# Accord Type R / Lexus IS200 owners talk to me...



## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

I've been looking around at cars I 'like' as opposed to cheaper alternatives, and the above two fit the bill perfectly. 5 seats, decentish sized boot, and relatively nippy (less so the IS).

What are the downsides of ownership of these two marques? Insurance is amazingly cheap for me on both models, so that's not an issue.

Thanks!


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Nick, where do you live? You are welcome to come have a sit in my ATR. 

Its not all about straight line speed, but it is an awesome car on the bends. Not without its faults, but a well looked after example should behave for years. 

It drinks petrol, has no sound deadening and the seats don't go down in the back, but the bucket seats are extremely comfy, it is easy to drive, has a massive boot and 4 doors. 

Not many left in the UK now either, always attracts nice comments wherever I go and interest. 

I'll post a bit more later if I get chance and I'm not on my phone, takes me ages to type with one finger!


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Shiny said:


> Nick, where do you live? You are welcome to come have a sit in my ATR.
> 
> Its not all about straight line speed, but it is an awesome car on the bends. Not without its faults, but a well looked after example should behave for years.
> 
> ...


Cheers Lloyd 

I'm in Stoke, but there are a few examples nearby that I can try out  When you say drinks petrol, say on a run, what sort of MPG would you get, sitting around 70mph?


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## tmitch45 (Jul 29, 2006)

Two nice cars but quite different I imagine. One is a sports saloon and the other (Lexus) is going to be slower and more towards the luxury end of the scale rather than performence. Unfortunately I haven't driven either car but I do know that lexus cars suffer badly with the lacquer failing on the alloys so thats something to check and maybe a bargaining point if you go for the lexus. I have driven the Lexus IS250 and found it to be a very nice car if the older ones are within budget? My father-in-law has a Lexus IS250 which is on its second set of alloys (replaced under warrenty) but is a really nice car and the auto box is very smooth.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

I see 200/220 miles from £70 of vpower, but that is short journeys, plenty of vtec and I'm not a very economical driver. I can get 350 from a stable motorway run. 

Some owners reckon they can get 400, but not a chance from mine, even before I starting adding modifications. The mileage is similar to that of my previous Accord (1994 2.0 modified) and Prelude (1995 2.2 vtec modified) so it wasn't a shock to me. 

Pre facelift model and some of the earlier facelift models suffer from a chocolate 5th gear selector fork. If it hasn't been done already, budget £800 for it. 

Like all Hondas, bushes tend to wear. But that is not the end of the world. 

They should be pretty much rust free, common spot though is on the door frame under the door rubber above the wing mirror. Brake lines can rust too. A neglected model might see some rust on the rear arches, common with Hondas but less so on the 6th gen accord. A few have also had a rust spot on part of the subframe. 

Make sure the HIDs level properly and the sensor arm on the rear axle hasn't snapped. 

They do use a small amount of oil, but quite a few owners have had to have re rings and new big end shells, which is costly. Regular checks/top ups should hopefully prevent it. 

Egr plate and valve needs to be kept clean and O2 sensors need replacing, as they would in any car, but ATRs can be a bit sensitive to dirty egr valves and poor O2 sensors. 

Throttle cable can stick if worn, this only happens when the car is really hot, but a new cable will solve this. 

Can't think of anything else off the top of head. Remember though they are 10+ year old cars now so they ain't going to be perfect but like all cars, some are much much better than others. 

Join up on ATR.org and have a look around. Members cars go up for sale and most members would have sorted the little problems and niggles already. 

In return though you get one of the best handling fwd cars ever made, it doesn't feel like a saloon and you can chuck it around like an old mini, 210bhp, vtec, LSD, stiffened chassis, Recaros, momo steering wheel, twin pots and one hell of a lot of fun in a sensible family car.


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Thanks again Lloyd  Very useful information indeed.


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## DOBE (May 4, 2012)

Shiny said:


> I'll post a bit more later if I get chance and I'm not on my phone, takes me ages to type with one finger!


Cracking example of an ATR in NHB.


















Another one in pirates black owned by a guy on an another forum I'm on.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Lol, the owner of the car in the first two pictures is a right dodgy chap


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

*wipes up string of dribble*


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

I do like those Type R's


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Here's my engine bay to tempt you some more...


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## DOBE (May 4, 2012)

Shiny said:


> Lol, the owner of the car in the first two pictures is a right dodgy chap


So I've heard!

Bit off topic shiny, did you hear Total Honda mag went into liquidation?

So the spread you had was in the second last copy, ever!


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Yeah, word of warning, if you own a magazine don't put me or my car in as feature. Waxit went **** up after I had a page spread and Total Honda went the same way...:lol::lol:


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## swissrob (Oct 4, 2007)

lexus is200...

i have had one for 12 years. its been 100% reliable.

common faults include a 2nd gear crunch as its engaged, dont worry about this unless its REALLY bad.. its a " feature" of the gearbox and doesnt get worse.

occasional coil pack failure but not too common. 

front lower ball joins need replacing somewhere around 90 - 100K 

steering rack can develop a knock at high mileage, second hand replacements are about £100 and can be replaced in under 2 hours. 

front inner tyre wear can be an issue, as the original standard settings are incorrect, tony bones has rewritten the settings which improves the ride and evens the tyre wear.

be aware on te IS200 that the rear seats are fixed and the boot opening is quite narrow so can be a problem.

The is200 can be supercharged but kits are like rocking horse poop and go for around 2-2.5k.

best option is to look on fleabay for one that has a supercharger kit already fitted as you can get the car for around 1-2k.


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## rtjc (Apr 19, 2009)

If you wanted an IS 200 but a bit of a sharper, spritlier drive, akin to the Accord Type R. A Toyota Altezza RS200 or similar would be a wild card. Basically an IS200 but with a 4 cylinder BEAMS VVTi version of 3SGE engine 

I've had an Accord Type R aswell, great cars and the handleing is amazing for a bigger four door. Seriously. Quite practical too, although i always thought a longer 6th gear should have been fitted for cruising. They do drink the juice, and always like to be driven with some vtec action. But then again, the 6 pot IS likes a beverage too. 

Bit more comfort & refinement = IS200.
Something that can be some fun when you want too = Accord Type R

Have a little shot of both if you can


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## rtjc (Apr 19, 2009)

P.S Shiny's car looks to have a Mongoose system fitted? I bought the very same for mine. Sounds lovely! Highly recomended.


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## swissrob (Oct 4, 2007)

be aware there are different versions of the altezza, there is the rarer 4wd version, the rs200 with a 4 cylinder engine and there is also the 6 cylinder version. 

the 4cylinder and the 6 cylinder both have BEAMS written on the top, its just means VVTI " Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System"


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## rtjc (Apr 19, 2009)

swissrob said:


> be aware there are different versions of the altezza, there is the rarer 4wd version, the rs200 with a 4 cylinder engine and there is also the 6 cylinder version.
> 
> the 4cylinder and the 6 cylinder both have BEAMS written on the top, its just means VVTI " Breakthrough Engine with Advanced Mechanism System"


Never seen a six cylider with the Beams lettering. Was always under the impression it was only the black & grey top fours that were Beams. You learn something new & all that 

Yes, there is an Altezza with the same six, but the RS200 will always be the Beams 3SGE won't it?


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Thanks chaps 

I'm going to see a nice example of an IS200 tomorrow, then hopefully out to see a nice red Type R later in the day.


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## swissrob (Oct 4, 2007)

yep the rs200 will always have the 3sge, the 6 cyl will be the 1gfe

here is 6 cyl with beams

http://www.todoautos.com.pe/attachm...-motor-2-0-beams-aro-17-9500-mil-img_1224.jpg


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

rtjc said:


> P.S Shiny's car looks to have a Mongoose system fitted? I bought the very same for mine. Sounds lovely! Highly recomended.


Looks similar, but mine is a full Solid Fabrications system with Tri-y header, decat and the twin exits


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## rtjc (Apr 19, 2009)

Nice, must have a nice 'note'


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## swissrob (Oct 4, 2007)

something to note on the is200... around town its heavy on fuel, but on a motorway run i easily get 450 -470 miles on 60 litres, the tank is 70 litres. 

oh, it has a dual mass flywheel so new drivers will experience some judder when moving off.


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

So what did you go for? I'm hopefully picking up a nice 51 plate nighthawk black atr as a nice little project in the coming weeks. Probably not the best idea with a newborn girl, but too good a deal to turn down. Don't suppose anyone's got both passenger side doors for cheaper than getting 2 sprayed! Project thread hopefully coming soon.....:driver:


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Neither  I couldn't find one that fit my requirements that wasn't an absolute dog


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Willows-dad said:


> So what did you go for? I'm hopefully picking up a nice 51 plate nighthawk black atr as a nice little project in the coming weeks. Probably not the best idea with a newborn girl, but too good a deal to turn down. Don't suppose anyone's got both passenger side doors for cheaper than getting 2 sprayed! Project thread hopefully coming soon.....:driver:


Sign up to ATR.org, there are often cars breaking and parts available. Although NHB is usually the hardest to get panels etc for as it was only on the later models.


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

Shiny said:


> Sign up to ATR.org, there are often cars breaking and parts available. Although NHB is usually the hardest to get panels etc for as it was only on the later models.


Already done :thumb:. Forums are always invaluable when you're new to any car. Seems like a knowledgable place. Like you say though, all pirates black pre facelifts. Looks like its going to be a spray job. Should be ok if I do all the prep first.

How long will I need to leave the doors for before detailing along with the rest of the car? I was thinking da with ultrafina on a blue pad, then rmg topped with vics concours. Hopefully if the paint lives up to its soft reputation polishing should be a breeze to get some lovely reflections :buffer:

I'll be back soon in a project thread, probably after more advice! 
Thanks, Paul.


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

nick.s said:


> Neither  I couldn't find one that fit my requirements that wasn't an absolute dog


So what did you go for? This ones a bargain. Full honda history, around 80k, white integra type r wheels, sports exhaust. Absolutely mint apart from 2 vandalised doors. Belongs to a friend of a friend who needs it gone as its a second car and has nowhere to store it.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

You can polish straight after paint, after all bodyshops do! Just don't wax or seal the paint for at least a month so you can let the paint "gas off".

When i had my Lude painted, i didn't do anything for a couple of months, then polished and waxed all at once.

The paint is a pain in the ****, when it works, it is lovely, but some days it can be sticky and be a right pain the backside. You end up with a glorious deep wet look shine, but then a butterfly passes your car on the other side of the street, stirs up some dust with it's flapping wings and you end up with micro scratches all over it again!


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

Willows-dad said:


> So what did you go for? This ones a bargain. Full honda history, around 80k, white integra type r wheels, sports exhaust. Absolutely mint apart from 2 vandalised doors. Belongs to a friend of a friend who needs it gone as its a second car and has nowhere to store it.


I'm still keeping my eyeballs open for a nice ATR, but have discounted the IS200 after a few test drives...not that it was unpleasant but just didn't feel 'right' for me.


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

Im looking forward to getting my hands on it now. I'll leave it as late as I can before I correct it just in case. Yours is stunning shiny, do you still have it? Thanks for all the advice. And when/if it gets sold on I'll be sure to pm you first nick.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Yeah, still got mine. I've a bit of a build thread running on ATR.org. Love the car and it still makes me smile from ear to ear when i drive it.

Latest effort has been a bit of a tart up of the bay -


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

Can't find your build thread over there. Don't suppose you could put a link up for me. Read through your cam cover refurb, might be a little project when tidying up the bay. Very well looked after car you have there.


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