You are absolutely right - thank you for the correction! That 3.0 liter was smooth and refined - just like the IS250.

 

I wonder if Seattle has one of these yet...I really want to test drive it and see this turbo lag you guys talk of. The turbo can't be that big to cause a 1 sec turbo lag and only producing 240 something horses. I'm sure it has to do something with how the ECU is setup on throttle response or something. Either way, I'll try to see when Seattle gets one and test it.

 

I was at Lexus of Seattle last week and did not see an IS200t, though they did have a new IS300.

 

I test drove my friend's IS200t recently, and response, torque, power & economy were all pretty good, and an improvement over the old 2.5 V6.

The new 200t's idle is surprisingly both smoother & quieter than my V6's.

Only on wide open throttle is the IS200t both loud & coarse.
The IS200t is much smoother & quieter revving than the raucous NX200t, however the IS200t still falls short of both Benz & BMW's 2L turbos for smoothness & quietness on wide open throttle.😒

However, I'm certain that Lexus will improve the NVH of their four cylinder turbo in years to come...
.

 

Im sure once people start upgrading those tiny turbos that lexus put on the 200t, it will become a popular car once again

 

For anyone concerned about turbo lag in the 200t, there a real easy way to overcome it on launching. Before you launch make sure the car is in boost. It's easier with a manual because of the clutch, but on an auto just put it in neutral, give it gas until you build boost, then pop it in gear and floor it. Lag should be almost non-existent. Not sure how good it is for the tranny though.

Of course an aftermarket downpipe with a divorced wastegate tube and cat back exhaust would help with lag as well. (and some tuning would need to be done as well, if the ecu can be cracked or a piggy back was developed)

In my 2011 wrx that was a manual, with mods, tuning, and the small stock turbo I was pulling 1.4 second 60ft times. That is a fast and violent launch, but very fun.

 

--------------
Lexus of Bellevue had a 200t about one or two weeks ago but it had already been sold to a customer. They will be receiving more shipments including F-Sport soon from what I know.

Also, I was also at Open Road Lexus Richmond in Canada yesterday and they have the F-Sport 200t there.





I also spotted this too!

 

I've been looking at the IS for about a month now and was just waiting for the local dealers to get a 200t in so I could compare it against the 250. They finally got a 200t in about a week ago and there is definitely a noticeable difference in power/performance. The turbo lag is there but much less noticeable at higher RPMs such as when punching it as you are cruising down the highway. The performance increase along with the better mileage is the reason I chose to go with the 2016 200t F Sport.

 

You should only see turbo lag at lower RPMs. It's the only way to get that good gas mileage on a turbo car, by having the turbo kick in later, because when you're in boost your sucking down gas due to the extra air your stuffing into the engine. If it kicks in later you can drive around in low or no boost and it acts like a plain old 4 cylinder getting good gas mileage. I've had several turbo cars and never averaged more than 21mpg because the turbo kicked in quickly. To get better mileage it needs to stay out of boost at low RPMs. Sounds like Lexus went with the balanced approach vs pure power/speed, which is a good for people who want some power, fun, and good gas mileage.

 

I'm sure my gas mileage is going to suffer for the first few weeks as I "get used" to the car.

 

Once you get addicted to boost your gas mileage will suffer too.

I think there are different versions of this saying, but I heard this before:
Nitrous get you paid........ Boost gets you laid. lol

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

on another thread if you search under is200t from a bmw owner
the is250 v6 is very smooth, very underpowered, very un fuel efficient, and proven older technology, the is200 powertrain for the market they are going after they did a great job with the 8 speed and turbo 4.. almost as good as bmw's 4 which says a lot the n20 motor won 2013 motor of the year from wards. anyone looking for no turbo lag at all should either buy the is350 is300 awd or look to bmw inline six turbo or v8 turbo in bmw or mercedes...
you won't find a 4 thats perfect but my 528 motor is near perfect, it would be perfect if i didnt have to use premium
safe driving

 

I do not agree with your analysis. Modern turbo cars *always* strive to get the boost going as low-down in the RPM range as possible. This allows them to operate at low RPM's, which gives best efficiency, and still have reasonable power available. This is why we see these engines producing peak torque at such low RPM's (assuming, of course, the turbo is spinning fast).

But, there always will be some lag, when you are puttering around at low RPM's. There's just not enough exhaust to keep the turbo spinning fast, unless RPM's and/or engine load increases.

 

I just went from a 2014 IS 250 F-Sport to a 2016 IS 200T F-Sport. Maybe I need to drive my IS 200T a bit more, but i'm really missing the quick responsiveness of the IS 250. Basically, the turbo lag is really bugging me. If i'm cruising at any speed, and I depress the pedal to accelerate, it isn't responsive, and there's a huge delay in power. and when the power does kick in, it still feels weak and sluggish. It actually feels as sluggish as the IS 250, but that was expected with the IS 250, since it was barely over 200HP with weak torque.

With the IS 200T, I was expecting a lot more power, torque, and quicker acceleration. But i'm getting none of that.

I'm torn on my car right now. and it's a sucky feeling.