2019 MY - IS300H Range Revisions

JulesO · January 2, 2019

in November, for my new company car, I ordered an IS300h Advance with Premium Nav option - and was given a delivery date of February, which was to be delivered in March as a 19 Plate.

Just had an email from the lease company telling me that Lexus have just said that the Advance model is being discontinued as the range is being revised along the lines of the UX etc - there will only be the IS300h, the F Sport and the Takumi from MY2019.

I can find no official documentation about this change - Lexus Leicester (and Lexus UK on Twitter) did confirm the transition is happening, but nothing has been released to public yet.

To get the equivalent car to the Advance with Premium Nav, I have been told to order the "Standard" IS, with a "Premium Pack" - which will also give 18" alloys and a heated steering wheel - costs TBC

Anyone else know any more about the revised range?

ColinBarber · January 2, 2019

Nothing officially announced yet. Not sure why there is such a delay as the NX, RX, and CT have all had their range revised already.

JulesO · January 3, 2019

Exactly - it was due, but very little detail is available

Kikovuk · January 18, 2019

I am in exactly the same situation. My order was rejected last month and I just placed a new order of the standard IS300h with comfort pack but I don’t know what extras this will add. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Tel · January 19, 2019

Send your Queries to the Lexus Twitter Team who excel in responding to all Questions in real quick time.

They leave Customer Services for Dead.

You will not be disappointed.

Tel

Kikovuk · January 19, 2019

Thank you, I just did although I can see that Jules already asked them last month but didn’t get an answer.

This is my first Lexus which will be replacing my 2 years old mercedes C300H, I hope I won’t be disappointed.

Steve44 · January 19, 2019

Have a look at the latest (jan 2019) price list in link below. It has the new model structure and some notes about what the packs contain. Not a huge difference to current. My dealer said they had had to temp stop ordering IS models as they didn't know and couldn't guarantee to buyers what they were going to get.....

The IS link for brochure still takes you to the old one.

https://forms.lexus.co.uk/mvc/LexusBrochures

Kikovuk · January 19, 2019

Thanks Steve, this is exactly what you needed. The comfort packs adds leather seats, smart entry and rear view camera.

JulesO · January 29, 2019

Perfect - lexus still couldn't answer my questions!

Thackeray · January 29, 2019

On 1/19/2019 at 8:23 AM, Kikovuk said:

This is my first Lexus which will be replacing my 2 years old mercedes C300H

When you take delivery of the Lexus it would be great if you could write a comparison of the two cars. I imagine they are aimed at the same market segment so it would be nice to hear what their good points and bad points are.

JulesO · January 31, 2019

Wow, the Premier pack adds 18" wheels (no idea what they look like, but assuming like the current Premier Grade) - Fancy "3 eye" LED lights and a heated steering wheel!

Wasn't expecting those goodies!

Kikovuk · March 20, 2019

The new Lexus arrived yesterday and I decided to share my first impressions.

I ordered the basic Lexus IS300h with comfort pack in black metalic. The car came with the standard features including Tahara Seats, keyless entry and rearview camera.

On the outside the car looks great and I definitely prefer it to the Mercedes C300h which in my opinion has started to look a bit outdated.

The interior is also much nicer and the quality of the materials used in the Lexus are far more superior. I never liked the tablet style display on the Mercedes so the built in screen was a welcoming feature. The seats are rely comfortable and the synthetic Tahara leather feels really nice to the touch, time will tell if this will last. I love the clock which in the evening has really nice background glow.

The drive is very different to the previous car, the Lexus feels heavier but more solid and stable on the road. The Mercedes was quicker when accelerating but also the diesel was making it very noisy when accelerating quickly. The Lexus has a complexity different style of accelerating, it seems slower but I think this is only because of the ‭CVT gearbox and the way the engine works under heavy load. The steering is also bit heavier, it feels the same as the Merc when switch to Sport+ mode, I did like the lighter steer in Eco or Comfort when parking but I think I will get used to it.

I can’t comment on the stanav and the stereo yet but it looks and sounds ok. I don’t think the satnav can beat my phone though (I use Waze on my journeys) but at least it can offer some alternitve options when needed and it is very similar to the one in the Merc. I liked the way the Mercedes had their software, it was simple and quick to navigate from one screen to another, what I saw in the Lexus was not that far off but i will need some time to work it all out.

The rear space looks similar and the booth in my opinion is better, I think it might be a bit bigger but I will find out later in the week. In the Mercedes the floor was slightly raised and sloping at the back so I had to constantly rearange the luggage as it kept moving around. In the Lexus the floor is flat and it looks like it will be easier to stack suitcases there. One thing I noticed in the merc was the top of the boot area was left with bare metal and few cables were stuck and clipped to the surface, where in the Lexus everything is padded and better protected.

Overal I think I made the right choice, the Lexus is slightly better car in my opinion and I think it is better built and has few more features than the merc. There are bits which I will miss from the Mercedes like the 360 camera, break hold function, automatic electric hand break, auto folding mirrors when locking the car, lighter steering, sunglasses compartment, the little horn noise when looking the car, electric booth opening and closing and the kick open function (btw I had to have the motor replaced in the merc as it stopped working and would’ve cost £1000). I suppose I need to mention that the cost of the Merc was around £40k and the Lexus IS only £33k so if you go for the higher spec model all these features probably would’ve been included.

The Mercedes went back today and after two years I managed to cover around 84k miles. The car overall was very reliable and never let me down, I had the booth repaired (as I mentioned it would’ve cost around £1k if it wasn’t under warrant), few sensors failed, and the suspension started to get a bit noisy when going over bumps in the last 6 months. The stereo was also a bit temperamental and sometimes would freeze and will need a reboot. The fuel consumption also dropped over the two years from 70mpg in the first year to 55mpg in the last 8 months. It is worth mentioning that I only had to replace the rear tyres once and the front were still the original with around 3mm left.

I have to make few trips in the next week and hopefully will get some more idea on how it all compares and especially what the fuel consumption is as this was also a big factor when I was choosing the car.

I hope all this helps, feel free to ask if you have any questions about the merc or the new Lexus.

DanD · March 20, 2019

Hope you enjoy your new car.

chatted to a chap at a service station in Marlborough recently, who had just swapped a C-Class hybrid for an IS300h. He said it was the right decision as he had had a lot of problems with the Merc and that the build and finish was not a patch on the Lexus.

You are right... the extras you mentioned are all standard further up the chain.

I don't want to burst your bubble, but don't expect the same MPG as with your Mercedes: it is a hybrid, but not a diesel.

JulesO · April 3, 2019

Finally took delivery yesterday!

IS300H with Premium Pack - Sonic White with Sandstone Leather and 18" alloys - Those triple-LED headlights are fantastic...

Can't believe what a difference there is between the car I remember test driving and this new 2019 MY version...

Now to learn what all the bits do!

DanD · April 5, 2019

Congratulations... Love sonic white, I think it suits the car well.

Enjoy!

April 5, 2019

Great looking car, congrats.

JulesO · April 8, 2019

Thank you - it's a real diamond of a car!

Didn't quite appreciate the pearlescent nature of the Sonic White - looks great...

Now, should it have more than one reversing light, and should the rear parking sensors make a noise...?

Dealkent · April 9, 2019

On 3/20/2019 at 1:36 AM, Kikovuk said:

The new Lexus arrived yesterday and I decided to share my first impressions.

I ordered the basic Lexus IS300h with comfort pack in black metalic. The car came with the standard features including Tahara Seats, keyless entry and rearview camera.

On the outside the car looks great and I definitely prefer it to the Mercedes C300h which in my opinion has started to look a bit outdated.

The interior is also much nicer and the quality of the materials used in the Lexus are far more superior. I never liked the tablet style display on the Mercedes so the built in screen was a welcoming feature. The seats are rely comfortable and the synthetic Tahara leather feels really nice to the touch, time will tell if this will last. I love the clock which in the evening has really nice background glow.

The drive is very different to the previous car, the Lexus feels heavier but more solid and stable on the road. The Mercedes was quicker when accelerating but also the diesel was making it very noisy when accelerating quickly. The Lexus has a complexity different style of accelerating, it seems slower but I think this is only because of the ‭CVT gearbox and the way the engine works under heavy load. The steering is also bit heavier, it feels the same as the Merc when switch to Sport+ mode, I did like the lighter steer in Eco or Comfort when parking but I think I will get used to it.

I can’t comment on the stanav and the stereo yet but it looks and sounds ok. I don’t think the satnav can beat my phone though (I use Waze on my journeys) but at least it can offer some alternitve options when needed and it is very similar to the one in the Merc. I liked the way the Mercedes had their software, it was simple and quick to navigate from one screen to another, what I saw in the Lexus was not that far off but i will need some time to work it all out.

The rear space looks similar and the booth in my opinion is better, I think it might be a bit bigger but I will find out later in the week. In the Mercedes the floor was slightly raised and sloping at the back so I had to constantly rearange the luggage as it kept moving around. In the Lexus the floor is flat and it looks like it will be easier to stack suitcases there. One thing I noticed in the merc was the top of the boot area was left with bare metal and few cables were stuck and clipped to the surface, where in the Lexus everything is padded and better protected.

Overal I think I made the right choice, the Lexus is slightly better car in my opinion and I think it is better built and has few more features than the merc. There are bits which I will miss from the Mercedes like the 360 camera, break hold function, automatic electric hand break, auto folding mirrors when locking the car, lighter steering, sunglasses compartment, the little horn noise when looking the car, electric booth opening and closing and the kick open function (btw I had to have the motor replaced in the merc as it stopped working and would’ve cost £1000). I suppose I need to mention that the cost of the Merc was around £40k and the Lexus IS only £33k so if you go for the higher spec model all these features probably would’ve been included.

The Mercedes went back today and after two years I managed to cover around 84k miles. The car overall was very reliable and never let me down, I had the booth repaired (as I mentioned it would’ve cost around £1k if it wasn’t under warrant), few sensors failed, and the suspension started to get a bit noisy when going over bumps in the last 6 months. The stereo was also a bit temperamental and sometimes would freeze and will need a reboot. The fuel consumption also dropped over the two years from 70mpg in the first year to 55mpg in the last 8 months. It is worth mentioning that I only had to replace the rear tyres once and the front were still the original with around 3mm left.

I have to make few trips in the next week and hopefully will get some more idea on how it all compares and especially what the fuel consumption is as this was also a big factor when I was choosing the car.

I hope all this helps, feel free to ask if you have any questions about the merc or the new Lexus.

84,000 miles in 2 years ? Jeezus !!!!! . I have done 25,000 in Three years !

Kikovuk · April 9, 2019

I have done already over 3200 miles in this car.

BTW I am averaging 42-46mpg which is OK considering the size of the engine.

JulesO · April 12, 2019

Wow Kikovuk - I'm just coming up to my first 1000 miles - averaging 47.3 mpg on the dash - happy with that!

ThomasD94 · April 14, 2019

On 1/2/2019 at 9:09 PM, JulesO said:

in November, for my new company car, I ordered an IS300h Advance with Premium Nav option - and was given a delivery date of February, which was to be delivered in March as a 19 Plate.

Just had an email from the lease company telling me that Lexus have just said that the Advance model is being discontinued as the range is being revised along the lines of the UX etc - there will only be the IS300h, the F Sport and the Takumi from MY2019.

I can find no official documentation about this change - Lexus Leicester (and Lexus UK on Twitter) did confirm the transition is happening, but nothing has been released to public yet.

To get the equivalent car to the Advance with Premium Nav, I have been told to order the "Standard" IS, with a "Premium Pack" - which will also give 18" alloys and a heated steering wheel - costs TBC

Anyone else know any more about the revised range?

Late to the convo but my IS300h was in the same situation and was delayed from November til March 2019. I was meant to get an advance but instead got the premium with nav and heated steering wheel 🙂 I am getting about 40mpg though. How are you getting on?

JulesO · April 15, 2019

22 hours ago, ThomasD94 said:

Late to the convo but my IS300h was in the same situation and was delayed from November til March 2019. I was meant to get an advance but instead got the premium with nav and heated steering wheel 🙂 I am getting about 40mpg though. How are you getting on?

Dashboard average has gone up to 47.5 on a longer run - but seems to be settled around 47 for my daily 19-mile (each way) cross-country commute - not quite got 1000 miles yet, so hoping there's potential to go up - how are you finding yours?

Biggest annoyance is the dated nav screen - managed to get it to sync to my phone's wifi hotspot - just need to get a decent way to make the phone accessible so I can change tracks/playlists etc....

I am actually slightly chuffed to see I can play DVDs in the car now though 😉

ThomasD94 · April 16, 2019

15 hours ago, JulesO said:

Dashboard average has gone up to 47.5 on a longer run - but seems to be settled around 47 for my daily 19-mile (each way) cross-country commute - not quite got 1000 miles yet, so hoping there's potential to go up - how are you finding yours?

Biggest annoyance is the dated nav screen - managed to get it to sync to my phone's wifi hotspot - just need to get a decent way to make the phone accessible so I can change tracks/playlists etc....

I am actually slightly chuffed to see I can play DVDs in the car now though 😉

Oh that is good, my commute is about 100miles a day in rush hour cross country driving, its about 43mpg currently and 1400miles on the odo.

Yeah I can't see apple car play but could swear the new ES has apple car play and looks the same system.

Oh I will need to try that out if it plays DVD's 🙂

Jayw13702 · April 16, 2019

84,000 miles in 2 years ? Jeezus !!!!! . I have done 25,000 in Three years !

Crikey, I do 25,000 in 6 months!!

Just coming up on my first year with my 300h and it looks like I’ll be doing about 51,000 miles this year.
I can get the back Tyres to last about 30k and the fronts 20k however I do chuck it into corners a bit hard so that would explain the fronts not lasting quite as long

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

wharfhouse · April 16, 2019

25 minutes ago, Jayw13702 said:

Crikey, I do 25,000 in 6 months!!

Just coming up on my first year with my 300h and it looks like I’ll be doing about 51,000 miles this year.
I can get the back Tyres to last about 30k and the fronts 20k however I do chuck it into corners a bit hard so that would explain the fronts not lasting quite as long

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How many miles do you plan on running it before trading in?