looking at getting my first Lexus - IS300h

[Mikey B]

6 hours ago, ganzoom said:

Ignoring the pointless comments on performance, the IS300H is just about as reliable as they come.

I've been desperately trying to find a valid excuse to replace ours as I really want a Tesla Model 3, but every time I sit down and do the maths it simply doesn't make any kind of sense due to how cheap and reliable the IS300H.

We bought ours new in 2015 and literally nothing has gone wrong on it. I've never needed to even to up the oil, and its even still on it's original V12 battery!!

Whilst there is throttle lag, the actual performance is pretty good, especially 'in gear'. The chassis is very good so disguises the speed you are travelling at.

Versus a diesel its a much more refined car.

 

Gang - sounds like we are in the same position - I bought mine unseen speculatively on eBay - it was by far the cheapest I could find so given the full history I took a chance and it was worth it.  In just over 2 years we have added 40K to it and there have been no bills beyond servicing and consumables which I think is pretty incredible for nearing 200K.  At the moment my partner is using it far more than me and doing between 3 and 5 100 mile round trips a week and it just carries on with no fuss.  Service light has just come on and realised I couldn't remember the last time I checked the oil level so pulled the stick and its still on Max and a bit yellowy - not black.

 

I really want to go full EV, but the IS owes me nothing and just keeps going so cant justify the expense.......and I'm still on the original 12V!

[Mikey B]

11 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yes as above but the spark plug change isn't that expensive. I was quoted £25/plug supply and fit.

That's cheap - My indy said they could only get the plugs for £113 for the set plus the labour - If yours are getting the plugs that cheap that's a bargain 

[Mr Vlad]

Lexus dealer Stockport m8. I think I get a bit of discount being a regularish customer. Bought my 2nd is300h from them and had each of my Lexus cars serviced there.

[Las Palmas]

Beautiful car.

Excellent design.

Would have waited to get a new car like the IS if our space in garage was OK for such big cars. When they built the house a family car was size Renault 5.

  

 

Would not like to park a big car in our garage. The white car is touching the wall behind it. Between the white and grey car is supposedly room for a car. Luckily the owner of that space has a motorbike.

 

[Bounce75]

I bought my IS300h 2 months ago without actually seeing it or test driving one. I did have a 14 day return option on it if I didn't like it as it was 140 miles away.

I have been driving Volvo's for the last 9 years & my last one was a D4 with almost 200bhp & 0-60 in 7.5 secs, I can honestly say the Lexus is almost as quick & handles as well, but what I will say is how refined, quiet & comfortable the Lexus is. 

It really is a pleasure to drive it every day the seats are so soft & you sink into them, whereas the Volvo you seemed to sit on top of them.

I don't think you will be disappointed.

[Bowserman]

Just get it bought!

I decided I wanted one on Friday, went down, put a deposit on it and get it next weekend.

Didint drive it, didnt need to, already own a CT that people say has woeful performance, that I love by the way. I didnt buy a hybrid for performance as I have got all of that out my system.

I just want comfort and economy, although I am gutted I have to pay £10 road tax now!

[Mr Vlad]

Awwwww I'm sure you'll get used to it 👍

You'll love your is even more 

[royoftherovers]

Thanks for the update Steve.

Has the Lexus had an impact on your driving style ? Has it changed your anticipatory skills or awareness of other vehicles ?

What `s your view on the eCVT gearbox ?

[paulrnx]

I hear what everyone is saying but I’d still recommend a test drive. The power delivery and cvt transmission is not to everyone’s taste. For the avoidance of doubt - I love them - but I know not everyone does. Of course most on here love them so it’s possibly not the best place to come to for a well balanced view.

[royoftherovers]

5 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

I hear what everyone is saying but I’d still recommend a test drive. The power delivery and cvt transmission is not to everyone’s taste. For the avoidance of doubt - I love them - but I know not everyone does. Of course most on here love them so it’s possibly not the best place to come to for a well balanced view.

I am in total agreement with you Paul.

[paulrnx]

3 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Beautiful car.

Excellent design.

Would have waited to get a new car like the IS if our space in garage was OK for such big cars. When they built the house a family car was size Renault 5.

  

 

Would not like to park a big car in our garage. The white car is touching the wall behind it. Between the white and grey car is supposedly room for a car. Luckily the owner of that space has a motorbike.

 

That looks tight!

[royoftherovers]

6 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

That looks tight!

Good job it`s LH Drive eh ?

[paulrnx]

4 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Good job it`s LH Drive eh ?

In through the sunroof perhaps? 🤣

I was reading the other day that the legislation around minimum size of car parking spaces has not changed much since the 70’s. Pretty sure cars have got quite a bit wider and larger overall since then.

[First_Lexus]

30 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

I hear what everyone is saying but I’d still recommend a test drive. The power delivery and cvt transmission is not to everyone’s taste. For the avoidance of doubt - I love them - but I know not everyone does. Of course most on here love them so it’s possibly not the best place to come to for a well balanced view.

^^ Completely agree with this @paulrnx

The problem is we are all so different. Quicker drivers, slower drivers, taller and shorter, slim and not so slim. A test drive is essential. I still remember the chap who bought an NX and found it uncomfortable because of a back problem. The fact that 99% of owners here find the seats supremely comfortable is about as irrelevant as an irrelevant thing if you don’t!

 

[paulrnx]

1 minute ago, First_Lexus said:

^^ Completely agree with this @paulrnx

The problem is we are all so different. Quicker drivers, slower drivers, taller and shorter, slim and not so slim. A test drive is essential. I still remember the chap who bought an NX and found it uncomfortable because of a back problem. The fact that 99% of owners here find the seats supremely comfortable is about as irrelevant as an irrelevant thing if you don’t!

 

So true. Forums are good for forming a view of what a car might be like but they are no guarantee that a car will be suitable. Especially for people new to the brand and experiencing them for the first time.

[Las Palmas]

28 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Good job it`s LH Drive eh ?

Yes.

[Las Palmas]

27 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

I was reading the other day that the legislation around minimum size of car parking spaces has not changed much since the 70’s.

Would explain why some still drive in old R5 and similar size cars here.

A CT200h can find parking space most places though.

[gtanny]

2 hours ago, paulrnx said:

I hear what everyone is saying but I’d still recommend a test drive. The power delivery and cvt transmission is not to everyone’s taste. For the avoidance of doubt - I love them - but I know not everyone does. Of course most on here love them so it’s possibly not the best place to come to for a well balanced view.

Unfortunately due to Covid a test drive is not an option until the 12th at least and with work and other commitments it's unlikely i will be able to get there any time after next week.

 

I have emailed the dealers and they are calling me at 13:30 tomorrow to discuss the car along with extended warranty and service plan. I'm useless at negotiating face to face but more confident over the phone so I'm hopeful i should get a decent deal as it will be a full payment on card no PX or anything, if that makes a difference any more these days.

[steveo1973]

7 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yes as above but the spark plug change isn't that expensive. I was quoted £25/plug supply and fit.

Just had my 60k service including spark plugs and all genuine parts bought direct from Lexus by a specialist for £230 all in!

May not been by lexus but by a specialist using their 60k service kit. Well happy 😊 

[steveo1973]

7 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

 

 

[Linas.P]

21 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Linas. Keep out of threads of cars you haven't owned. Personally I'm sick and tired of your inputs which you have gained from research or copied and pasted.

This is quite funny statement... I have owned RC200t and in 1.5 years only drove it for 4000 miles. Yet I had at least 4 different IS300h as courtesy cars, RC300h for entire weekend where I did over 1000 miles in it, I tried ES300h, NX300h and in total I have driven them more than 5000miles. Thinking about it I know more about how 300h drives than 200t.

IS300h just isn't sporty car - fact. Lexus marketing is really misleading on it, it does handle well, but in engine department does not exist as far as I am concerned. I wasn't even offended by ES300h, because despite being FWD with such engine there isn't really any difference.

As well, what I said quite clearly - if one does not need performance and does not need sporty car, then IS300h is ~OK. Certainly, sufficient to keep-up with traffic  in the city and comfortably cruise at legal speeds... still I would not want to find myself in one on A-Road behind the truck because finding overtaking opportunity will be difficult.

Now OP has said that performance is not an issue and indeed coming from 1.4 B-Max it may even be improvement. However, it is still correct to warn people that 300 does not mean 3L (that is what Lexus says) and one should not expect sporty driving experience.

Finally - again I am quite concerned regarding executive spec which is very poor (compared to B-Max it is good, but compared to Lexus it is poor). Here is were Lexus is slightly unusual - on most german cars you get maybe 2 trims e.g. Luxury and M-Sport and then everything else is optional, in the end of the day Luxury may be equipped just as well )or rather as poorly) as M-sport. On Lexus trim is everything, options are very few, so if you get Exective you get generally very few options on the car, but when you go to F-Sport you suddenly have car which is nearly fully loaded bar ML system, sat-nav and maybe sunroof. 

[Bounce75]

2 hours ago, gtanny said:

Unfortunately due to Covid a test drive is not an option until the 12th at least and with work and other commitments it's unlikely i will be able to get there any time after next week.

 

I have emailed the dealers and they are calling me at 13:30 tomorrow to discuss the car along with extended warranty and service plan. I'm useless at negotiating face to face but more confident over the phone so I'm hopeful i should get a decent deal as it will be a full payment on card no PX or anything, if that makes a difference any more these days.

I managed to save 1K on my pre reg IS300 just by negotiating on the phone, good luck.

[Bounce75]

18 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Thanks for the update Steve.

Has the Lexus had an impact on your driving style ? Has it changed your anticipatory skills or awareness of other vehicles ?

What `s your view on the eCVT gearbox ?

Yes Roy, it has changed my driving style.😃

I don't seem to rush around everywhere now I just sit back & relax, it helps having the speed limit alert set to curb my speeding, I also anticipate traffic lights & junctions a lot more now.👍

Coming from a manual gearbox I really like the eCTV, it just seems so seamless & my wife loves the fact it is so quiet in the car compared to our last 2 diesels.

Really pleased I made the move to Lexus.

[royoftherovers]

23 minutes ago, Bounce75 said:

Yes Roy, it has changed my driving style.😃

I don't seem to rush around everywhere now I just sit back & relax, it helps having the speed limit alert set to curb my speeding, I also anticipate traffic lights & junctions a lot more now.👍

Coming from a manual gearbox I really like the eCTV, it just seems so seamless & my wife loves the fact it is so quiet in the car compared to our last 2 diesels.

Really pleased I made the move to Lexus.

Thanks Steve .Now how on Earth did I know you`d say that ?

Welcome indeed.

ENJOY, but please, please don`t spread the good news to Audi, BMW or Merc drivers  as they will not be able to effect the necessary personality transformation !!

[LenT]

18 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

...please, please don`t spread the good news to Audi, BMW or Merc drivers  as they will not be able to effect the necessary personality transformation !!

Harsh.

But true. 😊