1993 BMW 318i; $1500

Citroen Xantia

It's not quite Fiat Regata weird but the Xantia exists in a similar "what the hell are you driving" realm. Classic wedge shape draws from it's Citroen DS ancestry, similarly the hydropneumatic suspension that debuted in the DS ensures all of our roads imperfections are ironed out. Now the car I've picked does need some work, but it is awfully cheap and has been advertised since October last year, someone buy it please.
1996 Citroen Xantia; $400

Saab 9000

To round off this eclectic mix of cars and guessing some of you may be laughing so hard at my suggestions already I thought why not include a car from a defunct manufacturer. Yes I give you the Saab 9000, however don't right the car off just because Saab does not exist anymore. The 9000 was one of the most over engineered cars of its time. Despite agreeing to platform share with Fiat/Lancia/Alfa to save money Saab engineers totally reworked their quarter of the foursome, making it stronger and re positioning things to make the 9000 one of the safest places to be should you happen to have a crash in the 1980's. The car soldiered on until 1998 however the example I've found comes from 1995. Being sold by what seems to be an honest dealer the 9000 is a trade in and has been given a mechanical once over. It's also a super rare manual car. The kms are high but that's probably why it's so cheap.
1995 Saab 9000; $1650     

Super cheap euro's volume 3, from Fiats to Saabs hopefully I have helped to showcase there really is a lot of choice for car enthusiasts in Australia.

4 Alternative Budget Hot Hatches

Hot hatches, what's not to love about them? They combine practicality and performance, usually for very little financial outlay. Trouble is some of the worlds best are harder to find than unicorn poo in Australia or depressingly never made it here in the first place, I'm taking about Peugeot 205 GTI's, early Golf GTI's, Renault 5 Turbo's and Ford's XRI range of hatches. So what Aussie alternatives are out there for the budget hot hatch connoisseur? Let me share with you 4 of my favourites.

Ford Laser TX3 Turbo

Based on a Mazda 323 the Laser range was a massive sales success for Ford in Australia over 5 generations. And naturally at the height of the 80's hot hatch war Ford couldn't resist strapping on a Turbo, some all wheel drive hardware and an X badge. Available in a sportier 3 door body style with obligatory rear spoiler, skirts and alloy wheels the TX3 actually has more than a passing resemblance to Ford of Europe's Mk3 Escort. With a turbo charged 117kw 1.8 litre and a kerb weight of just 1180kg the TX3 was good for 0-100km/h in 8.4seconds. The 4 wheel drive also meant the Laser was that little bit more sure footed than it's rivals on the twisty stuff. A truly forgotten hot hatch hero if ever there was one that you can pick up now for less than $3000, a future classic perhaps?

Toyota Corolla GTI

Twin cam's, 16 valves and the engine code 4A-GE, 3 phrases that should raise the heart rate of any die hard car guy. Unfortunately though if you were brought up in the last 20 years the words Toyota Corolla are more likely to put you to sleep than set your heart racing. But imagine a time when all those words were thrown together! What appeared was a Corolla that deservedly wore a GTI badge on its boot. 100kw of naturally aspirated 1.6 litre goodness teamed to a light body and willing chassis saw the early 90's Corolla do a rather good job of being an every day performance car. 0-100km/h took a little under 10 seconds so although it wasn't blistering it had just enough fun factor to distract you from what was at best bland styling, the AE93 Corolla GTI is a rare gem which can be had for as little as $1500 nowadays, if you don't mind fixing one up like the car in the pics.

Holden Barina GSI

Holden's European cousins Opel/Vauxhall thought it was a good idea in the mid 90's to tune the engine they put in they're tiniest car and give it a set of 3 spoke alloys, what they created was the Corsa GSI, a car which thankfully Holden imported and sold here as the Barina. The Barina measures a mere 3.7 meters and has a dry weight of less than 1000kg, these figures are good from a handling point of view and when you slot in a 1.6 litre 16 valve engine which loves to rev, your left with a recipe for the perfect winding road warrior. The lady in the picture is certainly happy with hers.

Suzuki Swift GTI

My last choice makes do with just 1.3 litres and 74kw but it is arguably the most back to basics hot hatch on this list. With a willingness to rev, some period body modifications and a set of bucket seats the Swift GTI really isn't a whole lot more. And the great thing is it doesn't need to be, I've been passenger in a basic Swift (GLX if you want to get technical) which was driven briskly and can honestly say without sounding too clichéd it lives up to the name! A surprisingly balanced car that with a shot of GTI'ness makes it all the better. You can get one for under $3000 and I cant recommend one enough.  

       
Coming from a era when 16 valve's, twin cam's and liberal usage of the letters S and X implied your car was better than everyone else's I hope my little run down has given you something to think about, especially if you find yourself sad at the lack of retro hot hatches Down Under. Naturally certain people might not agree with my 4 cars and for obvious reason, a least one of them looks like an utter pudding, but what lies beneath are ultimately fun and engaging cars with a liberal dosage of nostalgia. Perfect for tearing up a good road, without breaking the bank. Whack their names into Gumtree.com.au and see what I mean.

Car of The Week: BMW 525i Review

Ok I am back from my holidays so it is about time I get to updating my little blog and what better way than with an actual road test. I give you the BMW 525i.

Let me begin with a confession; the E39 BMW M5 is a car on my vehicular bucket list, meaning naturally this weeks car, the flame surfaced E60 didn't draw me in as much as it's classically proportioned predecessor. However that was a worryingly long time ago, 2004 to be exact and since then the years have been favourable to Chris Bangles shake up of the 5 Series. The car manages to pass as a modern sedan and dare I say look more interesting than the current 5 series that replaced it in 2010. The passing of 11 years also means that the 5 now represents an affordable way into BMW ownership and I've been driving a 525i variant to see if this one time ugly duckling is worth your dollar.

How does it drive?

Driving is probably the best thing to start with given BMW's persistence that they make the ultimate driving machine. And I think one word can sum it up; smooth. With the gear selector flicked into D the straight 6 goes about the duties of moving the E60 effortlessly, there are no vibrations, no rattles and no intrusive noises, just a surge of power under your right foot to get you where you need to be. The car feels tightly screwed together as well, with nicely weighted controls and steering which the more committed you become gives greater and greater feedback. Being rear wheel drive means there's a nice balance to the car too, the front wheels unhindered by weighty drive shafts point exactly where you need them, the rears providing the shove to tuck the nose into corners and propel you out the other side onto the next one.

It's no drift car

However don't expect any hooliganism from the 5, it's no drift machine, there is a lot of grip on offer and quite frankly you'd have to be doing something entirely stupid to lose control of one. I drove it partially in the pouring rain and never once saw the traction control light flicker or feel anything other than total stability. I didn't find the 160kw 525i particularly quick though, yes the rain might have meant I was being very gentle on the throttle, but when the car did kick down I never felt like it could send the scenery outside spiralling backwards. If it is speed your after I'd suggest a torquey 530d or beefier 540i V8. Never the less the smooth quiet progress offered from the 525 still makes it an appealing car.

What's it like inside?

Inside the 2009 car I drove everything had worn very well and like the exterior had aged well too. The dash layout is clutter free, just the A/C and radio controls reside in the centre console and the dials behind the 3 spoke wheel are big and clearly visible. The whole cabin wraps around the driver helping keep up that ultimate driving machine persona too, with lots of leather and in the case of the car I drove swathes of grey wood grain trim on the dash and doors. More traditional wood grain was also available from new. Moving onto seating and there is room for 5 adults to squeeze in, but 4 is far more comfortable. The back proving to be quite spacious with ample head space should one have a particularly vertical hair cut. Up front though is where the 5 really shines, with electrically adjustable supremely comforting seats. These help aid a level of ride quality I wasn't quite expecting, maybe I'm too used to stiffly sprung Audi's, but the 5 series composure over bumps and undulations came as a pleasant surprise.

What can go wrong?

The idrive system was my biggest bug bear, it's getting a bit old and given it was never highly thought of, now in the age of tablets that can replace your laptop it feels clunky, unintuitive and slow. E60's have their fair share of mechanical and electrical gremlins too, any Google search for faults will through up a myriad of issues. The car I drove though had only had issue with rear parking sensors not always working and tyre pressure warnings coming on unnecessarily. So not too bad and hopefully given the age of these cars now a lot of the possible faults will have already been fixed by previous owners and all you'll need to do is regular maintenance to keep the car in fine fettle.

The E60 5 series BMW, a fine and dare I say unconventionally handsome sedan. Time has been kind to a car that divided opinion a decade ago and now thanks to prices starting at as little as $9000 the mid size offering from BMW represents a well built, composed and comfy second hand driving machine.

Go get yourself one

This car caught my eye for a couple of reasons, firstly for a private seller the pictures are rather good, shows they put some effort in and no doubt want to showcase how well cared for their car is. Secondly that $2500 repair bill means $2500 you don't have to spend fixing it and everything should be in tip top condition. 

2005 BMW 525i, $13500