Estate cars

swfcdan · July 5, 2016

More curiosity than anything else, but wondered why Lexus have never bothered to make an estate version of the IS cars beyond the original IS200/300?

I'm assuming it's down to sales, but then you see tones of A4, 3 series and C class estates, so there is obviously a demand for them, me included. The added practicality, especially with those with families would be most useful.

I guess of the current gen models the NX steps in to some extent and bridges that gap between an IS estate and RX models, but it seems odd that an IS estate has never been offered to make the IS series a more versatile car.

Linas.P · July 5, 2016

UK is very niche market for Lexus (as any other country in EU). The main market is US, then Middle East... where they have no demand for estate cars of any kind, so decision not to make one is fairly obvious. As well look to the range available in UK... it is joke! In US they have IS/RC 200t/250/300h/350 and as well AWD... in UK we only get water down versions of 200t and 300h and RWD only. What surprises me is how the decided to release IS220d without automatic transmission... never managed to understand logic behind it.

noby76 · July 5, 2016

you know what i was actually thinking about this 2 days ago when i saw a bloke pop open his C250 bluetec estate boot whilst i was filling up at the petrol sation and thought 'hang on a minute this boot is not that spacious as the outside makes you believe' i checked a few websites comparing cars and this was what i found

2015 Audi A4 Avant = 505 litres

2013 325d Touring = 495 litres

2015 C250d Merc Estate = 490 litres

2015 IS200t Saloon = 480 litres

i was surprised to know the largest boot space being the Audi could only accommodate an extra 20 litres of space whe compared to the Saloon Lexus IS which is not day and night in terms of space. i also compared some modern SUV 4X4's to the boot space of my GS and came to the same conclusion and actually wondered why most bother with estate or an SUV compared to a descent sized family Saloon. I am aware most of the back seats in estates can fold down but where will you put your kids? the estates also cost a fraction more than Saloon for not much of practicality.

Wisty · July 5, 2016

6 hours ago, noby76 said:

you know what i was actually thinking about this 2 days ago when i saw a bloke pop open his C250 bluetec estate boot whilst i was filling up at the petrol sation and thought 'hang on a minute this boot is not that spacious as the outside makes you believe' i checked a few websites comparing cars and this was what i found

2015 Audi A4 Avant = 505 litres

2013 325d Touring = 495 litres

2015 C250d Merc Estate = 490 litres

2015 IS200t Saloon = 480 litres

i was surprised to know the largest boot space being the Audi could only accommodate an extra 20 litres of space whe compared to the Saloon Lexus IS which is not day and night in terms of space. i also compared some modern SUV 4X4's to the boot space of my GS and came to the same conclusion and actually wondered why most bother with estate or an SUV compared to a descent sized family Saloon. I am aware most of the back seats in estates can fold down but where will you put your kids? the estates also cost a fraction more than Saloon for not much of practicality.

The luggage space increases enormously when you fold the seats down and that's where an estate really comes to be useful. Having had a couple of Alfa 156 estates (sorry Alfa; 'Sportwagon's) in my time, I can confirm that all of that extra space, even in something as bijou as a 156, is exceptionally useful. My IS250 is the first car I've ever owned where I've had to consider what sort of rack I'm going to use to transport my £4k mountain bike. I'm still undecided.

I even managed to get my bike in the back of a Ford Puma...

The-Acre · July 5, 2016

We've had this discussion in the LS forum and agreed that an LS estate would be brilliant, just like MB do with the E class. As it is I've got a Volvo estate for the practical side of things, but even that doesn't have the space of its predecessors.

bluenose1940 · July 5, 2016

I too was only discussing this matter the other day. Boot space is my only real disappointment with my car, I won't drive a car that has no spare wheel and so I purchased a 'spacesaver' but it takes up quite a lot of boot space.

I don't really like estate cars, never have but I think that I would change my thinking if Lexus made one.

Linas.P · July 5, 2016

2 hours ago, The-Acre said:

We've had this discussion in the LS forum and agreed that an LS estate would be brilliant, just like MB do with the E class. As it is I've got a Volvo estate for the practical side of things, but even that doesn't have the space of its predecessors.

LS estate would be eye-sore... Even MB or BMW doesn't make estate S class or 7 series. Do you mean GS? It would be logical, but would look terrible (as almost all estates). But again this is pointless discussion.... unless... Americans going to start loving estates .. which they don't, they instead love pickups... so we more likely to get Lexus NX/RX/GX pick-up version than estate GS or IS. At least Lexus main market is not Australia... because then we would see RC-F pickup version coming..

I hope nobody offended :)

On the other hand I do agree, folding seats are very good idea, I see no reason why Lexus IS250 cannot have folding seats... Mondeo and Mazda 6 does that, BMW 3 series does that, but not Lexus? As many mentioned ... the main space advantage are actually folding seats and not that intimidating looks.

mikeyv · July 6, 2016

I love estate cars, as did the yanks in the not so distant past.

I used to run one of these, complete with fake woody look, easy to see who it was targeted at!!

mikeyv · July 6, 2016

And here's the closest you can get to an LS estate.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Toyota Crown Athlete estate.

swfcdan · July 6, 2016

That's a beast.

I personally quite like the utilitarian look of estate cars and think they often look better than the saloon.

Neighbor has and Accord estate and it looks great. Very much personal opinion of course.

Linas.P · July 6, 2016

7 hours ago, mikeyv said:

And here's the closest you can get to an LS estate.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Toyota Crown Athlete estate.

Is this estate car or hearse?

The-Acre · July 6, 2016

9 hours ago, mikeyv said:

I love estate cars, as did the yanks in the not so distant past.

I used to run one of these, complete with fake woody look, easy to see who it was targeted at!!

I'm with you, I love estate cars and would only have a saloon as a toy. As for the Toyota Crown estate, I'd bite your hand off for it, superb! I like the look of the Datsun (although I wouldn't recognise it without rust holes!) and it's probably because I've always liked American cars (from the past that is) and as you say, easy to see the target....and, there's a Crown Estate on eBay!!

mikeyv · July 6, 2016

3 hours ago, The-Acre said:

I'm with you, I love estate cars and would only have a saloon as a toy. As for the Toyota Crown estate, I'd bite your hand off for it, superb! I like the look of the Datsun (although I wouldn't recognise it without rust holes!) and it's probably because I've always liked American cars (from the past that is) and as you say, easy to see the target....and, there's a Crown Estate on ebay!!

Yep, rotted like a pear, I'm afraid, bottom of the doors in particular, pulled like a train though, once I'd converted to manual choke.

Just checked eBay and drooled over the Crown!!

johnatg · July 7, 2016

Post deleted

Linas.P · July 7, 2016

Indeed I had no clue ... how do they recline?

johnatg · July 7, 2016

Sorry - complete red herring! Just went and checked - I mistook the child seat anchor points (which I also have never used) for some sort of recliner! (hangs head in shame!!)

Linas.P · July 7, 2016

42 minutes ago, johnatg said:

Sorry - complete red herring! Just went and checked - I mistook the child seat anchor points (which I also have never used) for some sort of recliner! (hangs head in shame!!)

That is what I thought.. because they have solid partition behind and the only way they can "recline" is by puling the bottom of the seat towards front... which don't make much sense considering how little space there is already for rear passengers legs. As well I did read manual when I have bought my first IS250 from new and don't remember seeing anything about that.