Everyone loves an underdog, don’t they? Most luxury brands nowadays that aren’t from Germany and are not Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Audi tend to struggle in this segment, despite offering a plethora of good qualities. The most notable success story about a new brand coming in to dethrone the Germans, and let’s be real, the only one, is Lexus.
Launched back in the late 1980s as the fruit of Toyota’s labor to change the luxury car world, that’s exactly what the Japanese automaker would go on to do. The original LS was better than the contemporary Germans, and it was a runaway success.
Lexus then started an expansion into other foreign markets, including Europe. Europe is very different to North America, so Lexus had to learn and adapt along the way. We Europeans love diesel engines. Lexus has never really been about the black, smoky stuff, opting instead for hybrid power to offer buyers a more frugal alternative to the standard fare V6 and V8 power units.
However, in the mid-2000s, Lexus actually budged and stuck a diesel engine under the hood of one of its models to more closely compete with the Germans, who offered diesel power in all their models. The result? The Lexus IS220d.
The Only Lexus Oil Burner
You might be wondering how I’m qualified to tell you all about Lexus’ only normal diesel-powered car, bar the older LX full-size luxury SUV models. It’s simple: this one is mine. I bought it to replace a certain French luxury sedan in my fleet that shall remain nameless.
As you have probably spotted, this is a second-generation XE20 Lexus IS, sold from 2005 to 2013 in most of the world. Mine is from 2009, right in the middle of the production run and a shortly before the facelift happened. It’s also finished in this spectacular, rare color called Glacier Frost Mica. How spectacular? Well, enough to make the owner of an imported ES350, which is a special sight in and of itself as it was never sold new in Europe, stop me to ask what the color is called.
Most of you will be aware that this generation of the Lexus IS was offered as a 250, 300, 350, and an F in North America. That wasn’t the case in Europe. We did get the IS250 and the IS F, but our only other option besides those was the IS220d. Why did we get a diesel version of the IS? Simple, because Europeans love diesel, and diesel was a huge thing in the 2000s in this part of the world.
It gets even more interesting, as the IS220d was only ever offered with a six-speed manual transmission. The 250 offered an auto, and the IS Fs were all auto, of course, but with the IS220d, it was three pedals or nothing. Later, when Lexus facelifted the IS in 2010, the IS220d was replaced with the detuned IS200d to comply with the Euro 5 emissions regulations.
Other than these notable differences, my IS is just like any other IS. It looks good, it drives very well, it’s supremely well-equipped, and it refuses to show or act its age. Despite being 16 years old and having covered well over 150,000 miles, it’s holding up really well.
The DPF, for example, infamous in modern diesel cars for clogging and being a general nuisance, is fine. The injectors, also being a common failure point in older diesel cars, are also fine, as the mechanic at the Toyota dealer told me.
Let’s dissect this. What sort of diesel engine could possibly power a Lexus sedan?
The 220d Badge
Remember back in the day when the numbers on the back of luxury cars actually meant something? Good times. My IS220d is missing the IS220d badge on the back; I guess because the previous owner was ashamed. Too bad, as the single exhaust pipe is a dead giveaway.
Regardless, the 220d badge means that under the hood is a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, also known as the 2AD-FHV. Other Toyota models that used this powertrain, like the Avensis and the RAV4, carried the D-CAT designation.
As this is a 220d, it puts out 177 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and that goes to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, a significant advantage over the 250 in terms of torque. By comparison, the later 200d put out only 150 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque.
Being an older diesel with a single turbocharger, the power delivery isn’t exactly smooth, more like a burp. Above 1,500 RPM, you give it the beans, there’s a huge burp of torque, and then as you get closer to the redline of around 4,500 RPM, it starts to stagnate. The IS250, which I have also driven, is way more linear, but also significantly less punchy.
The burps of torque are also helpful if you want to get the tail out — which I obviously never do — but otherwise, it’s very planted and secure. As for the ride, while the regular IS is geared towards comfort, the previous owner of mine wasn’t having any of that comfort nonsense. They installed Koni adjustable shocks and H&R lowering springs.
Does this improve the handling? Yes, certainly. Does it make the ride a bit of a chore? Also yes. Where I live, pretty much all the roads are really badly maintained and absolutely full of holes and bumps. As of writing, my IS is on winter tires and the smaller 18″ wheels, but with the summer tires and 19″ wheels, the ride transforms from a bit annoying to insufferable.
An Interior That Has Stood The Test of Time
Being a product of Toyota has also meant the interior has absolutely stood the test of time. As well as still looking great and without a tear or a major scratch in sight, save for the shift boot, which hasn’t been reinserted properly, it’s a great place to be. Soft touch plastics dominate the interior, and I love the subtle details, like the lights on the dials that open and close the air vents. The only thing that lets down this otherwise great interior are the signal stalks, which are straight off a Corolla. Shame, really.
This IS also left the factory with a pretty packed list of equipment, including the power tilt steering column and seats, the Mark Levinson sound system, the backup camera and self-park system, and Bluetooth phone connectivity. Sure, you can only make phone calls, and the navigation system does not have up-to-date maps, which means it often has no idea where it is or where to go, but build quality-wise, this equipment is holding up surprisingly well more than 15 years later.
The only major issue in the interior is a bodged dome light bulb replacement, causing it to flash randomly. The map lights mitigate this issue, but it’s still a bit annoying. As for the shift boot, the previous owner has installed an “F Sport” shift knob and likely never got around to reinserting the shift boot properly. I am grateful for the F Sport knob, as the standard one looks terrible.
Known Mechanical Issues
European Lexus forums are full of people complaining and warning us about this version of the IS. Most of the reported issues center around high oil consumption, which mine has, turbocharger-related issues, and, of course, the DPF. The latter is the case with a lot of newer diesel cars, as the owners likely don’t allow the DPF to regenerate properly, which requires highway driving and holding the revs a little higher than normal.
Mine has a whiny turbo, and it emits smoke from the exhaust every once in a while. As it survived a 1,100-mile road trip from Switzerland to my hometown, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that it’s not that big of an issue. Other than that, it works flawlessly. Certainly better than the French limo in my fleet.
My IS has a full service history since it was purchased new in May 2009. The previous owner, from what I was able to see, did a lot of work underneath and under the hood, including cleaning the DPF. While I have only owned it for a couple of months, it’s proven to be a very faithful and helpful companion.
Why Didn’t The IS220d Catch On in Europe?
In theory, the IS220d had all the markings of a solid competitor to stuff like the BMW 320d and Mercedes C220 CDI, so why didn’t it take off? Well, partially because Lexus is not really a top choice for European buyers, as they stick to what they know best. You know, European brands.
While the IS220d definitely did compete head-on with the above-mentioned BMW and Merc, matching them in terms of horsepower, Lexus did not devise a competitor for the larger six-cylinder diesel engines that the Germans offered. There was never an IS300d, for example.
As a result, the IS220d is a rare sight in Europe, but it’s also the least valuable on the used market, with some examples selling for as little as $3,500. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as they say. Like most car enthusiasts, I’m someone who is always peeking around the classifieds to see what could be next, but I think that with my IS220d, I have finally arrived at a point where I’m not exactly sure what I would replace it with. It does everything I need and want, and it does it damn well.
