Second-hand sense: This column has pointed out on more than one occasion how difficult it is for a volume car manufacturer to achieve the status it often desires at the upper end of the market.
While the likes of Ford, Honda and Opel may make excellent small to medium cars, their attempts to break into the prestige sector have generally been met with failure. How many would even recognise a Ford Scorpio (no longer manufactured), a Honda Legend or an Opel Omega ?
Toyota was obviously mindful of this syndrome when it decided to branch out, and it adopted a very clever strategy indeed. Instead of trying to market luxury Toyota cars to compete with the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Audi, it simply created a new brand. Thus was the Lexus brand born. But this was more than a clever ploy to sell a rose by any other name. Lexus invested heavily in bringing its parent company's high standards of quality and reliability to its new sphere of competition. The effort has paid off and Lexus is now right up there in terms of quality and reliability.
In case you think the Lexus range is completely out of reach for those with more moderate budgets, however, a good second-hand option is the IS 200 - the car intended to compete with the BMW 5 Series and the C-Class Mercedes. And an excellent alternative it is too. The 200 has sharp but not inspiring looks and the overall intention, both externally and internally, is to present a car with a sporting profile. Sports-style seats, instrumentation inspired by a chronograph, sporty gear lever and pedals and alloy wheels all combine to confirm the intent.
It is not a big car inside, and the back is especially limited, but the same is true of its competitors. It drives well with a firm ride feedback and handling is precise. The basic 2.0 litre engine is very good without having a thrilling capacity, but it suits the car well and is relatively economical. The other advantage Lexus offers over the competition is its level of standard equipment. The entry level 200 features equipment like a six-disc CD player, multiple air bags, traction control, a six-speed gearbox, electric headlamp levelling, a throttle control system with snow mode and one of the best automatic climate control systems around. And with the kind of reliability we have come to expect from Lexus, you don't get the nervous feeling that all this gadgetry will become unreliable after a few years wear and tear.
In fact it is rare to check on recall records for a particular type of car and find only one. The IS 200 has only one recall, for cars manufactured between March 1999 and July 2000, as a result of the driver's floor mat potentially interfering with the operation of the accelerator pedal. Some 9,000 cars were recalled to have the mat replaced by a re-designed one.
While there are EuroNCAP crash test results for other Lexus models there are none available for the IS 200. One would be reassured, however, because of the active and passive safety features on the car.
A 2001 model with generous levels of equipment and 27,000 on the clock is on offer at €24,000, while a 2003 model with 30,000 on the clock has an asking price of €30,750. These are asking prices, however, and you could bargain well. Mileage is perhaps the key factor - 30,000 is really very little on a Lexus.
FOR: Sporty profile with very good driving characteristics and excellent equipment levels. Excellent build quality.
AGAINST: You have to pay a premium for a good second-hand one.