2002 Lexus Is200 Sport

[Dani]

2002 Lexus IS200 GXE10R MY02

Hi,

I am new to the form so please don't mind any mistakes I'm making while making this.

I will be buying this car tomorrow, previously having owned 2010 Toyota Camry.

This is just down to a massive interest in this car and I have always loved this particular model!

It's body is in perfect condition, but the K's are quiet high at 215,000kms. It is priced at 6k from a dealer.

Is this car reasonably priced? and having never owned a Lexus before, am I right in saying its maintenance costs would be similar to the Camry and the amount of attention it requires?

Please give honest opinions on it, as I will be making a decision whether to go through with it based on what everyone says.

Any problems/faults/issues with the car will also help a lot!

Thanks in advance! :)

[plankton007]

215,000kms is pretty high but not uncommon for a 2002 model.

6k from the dealer? is it drive away? Does it have rego? What colour is it and is it the Sports Luxury? Does it have moonroof?

6k for just a sports model isn't really worth it in my opinion. I would go for a Sports Luxury for that price.

Or try cutting the price down to 5k or less.

Common issue with these cars is at high kms that tend to eat alot of engine oil. It really isn't a huge problem just that you need to use heaver oil and top up a bit more often.

[GGPIS300]

Yes, maintenance costs should be similar to your Camry, although an older car generally will have more things go wrong with it as wear and tear take effect. You can buy most 1IS parts from the US or UK for half (or less) than the local dealer price (you won't get engine parts from the US as they weren't subjected to the 1G-FE).

That said, the 1IS is pretty much bullet-proof, and the IS200 engine is also used in the marine industry.

It does have some frustrating design issues (the recirculating/fresh system being my main bugbear), and fuel economy is pretty average due to the sheer weight of the car (it's essentially a large bodied car in a small shell). The boot will probably fall down on your head, and check the brackets to see if they are still in good condition (replacement involves pulling apart most of the boot AND the back seat).