IS300h

HandsomeDan

Interested in this car. Does anyone on here own one of these? If so what are they like and how do they compare to the rwd competition (3 series, c class, ...etc).

Thanks.

Also what do women think? Any woman I've asked said they look strange/ garish.

goochy

i am a guy ,only problem i have with looks are rear lights look strange from the side. make sure you take good test drive , magazines complain about the transmission not working together with the hybrid system the way a normal engine would with the transmission and it means the acceleration is not what it should be for this type of car.

Hachiko

better off to register on the Lexus uk forum where you might get more answers from people there.

Oafley Jones

Really like them. Lexus corrected two of the major problems for me with the IS, namely boot space and rear leg room - which I think is now best in class. Came first in some customer satisfaction poll I saw lately. Haven't driven one yet, but I'd expect vaguely similar performance to that of the is 250 Ie comfort rather than performance orientated. I've been in two and though the s design was fairly poor in terms of luxury/spec. The executive model was far nicer. I'd be tempted in replacing one for my 250 if I didn't need something bigger at the moment.

Hachiko

what are the trim levels in Ireland compared to the UK? I was not aware that the is250 had different spec in Ireland. The executive spec was poor compared to what was offered in the UK.

Lexus must be doing something right.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/driver-power/91214/driver-power-2015-results-revealed-lexus-is-wins

Gumbo

Hachiko wrote: »

what are the trim levels in Ireland compared to the UK? I was not aware that the is250 had different spec in Ireland. The executive spec was poor compared to what was offered in the UK.

Lexus must be doing something right.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/driver-power/91214/driver-power-2015-results-revealed-lexus-is-wins

Eco
S-Design
Executive
F-Sport
Premium

corglass

Sexy looking car!

Hachiko

Its definitely a looker.

Supergurrier

Aunt went from an Is250 to one of these last year, no complaints sofar.

Abit unremarkable in the flesh but a nice car nontheless

R.O.R

It's a lovely looking car, but it's very poor to drive. Hateful CVT box saps all the power - have you seen the performance figures? How they can make a car with that power, that slow, is quite special.

The one I drove had been used as someone's car for a while rather than a demo and was showing 6.2 for long term fuel consumption, so they aren't even that efficient either.

Unless you do just city driving, there are much better options out there.

Oafley Jones

R.O.R wrote: »

It's a lovely looking car, but it's very poor to drive. Hateful CVT box saps all the power - have you seen the performance figures? How they can make a car with that power, that slow, is quite special.

The one I drove had been used as someone's car for a while rather than a demo and was showing 6.2 for long term fuel consumption, so they aren't even that efficient either.

Unless you do just city driving, there are much better options out there.

Were you driving in Normal or Eco mode. The official 0-100 time of 8.2 isn't bad, but I'm guessing that was Sport mode. Are any of the Lexus hybrids that economical? It's just more of selling an alternative to diesel that any real eco credentials imo.

Hachiko

R.O.R wrote: »

It's a lovely looking car, but it's very poor to drive. Hateful CVT box saps all the power - have you seen the performance figures? How they can make a car with that power, that slow, is quite special.

The one I drove had been used as someone's car for a while rather than a demo and was showing 6.2 for long term fuel consumption, so they aren't even that efficient either.

Unless you do just city driving, there are much better options out there.

I agree, I am not excited by the performance, at all. But it does look good.

Even my v6 is hardly setting the world alight (aside from 'that' thread)

I have not driven one but the OP should at least be given the opportunity to drive one if he so wishes.

mickdw

Go the whole hog op and get a gs 450h.

HandsomeDan

mickdw wrote: »

Go the whole hog op and get a gs 450h.

I wish. It would be a secondhand is300h at a stretch.

Thanks for replies. Will probably end up with another 3 series.

Hachiko

*sigh

dont be disheartened by people here, as seen from my is250 thread they are not exactly Lexus fans. The auto express survey was not fiction. Lexus make very well engineered cars by all accounts, don't let the fact not many buy them put you off. The 300h is not a Sports car. It will get you around in comfort and will be more than capable of keeping up with and passing out most other road users with ease. I seen new ones in the show rooms at Lexus hedge end and they are a very good looking car no doubt.

Residual values will likely to be pretty strong too.

If you have reservations do as I say and post on the lexus uk site where owners will be more than pleased to give any feedback, people who actually own the car.

bazz26

There is an IS200 being launched soon enough, 2.0 litre turbo engine but it's going to cost more than the IS300h and obviously not as efficient as the hybrid.

Hachiko

that will be a bit more expensive than the 300h, considering he said a second hand one at a stretch.

BMJD

bazz26 wrote: »

There is an IS200 being launched soon enough, 2.0 litre turbo engine but it's going to cost more than the IS300h and obviously not as efficient as the hybrid.

I'm guessing that our VRT regime is distorting the price of it here

colm_mcm

Even in the UK it's going to be more expensive than the hybrid

Hachiko

brand new Lexus is250 replacement with a turbo, I am sure it will not be cheap. Will be interesting to see how it does.

bazz26

It's 4 cylinder too.

Hachiko

no different than Honda using a turbo in the New Civic Type R. A first for them too. All in the name of emissions.

colm_mcm

The NX already has this engine.

Emissions wise it's a pretty poor effort.

R.O.R

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Were you driving in Normal or Eco mode. The official 0-100 time of 8.2 isn't bad, but I'm guessing that was Sport mode. Are any of the Lexus hybrids that economical? It's just more of selling an alternative to diesel that any real eco credentials imo.

Sure the figures were worse than 8.2 when it was launched, but perhaps not - still, that's really poor for a car with a stated 223ps from a 2.5 Litre Petrol Engine with Electrical assistance. Co2 of 103g isn't that fantastic either (eco model has 99g, others are all 103g). Tried both Normal and Sport mode and didn't fell any real difference.

In comparison, the S60 D4 has Co2 of 102g (for the manual, 113 for the Auto), a "mere" 190ps from a 2.0 Diesel, yet can get to 60mph in 7.1 seconds.

Most of it probably down to the stupid CVT box (the devils work them). Interior was a decent place to be, but still not quite to European standards (IMHO).

There was a nice noise from it, under hard acceleration - quite a throaty roar. Found out afterwards that it's piped in to the cabin as an electronically generated noise

Oafley Jones

R.O.R wrote: »

Sure the figures were worse than 8.2 when it was launched, but perhaps not - still, that's really poor for a car with a stated 223ps from a 2.5 Litre Petrol Engine with Electrical assistance. Co2 of 103g isn't that fantastic either (eco model has 99g, others are all 103g). Tried both Normal and Sport mode and didn't fell any real difference.

In comparison, the S60 D4 has Co2 of 102g (for the manual, 113 for the Auto), a "mere" 190ps from a 2.0 Diesel, yet can get to 60mph in 7.1 seconds.

Most of it probably down to the stupid CVT box (the devils work them). Interior was a decent place to be, but still not quite to European standards (IMHO).

There was a nice noise from it, under hard acceleration - quite a throaty roar. Found out afterwards that it's piped in to the cabin as an electronically generated noise

Don't care for CVTs myself either. Thing is, that hybrid system isn't exactly light to be hauling around. So it'll definitely impact performance.

Hachiko

Have you ever driven a Lexus? People buy them for very solid Engineering, very decent build quality, and at the top end of reliability.

This rose tinted view is rife across all of Europe but interestingly enough Lexus are still winning driver surveys.

Car sales are very poor for Lexus in Europe, put these figures into a pie chart and you can see that. 103 grams of Co2 is much better than my own car, its all down to a personal preference at the end of the day on what they choose to drive.