Considering IS300H. Questions for owners...coming from 2002 BMW 330i

pkts · May 30, 2019

A question for IS300H owners and test drivers.

I have been driving a 2002 BMW 330i Sport Package for the last 15 years. Looking to move to Lexus reliability in a rear wheel drive package.

I was looking at the IS350 but where I live there is very little opportunities to drive remotely fast. Combine that with the fact that the IS350 engine seems to be similar MPG to my 330i and now I’m considering the 300H. What I really want to know is does the 300H feel like it’s Rear wheel drive or, due to the hybrid nature and lack of torque, does it feel FWD or just “odd” ?

I know I should test drive but I’m looking at used ones and I don’t want to waste the time of the owner driving his car for me to do this research.

I don’t expect the 300H to drive like my 330i with it’s excellent inline 6…I sit in traffic most of the time…my average MPH is 15 haha. But I’d like to be able to enjoy taking it occasionally on a curvy mountain road. Or feel like I can overtake with some confidence. I test drove some Lexus’ 10-15 years ago and they had lag when initially applying the accelerator. I know I’ve gotten used to the low down torque on the BMW. Interestingly my friend’s 2010 RX350 had good pickup and no lag. Perhaps the 300H’s electric motor gives it enough torque from 0-15mph ?

Sorry for the rambling post. Appreciate any answers !

Jayw13702 · May 30, 2019

I’ve had a 300h for the last year and in that time clocked up about 50,000miles.

My wife has an E61 525d with the 3.0d engine in it and i have frequently compared the two even though they are not really in the same size category

The 300h drives like a rwd car, the hybrid side of it doesn’t change the way it handles or feels on the road, I would says it feels a bit more nimble than the E61, the steering is more precise and agile.

Torque, you won’t have to worry too much about that, the electric motor provides more than enough of that, so combined with the engine it can more than happily hold its own there, if the Battery is in a low state of charge then you do find it is using the engine more than the Battery, but once it has recharged it is business as normal.

I find I have to adopt a slight different driving style when driving the Lexus, whilst it has the torque and power the CVT gearbox does take a little adapting to, if you floor it when on the move it will get up and go but will also generate a lot of revs and noise which I’m not always keen on

Fit and finish is every bit as good as the BMW, my Lexus IS the base model and still has more toys than my wife’s business model E61

Economy, I use mine as a taxi, around town I am between 48 and 52 mph, on a run (75mph motorways) I’m close to 60mph with the air on on and at least 2 adults in the car.

The 6 cylinder of the BMW is an impressive engine, moving to a Lexus you will have to accept that it won’t be as smooth or will make that lovely noise. But those bits aside I would say the 300h is fair competition for the 3 series

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

wharfhouse · May 30, 2019

I also came from a BMW 330i (a bit newer than yours and with the straight six petrol and auto) to the IS 300h. I can echo what Jason said above. The BMW 330i was an impressive car and I loved the straight six (I'd had a number of BMW straight sixes before and pretty much bought BMW for that engine more than anything else). It was certainly fast and handled well but actually I was finding compared with earlier BMWs it was starting to feel a bit sterile and I dare I say it "common" and becoming out of touch with what most drivers need 80%+ of the time. Combined with the lack of opportunities on todays roads to really get anywhere close to maxing out the BMW I decided it was time for a switch and after a lot of contemplation (and a day's test drive) I settled on the IS 300h. IMO the IS 300h is an ideal blend for today's roads, especially in this country. Yes, there are a few places left where you can have a bit of old style fun, but even those are disappearing fast or festooned with speed cameras! The IS 300h may not be quite up with the 330i when those odd occasions arise (however it does make a good showing still) but only you know how you weight those opportunities in your selection.

The IS 300h is a very accomplished car. It's built around a well-balanced rear wheel drive chassis that feel nice to drive rapidly - it's not a point and squirt rocket however but more of a grand tourer and treated like that will cover many miles quickly, quietly, refined and in safety and leave you getting out the other end refreshed. Acceleration feel is certainly different to the BMW and the E-CVT takes a little bit of getting used to (but no where near as much as the auto press make out) as there are no gear changes which after many years (even with auto boxes) have subliminally embedded themselves in our brains as markers for speed. But once you move past that (and it does take perhaps a couple of thousand miles for the brain to relearn) and treat the car as a grand tourer and not a hot hatch you start to enjoy the seamless take-off and power delivery. In fact after going back to cars with traditional auto boxes I now find all the cog swapping a real turn off in them.

The different drive modes allow you to choose what you want from the car. I run mine in Eco a lot of the time simply because I am often in a stream of traffic - either busy motorway or motorway road works or A roads in a line of traffic and for the most part there is just no sense in doing anything else. If I am not able to make any faster progress than the line of traffic in front why waste any more petrol than I need to! On open motorway I also use Eco and cruise control - in that case you are not altering speed but cruising (at whatever speed you think suitable) and so might as well let the car sort out best economy. If I want a burst of performance (overtaking, or the odd chance to make rapid progress on a A/B roads etc.) then Sport mode blends the battery/electric for performance rather than economy and delivers sensibly brisk and seamless progress (but at the detriment of fuel consumption) with very little lag - in Sport mode you can also use the simulated 6 speeds to pre-select a lower "gear" for overtaking if you feel the need which means pickup is pretty much the same as any other auto box. Or just leave the car in Normal if you don't want to think about it.

I have to say that since having my IS 300h (for 2.5 years now) I don't miss the BMW 330i. In fact, in my pecking order of best cars, I always held my 1997 BMW 528i E39 as my top car (above the 330i) for its sublime blend of performance, luxury and ability to cover long distances with no stress (I did over 200k miles in that car) but now put the IS 300h alongside that 528i for similar qualities. I enjoy getting in the IS 300h and driving - especially when the journey will be a few hours - oddly something that I had stopped doing in the 330i which was a great sports saloon but actually not that great for long distances (that is where my 528i was actually much better than the 330i).

I don't drive to max fuel consumption but where it makes sense (as above) I feel I might as well get the best consumption where progress is constrained by other factors. Fuel consumption in my IS 300h averages (on the trip computer) around 48mpg (bit lower in winter). On a long motorway run will easily do 50+mpg and on free flowing A roads at 40-60mph and driving calmly 60+mpg is possible. Sport mode tends to knock off about 10mpg - but then I would also be driving more briskly otherwise I wouldn't be using it! The great thing with the hybrid is that when you come the inevitable motorway 50mph roadworks or sat in traffic jams the economy actually improves...! A small consolation for sitting there. And in stop start motorway traffic it is at least a serene experience as the car will stay in EV mode a lot of the time with none of the stop start judder and cog swapping of normal engine/gearboxes (which can become tiresome and irritating).

Of course there is no substitute for a test drive, however a spin around the block will not give a true feel for the car in day-to-day use - you really need to get one for a day to get anywhere close to that and in all honesty even that is too short - it takes a couple of months with the car to truly appreciate its depth of qualities. About a year into my ownership I was involved in an accident (not my fault) but there was a possibility they might write the car off. Without hesitation I was looking for another IS 300h to replace it and at that time if I wasn't convinced it was the right car for modern traffic I could have changed - in the end the car was immaculately repaired (by Lexus) and I was very pleased to get it back.

Pink · May 30, 2019

I came from a 530d E60, different engine but still a 6 pot beemer. All I can say is “what Wharf said above ^^”

Try the various driving modes mentioned. While the 300h is no beemer through the bends, the Sports mode gives a fairly reasonable pick up 0-15mph.

Only other thing I’d add, is that the 300h doesn’t really want to be pushed and harried around. It’s best at smooth cruising, and whether you wish it or not you may find your driving style changes to accommodate this! You say you sit in traffic most of the time, the IS is absolutely excellent through slow rush hour commutes.

reeac · May 30, 2019

Interesting that the first response used the word "nimble". That's the word that came immediately to mind regarding my IS300h ....not when I first got it but a while later after having a loan SUV for a day. I came to Lexus ownership after 10 years of Jaguar XJ 6 4.0 manual and 16 years of XJ 8 3.2 ownership, never had any complaint about their road manners and loved the all round visibility and the cushioned ride on 60 profile tyres. I've never owned, driven or even been a passenger in any BMW but always understood that they had excellent handling which I took to include that nimble feeling ...nice to hear that my IS is better.

ganzoom · May 30, 2019

My previous car was a N54 335i, our IS300H is my wife's but I've driven it a fair amount.

The IS is actually a fantastic handling car, the suspension set up is one of the best OEM chassis I've driven, it handles pot holes well, turns in well, and its much much better than the 'M-sport' setup on the BMW and par with Birds B3 setup (Custom damped Bilstein B8 suspension) I ended up running on my 335i. If you don't believe me read the review of the IS350 which we don't get here in the UK versus the 335i.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a5213/the-comparison-65-3-roa1013/

HOWEVER the hybrid drivetrain in the IS300H really doesn't like been rushed, there is massive throttle lag, and worse than that the initial power delivery is totally unpredictable, which means when you mash your right foot to the floor you have to second guess when exactly the power will arrive, and how much. This makes pushing the IS300H on a twisty B road far from fun, once up to speed it'll soak up the bumps but exiting corners etc it's far from fun.

But the IS300H really wasn't made with B road blasting in mind, and like most people both of our family cars spend 99% of their time in traffic/M-way work where the IS300H excels, whilst returning a real life economy of well over 40mpg in all conditions and with the knowledge there are no turbos/clutches/DPFs to worry about.

pkts · May 31, 2019

Wow, thanks to everyone for the responses. If the car is half as good as the detailed and thoughtful replies here...I'll be very happy.

I especially appreciate the comments from people with BMW experience ! I think it's important to go into the test drive with the right expectations. When I first got my 330 I drove it hard a lot of the time. Now I find myself just cruising most of the time. Sometimes I'm even trying to maximize fuel economy which is kinda crazy on this car since it makes very little difference. I think I could make the shift to enjoying just maximizing efficiency 95% of the time and accepting the compromise of sluggish throttle response for the other 5%. If I put the car in sport and select sport on the transmission does that sharpen the throttle response or does it just simulate gear changes ? For a couple of the responses it seems it does tighten it up...hopefully enough to eliminate issues approaching a roundabout or driving on a hilly, curvy mountain road ?

Finally what are the pros and cons of going F sport vs non-F Sport ? I don't care too much about the exterior looks of the F sports package and I'd actually prefer not having staggered wheels (not like I'm going to use the performance advantage of bigger tyres) but if there's an actual performance advantage to F sports (better transmission performance, faster etc) then I could be swayed. I've heard that the F Sports seats don't work well with the heated seats ?

Thanks again !

pkts · May 31, 2019

4 hours ago, ganzoom said:

HOWEVER the hybrid drivetrain in the IS300H really doesn't like been rushed, there is massive throttle lag, and worse than that the initial power delivery is totally unpredictable, which means when you mash your right foot to the floor you have to second guess when exactly the power will arrive, and how much. This makes pushing the IS300H on a twisty B road far from fun, once up to speed it'll soak up the bumps but exiting corners etc it's far from fun.

Thanks ganzoom, it's good to know about things that will disappoint. Is there nothing that can be done to address or lessen the massive throttle lag ? Sport mode and sports on the transmission don't eliminate it ?

pkts · May 31, 2019

17 hours ago, wharfhouse said:

I also came from a BMW 330i (a bit newer than yours and with the straight six petrol and auto) to the IS 300h. I can echo what Jason said above. The BMW 330i was an impressive car and I loved the straight six (I'd had a number of BMW straight sixes before and pretty much bought BMW for that engine more than anything else). It was certainly fast and handled well but actually I was finding compared with earlier BMWs it was starting to feel a bit sterile and I dare I say it "common" and becoming out of touch with what most drivers need 80%+ of the time. Combined with the lack of opportunities on todays roads to really get anywhere close to maxing out the BMW I decided it was time for a switch and after a lot of contemplation (and a day's test drive) I settled on the IS 300h. IMO the IS 300h is an ideal blend for today's roads, especially in this country. Yes, there are a few places left where you can have a bit of old style fun, but even those are disappearing fast or festooned with speed cameras! The IS 300h may not be quite up with the 330i when those odd occasions arise (however it does make a good showing still) but only you know how you weight those opportunities in your selection.

The IS 300h is a very accomplished car. It's built around a well-balanced rear wheel drive chassis that feel nice to drive rapidly - it's not a point and squirt rocket however but more of a grand tourer and treated like that will cover many miles quickly, quietly, refined and in safety and leave you getting out the other end refreshed. Acceleration feel is certainly different to the BMW and the E-CVT takes a little bit of getting used to (but no where near as much as the auto press make out) as there are no gear changes which after many years (even with auto boxes) have subliminally embedded themselves in our brains as markers for speed. But once you move past that (and it does take perhaps a couple of thousand miles for the brain to relearn) and treat the car as a grand tourer and not a hot hatch you start to enjoy the seamless take-off and power delivery. In fact after going back to cars with traditional auto boxes I now find all the cog swapping a real turn off in them.

The different drive modes allow you to choose what you want from the car. I run mine in Eco a lot of the time simply because I am often in a stream of traffic - either busy motorway or motorway road works or A roads in a line of traffic and for the most part there is just no sense in doing anything else. If I am not able to make any faster progress than the line of traffic in front why waste any more petrol than I need to! On open motorway I also use Eco and cruise control - in that case you are not altering speed but cruising (at whatever speed you think suitable) and so might as well let the car sort out best economy. If I want a burst of performance (overtaking, or the odd chance to make rapid progress on a A/B roads etc.) then Sport mode blends the battery/electric for performance rather than economy and delivers sensibly brisk and seamless progress (but at the detriment of fuel consumption) with very little lag - in Sport mode you can also use the simulated 6 speeds to pre-select a lower "gear" for overtaking if you feel the need which means pickup is pretty much the same as any other auto box. Or just leave the car in Normal if you don't want to think about it.

I have to say that since having my IS 300h (for 2.5 years now) I don't miss the BMW 330i. In fact, in my pecking order of best cars, I always held my 1997 BMW 528i E39 as my top car (above the 330i) for its sublime blend of performance, luxury and ability to cover long distances with no stress (I did over 200k miles in that car) but now put the IS 300h alongside that 528i for similar qualities. I enjoy getting in the IS 300h and driving - especially when the journey will be a few hours - oddly something that I had stopped doing in the 330i which was a great sports saloon but actually not that great for long distances (that is where my 528i was actually much better than the 330i).

I don't drive to max fuel consumption but where it makes sense (as above) I feel I might as well get the best consumption where progress is constrained by other factors. Fuel consumption in my IS 300h averages (on the trip computer) around 48mpg (bit lower in winter). On a long motorway run will easily do 50+mpg and on free flowing A roads at 40-60mph and driving calmly 60+mpg is possible. Sport mode tends to knock off about 10mpg - but then I would also be driving more briskly otherwise I wouldn't be using it! The great thing with the hybrid is that when you come the inevitable motorway 50mph roadworks or sat in traffic jams the economy actually improves...! A small consolation for sitting there. And in stop start motorway traffic it is at least a serene experience as the car will stay in EV mode a lot of the time with none of the stop start judder and cog swapping of normal engine/gearboxes (which can become tiresome and irritating).

Of course there is no substitute for a test drive, however a spin around the block will not give a true feel for the car in day-to-day use - you really need to get one for a day to get anywhere close to that and in all honesty even that is too short - it takes a couple of months with the car to truly appreciate its depth of qualities. About a year into my ownership I was involved in an accident (not my fault) but there was a possibility they might write the car off. Without hesitation I was looking for another IS 300h to replace it and at that time if I wasn't convinced it was the right car for modern traffic I could have changed - in the end the car was immaculately repaired (by Lexus) and I was very pleased to get it back.

This is such a fantastic detailed response...tons of great insights, thanks ! My friend had an E39 530i and that car was what got me interested in my e46 330i....especially the engine. I considered the F20 M135i but it just seems like the performance will be dormant 95% of the time. And I'm tired of all replacing all the rubber and plastic parts on BMWs.

ganzoom · May 31, 2019

1 hour ago, pkts said:

Thanks ganzoom, it's good to know about things that will disappoint. Is there nothing that can be done to address or lessen the massive throttle lag ? Sport mode and sports on the transmission don't eliminate it ?

Sport mode makes it better, but its not just the lag which you can learn to anticipate, its the variation in torque delivery when the power finally arrives thats removes the 'fun' for me.

Unlike a turbo car where you know after 0.3 seconds X amount of power will be at the wheels because I've pressed the throttle 70%. On the 300H because the torque is delivered by a combination of the engine+battery, 70% throttle can mean hardly any torque arriving to so much torque the rear starts to spin out!!!

'Fun' cars on B roads need to be predictable enorder for you to really trust them and throw them around, sadly the IS300H just isnt.

I should say am comparing the IS300H to our other car which has always been an EV. EVs have instant and pretty much 100% linear torque delivery, so that probably exacerbates the throttle lag on the IS.

Best way to know is to drive it yourself. 99% of the time it really doesn't matter though, its just a shame because the chassis/suspension setup is really really good.

The F sport has the problems with the drivetrain, main differences are all cosmetic, it does have harder suspension which really isn't needed.

matt8 · May 31, 2019

2 hours ago, ganzoom said:

The F sport has the problems with the drivetrain

News to me. Does it affect just the F Sport variant? Thanks!

wharfhouse · May 31, 2019

A few more thoughts on the above - putting the car in Sports mode does the following

- sharpens throttle response (needs less pedal travel to get the same response)

- stops the car going into EV so much so the engine stays on more which reduces the amount of time you have the slight lag as the engine comes in

- maximises the use of the hybrid Battery to augment the engine for performance and not economy

- sharpens the steering response

If the S setting on the gear stick is selected (instead of D) then you get 6 simulated sequential gears that behave like a traditional autobox (gear stick or paddle shift on the steering wheel) giving you some manual control over the engine response as you can go up and down those simulated gears to get the engine in the right rev range for what you want to do. Combining Sport mode with S gives the best way to reduce any throttle lag and helps the predictability of power delivery mentioned - to be honest though I hardly ever use the simulated gears.

If you get an F Sport trim there is also an option for stiffening the dampers - I don't have an F Sport so not sure how that feels.

The F Sport (other than the damper settings) has no performance advantage over the other models - the rest is just cosmetic and trim features etc.

I think the comments about throttle lag depend on previous experiences and driving style. The IS 300h can be hustled along quickly in a spirited way but responds best to smoothness and not harsh point and squirt. IMO I don't find have any serious issues with throttle lag or inconsistent power delivery but I drive the car every day and so appreciate it might be down to our ability to drive around how a car responds with experience. I have driven other cars since getting my IS 300h and have to say that stepping into a car with a traditional engine and autobox now feels as different as the IS 300h did when I first drove it. In fact I had a Merc C200 auto petrol hire car for a while and that autobox was just terrible - the lag waiting for it to make up its mind and then swap cogs seems to take forever and it had a real lag trying to make a quick start along with always being in too high a gear when needing to accelerate - very frustrating to drive - any perceived lag or inconsistent power delivery on the IS 300h faded into insignificance after that experience so everything is relative...

ThomasD94 · June 1, 2019

On 5/30/2019 at 1:02 AM, pkts said:

A question for IS300H owners and test drivers.

I have been driving a 2002 BMW 330i Sport Package for the last 15 years. Looking to move to Lexus reliability in a rear wheel drive package.

I was looking at the IS350 but where I live there is very little opportunities to drive remotely fast. Combine that with the fact that the IS350 engine seems to be similar MPG to my 330i and now I’m considering the 300H. What I really want to know is does the 300H feel like it’s Rear wheel drive or, due to the hybrid nature and lack of torque, does it feel FWD or just “odd” ?

I know I should test drive but I’m looking at used ones and I don’t want to waste the time of the owner driving his car for me to do this research.

I don’t expect the 300H to drive like my 330i with it’s excellent inline 6…I sit in traffic most of the time…my average MPH is 15 haha. But I’d like to be able to enjoy taking it occasionally on a curvy mountain road. Or feel like I can overtake with some confidence. I test drove some Lexus’ 10-15 years ago and they had lag when initially applying the accelerator. I know I’ve gotten used to the low down torque on the BMW. Interestingly my friend’s 2010 RX350 had good pickup and no lag. Perhaps the 300H’s electric motor gives it enough torque from 0-15mph ?

Sorry for the rambling post. Appreciate any answers !

Hi There,

My opinion would be to test drive and if you like the silence of the hybrid IS300H then go for it. I bought a 2019 IS300h in March and I converted my Mum from a 5 series diesel to a top spec IS300h as she loved the silence apon start up. I find it has plenty of torque and the mpg is you drive carefully is usually above 40mpg

ThomasD94 · June 1, 2019

I also made a video on my Lexus IS300h if a video would help your decision? 🙂

pkts · July 13, 2019

Picked up the car today. 2013 Sonic Titanium. Don't think I would have seriously investigated the car without the feedback on this forum so thanks !

Can't believe it was only 6 weeks ago I posted on here, feels much longer. I missed out on a few ones that sold quickly or where something odd happened. Very frustrating at the time but I really feel like I got the best possible example. Mechanic I hired for pre-purchase inspection tried his very hardest but couldn't find a thing wrong with the car. He said he couldn't find any leaks or even signs of anything leaking and being cleaned up.

Early days but I like a lot about the car. Like other posters mentioned, a test drive isn't an adequate representation of the car...you miss all the nuances and the subtle well-roundedness of the car.

- I was considering white, silver, grey or blue (if I got F sports) but am so glad I got the sonic Titanium. I love how the colour changes in different light (it's like 3 diff car colours in one), the matte quality of the paint, even the way it feels. Also how it shows off the lovely body lines. Each time I look at the car I see a new body line that I like. I was that guy today looking back at my car 3X as I walked away. At least the gf wasn't there to laugh at me

- the cabin is so serene, looking around at all the other loud cars with people racing around to get to the stop light first...just seemed a bit silly. Will have to work on fast growing superiority complex.

- lots of nice, thoughtful touches (the way the doors open with the notches being noticeable but not clunky, seat moving back to let me out when engine turned off, how quiet the cabin is, how the main cabin light dims down and up, auto most everything)

- thoroughly enjoying driving in ECO mode and trying to max out efficiency. I'll compare with normal mode to see how much difference I'm making with the careful driving. I'll try Sports soon...two of my tyres are brand new so need to wear them in a little first.

Some questions

- I'd like to get the best MPG as possible. I remember reading that you want to get up to speed pretty quickly and then use the electric motor to coast on the Battery. Should I be flooring it (going into power mode in the area where the tachometer usually is) or accelerate with the motor but slowly, keeping it in the eco area ?

- the manual says I'm supposed to have a key number plate. I got the two regular keys but not this. I suppose I should ask the dealer about it...is it important ?

- is it normal for a hybrid to lose charge overnight (esp if cold winter nights) because both this and the corolla hybrid I rented have lost at least 20% Battery charge overnight. I park outside, maybe it's less bad in a garage.

- can you switch the outside temp gauge to F from Celcius ?

Zotto · July 13, 2019

25 minutes ago, pkts said:

Some questions

- I'd like to get the best MPG as possible. I remember reading that you want to get up to speed pretty quickly and then use the electric motor to coast on the battery. Should I be flooring it (going into power mode in the area where the tachometer usually is) or accelerate with the motor but slowly, keeping it in the eco area ?

Usually hypermilers sites suggest to accelerate keeping power meter at upper side of ECO zone, then, if speed is sufficient (above about 42 mph) keep thermal engine one with power meter just above mid ECO zone). A good help for hypermiling is to use OBD BT interface with an android app like Hybrid Assistant with its suggestions.

25 minutes ago, pkts said:

- the manual says I'm supposed to have a key number plate. I got the two regular keys but not this. I suppose I should ask the dealer about it...is it important ?

You should have that number somewhere in service booklet, not so important unless loss of keys.

- is it normal for a hybrid to lose charge overnight (esp if cold winter nights) because both this and the corolla hybrid I rented have lost at least 20% battery charge overnight. I park outside, maybe it's less bad in a garage.

Being hybrid battery pack not so big, a little charge loss it's normal, besides available charge depends from temperature.

- can you switch the outside temp gauge to F from Celcius ?

Uhm, probably yes, but you have to ask it done by a Lexus service garage.

rayaans · July 13, 2019

Wait, did you say you can get the IS350?

If you're worried about economy, IS300h

Otherwise just get the IS350, its a totally different animal

Thackeray · July 13, 2019

1 hour ago, pkts said:

I'd like to get the best MPG as possible. I remember reading that you want to get up to speed pretty quickly and then use the electric motor to coast on the battery. Should I be flooring it (going into power mode in the area where the tachometer usually is) or accelerate with the motor but slowly, keeping it in the eco area ?

The experts on how to get the best mpg seem to be on the Prius forums - real mpg enthusiasts! I suspect the people on this forum like to get good mpg but aren't quite so fanatical about it.

Having said that, and not being one of the experts, I would guess that as the petrol engine seems to be at its most efficient at high revs it would make sense to accelerate briskly and then cruise. Energy is wasted not so much when you're accelerating but when you're braking, turning motion into heat which is thrown away. But with a hybrid you can avoid wasting some of this energy as you brake by having it stored in the Battery as you slow down.

This is where the meter is useful. My understanding is that while the needle is hovering in the lower part of the hybrid system gauge labelled Charge, some of the energy is being stored in the Battery as the car is being slowed by the load created by the generators. But as soon as the needle hits the lower limit the brake pads come into play so from here on energy is being thrown away as heat. So where possible, my policy is to try and keep the needle close to the lower limit when braking but not actually touching it. This is where the maximum amount of energy is being stored and as a bonus the brake pads are not being worn out.

I think the Hybrid Assistant app gives more information about when the brake pads are being used though I haven't tried it myself. I keep meaning to have a look at it in action.

olliesgrandad · July 13, 2019

On 5/31/2019 at 3:33 AM, pkts said:

Finally what are the pros and cons of going F sport vs non-F Sport ? I don't care too much about the exterior looks of the F sports package and I'd actually prefer not having staggered wheels (not like I'm going to use the performance advantage of bigger tyres) but if there's an actual performance advantage to F sports (better transmission performance, faster etc) then I could be swayed. I've heard that the F Sports seats don't work well with the heated seats ?

Thanks again !

Pros of f sport :

Looks Good and wheels are nice.

LFA sliding dials

More advanced trip computer than other Lexus

Sports suspension

F sport seats

Against F Sport :

Sports suspension

F Sport seats are quite firm if you do a lot of miles.

Finally to throw a spanner in the works try a GS300h.

I think quality wise it is a step up and my 2015 pre face-lift car was better on fuel than my 2014 f sport IS300h. It certainly felt just as quick and had excellent heated and ventilated front seats.

Mine was the luxury trim and had rear cross traffic radar and blind spot monitoring.

pkts · July 17, 2019

On 7/13/2019 at 10:51 PM, Thackeray said:

The experts on how to get the best mpg seem to be on the Prius forums - real mpg enthusiasts! I suspect the people on this forum like to get good mpg but aren't quite so fanatical about it.

Having said that, and not being one of the experts, I would guess that as the petrol engine seems to be at its most efficient at high revs it would make sense to accelerate briskly and then cruise. Energy is wasted not so much when you're accelerating but when you're braking, turning motion into heat which is thrown away. But with a hybrid you can avoid wasting some of this energy as you brake by having it stored in the battery as you slow down.

This is where the meter is useful. My understanding is that while the needle is hovering in the lower part of the hybrid system gauge labelled Charge, some of the energy is being stored in the battery as the car is being slowed by the load created by the generators. But as soon as the needle hits the lower limit the brake pads come into play so from here on energy is being thrown away as heat. So where possible, my policy is to try and keep the needle close to the lower limit when braking but not actually touching it. This is where the maximum amount of energy is being stored and as a bonus the brake pads are not being worn out.

I think the Hybrid Assistant app gives more information about when the brake pads are being used though I haven't tried it myself. I keep meaning to have a look at it in action.

Thanks for this ! Really great info....hybrid efficiency definitely seems different to regular driving efficiency. Usually I try to hit the brakes as little as possible and hit them hard when needed. Now I'm trying to anticipate and use light brakes to regenerate and coast into red lights.