IS300h Exec or Advance

lordlen21 · April 30, 2017

The PCP deal on my current MY15 IS300h Executive is coming to an end and I'm looking at a replacement. I've taken a look at the new model Exec but Lexus have deleted the parking sensors - which I quite like - and replaced the leather trim with fabric/Tahara. I appreciate that the safety kit has been added but quite reluctant to lose the sensors and leather trim on a new car. It seems the most comparable model to the MY15 Exec is the MY17 Advance but that's 2k more than the Exec.

Has anyone any experience of the camera and Tahara trim? Any opinions will be welcome.

PaulWhitt20 · April 30, 2017

I have the old advance with camera, parking sensors and leather seats.

I like the camera and parking sensors find them both useful. The leather seats are also nice. But is it worth £2k extra? What is the difference in monthly payment?

lordlen21 · April 30, 2017

Thanks for the reply and I've been quoted around £40 more for the Adv and now doesn't come with front/rear parking sensors.

michaelH · April 30, 2017

The camera is very useful indeed and the Tahara trim is as good as fake leather could be. But Electric leather seats (with a wider range of adjustments and heating or cooling) can for some users be a big improvement over manual tahara/cloth seats. I find them more comfortable all round.

Greenfield · May 1, 2017

I looked at a couple of pre registered 2017 Advance models and refused to buy due to lack of parking sensors, whilst you can spec these as options for a new purchase it must make the cars without difficult to sell in the future. I would like to have been in the meeting where that decision was made! Seems daft on a car at this price and not very Lexus like, accountants perhaps?

Blisteringblue · May 1, 2017

You can only spec rear sensors though as an extra, I was in the same boat with my sport order. Figured no point just putting rear sensors on when it still has the reversing camera as standard. It does seem an odd decision though.

rayaans · May 1, 2017

Probably is Lexus UK marketing being a bit odd but then yes, you don't really need rear parking sensors on a car with a reversing camera as people are usually better with visual than with auditory stimulus.

Id be looking at Advance spec as wouldn't really want fabric in a Lexus!

Casa1862 · May 1, 2017

The Exec was a decent spec for the money, apart from electric seats it had most options you would need, I think they were selling that model a lot and it could be impacting on the more profitable models up the chain. For a Exec to come with leather, sat Nav, and Xenon lights, a lot of buyers won't look past that.

OP, out of interest did they give you a decent price for the Exec ?

lordlen21 · May 2, 2017

On 01/05/2017 at 8:23 AM, Greenfield said:

I looked at a couple of pre registered 2017 Advance models and refused to buy due to lack of parking sensors, whilst you can spec these as options for a new purchase it must make the cars without difficult to sell in the future. I would like to have been in the meeting where that decision was made! Seems daft on a car at this price and not very Lexus like, accountants perhaps?

Yes, does seem a strange decision considering that my wife Polo comes with them as standard. Personally, I'd prefer the sensors above a camera.

9 hours ago, Casa1862 said:

The Exec was a decent spec for the money, apart from electric seats it had most options you would need, I think they were selling that model a lot and it could be impacting on the more profitable models up the chain. For a Exec to come with leather, sat Nav, and xenon lights, a lot of buyers won't look past that.

OP, out of interest did they give you a decent price for the Exec ?

I agree, it seems the MY15 Exec was a great deal - hence why I chose it - and came with a lot of standard kit. I'm not getting a great offer on my current Exec and I estimate its going to be right on the GFV figure. Just had some quotes on a new Adv and the GFV is being set at £13k at the end of 36months based on 12k miles per year.

TechyD · May 5, 2017

On 30/04/2017 at 8:32 PM, lordlen21 said:

The PCP deal on my current MY15 IS300h Executive is coming to an end and I'm looking at a replacement. I've taken a look at the new model Exec but Lexus have deleted the parking sensors - which I quite like - and replaced the leather trim with fabric/Tahara. I appreciate that the safety kit has been added but quite reluctant to lose the sensors and leather trim on a new car. It seems the most comparable model to the MY15 Exec is the MY17 Advance but that's 2k more than the Exec.

Has anyone any experience of the camera and Tahara trim? Any opinions will be welcome.

I have the my2017 executive edition and my friend has the pre facelift executive edition, i also initially thought I'd be disappointed not having full leather but the tahara trim is actually very good and it blends well with the leather, so it wasn't a big loss for me.

again the parking sensors was also a concern but it has a rear camera instead - it's an easy car to park and the camera makes being accurate very easy so I've not missed parking sensors at all, in fact it keeps the car very very quiet!

the LED headlights and auto highbeam are excellent, as is the radar cruise control.

personally I think the executive Edition is al you need, your certainly won't feel short changed by getting it...the advance brings A few extras but personally for me they don't quite justify the price difference.

hope this helps

lordlen21 · May 6, 2017

23 hours ago, TechyD said:

I have the my2017 executive edition and my friend has the pre facelift executive edition, i also initially thought I'd be disappointed not having full leather but the tahara trim is actually very good and it blends well with the leather, so it wasn't a big loss for me.

again the parking sensors was also a concern but it has a rear camera instead - it's an easy car to park and the camera makes being accurate very easy so I've not missed parking sensors at all, in fact it keeps the car very very quiet!

the LED headlights and auto highbeam are excellent, as is the radar cruise control.

personally I think the executive Edition is al you need, your certainly won't feel short changed by getting it...the advance brings A few extras but personally for me they don't quite justify the price difference.

hope this helps

Thanks for the feedback, I may give the MY17 another look.

TechyD · May 6, 2017

Also the headlight redesign and new alloy wheels really work imo...the wheels are a shadow gloss, really stylish design!

olliesgrandad · May 9, 2017

On 2017-5-1 at 3:58 PM, rayaans said:

Probably is Lexus UK marketing being a bit odd but then yes, you don't really need rear parking sensors on a car with a reversing camera as people are usually better with visual than with auditory stimulus.

Id be looking at Advance spec as wouldn't really want fabric in a Lexus!

Having once owned a car with a rear camera and no sensors which resulted in reversing the corner into a post off camera I would never buy a car again with just a camera.

BigChange · May 9, 2017

Wasn't sure about radar cruise control so wikipeed it. Users may be interested to know that "Laser-based systems do not detect and track vehicles in adverse weather conditions".

Not so good for the UK then ??

Steve_S · May 9, 2017

Hi,

I have just ordered an IS 300h in executive spec, but added the parking sensors. A "near-embarrassment" whilst testing the reversing camera in the dealer car park convinced me of their utility in addition to the camera :) I guess being so used to driving cars with sensors that not having them would take getting used to. When my other half bought her car I insisted she have them (was an option) so both our cars would have them to reduce confusion when we drove each others.

I chose the executive over advance because I seemed to be able to get just as comfortable a position with the 6-way manual seats as the 8-way electric and didn't think the cooling function of the electric seats was essential in the UK. Leather is a bit nicer to the touch but the Tahara/Fabric looked decent and felt comfortable enough to me.

rayaans · May 9, 2017

5 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

Having once owned a car with a rear camera and no sensors which resulted in reversing the corner into a post off camera I would never buy a car again with just a camera.

If everyone thought like that then we'd all be driving cars with standard fit blind spot monitor systems to avoid looking over the shoulder on motorways when changing lanes.

Dealkent · May 15, 2017

On 30/04/2017 at 10:24 PM, PaulWhitt20 said:

I have the old advance with camera, parking sensors and leather seats.

I like the camera and parking sensors find them both useful. The leather seats are also nice. But is it worth £2k extra? What is the difference in monthly payment?

I was told in Lexus showroom that in the Advantage you could have either rear camera OR parking sensors , you could not have both ? . That was when I bought my 64 IS 300 h and was told that again when having a service a few months ago . I'm confused now as I previously had Jaguar XF with rear camera and parking sensors front & back and now really miss the camera .

Dealkent · May 15, 2017

On 06/05/2017 at 9:44 PM, lordlen21 said:

Thanks for the feedback, I may give the MY17 another look.

Do you get parking sensors at the front if you have the rear view camera ? .

rayaans · May 15, 2017

6 hours ago, Dealkent said:

I was told in Lexus showroom that in the Advantage you could have either rear camera OR parking sensors , you could not have both ? . That was when I bought my 64 IS 300 h and was told that again when having a service a few months ago . I'm confused now as I previously had Jaguar XF with rear camera and parking sensors front & back and now really miss the camera .

That certainly doesn't sound right.

I think he must have meant that from the factory, you can only have 1 or the other.

However, the dealer should be able to fit parking sensors all around if required

OldTrout · May 15, 2017

On 09/05/2017 at 10:15 AM, BigChange said:

Wasn't sure about radar cruise control so wikipeed it. Users may be interested to know that "Laser-based systems do not detect and track vehicles in adverse weather conditions".

Not so good for the UK then ??

I believe Lexus use a radar beam not a laser beam so not so susceptible to adverse weather.

John

PaulWhitt20 · May 15, 2017

Wasn't sure about radar cruise control so wikipeed it. Users may be interested to know that "Laser-based systems do not detect and track vehicles in adverse weather conditions".

Not so good for the UK then ??

I believe Lexus use a radar beam not a laser beam so not so susceptible to adverse weather.

John

Pity, if you could boost the laser beam strength you could get your own back on the idiots who cut you up.

rayaans · May 15, 2017

On 2017-5-6 at 9:52 PM, TechyD said:

Also the headlight redesign and new alloy wheels really work imo...the wheels are a shadow gloss, really stylish design!

Just don't scratch them

£100 + vat repair and they have to cut back the metal so it won't look the same. Can only be done 3 times from memory and then need new wheels