New owner here with a quick question

[Bounce75]

Hi everyone I have said hello in the new members forum.

I have owned a Volvo V40 D4 for the last 5 years, it has been a great car, but I fancied something a bit different.

My Volvo had a speed camera alerts on it & I was just wondering if anyone knows if the 2020 version of the IS 300H has this as well, I have looked but cannot find any information on it?

Many thanks

Steve.

[Mincey]

Regarding the speed camera alerts, my 2019 car beeps when approaching a fixed camera site. Don't rely on this though because several of the local cameras have been taken down. I would imagine the info is taken from information on the sat nav? I tend to stick to Google Maps instead as it's updated regularly.

[Bounce75]

Thanks very much for the quick reply Mincey.

I am hoping I like the IS 300H when I get there Saturday, I have never driven one. I was supposed to before we went into lockdown, but it was then cancelled.

I have to travel about 170 miles to pick it up, so I should have a good drive home fingers crossed. I am hoping it is as good as my Volvo V40 D4 or better, although I know it is a slower car.

How are you enjoying your IS? Is there anything you do not like about it, how do you find the power/performance?

[Thackeray]

Welcome to the forum.

Not everyone is used to driving an automatic and make comparisons with the manual cars they're familiar with. Was your Volvo V40 D4 an automatic? Are you used to driving automatics?

[Bounce75]

My Volvo is a manual, the only auto I have really driven any distance was a golf plus in the South of France. I had it for 2 weeks & drove about 2,000km, I quite liked it. I am hoping I enjoy the CVT as much.

[Brechin Slate]

47 minutes ago, Bounce75 said:

How are you enjoying your IS? Is there anything you do not like about it, how do you find the power/performance?

Almost 2 months into ownership of my 300h and still 'getting to know it'.  Hybrid driving is very different, for me it's about fuel economy after my V6 petrol IS250.  The engine being a straight 4 is not as smooth, quiet and refined as the V6 but the whole Premier package gives a feeling of luxury which I very much enjoy

[Thackeray]

You may find it strange at first if your driving instincts expect to be changing gear. Part of what people like about an involved driving experience is the rev of the engine and the jolt as you change gear. You don't get that with an automatic. Instead, as you know, you pretty much keep your accelerator foot in one position rather than the dance between the accelerator and clutch in a manual car.

The so-called eCVT in the IS300h is smoother than a conventional automatic because whereas you can still feel the gear changes in conventional automatics, in the Lexus hybrid there are no gear changes. The transmission is a permanently meshed planetary gearset. So it's completely smooth. Some people find that disconcerting at first.

Instead, when you put your foot down the engine immediately races, rather like a plane applying full throttle, and then eases off as you reach the required speed. That can be disconcerting too and a lot of motoring journalists have been critical of this. And the car is limited to 125 mph to protect the electric motors which might be damaged if they turned too fast, so journalists aren't keen on that either.

But most journalists don't live with the car. Most on this forum who use the car daily seem to like it a lot. Personally, I think the transmission is great. Very quiet, hardly any moving parts to go wrong. Completely smooth. Rather like driving an electric car except for the  racing engine when you use full throttle. Would I get another one? Absolutely. I haven't owned manuals for 20 years or more and as an automatic this is the best I've had.

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Steve. Mmmmmm so you're going from a manual to CVT. Be prepared for a very big difference. You may initially hate the fact you think you're revving the nuts of the engine to get anywhere in haste. Don't worry about that. Oh the is300h is way better than the V40 D4 180 horse power. When I had mine it felt 98% as quick as a Mondeo ecoboost 240 horse. I know I've had both. 

What you'll notice most between the Volvo and the 300h is the ride and smoothness. The interior quality too. If your car has the ML system then your ears are in for a treat.

[royoftherovers]

Some useful videos on Youtube on how to drive a Hybrid to best effect.

[Bounce75]

I am glad you both like the IS 300h, that is very reassuring. 

I don't take a lot of notice of motoring journalists, they criticised the V40 from the start, but I owned it for 5 years & really liked it.

Another probably stupid question to you  guys, but, when do you you use the foot/handbrake? At traffic lights, on hills or just when parking?

[Thackeray]

I rarely use the foot operated parking brake. When I leave the car at night I just leave the gear selector in Park and like a conventional automatic that locks the transmission. But this isn't robust enough to hold the car on a hill so I use the parking brake if I'm parking on a hill.

If you're doing a hill start you don't need to operate the parking brake. When you take your foot off the footbrake the car is held automatically by the brakes for around 3-4 seconds to give you time to shift your foot to the accelerator. But if you don't press the accelerator the car will start to roll backwards after these few seconds.

And at traffic lights you just keep your foot on the footbrake until the lights change.

[Herbie]

Just remember that it's a hybrid, not a conventional car, and as such you need to alter your thinking and do some research about driving it and what to expect from it. For instance, hybrids don't have a starter motor or an alternator. Anything that would normally be belt-driven in a standard car, such as aircon compressor and power steering etc., is driven by electric motors instead, because the petrol engine isn't running all the time.

 

DO NOT run out of petrol - if you do, you need at least 10 litres, 15 is better, in the tank when you try to start it again and be aware that if it fails to start three or four times in a row, the hybrid system can lock out and needs to be reset by the dealer. Oh, and if the aircon ever needs regassing, make sure to take it to a proper aircon specialist or to someone who knows what they're doing. The refrigerant gas is the same but the lubricating oil has to be a certain type, ie, ND11 instead of normal PAG oil, or you could end up thousands of pounds out of pocket.

 

Just clue yourself up and enjoy the car. I've had an RX300 and now have an RX450h and they are fantastic cars!

[Bounce75]

Thanks Mr Vlad, unfortunately mine does not have the ML sound system. It is a new Is300h in Manganese Luster with comfort pack & protection pack.

The V40 I had was 190bhp & 0-60 in 7.4 secs & a lot of torque so quite nippy. I know the IS is a second slower 0-60, but I am getting older & need to take things a bit easier & relax a bit more. I just hope it is not too sluggish.

I have also been watching some of the Youtube videos on driving techniques & found them quite interesting.

[Herbie]

4 minutes ago, Thackeray said:

I rarely use the foot operated parking brake. When I leave the car at night I just leave the gear selector in Park and like a conventional automatic that locks the transmission. But this isn't robust enough to hold the car on a hill so I use the parking brake if I'm parking on a hill.

I really have to say that that is not good practice at all William.

The parking pawl is just a very small finger of metal that locks up the transmission. I know it must be a rare thing to happen but if there is some problem with the pawl such as metal fatigue, manufacturing defect or whatever and it breaks off, not only is there the risk of the car moving off from where you left it, an even bigger problem is that you now have a small piece of metal rattling around your transmission causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Parking brakes are there for a reason and absolutely should be used.

[Bounce75]

Thanks Herbie,

I never run a car that low on fuel, but thanks for the advice.

How does the heater work on cold mornings if the car does not use the engine all of the time?

[Herbie]

7 minutes ago, Bounce75 said:

How does the heater work on cold mornings if the car does not use the engine all of the time?

The engine is the only source of cabin heat so if you have the heating turned up then the petrol engine will be running more than usual to provide that heat, but it will still cut in and out as normal - it'll just spend longer on petrol.

Also worth noting is that they aren't electric cars and if you were to run out of petrol then the most you'd get on Battery alone is a mile or two. The 12V Battery, the petrol engine and the traction (hybrid) Battery all work together to give a 'working' car. If any one of those three are giving problems then the car doesn't work.

[Herbie]

21 minutes ago, Thackeray said:

And at traffic lights you just keep your foot on the footbrake until the lights change.

@Bounce75 - just to add to what William said here, if you think you'll be off fairly quickly then that is good advice. If you think it'll be a longer stop, say at a level crossing, you can put the car in 'P' and apply the parking brake, but the crucial bit is never to put the car in 'N' because the hybrid system won't charge the batteries in neutral, only D or P.

[Thackeray]

5 minutes ago, Herbie said:

really have to say that that is not good practice at all William.

The parking pawl is just a very small finger of metal that locks up the transmission. I know it must be a rare thing to happen but if there is some problem with the pawl such as metal fatigue, manufacturing defect or whatever and it breaks off, not only is there the risk of the car moving off from where you left it, an even bigger problem is that you now have a small piece of metal rattling around your transmission causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Parking brakes are there for a reason and absolutely should be used.

So where is RoyoftheRovers when you need him with his manual? I'll just have to find my own manual!

Here's what it says on page 312 about winter driving tips:

Quote

Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to P without setting the parking brake.
The parking brake may freeze up, preventing it from being released. If necessary,
block the wheels to prevent inadvertent sliding or creeping.

Having said that, you're absolutely right. The parking pawl shouldn't be used to hold the weight of the car. I would never leave the car resting on the parking pawl - I only leave it just in Park when the ground is completely flat. If I can feel the car move and the transmission lock by hitting the parking pawl I would always apply the parking brake and I'd probably put the car back in Drive first for a moment to release the parking pawl before applying the parking brake. It's just that where I leave the car overnight I know I can just leave it in Park without any likelihood of the car moving. 

So you're right that the best advice is probably always to engage the parking brake when parking unless you're confident about what's happening in the transmission. Even the manual's advice might not be ideal. Herbie, you'd better get the handbook correspondent to write and tell them.

[Bounce75]

Thank you so much all of you for your quick replies, this looks like it is going to be great forum to be a part of.

I am sure there will be a lot more queries in the weeks & months ahead. 😊

I am a long time member of a couple of watch forums & enjoy them very much, so I am sure I will be on here for a very long time.

[royoftherovers]

ROY IS AT THE MATCH LIVERPOOL V BRIGHTON

[nicnac]

46 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

ROY IS AT THE MATCH LIVERPOOL V BRIGHTON

Melchester............... I presume ?

[royoftherovers]

42 minutes ago, nicnac said:

Melchester............... I presume ?

Near enough Nick.

[Ala Larj]

3 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

ROY IS AT THE MATCH LIVERPOOL V BRIGHTON

I would laugh but I’m a Southampton supporter!

[Mincey]

11 hours ago, Bounce75 said:

 

How are you enjoying your IS? Is there anything you do not like about it, how do you find the power/performance?

Power and performance are good - maybe someone has already mentioned this, but a CVT does take some getting used to. It just goes, there's no adrenaline rush through the gears when the right foot meets the floor mat prompting the rev counter to turn orange. Mine's an F Sport so I don't have an analogue speedo, which again takes some getting used to as there's no perception of acceleration. I miss the sound of the V6 from my IS250 and the materials/switches etc don't feel quite as Lexus as the IS250's did. I'm not keen on the ride on the 18" tyres and would happily change them for 17". Fuel economy is excellent. I like sneaking up on people in car parks in EV mode. Do I miss the Mark Levinson stereo from my IS250? Probably not. Bluetooth audio and DAB makes up for that. The LED headlights (mine has three each side) provide instant daylight at night. I'm still deciding whether the auto main beam is a good idea or not. I don't think that oncoming cyclists enjoy the experience, but then I'm not very keen on cyclists if I'm honest. The novelty of the F Sport party trick with the speedometer housing moving hasn't worn off yet but I've used the flappy paddles once and much like on the IS250, decided that D was a more sensible place to be than S.

[LenT]

On 2/4/2021 at 5:49 AM, Mincey said:

I'm not keen on the ride on the 18" tyres and would happily change them for 17". ...I've used the flappy paddles once and much like on the IS250, decided that D was a more sensible place to be than S.

I was interested to read these comments, especially as you’re in a position to compare the 250 with the 300.  My 250 was also shod with 18” wheels but I can’t convince myself that the extra ride comfort will justify the cost of buying new rims and tyres.

I too tried the paddle shift as a novelty when I first had the car.  But soon decided that at my age I rather liked having the gears changed for me.  On a very few occasions I have tried the Sports mode, which does seem a tad quicker, but not for the purpose suggested by the (excellent) Lexus sales guy.  

He suggested I select it if I had to, say, exit a junction quickly to pull out into traffic.  At the time I thought that if exiting was that marginal I probably wouldn’t try it at all!