The Lexus IS 200t has officially been announced, and a Lexus Malaysia source has informed us that it’ll be reaching local showrooms in the third quarter of 2015. That’s mere months away!
There’s lots to be excited about. Powered by the same direct-injected 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine in the NX 200t and RX 200t, the IS 200t will get 245 hp and 350 Nm of torque, sent to the rear wheels through a new eight-speed Sport Direct Shift transmission.
Eight speed what? The Sport Direct Shift gearbox is similar to that fitted to the high-performance RC F, and can vary its gear shifting pattern in accordance to G-forces. It will automatically downshift under hard braking, hold a lower gear through the corner, and then select the most suitable ratio on exit. It’s high tech stuff.
With these on board, Lexus’ BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class rival now gets to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds flat, while averaging 7.0 litres per 100 km (14.3 km/l) in the NEDC cycle. This compares favourably against the existing 205 hp/252 Nm IS 250 V6’s figures of 8.1 seconds and 8.6 l/100 km.
So folks, would you get this instead of the BMW 328i or Mercedes-Benz C 250?
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Interesting…now it makes more sense for it to pit against the German trio. At that output its going to compete with the 328i, C250 and the A4 2.0 TFSI. Wonder how Lexus Malaysia will price this baby…
The price always going to disappoint us … haiz
CBU units, no choice… thanks to Proton!
Dei, nothing to do with gov. Lexus has better leverage points to CKD as UMW does for Toyota here, but they CHOOSE not to make that investment
As o said many times, rich one go for Lexus. Just like me. You people need to work hard especir those kimchis drivers.
You guarantree it doesn’t come with Takata airbags?
If any part on that car is faulty, we will recall and change it even the car is 20 years old. This is our COMMITMENT to our customer.
Not like other car makers e.g. Proton, no recall you think safe?
p1 did recalls. Get your facts right
Now you see why I owned 3 Lexus and buying another one next month. It is the best luxury brand. I will get a Lexus for all my kids but not the junk sausage. For those who thinks I am only a sales man, let me tell you, thanks to all hailat kimchi drivers who make me rich when they trade in their celaka and sonata to me at RM8k after begging me.
Whoever meets you would punch you in the face. Show us your name card please!
You can easily throw more than 10 dislikes to me, but we are more interested to see you in person and your workplace.
Yes, most definitely LEXUS in Malaysia has a really screwed up pricing schedule, they price themselves more expensive than Mercedes Benz and BMW similarly powered cars. I wish they would wake up and smell the coffee, whilst I do believe they really make good engineered cars, their prices are border to insane
I hope their MD reads my comments and wake up.
I think its gonna be 250k-300k.
This car is unique compared to the german’s trio in its very own way. Drive all those car first, then pick which one suits your own.
but somehow Lexus moving abit slow in term of engine technology compared to those german trio.
cant wait to see how it perform.
Those people who want Lexus at this price bracket will probably choose ES.
Anybody understands what I try to say?
You are still young and read superficially.
Pricing will be key here for sure.
Having said that, I’d watch real close. The IS isn’t too bad, the rear is really good in real life, especially in whites and greys. Think the grey is called Mercury Grey Mica if I am not mistaken.
Would I buy it over the C, most likely, cause I personally prefer a sporty car, while the C is more of a great cruiser. But over the 3 or XE, would be a depends… The 3 is still fabulous to drive.
Can’t go wrong with the IS. American reviewers have mostly nice things to say about its handling. Chassis is as lively as the F30, but the fun is slightly neutered by steering which could be more communicative for a sports sedan (though it is quick to respond and has a nice weight). Ride quality is much better than the stiff F30 (almost as good as the new C Class). Though European reviewers mostly have negative comments of the IS. Which is just weird. Its like Europe is getting a different car than US/Canada. Hehe.
One area not so good on the IS is boot space. Its smallest in class. Maybe its due to the rear deck which is thick (I suspect for reinforcement of the deck so that the free baffle subwoofer which is sitting on it won’t rattle the deck), thus takes up a bit of boot space. Though the rear seats can fold, if you need more space for things rather than people. Rear seats appears to have slightly less legroom than the F30, but the IS seats themselves are much more comfortable and luxurious than the F30 seats (boils down to whether you want rear legroom or luxurious rear quarters). The lack of storage cubbies in the IS’ doors might be something to consider too.
I too am waiting to see how Lexus Malaysia will price this car. If its way over RM300k, then the F30 might be a better value car. Hoping it would closely match pricing of the equally CBU Infiniti Q50. But if you want something more exclusive, than the IS is your choice. The fact that it has decent handling AND good ride quality should make this a good choice too.
Definitely will get the BMW or Mercs. This one just lacks class in terms of exterior and interior design
Lack class? No wonder u r called sohai..lol
Maybe because u only viewed this car from the gallery above, this red coloured Lexus look less classy.
try view this car in black/silver. It looks classy,
this car design lean more on sporty looks rather than luxury.
Why not? It depends on the specs too.
I trust CBU cars build quality and reliability more than CKD.
Blame the Ringgit, I have a feeling it is going to cost close to $300k.
Toyota V6 is really smooth but very thirsty. This is good.
Should be more reliable than a BMW and more unique on the road. But as always must see price first then only talk. Hehe
Yes uniquely stupid ppl will buy it since it will cost way more than the German trio.
You pay more to get the so called good RV after few years. While most people buy luxury cars are not really concern about RV unless they are sorhai guy like Same Lorrrr
Definitely choose C250 or 328i laa…only few stupid malaysian buy lexus as luxury sport car.
somemore lower FC in W205 C200/C250 or F30 328i (between 5.5 – 6.5 L per 100 km in combined cycle) while maintaining prestige than Lexus which is just a luxury Toyota Japan.
should be popular in malaysia soon. lexus is well known with their reliability and workmanship everywhere including malaysia
Lexus is also known to be very slow. Lexus LFA finished 14th at the 24h race on the Nurburgring this year, 9 laps behind the winner.
But for traffic jam in KL it’s not bad.
Gone those days when Lexus looking good…
Performance,no better than F30
Comfort, no better than W205
Brand prestige,no better than both
So true. To hafriz’s closing question, the answer is “no”. The two german marques have a halo above them that lexus doesnt.
If this price agreesively like the infiniti Q50 then it can be relevant.
Please do not flame. I am just writing based on my personal experience.
I’ve owned at least 1-2 cars of the following luxury brands:-
– BMW (E93 335i, E60 530d)
– Merc (W220 S320L, W211 SLK200K, R171 SLK200K)
– Lexus (L10 GS250, XE20 IS250)
Out of all those 3 brands, I’d say Lexus is my favorite. I can backup my stories and history.
BMW’s are my least favorite. Both E93 and E60 had fuel pump problems.
530d had a lot of problems, especially the fuel pump. I believe it had something to do with the low quality of our diesel. I had the turbo failed on me several occasions, and engine over-heating when driving up Fraser’s Hill. If you’ve been to Fraser’s Hill, let me explain, it’s no fun having a stalled car in the middle of the road between Kuala Kubu Bharu and Fraser’s Hill. Luckily it was 10am in the morning, and I managed to call my son to pick us up. We waited 3 hours till the tow car arrive before we left, and our trip to Fraser’s Hill had to be canceled. 2 hotel rooms at the Renaissance were cancelled, fully paid for, non-refundable, for 2 nights. My car also had a lot of rattle noises, which couldn’t be rectified over 2 years. Sold 2 years later, lost RM100k on the car.
335i bought brand new from Ingress, and guess what? The car spent 6 weeks out of the first 2 months in the workshop for warranty claims. You can call Ingress and speak to Clement, I believe he was in charge of after sales customer services. Mention David Lee and my 335i (apparently they’ve only sold 4 brand new 335i in 2010, and I’m sure he remembers me. I’d bet that he’ll think that I’m a big headache. I’ve sold the car after 6 months of ownership and took a RM150k loss, I’ve only driven 3,000+km, and that comes up to RM50 per km driven.
W220 S Class was my very first ultra-luxury car I’ve ever owned. Purchased it when I first earned my million in share market, was very proud and wanted an upgrade from my old Proton Perdana. Car was purchased in 2001, and sold in 2005, lost over RM400k. The car also had a lot of problems, but they were under warranty and a Toyota Camry, so it didn’t bother me, because this car gave me all the attention when I went to board meetings, hotels, etc. I’m wasn’t a Dato’, and neither am I right now, but they’ve always thought I was one, greeted me when I got off the car as my driver parks the car. But this car brought upon a lot of unnecessary attention as I’ve noticed back then. Was worried to have my children travel in it.
After I sold the S Class, purchased the E200K, the older generation with 2.0L Kompressor engine. Throughout the whole 5 years of ownership (2006-2011), the car had never given me any problems. And that prompted me to purchase the R171 SLK200K Facelift (newer 1.8L Kompressor) in 2009 which I still own till this date. The E Class was sold for RM160k (RM200+k loss). The reason I still keep my SLK is because it’s worth only around RM140k, and I’ve driven only 30,000+km on it, it was purchased at slightly below RM500k from Cycle & Carriage. The Kompressors are very reliable.
As for Lexus, I purchased a 2007 Lexus IS recond for my son in 2009, and he’s still driving it today. Never had any issues, just periodic maintenance/oil changes/etc. The built quality in that car, in my humble opinion, is way better than what I’ve seen in both Merc and BMW.
After seeing my son driving the IS for over 150,000+km and the car was still running strong, I’ve decided to purchase the GS250 from Lexus Mutiara Damansara, from the sales girl name Irmi. She provided me with the best service possible. I didn’t even need to go collect the car when it was ready. After I’ve made the payment, the car was ready within 3 days, as compared to BMW and Merc over 1-2 weeks. Irmi arranged to have my car towed to my office doorstep, on top of a tow truck. When I collected my car, I signed a few documents, and Irmi, along with another Lexus staff, brought me out driving around my office area, and they explained to me every single function in the car. Don’t get me wrong, BMW and Merc does that too, but they’ve never delivered the car to my doorstep/office (at least they had never offered to do so).
The reason I’m tempted to write this review is because I’ve seen so many people flaming here, saying Lexus is just Toyota. Yes, Lexus is built by Toyota, but with a lot of attention to details, and with a lot of added luxury finishing. The leather seats, air-conditioned seats, even the top fitting of the car, the dash, etc. are way better than what Toyota has to offer.
Also, having my son driving the IS, I wasn’t worried, because it is fairly unknown, I don’t have to worry that he’d be kidnapped, or robbed, because lots of uneducated consumers still think it is a Toyota.
As for 2nd hand value, I know Lexus doesn’t hold its value well, but comparing my previous Merc and BMW’s, they all don’t hold value very well. No luxury products hold residual value well, at least not for vehicles. But to those who can afford to buy these cars, I don’t think they bother.
To me, the #1 factor I consider before I purchase a vehicle is RELIABILITY. A car should serve you, instead of you serving the car. What’s the point of purchasing a car when it breaks down so often?
And for that reason alone, I’d say Lexus is way above Merc and BMW. You have to own a Lexus to understand how great a car it is. I’m talking from an experience of owning these cars, unlike other comments made by other users, who only speculate and had no prove. I’ve given names of sales person and after sales service officers, you can call them to verify if I did purchase any vehicles from them.
And for all the above reasons, I’m already considering purchasing an NX, because it looks great, and I trust Lexus’ product quality.
That’s all for now.
Since you’ve decided to jump into SUV bandwagon, might as well wait for the next generation RX which is much more beautiful and powerful. Google and you shall see its beauty
Sampan handling lexusbiscuit?
A big NO
how long did u type above?
im sure its not copy and paste
NX is a nice choice..the looks is weird enough to make it rare.
however my dream car now is Alfa Guilia..it has its very own character
What character? It’s shoulder is Bimmer wannabe, nothing special
Hmm perhaps you can also provide paultan.org as a resident advisor for commenters here.
No offense, but my family had a total opposite experience compared to you. The ES200h that we have got had so many electronics issues that we literally have up the car after 6 months, taking rm95k loss.
What I am saying here is all cars are equal in the market, it really depends on whether you get a lemon or not.
Consumers have the right to select and buy any cars they want, and not just based on hearsay from websites and peers. Lexus IS indeed a decent car, hence that makes it as good a buy as a merc, bmw or audi. But please do not for once think it is light years ahead of the rest, because it is not. It’s plying the same class hence they are all built equal.
Still, he owned a few cars from Lexus that were trouble-free. It’s sad that you got 1 that had so many problems. For the German marques, it’s the opposite. A few have no problems, and many seem to have huge, silly problems after 3 years.
Brather, mana ada Lexus ES200h?? You sure you own one Lexus ES?? Atau u reka sendiri tu?? Jangan-lah pakai tembak aja….
you know there is a website call carbase.my for you to refer before making up your story?
ES200h?? Sounds right but it isn’t
Obviously he meant Lexus CT200h
Bro, just admit that Lexus is way way behind in terms of drivability,and BRAND image!! Do not (try to) compare brick and tiles!!
Well said mate .. This man talks of his experience and you are spot on ….
Wonderful ownership experience story direct from the owner. I have driven my ex company car, the LS460L. It is such a wonderful easy relaxing car to drive than the 745Li and the S500. The Lexus Mutiara Damansara service is really really good. Very personalized and human. It can be said the opposite of the Mercedes, BMW or most dealers in Malaysia where they will judge you rather than serving you. I hope the new 2.0 engine is as refined as the 2.5 V6. If they priced it well, more people will get to enjoy the Lexus experience here.
Theres a reason why lexus sales people are ‘nicer’ and yet you dont see that many of the cars on the road today even after so many years of official distribution. my Bmw dealer was nice to me even when i pulled up in my old junk but im sure there are others who got a cold reception on some days. Anyway the lesson is, the big picture tells you more than personal anecdotes. bmw and merc lead this sector for a number of very good reasons.
You should just buy a Vios or city. Its the most basic and reliable car. Don’t waste time on S-class if you cannot afford the maintenance.
This Guy I know is Lexus salesman from mutiara damansara. He keep on copy and paste the same crap in every Lexus article.
Hi,possible for you to recommend a reliable place to buy the recon is?
First time I can afford continental car is although the CKD Passat. Looking at your problems, maybe continental simply not my level of stuffs yet. I would considerably love my Passat more.
“And for that reason alone, I’d say Lexus is way above Merc and BMW.”
A rowing boat is more reliable than an motor yacht too. So when I follow your reasoning, a rowing boat is way above all motor yachts?
That’s great! I use to own a rowing boat. I’m talking from an experience of owning these boats, unlike other comments made by other users, who only speculate and had no prove. I’ve given names of sales person and after sales service officers, you can call them to verify if I did purchase any rowing boats from them.
His reasoning is rubbish. According to his logic, a BMX bicycle is way above harley davidson or BMW superbike.
Please, there are so many holes in your story with regards to your bmw and Merc experience. I wont embarass you with details. Furthermore if reliability is the KEY factor for you why do you insist on buying at this price range? Further down the chain are reliable cars with low maintenance requirements. Luxury vehicles are never trouble free. How many lexus staff need to come here and click on the likes eh?
As long as its not a kimchi, it will have RV
I just found my dad here!
-BigBalls-
Why do car makers recently bring out their least flattering colors for promotional photos??
What an ugly ass red. There’s a reason why red is one of the least ordered colors, except for Ferrari’s red.
Lee, excellent piece about Lexus. I also often wonder why people equate lexus with toyota. By the way Hap Seng salesgirl did deliver my merc to my doorstep
whut if…
The IS gets facelifted .. And it borrows its nose from the rc , with the triple LEDs…
Should ppl wait for that…?
The most excited news that I’ve read so far this year in paultan.org.
Waiting to test drive this car.
This over C250, 328i any time. And also Suprima S. =p
No wonder you are still driving a kancil. Poor mentality hence poor financial knowledge
245/350 + “high tech gb” but only pulling 7s to 100kmh what a shame.. wonder where all the power gone… its rival doing sub 6s…while giving more efficient fuel consumption… so lexus u need to work harder!
Nice piece of article, Lee.
Only the Lexus’ owner know how to appreciate the reliability and the service provided by Lexus. I had my car service at Mutiara Damansara branch and it is way above my expectation, more importantly, Benz and BMW can’t even reach that kind of standard.
Kenny, if that’s the case, only lexus driver buys his car so that he can enjoy the time spend at the service centre…dude..we buy cars so that we can enjoy driving it..duh!
This Lexus shape is horrible.
Reason the Lexus design looks like cartoon and becomes very fast outdated as time goes by.
Mercedes, BMW , AUDi and Volvo design blend more towards evergreen and luxury lines as time goes by.
No ,I would not buy any of these Lexus stuff. Even T5 engine from Volvo S60 can generate 245HP before this Lexus shit came out now.
Before I bought my 328i F30 I drove almost every car in its category including IS 200. The V6 engine is nice but the pulling power of NA engine you just can’t compare to turbo engine. Now only lexus & infinity joining the force induction/turbo band wagen …Merc, Audi, BMW & Volvo have been using it for quite some time…they just realise that Turbo is the way to go in view of European Law on emission. But why 0 to 100 only 7 sec whereas my 328i with the same output can give out sub 6sec sprint ??? The hightech gear box is not so hi tech after all with a lot of power losses…
VW is already at my 200K affordable limit. If a car would cost more, I will stick to my Passat longer.
How many time have you had to call the tow truck operator?
Lexus, doesnt look good in red.
but it looks superior when it comes in white, silver, blue or black.
Lexus is just another Toyota in other countries.
People in Malaysia drives Lexus as though they have made it in life and very successful without realizing they been conned massive time by ridiculous car pricing in Malaysia.
New 2016 Lexus RX 350 F Sport Artic White Exterior and red interior. Reliability given and new Aluminimum bidy with 300hp and 378NM torque is all the performance i need without worrying about breaking down. Nippon rules
Power is useless without good handling
you guys know saudi arabia right? full with wealthy but fussy people there. And guess what, you will find lexus almost everywhere rather than bmw or merc. There percentage is likely like 60% lexus and 20% each for merc and bmw. So, choose wisely.
BS. The top selling cars in KSA are common Toyotas. Lexus arent ‘everywhere’ as you claim.
dude, i am talking about the upper level category, not your normal daily taste toyota.
Rubbish. Most common cars are toyota Camry and honda accord. The rich will buy ferraris and bentleys. Nobody gives a shit about Lexus biskut.
the rich daily rides are the lexus…get ur fact straight.
Definitely this baby LEXUS. Its a no brainer. The Merc and BMW is too boring. The Malaysian roads are flooded with them. Malaysians are really2 have poor taste in cars by picking these boring germans. The BMW has too much reliability issues why the Merc is too old, save for the AMG models. I will not pick any so-called-sporty BMW expect the fire-breathing M models. I’ll pick any Lexus over any BMW or Merc, expect for the RCF, which clearly loose the battle against the more dynamic M4.
My proton perdana can smoke this lexus……easily..
Myvi > all
My 2005 Vios can smoke the Perdana easily… how? no gear box problem ma (since day 1…)
Ha! Ha! Ha!
“And for that reason alone, I’d say Lexus is way above Merc and BMW.”
A BMX bicycle is more reliable than a Harley Davidson Bike or BMW superbike. And for that reason alone I’d say BMX is way above all superbikes.
That’s great! I use to own a BMX bicycle. I’m talking from an experience of owning these bikes, unlike other comments made by other users, who only speculate and had no prove. I’ve given names of sales person and after sales service officers, you can call them to verify if I did purchase any bikes from them.
many lexus owner.. they used to own a Bemeer..
Thats because they can afford to buy cars like lexus. Takkan many lexus owners used to be kapchai owners pula?
Lexus vehicle is actually better than German. My company bought a new Lexus IS 250 for 300k plus and it’s a F sport model. All I can say is that, Lexus realibility is there and less issue compare to my company another Vehicle which is BMW 320i. After 6 years old, BMW hold the most issue with its electronics and engine overheat. Beside that small issue like the door lock and button easily break down. Bmw cost more to repair. For Lexus IS250. After a year plus, there are no issue at all. Bmw begin to have problem begin from 6 months. U can realise all those meter panel will have light appear showing something isn’t right. All I can say from my experience. But choice of buying high end car is still depend on people choice.
FYI I have owned and driven a number of makes and models of cars. Volvo, Mercedes, Opel, BMW, Toyota, Ford, Peugeot, Audi and now Lexus. You may ask why I choose Lexus, for the simple reason that it is luxurious, refined, comfortable, reliable and trouble-free. Yes, it is manufactured by Toyota but still a luxury car nonetheless. As I have already driven and owned most marques that are within my affordable capability, I have decided to give Lexus a try, no harm and no foul. At the end of the day, each marque and brand has its own attributes and weaknesses. It will be up to the owner which car, make and model he or she prefers. And yes, for people buying at this price range, resale value is not of utmost importance, what is more important is how much we enjoyed the experience of owning such cars.