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Toyota Altezza RS200- Nicest Interiors with Great Quality

Toyota Altezza RS200- Nicest Interiors with Great Quality

ALTEZZA 2000
Price: USD 14,730
ALTEZZA 2002
Price: USD 5,700
ALTEZZA 2004
Price: USD 11,680
ALTEZZA 1998
Price: USD 12,400
ALTEZZA 2001
Price: USD 15,960
ALTEZZA 2001
Price: USD 6,870
ALTEZZA 2002
Price: USD 12,130
ALTEZZA 1998
Price: USD 9,620
ALTEZZA 1999
Price: USD 12,640
ALTEZZA 1999
Price: USD 14,620

The Lexus IS/Toyota Altezza:

Lexus was Toyota’s first major step in the luxury market, and currently spans a range of vehicles that directly compete with some of the best medium-sized luxury cars out there. It seems a matter of fact now, but Lexus had a very difficult time proving the automotive world’s skepticism to be nothing other than a mere illusion. Within a few short years on the scene, Lexus was giving Mercedes and BMW a run for their money.

The Toyota Altezza (or Lexus IS, as it is called outside Japan) is an entry level car in the luxury class. The car competes directly with the BMW 3 series in terms of technical specifications and price ranges.

Technical Specifications:

toyota altezza rs 200 The Altezza was introduced in 1999, and was made available with a choice of 3 engines; the highly coveted RS 200 model came with Toyota’s legendary 2.0 liter inline 4-cylinder engine mated with a 6 speed close ratio manual transmission. The dual VVTi engine is a rev happy unit, and power output comes to a whopping 210 horsepower at 7600 RPM. Also available was a 5-speed automatic with a marginally reduced power output. The Altezza RS200 clearly has sporting credentials.

The engine, unlike competitors, is not turbocharged and thus provides a seamless flow of power at all engine speeds. Couple that with the late 90s BMW 3 series, which’s turbocharged engine was famous for being laggy till about 4000RPM and then exploding in a wave of power, the Altezza seems more fitting to the sport-luxury genre.

Comfort:

The Altezza has some of the nicest interiors Toyota has ever done, with richly appointed leather seats and a clean and functional layout throughout. The overall design seems a bit dated with its use of rectangles, but it is by no means an eye sore! The funky instrument cluster is neat and proper, with large dials that make for excellent visibility in all lighting conditions. The seats are incredibly comfortable, and provide adequate side bolstering in corners. There are power windows and “all electric” gizmos all around the cabin. The stock 8 speaker sound system is a real killer… with excellent acoustic qualities. The car also comes with a typical assortment of safety features that you’d expect to find on a 90s car... SRS Airbags, ABS Brakes, that’s about it.

Buying One Second Hand?

The Toyota Altezza RS200 package is a desirable car for a number of reasons. For one, the car still looks very fresh out there; in fact it looks better than most new cars on sale today. They are also very reliable, you can completely thrash Altezzas and they’d still last longer than your average Mercedes.

Being an old car, the Altezza is only available as a used car. There are millions of them on sale online and picking a good one can be quite a challenge. Generally, average condition models with a high mileage can fetch around $11000, if you’re getting a good dealer certified used car with immaculate condition inside-out, you can expect to spend around $20000 for a solid car.

But these cars can be considered future classics, so investing in them now may give a decent pay off in future.

Toyota Altezza RS200- Nicest Interiors with Great Quality

The Lexus IS/Toyota Altezza:

Technical Specifications:

Comfort:

Buying One Second Hand?

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