Whilst looking for a new Company car it resulted in a 'two horse race' - a Lexus IS200 Sport or a BMW 323SE...
I Test Drove both cars for a weekend, this is my opinion of the two cars:
BMW 323SE - Very nice looking car. - Well constructed and feels solid. - It has more standard extras than you would normally expect for a BMW (though this might be the SE badge that is wears). - It has a good engine (v6 2.5) and a fair level of power/speed. - You still need to buy additional optional extras in order to bring it up to specification of a standard Ford/Vauxhall/VW. - It is quiet expensive when you see what you get for your money (GBP24,000). - It is very common car. - It doesn't stand out from the crowd!
Lexus IS200 Sport - a very attractive looking car. - It is well built. - Very well priced - the Sport is GBP23,000 and does not need any extras. - It's extras are second to none (auto headlights, in-dash multiplay cd, 17inch allows, climate control, the list goes on and on). - It has a 2.0 v6 VVTI engine which is very good (but the 0-60 speed is not brilliant). - It is still quite exclusive.
To conclude, I now own a W Reg Black Lexus IS 200 Sport - it is a fantastic car, very comfortable! For those who want a bit more speed, Lexus are releasing an IS300 in June 2001 which has the GS300's engine and has a 0-60 of just over 7secs retailing around GBP27,000 - If only I could've waited 1.5yrs, hehe!
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