Choosing my first IS 300H

newtolexus2017 · January 23, 2017

Hi everyone,

I'm currently looking to buy a used Lexus IS 300H and have discovered this forum recently. I would be driving only at the weekends for a couple of 50 minute drives so really we'd do only around 5k miles per year. I've read most of the relevant threads which are amazingly helpful but still have a few questions. Wondered if anyone could share thoughts on the below?

1. Currently my eyes are on a 2013 300H F-sport with 22k mileage. For the same price I could get a 2015 executive with 7k mileage but no reversing camera or electronic seats. The F-sport looks great but would it be a more sensible decision to go with the newer car?

2. I've read many reviews about the F-sport being much rougher than the other models. Is this very noticeable? I couldn't tell from the brief test drive. If so, perhaps again makes more sense to go for a non F sport?

3. Realistically, for a 2013 F sport that's done 22k mileage, how much incidental repairs and expenses would I likely have to prepare for? Just wary of astronomical costs if the Battery goes wrong or the sat nav goes odd etc.

4. Damages in car parks - I would take care of it so well but it's inevitable that I'll have to park it in a supermarket car park every weekend. With people parking so close (no spaces without people around), do you find that realistically, all your cars get scratched doors and mirrors? I would absolutely hate that...

Hopefully I've provided enough info but let me know if anything else I can clarify. Thanks so much for your thoughts in advance - really excited to get a 300h but want to make sure I get the right one!

Thanks

dargoion · January 23, 2017

The 2 cars are pretty much the same underneath the sportier look of the f sport for handling or top speed the 2 cars are the same f sport is pretty and better equiped then the executive for bumps and scraches in the parking you will a have a few... all cars will be touched sooner or later in parking or even on the road, for astronomicas expenses i wold not worry about at only 24k miles if i was in your place id buy the 2015 one and instal a after market camera for 100€and that's it...

Trimis de pe al meu SM-G900F folosind Tapatalk

200h · January 23, 2017

the F sport will still be under the lexus warranty until its 3 years old as long as its had the servicing at the correct time

using approved parts so no worries there,before you buy let the dealership give you a proper test drive in both cars

,you'll be spending alot of money so make sure you purchase the correct car for you dont let the dealer push you towards one car.

either do online shopping or go later on in the evening when kiddies are going to bed the supermarkets will be quieter

or borrow a friends child and use the parent parking.

DanD · January 23, 2017

Given the mileage you are going to do, I would not let the 22,000 of the F Sport put you off.

It will still be under warranty, is better equipped and is better looking too (although that is a very subjective statement of course).

Engine and output are the same, so it's all down to looks, equipment and comfort... and personal choice.

capese21 · January 23, 2017

6 hours ago, newtolexus2017 said:

I've read many reviews about the F-sport being much rougher than the other models. Is this very noticeable? I couldn't tell from the brief test drive. If so, perhaps again makes more sense to go for a non F sport?

I found the Fsport to firm and felt every bump. I traded it for my GS which is very comfortable. Have a extended test drive on all road surfaces would be my advice.

rayaans · January 23, 2017

6 hours ago, newtolexus2017 said:

Hi everyone,

I'm currently looking to buy a used Lexus IS 300H and have discovered this forum recently. I would be driving only at the weekends for a couple of 50 minute drives so really we'd do only around 5k miles per year. I've read most of the relevant threads which are amazingly helpful but still have a few questions. Wondered if anyone could share thoughts on the below?

1. Currently my eyes are on a 2013 300H F-sport with 22k mileage. For the same price I could get a 2015 executive with 7k mileage but no reversing camera or electronic seats. The F-sport looks great but would it be a more sensible decision to go with the newer car?

2. I've read many reviews about the F-sport being much rougher than the other models. Is this very noticeable? I couldn't tell from the brief test drive. If so, perhaps again makes more sense to go for a non F sport?

3. Realistically, for a 2013 F sport that's done 22k mileage, how much incidental repairs and expenses would I likely have to prepare for? Just wary of astronomical costs if the battery goes wrong or the sat nav goes odd etc.

4. Damages in car parks - I would take care of it so well but it's inevitable that I'll have to park it in a supermarket car park every weekend. With people parking so close (no spaces without people around), do you find that realistically, all your cars get scratched doors and mirrors? I would absolutely hate that...

Hopefully I've provided enough info but let me know if anything else I can clarify. Thanks so much for your thoughts in advance - really excited to get a 300h but want to make sure I get the right one!

Thanks

1) No, the age of the car won't make a difference and being only 3 years old, unlikely to have issues. The F-Sport variants also hold their value better from my experience than others in the range.

2) Depends on what you have now. You need to take an extended test drive and decide. Its certainly not rough by any means.

3) None - these are generally bulletproof.

4) Depends on what you fancy doing. Park at the opposite end of the entrance and its unlikely a car will come near you. You could also try the notorious two space takeover if you so wish but I doub't you'd get any more scratches or dings than any other car would

22k miles on a 3 year old car is fine. Ours is a 63 plate and only has 13k on it.

olliesgrandad · January 23, 2017

Both are good cars. I have come to my F sport from a Mercedes e250 AMG CDi Sport convertible and the Lexus is a far more comfortable car to drive (bearing in mind i'm in the car for between 2 and 4 hours every day). I love the factory reverse camera setup - I can park easily in spaces that I would find awkward with my wife's Fiat 500.

Be aware thee is a customer satisfaction recall currently on all cars from 2013 to 2015 in respect of possible corrosion on rear wheelarch seams. This is being checked on service currently.. if I was doing only 5,000 miles a year I would be very tempted to try a 250 rather than hybrid and save some cash.

PaulWhitt20 · January 23, 2017

Personally I am not a fan of the f sport styling and instrument cluster, but the reversing camera and better sat nav would tempt me to the f sport.

Take a test drive in the f sport and see if it feels to bumpy to you.

Smart insurance will give you piece of mind from car park knocks.

ColinBarber · January 23, 2017

3 - You really need to test an F Sport to make your own mind up. Personally I find the F Sport a little too hard for my liking, but I put up with it for the looks and the paint colour :)

A Premier, also on 18" wheels, is a little softer due to the different suspension, and the 17" wheel models are noticeably smoother in their ride without being too soft.

Economy on the F Sport is a few mpg less than the other models due to less efficient aerodynamics.

newtolexus2017 · January 24, 2017

Thanks so much for the responses everyone - I hadn't expected so many helpful comments so quickly within a day!

It sounds like most people are confident that a 2013 300H shouldn't provide too many costly issues but that I should check out the recall (sounds worrying but will ask the dealer before buying).

It also seems the F-sport ride comfort is dividing opinions so, if the dealer doesn't get bored of me by then, I'll ask for a test drive of the F sport model on the day that I may potentially commit to buying that particular model.

Want to get it right with the right model and right age of car so I might keep my eyes peeled and if I can resist, I may wait til March when more used models should hopefully come onto the market (I think).

marrat · January 24, 2017

I've test driven a lot of cars now, from various brands. I'm probably on some blacklist by now, but you have to be very careful when spending 30K euros. The firmness of the F-Sport depends wholly on what you compare it to. If you compare to a Volvo S60 or my Prius on 15" wheels for example, the F-Sport will come out as rough. To be fair to the car, you should compare it to other sport sedan types (meaning Merc AMG, BMW Sport, Audi S-Line etc.). Compared to those, the IS300H F-Sport is actually very forgiving. The Audi and Merc C-Class seemed very rough to me, the Merc is also even lower than the IS300H (which already is borderline IMO). BMW seems to have softened up the ride, it wasn't as rough as I seem to remember from old models. My friends had M sport models in the past, they all felt like go-karts. I couldn't get comfortable in the seats though.
I'd also advise you to seek out a model with AVS to test drive. To me, it seemed liked the regular F-Sport was comparable to F-Sport with AVS in Sport+ mode. Normal mode with AVS seemed to make the ride more forgiving. Don't quote me on this though, the difference might as well be down to the car itself and/or the tires.

Without test driving there's no sensible answer to this, I asked this same question on this forum. What a "harsh ride" is, comes down to what you're used to. If you opt for a 'sport sedan', you'll have to live with less comfort sadly.

rayaans · January 24, 2017

27 minutes ago, marrat said:

I've test driven a lot of cars now, from various brands. I'm probably on some blacklist by now, but you have to be very careful when spending 30K euros. The firmness of the F-Sport depends wholly on what you compare it to. If you compare to a Volvo S60 or my Prius on 15" wheels for example, the F-Sport will come out as rough. To be fair to the car, you should compare it to other sport sedan types (meaning Merc AMG, BMW Sport, Audi S-Line etc.). Compared to those, the IS300H F-Sport is actually very forgiving. The Audi and Merc C-Class seemed very rough to me, the Merc is also even lower than the IS300H (which already is borderline IMO). BMW seems to have softened up the ride, it wasn't as rough as I seem to remember from old models. My friends had M sport models in the past, they all felt like go-karts. I couldn't get comfortable in the seats though.
I'd also advise you to seek out a model with AVS to test drive. To me, it seemed liked the regular F-Sport was comparable to F-Sport with AVS in Sport+ mode. Normal mode with AVS seemed to make the ride more forgiving. Don't quote me on this though, the difference might as well be down to the car itself and/or the tires.

Without test driving there's no sensible answer to this, I asked this same question on this forum. What a "harsh ride" is, comes down to what you're used to. If you opt for a 'sport sedan', you'll have to live with less comfort sadly.

Most german cars have the option of having standard suspension on their sport trims

The only issue when buying them used is that you never know if they have that or not as the dealers generally suck at listing them

marrat · January 24, 2017

I didn't know that. I assume the S-line and AMG had the sport suspension, I can't imagine how hard a sport suspension would feel like if those two were standard suspension. This might also explain why the BMW felt quite soft.
You are correct about the dealers. Most Lexus dealers don't seem to know they have a car with AVS when the car is clearly fitted with AVS when you check it.

olliesgrandad · January 24, 2017

Before my Mercedes E250 cabriolet I owned a 63 plate Mercedes C220cdi AMG Sport . I covered in excess of 20,000 miles in 10 months with it. Bearing in mind the wheel and tyre sizes are identical on both vehicles the ride comfort is streets ahead in the Lexus F Sport. I think some of the extra comfort is due to better seat design in the Lexus. Mercedes seats are definitely firmer these days - I had 3 Mercedes in the 1990's and the seat comfort was fabulous then. Certainly my passengers comment that the Lexus ride comfort is much better than my last 2 Mercedes. In fact I was starting to suffer with back ache and that has now all but disappeared since I have been driving my Lexus. I have driven new Mercedes C Class on standard suspension (loan car) for about 4 days and the ride was so wallowy that had I been a passenger I am sure I would be car sick.

At the end of the day a good long test drive on mixed roads is the only way to judge (My Lexus Dealer was very good - my test drive was over 40 miles).

DanD · January 25, 2017

It's not all about the suspension though, the seats play an important role too. The F-Sport suspension may be firmer, but I would still pick it because I find its seats are more supportive and more comfortable over long distances.

Hotperiperi · January 29, 2017

Also looking at IS300h. Thinking of the exec as I can jump to a 64 for a similar price of a lux. The 64 exec seems to have a better Infotainment interface than the 63 lux.

I heard that you can retro fit the reversing cam as the wiring is already there? Any truth in this? Can you recommend anyone in the NW England that can do this?

thanks

Alan

newtolexus2017 · January 29, 2017

Still surprised at how helpful these comments all are - so glad i discovered this forum to help the decision.

I had no idea you can retro fit the reversing camera. If it's possible then that opens my range of options up as that's a "must" in what I'm looking for. I'm going to give the Lexus dealership a call as wouldn't want to get that done by just a garage.

An additional question about driving positions. I know people say low driving position is comfy whereas high ones in 4x4 gives more visibility. Do you find that it's harder to judge distances (e.g. how far is the car from the kerb)? I know it's subjective and you get used to it etc though.

tayaste · January 29, 2017

I have a F-sport and a Land Rover Discovery, no problem judging distances in any of them. You quickly get used to them. Although our white IS F-sport does have a kerbed wheel from SWMBO. I keep her away from my blue one.

rayaans · January 30, 2017

21 hours ago, Hotperiperi said:

Also looking at IS300h. Thinking of the exec as I can jump to a 64 for a similar price of a lux. The 64 exec seems to have a better Infotainment interface than the 63 lux.

I heard that you can retro fit the reversing cam as the wiring is already there? Any truth in this? Can you recommend anyone in the NW England that can do this?

thanks

Alan

Yes you can retrofit a reversing camera - however, it won't have guidelines and will basically just show you whats behind you. It all depends on how much you value guidelines. If you are buying from a Lexus dealer, they can do it and Id get it built into the deal if so.

Ultimately you would have to make a decision as to whether you prefer the executive edition or the Luxury spec. The premium Nav available on the luxury models has 2 more speakers and offers a much better sound than the 6 speaker in the executive so bare this in mind when purchasing. It also comes with the reversing camera as standard.

20 hours ago, newtolexus2017 said:

Still surprised at how helpful these comments all are - so glad i discovered this forum to help the decision.

I had no idea you can retro fit the reversing camera. If it's possible then that opens my range of options up as that's a "must" in what I'm looking for. I'm going to give the Lexus dealership a call as wouldn't want to get that done by just a garage.

An additional question about driving positions. I know people say low driving position is comfy whereas high ones in 4x4 gives more visibility. Do you find that it's harder to judge distances (e.g. how far is the car from the kerb)? I know it's subjective and you get used to it etc though.

I would say yes, it is harder to judge distances in the IS compared to something like the RX anyway. I regularly drive my RX and find it harder to judge where the front of the IS is as the bonnet just seems to go off into the distance.

The wheels on the IS at the back also stick out further than the front ones do (including the wheel arches) so you can sometimes end up parking the car a bit wonky when parallel parking