Lexus IS300h Owners Thoughts vs. Journalists Reviews

[NoValidNameLeft]

Tl:dr version: the car is great, the journalists are wrong!

Full Version:

I’ve had my March 2017 300h Advance for about 1500 miles now, and done quite a bit with it in this time – holiday with the family including Welsh roads, motorways and local town driving so getting a good feel of it across a good range of use and I am pleased to say I’m very happy with it so far.  I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts on it, particularly to help someone considering a purchase mainly as I feel that the journalists have got this car wrong in the main, through a lack of understanding of what it actually is (a different, very comfortable cruiser that is very good to drive too) versus what they have pre-decided it should be (a German clone).  This is definitely shown by the difference between user satisfaction and review scores across this car and its rivals.

Reviews vs. reality

Mainly the reviews seemed cut/paste efforts from whoever wrote the first one, so I’m not even convinced they’ve all driven the car!  They all also seem to only review the experience on how it would be on a one lap experience of the Nürburgring and forget actual usage and living with a car is very different.  However, the main areas they have all highlighted are below.

They don’t like the CVT gearbox.  The main reason given seems to be that it’s different to what they’re used to, rather than being worse (something the active sound control feature proves can be an issue for people initially).  Some reviews highlight a lag between putting your foot down and response from the engine.

I think both points are wrong.  Firstly, any new car takes some getting used to, but to be honest, the CVT has taken no time to get used to at all and sound wise you can hardly hear the engine unless you slam your foot to the floor (and then it’s still reasonably quiet).  Response-wise, in Eco and Normal modes I agree with the criticism, there is a noticeable lag (especially Eco – which is horrible to drive, but does improve my efficiency for non-motorway driving) but I think this is due to the hybrid system balancing Battery power and engine for efficiency, not the CVT.  If you put it in Sport mode and put your foot down, it flies away instantly.  Maybe the reviewers did their lap in Eco?

Reviews suggest driving “involvement” is poor.  Having driven on a good mix of roads I think it’s just as good as the BMW320d to drive (if you’re in Sport mode).  Steering is great, grip is fantastic and throttle response is immediate.  Having said that, I personally think this is a motorway cruiser anyway – but no-one has reviewed it as that.  I can say that as a cruiser – it’s extremely refined and extremely comfortable, but wind noise is a bit louder than I’d like (but not really that noticeable or intrusive).  The CVT is a plus here too as there are no jerks at all for gear changes and the engine is always at comfortable revs.

Some don’t like the interior.  Again, it seems it’s because it’s not the same as the German cars.  The interior is entirely subjective of course – but I’d say the fact it’s different is a positive.  I also think it’s important to judge the IS300h on sitting in it, rather than from the photos – I hated the interior in the photos (and nearly ruled it out before seeing it on that basis), but loved it when I sat in it.  I think the leather quality is exceptional and it’s extremely comfortable.  Plus, the drink holders are in a better place!  I find the German cars very boring in comparison.

They don’t like the Infotainment system.  Would agree here that it’s not as good as some others and it is so un-intuitive it’s ridiculous.  I’ve had to refer to the manual just to use the radio!  I’m getting the hang of it though and once you can use it, it’s functional.  The Sat Nav looks like a 1995 version 1 sat nav – however, comparing it to the Ford SYNC system (which is far easier to use and looks better).  BUT, I’ve found the maps are a lot better and I’ve not had any postcodes (yet) that aren’t in the system.  The 3 routes offered (Green, Short and Quick) also seem to be sensible options.  The Ford version constantly had postcodes missing and was really frustrating with often stupid route choices or re-routes round non-existent traffic.  Would choose functionality over looks (but would ideally have both).

Some reviews don’t like the fact it doesn’t work well as an Electric Vehicle.  The fact they seem to miss is that it’s not an electric vehicle!  It’s a hybrid and uses the Battery to boost fuel economy rather than work as an EV.  You can tell that the Hybrid tech is now pretty mature for Toyota and it works really well.  “EV Mode” is indeed completely pointless – the manual says it helps pull away in silence to avoid disturbing neighbours in early morning – but you can’t turn it on until the system has warmed up!  Plus, you only have to breathe near the accelerator for it to deactivate (I actually find it stays in EV mode better when you’re in Eco mode!).  But as I say, that’s all irrelevant as it’s not an EV.

No reviews seem to major on the advantages of hybrids vs. diesels either.

Some additional useful info/niggles/good bits.

MPG

MILES better than I was expecting.  Managing 55mpg fully laden on the motorway (normal mode), on the Welsh roads I was getting 53mpg on Eco mode, 50mpg on normal or 40mpg on Sport.  Considering its petrol rather than diesel – I think that’s fantastic.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Love this feature in general, however it accelerates super harshly to get back up to speed (e.g. the slower car in front pulls back into the left-hand lane, the car will then seemingly use max-throttle/revs to speed back up again).  Same with “resuming” speed if you’ve slowed right down.  Don’t know why it’s not more gradual.  It also has a tendency to slam the brakes for you too, instead of coasting to a slower speed (e.g. if reducing the speed on the control from 70mph to 50mph, it will slam the brakes on until you get to 50, rather than gently applying them or coasting).

Boot

Was (just) big enough for a 9 day trip (4 of us, 2 adults, 2 children), but would definitely need a roof box for 2 weeks.  The annoying shape in the boot also prevents two large suitcases fitting unfortunately (you’d get them in a 3 series though).  Means you have to split your second suitcase into smaller ones or bags to fit them in, which is a bit annoying.

There are also no cubby holes to hide stuff in the back, and the ones in the front are pretty small.  Also, no sunglasses holder!

I love the interior clock!

Would prefer an electronic handbrake, rather than the foot brake.

It’s still taking a lot of getting used to that the engine doesn’t start when you start the car (in a really good way)!!

When you approach the car in the dark (with the key), the interior lights come on (gradually of course) which I think is class!

The phone doesn’t have voice recognition – only voice “tags” that you have to manually set for up to 50 contacts.  That’s a step backwards from the system I had before (and used).

3 years free Lexus Roadside assistance for me and my wife is a nice addition.

The DAB radio picks up more stations than I’ve been able to get on other cars.

I think it looks fantastic and makes its rivals look boring.

All in all, I’m very happy with the car so far, although realise I’m still in the honeymoon period with it of course.  I have always known before that the period will end soon with previous cars, but in this car, I’m not so sure it will.  We’ll have to see what happens when the first service comes up and how much that ends up costing!

Hope this is useful for someone and interested to hear what others think.

[marrat]

Good write up. I've read a lot of reviews by now, it mostly boils down to "you can't race with it" and "it's not a BMW". When you read a raving review and the guy ends with "it's a brilliant car, but not a German", it seems idiotic to me personally. You have to take into consideration that reviewers usually get a very short period to test a car though, this one takes getting used to.

[MONTIMAR]

A well written and subjective post that sums up my feelings about the car. My friend has a new Mercedes and the first thing he said when he sat in the car was " Wow, look at that clock "

[200h]

i feel motoring journalists feel if it doesn't have a BMW badge then its crap

this is certainly not true,all cars make some engine noise when being pushed hard

its just that with a cvt you get the noise straight away with a manual the noise levels

increase with speed.

personally i hate BMW's, if i won one it would be sold asap they are not for me.

 

[gareth1902]

You made a good point about reviews nowadays seem to be focussed on how a given car would perform on a racetrack. They even did one with a CT (which as we all know is the last car you'd take to a track). 

Wish they'd concentrate on real world driving more. 

[johnno]

Very fair review. I bought mine in 2013 and am still in the honeymoon period! Never kept a car this long, but when I look for something to replace it, the (mostly German) opposition doesn't do anything for me. I have been on a racetrack but that was in a go kart and not a luxury family saloon. Motoring journalists have a free new toy to play with every week, along with subsidised meals, drinks and trips to exotic locations so don't take any notice of their superficial opinions. True quality becomes evident over time and in my experience of Lexus vehicles (6 so far), they have it in spades.

[michaelH]

I agree with almost all of this. The journalists don't seem to know much about Lexus cars in general. A few years back they were saying that the only mark 2 IS they could recommend was the IS220d, just because it was a diesel, whereas experienced owners on this website would always warn prospective buyers to go for a 250 petrol auto every time.

in my experience, you CAN slip away silently in EV mode, as long as you press the ev button before the engine fires up, and as long as you have enough charge in the Battery.  Eco Mode works fine when your speed is limited by slow traffic ahead, 30 or 40 speed limits, etc. No point in using sport mode then. As for the lag when flooring it to pass a slow tractor or lorry, the problem seems to arise when you have been dawdling after it at low revs, so I flick the gear lever into sport before making my move. This mimics dropping a couple of gears (also useful when descending a steep and/or winding road) and It seems to avoid the lag problem pretty well. Alas, I find that the Sat nav does all too often suggest unnecessary diversions, but that is I suspect must be common to all such devices that use the same FM or DAB traffic updates. 

[NoValidNameLeft]

Thanks for the comments!

I'll have to give EV mode another try then...although still couldn't get it to work this morning so maybe some practice is required (like with the radio!!).

And glad to hear the honeymoon period may last!

One "feature" of Sport mode I forgot to mention is that it makes the kids in the back travel sick very quickly!

Agree with comment around the journalists only being given a short time with the car, but that needs sorting by the industry one way or another as the reviews are (mostly) fairly pointless as is.  In their defence, Lexus seem to have given them all F-Sports and positioned the car as a sports car.  But I stick by the fact it's great to drive, despite what the reviewers said.  Part of it is the fact Lexus sell less, they take the review less seriously (or don't review it at all).

And the comment on the diversions - I've not used in bad enough traffic yet to test properly to be fair, plus I followed the advice on another thread and turned the traffic diversions to manual.

[MONTIMAR]

One of the most interesting reviews I viewed was on You Tube by  car reviewer Howard Ritchie called " The Fun You Can Have In a Silent Car ". Worth a look for any prospective buyer. It's short on detail but gives a genuine feel from a professional car tester who had never before driven an IS 300h.

[Farqui]

On 4/25/2017 at 11:31 AM, MONTIMAR said:

One of the most interesting reviews I viewed was on You Tube by  car reviewer Howard Ritchie called " The Fun You Can Have In a Silent Car ". Worth a look for any prospective buyer. It's short on detail but gives a genuine feel from a professional car tester who had never before driven an IS 300h.

This?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQZHl-a9BKA

Hadn't seen it before but it's well worth a watch.

[Rabbers]

There have been perfectly justified moans from IS300h owners about negative reviews, many of them pure rubbish, since the car was

launched in 2013, and I recall sharing the suspicion with others on this Forum that some journalists and their editors, knowing on which

side their bread (or pumpernickel) is buttered, tend to be influenced by the weight of German advertising in their publications (not to

mention other more personalised perks).  Not that I have come across any recent reviews that I would describe as ecstatic, but could

it be, by this same token, that Lexus' own stepping up of its media expenditures over the last couple of years is resulting in noticeably

fewer unenthusiastic product reviews than we used to see?  

[paulrnx]

For me the 3rd generation IS is a superb car with only two downsides. Firstly, I think the steering is very heavy and lacks feeling which makes it difficult to feel when the front tyres are at the limit of adhesion. Secondly, I think the ride is a bit hard and brittle however it is a small sports saloon so you would expect this. I too don't get the journalists' reviews of all Lexus cars. I've owned many premium cars over the years and I love Lexus cars. The whole ownership experience is superb and the cars are way better than journalists say they are. I remember Steve Sutcliffe from Autocar driving a 2nd generation ISF as his long term test car and his review was very balanced and he came away very impressed. This was at a time when no other journalist could see past an M3 or AMG Merc. You've got to live with a Lexus long term to appreciate them and you have to learn to appreciate the quite magnificent refinement of a hybrid Lexus

[TechyD]

On 25/04/2017 at 0:19 AM, michaelH said:

I agree with almost all of this. The journalists don't seem to know much about Lexus cars in general. A few years back they were saying that the only mark 2 IS they could recommend was the IS220d, just because it was a diesel, whereas experienced owners on this website would always warn prospective buyers to go for a 250 petrol auto every time.

in my experience, you CAN slip away silently in EV mode, as long as you press the ev button before the engine fires up, and as long as you have enough charge in the battery.  Eco Mode works fine when your speed is limited by slow traffic ahead, 30 or 40 speed limits, etc. No point in using sport mode then. As for the lag when flooring it to pass a slow tractor or lorry, the problem seems to arise when you have been dawdling after it at low revs, so I flick the gear lever into sport before making my move. This mimics dropping a couple of gears (also useful when descending a steep and/or winding road) and It seems to avoid the lag problem pretty well. Alas, I find that the Sat nav does all too often suggest unnecessary diversions, but that is I suspect must be common to all such devices that use the same FM or DAB traffic updates. 

flicking the gear over to sport is also what I do - makes pulling out of junctions on to busy roads is much better - the car is really quick.  The other thing I note, and this is common to a lot of other automatics is that by default, when you pull away you're in the equivilent of '2nd' gear (whatever that means for a CVT anyway!) so you can pull back on the lever and drop it to '1' and you get a very swift getaway indeed, without any lag

[TechyD]

I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching the various reviews.  Certainly all the mainstream ones simply followed the same theme, I got the distinct impression that they didn't spend enough time in the car.

I think AutoCar had a long term test which came out much better.

 

As I've recently said in another post, I'm so impressed with my car so far (coming up on 900 miles!)  Its a great cruiser, and very suited to British roads in my opinion, it handles very well - at speed the body control really shines.

 

I found these reviews really helpful for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Gg9W75d48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIAtFkXqndk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUYP5aUt-0