Comparison Is 250 - 300H F Sport

[dutchie01]

I have now driven 6000km with my 300H and do know the car inside out. I sometimes compare it with my previous 250 which i drove for 4 years and 140.000 km. I wonder if there are any members out there that also owned a 250 and now drive a 300H? what are your experiences/thoughts?

I loved the 250 to bits. when comparing it with the 300H you do notice it is a generation old and overall the 300 is a better car but in some aspects the 250 was closer to the real lexus experience than the 300H will ever be.

The 250 was more refined and utterly silent. the creamy six cylinder petrol was noiseless and without any vibrations at all. The six speed auto did shift without any hickups vibration or noise and driving off from standstill was limousine like, an uniterrupted movement that increased in force all very refined and Lexus Like. I also feel the cabin of the 250 was more isolated, more silent. Less windnoise, doors that shut like a bankvault. The doors on the 300 have a different feel, are thinner, lighter, more like "other cars". the soundsystem was way better than the 300 which disappoints.

Mind you i think that overall the 300H is the better car, better package, brakes, consumption, styling etc but it seems that Lexus has abandoned the number one unique selling point - the peerless refinement, the number one position in Noise Vibration Harshness - that was so convincingly there as an overall experience in all parts of the 250 from the doors to the glovebox.

I do realise the drivetrain of the 300H is by nature not so refined as it lacks 2 cylinders but the noise and enginevibrations just dont seem as damped as on the 250. On top of that my car suffered from the dreaded drivetrain vibtations as described on this forum. It is now repaired by the dealer but Hey.. this on a Lexus?

I do think the 300 is the better car by far but i sometimes feel the 250 was more refined, more Lexus.

What are your thoughts?

[ganzoom]

If the IS300H has a totally electric drive train it'll be the perfect car for me.

Luckly it looks like Toyota is finally starting to see pointlessness of hydrogen fuel cell cars. There were suppose to be >50 hydrogen fuel stations open in California by now, but as it stands there are only 3.

Costs of $1-3 million per station, and residents not wanting to live near a mass hydrogen storage unit is apprently to blame.

Hopefully maybe soon we'll see proper EVs from Lexus / Toyota.

http://insideevs.com/toyota-to-selected-dealers-stop-delivering-mirai-there-is-no-where-to-refuel/

[rayaans]

The old generation was a Lexus in the traditional sense, i.e a bit boring and bland to drive

my doors close with a solid thud and feel very heavy - i think too much greasing has been going on in your car!

Very quiet too so dont really know what you're complaining about. I drive an RX which is very quiet and was actually rated as one of the quietest cars in 2013 and I dont think the IS is that much worse in all honesty

[Bratman91]

My 3rd generation IS250 is, as far as I know, identical to the 300H with the obvious exception of the engine and drive chain, and changes to accommodate them (eg smaller boot, different controls). Things like doors, lights, sound system, seats and interior layout seemed to me to be identical to my 250 when I have had 300H loaners if my car was in for servicing. Personally, I prefer the 250 because of its smoothness, bigger boot and less complexity to go wrong, but in a thread that I started to gauge other peoples' impressions, I was clearly in the minority. I just put that down to my being particularly discerning while those who preferred the 300H think that "new and improved" really means that. OK, I am not being serious - some good points were made in the thread (see the link below).

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/103566-it-depends-on-what-the-definition-of-is-is/

[DJP]

The only negatives that I had between the 250 and the 300 were very minor and I believe weight saving orientated, i.e. the lighter boot (didn't like the hinges at all either) and the door pockets were "flimsier".

The 300's styling, handling and general road holding is much better IMO than the 250, and I found it to be a very restful and relaxing car to drive. The 50% saving on fuel costs was very welcome too.

[Bratman91]

Any difference in handling and roadholding could, I suppose, be attributed to the different weight and weight distribution because of the different engines and drive. However, the styling is surely identical. Are you comparing a 300H with a 3rd generation 250?

[DJP]

Any difference in handling and roadholding could, I suppose, be attributed to the different weight and weight distribution because of the different engines and drive. However, the styling is surely identical. Are you comparing a 300H with a 3rd generation 250?

To clarify I am comparing the 2nd gen IS to the 300h.

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[Bratman91]

Thanks, DJP, for that clarification. I think that the OP must also have been comparing with the 2nd generation IS250 as he says that he had an IS250 for 4 years, and the 3rd generation didn't arrive until about 2 years ago.

[daylight1]

I first came to Lexus in 2005 and have been driving them ever since, which must say something!  I owned two IS 250's between 2005 and 2014, covering around 140,000 miles.  The first was a 250 SE, bought new and the second was the higher spec SE-L, bought 18 months old from Lexus Stockport.  I loved them both and never had any problems of any type during my ownership of them.  The fuel consumption was around 30mpg on both cars as you'd expect.

I bought my current IS 300h Luxury new in March 2014 and to date have done 27,000 miles.  The reason I opted for hybrid was very simple; to save money.  Given the mileage I do, the superior fuel consumption, £10 a year road fund licence and lower maintenance costs made a compelling case.  I have noticed my driving style has changed, (or maybe I'm just getting old ), as there is definitely a knack to getting the best mpg from a hybrid.  This has resulted in me finding the 300h to be slightly more relaxing to drive than the IS 250 and the 53mpg I'm getting is a real bonus, especially with fuel now being so much cheaper!

I can honestly say the only thing I do miss is the superior acceleration both of the IS 250's had over the 300h, even in Sport mode.  That 2.5 litre 6 cylinder engine was, as others have said, silky smooth but genuinely quick when I wanted.

I haven't actually driven the new shape IS 250 but suspect it would be a great car, combining the looks, drive and handling with that superior acceleration.

I was getting quite settled with my 300h ...... and then Lexus went and launched the LC500 at Detroit.  Now if I re-mortgage the house and oil drops to less than $10 a barrel it may just be viable ...........

[rayaans]

On 1/18/2016 at 10:49 AM, Bratman91 said:

Any difference in handling and roadholding could, I suppose, be attributed to the different weight and weight distribution because of the different engines and drive. However, the styling is surely identical. Are you comparing a 300H with a 3rd generation 250?

Correct. Something that a lot of owners actually dont know about the IS300h is that it has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution whereas the IS250 is somewhat front heavy