looking at getting my first Lexus - IS300h

[Mr Vlad]

I tried the moonroof in my is250 a good few months ago. I thought oh feck how do I shut it lol. Eventually I did and haven't used it since lol.

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Mincey said:

 What's the point of opening the sunroof - or - even opening the sunblind, which I never, ever did, when you have a fully functioning climate control system? 

My two previous cars had the opening sunroof and the sliding sunblind.  As with the Lexus, and like yourself, I see no point in opening the sunroof when I have a very efficient aircon.

However, I've always kept the sunblinds open.  I like the way it brightens up the car interior and makes it feel more spacious.

[Mr Vlad]

Yes it's weird apart from 2 cars which had silver grey and one car a grey interior (I'm not counting the 4 lexus cars I've had) all other cars had black interiors. Loved them all. (now to Lexus) My 1st lexus had the cream interior as have 2 others (all is's as it happens) the RX had all black but my point is I'm converted to the cream interior which I'm rather surprised at. Ok my car has a black dash mind you every car has lol. Having the feeling of more space in a car hasn't really crossed my mind. If this post doesn't make sense please forgive me, I'm on my 3rd quadruple Southern Comfort hic well it is my birthday 🥃

[LenT]

3 hours ago, gtanny said:

I drove back very comfortable in a lovely environment and when I had the chance enjoyed the bends more then I have in any car I've owned myself.

Sounds like the start of a very happy relationship to me.  And it's a really nice colour too.

[Linas.P]

15 hours ago, gtanny said:

Picked it up and I'm extremely happy,

First impressions:

I need to learn how to work the infotainment system a bit more but didn't want to sit to long before leaving but my first wow was just how quiet it was when driving both around town and motorway, the Bmax sat at 3000rpm on a motorway and had a lot of road noise.

Once I got my phone connected the audio system is a lot better then I expected so thank you Linus, I went in with super low expectations and it's much better then the Bmax system and I was happy with that - small things like being able to see the song currently playing is a great addition for me.

Sat Nav has live traffic which i didn't expect so another plus.

Seats are for more snug then I expected but once I'd got used to them I was very comfortable.

I was told the seats were excellent condition but there is a little nick in the drivers seat but the salesman told me he would arrange for me to take it back and get it repaired - 180 mile round trip but hopefully it will be when things are open again and I'll happily spend a day in a coffee shop in Nottingham. He said he'll email me more info but still waiting.

Got back and the tires look like they are covered in a dark liquid but after wiping looks like it's more of a dust, on all 4 wheels so hopefully not an issue, if it keeps happening after I've driven it a bit more I'll get in touch with the dealer just incase it's more than just road dirt or brake dust.

CVT is nice and easy to drive, switched between the 3 modes on the way back and sport mode does still have a bit of lag but I have power now which I never did before.

Im coming from a much more basic car so I am very happy, I can see where some people could pick fault but I'm not that sort of person, I drove back very comfortable in a lovely environment and when I had the chance enjoyed the bends more then I have in any car I've owned myself.

 

Expectations are key and it seems I manage to set them right 😄 To be fair I could have never liked it considering I was coming from mk2 IS250 - much better built and equipped car with butter smooth V6. To be fair IS300h was IS220d replacement not IS250 replacement so it never even had a chance to impress me.

It is strange you have life-traffic alerts, that is indication of "premium" sat-nav, in which case you perhaps have 10-speaker audio which is good (for all purposes as good as ML) - I was certainly not aware it is possible to have "premium" sat nav on exec.

 vs. 

In either case it is great to hear you enjoying your new car.

 

[Mincey]

20 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

To be fair IS300h was IS220d replacement not IS250 replacement so it never even had a chance to impress me.

You may have surpassed yourself here.

[wharfhouse]

23 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Expectations are key and it seems I manage to set them right 😄 To be fair I could have never liked it considering I was coming from mk2 IS250 - much better built and equipped car with butter smooth V6. To be fair IS300h was IS220d replacement not IS250 replacement so it never even had a chance to impress me.

It is strange you have life-traffic alerts, that is indication of "premium" sat-nav, in which case you perhaps have 10-speaker audio which is good (for all purposes as good as ML) - I was certainly not aware it is possible to have "premium" sat nav on exec.

 vs. 

In either case it is great to hear you enjoying your new car.

 

I can confirm that my Standard Nav (on my 2014 IS 300h Executive trim) has RDS-TMC for traffic - it's not the best for traffic info compared to the likes of Google Maps but gives some indication of congestion and roadworks etc.

[Linas.P]

15 minutes ago, Mincey said:

You may have surpassed yourself here.

Not exactly sure what you mean, but for some context - the only issue with IS250 I had is that it lacked power, it was "okey", but just borderline... of being sluggish. So you can imagine I was really really not impressed with IS300h which is much slower and not as smooth. As well mk3 did not have as good standard equipment compared to mk2 it replaced. For example Standard audio in mk was 13-speakers and to be honest not much worse than ML, as well mk2 had keyless entry as standard and there were many more cuts. Like electric and leather seats were standard on lower trims (not all, but you don't need to go as high as on mk3) on mk2, memory seats were standard on lower trims etc. Even the entry level SE trim was relatively better equipped than SE on mk3... and don't forget mk3 "no trim" exists which literally has everything stripped out. 

As I don't know, I just going to guess that maybe you saying comparing IS300h with IS220d is insulting and unfair, but that is fact. 

IS220d was offered only in EU where fuel economy matter (unlike US or middle east where it doesn't), it was never offered anywhere else except of Europe and that is "entry level or entry level ECO option". in Line-up it was replaced by IS300h which again is only offered in Europe (perhaps Japan and Australia), but it is not offered in key markets like US and middle east. 

I appreciate that IS300h was massive upgrade compared to IS220d in all departments and in that context Lexus succeeded. However, where they failed miserably is providing upgrade for IS250

Lexus Replaced IS250... with IS250... and latter horrible IS200t (IS300 outside of Europe), so indeed 300h was never meant to replace 250 and arguably Lexus failed to replace this model overall. IS200t absolutely flopped and it wasn't for the reason that 300h succeeded. Simply people who wanted more from the car than either 250 or 200t have left the brand.

And it is real shame... Lexus spent at least 400 million developing 2 new engines for next gen and they both suck. It seems logical that they could have saved all that wasted money and build IS300h on 4GR-FSE engine from IS250 instead of developing entirely new and anaemic engine for hundreds of millions. 200t was expected evolution, with current downsizing and "paper CO2" trend, but yet again Lexus failed to deliver - engine is neither powerful, nor more fuel efficient. The only advantage I guess it lower CO2 on paper (in practice it is far worse like all turbo engines). 

[paulrnx]

1 hour ago, Mincey said:

You may have surpassed yourself here.

I read it and thought exactly the same. Great minds and all that.. 😀

[paulrnx]

47 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Not exactly sure what you mean, but for some context - the only issue with IS250 I had is that it lacked power, it was "okey", but just borderline... of being sluggish. So you can imagine I was really really not impressed with IS300h which is much slower and not as smooth. As well mk3 did not have as good standard equipment compared to mk2 it replaced. For example Standard audio in mk was 13-speakers and to be honest not much worse than ML, as well mk2 had keyless entry as standard and there were many more cuts. Like electric and leather seats were standard on lower trims (not all, but you don't need to go as high as on mk3) on mk2, memory seats were standard on lower trims etc. Even the entry level SE trim was relatively better equipped than SE on mk3... and don't forget mk3 "no trim" exists which literally has everything stripped out. 

As I don't know, I just going to guess that maybe you saying comparing IS300h with IS220d is insulting and unfair, but that is fact. 

IS220d was offered only in EU where fuel economy matter (unlike US or middle east where it doesn't), it was never offered anywhere else except of Europe and that is "entry level or entry level ECO option". in Line-up it was replaced by IS300h which again is only offered in Europe (perhaps Japan and Australia), but it is not offered in key markets like US and middle east. 

I appreciate that IS300h was massive upgrade compared to IS220d in all departments and in that context Lexus succeeded. However, where they failed miserably is providing upgrade for IS250

Lexus Replaced IS250... with IS250... and latter horrible IS200t (IS300 outside of Europe), so indeed 300h was never meant to replace 250 and arguably Lexus failed to replace this model overall. IS200t absolutely flopped and it wasn't for the reason that 300h succeeded. Simply people who wanted more from the car than either 250 or 200t have left the brand.

And it is real shame... Lexus spent at least 400 million developing 2 new engines for next gen and they both suck. It seems logical that they could have saved all that wasted money and build IS300h on 4GR-FSE engine from IS250 instead of developing entirely new and anaemic engine for hundreds of millions. 200t was expected evolution, with current downsizing and "paper CO2" trend, but yet again Lexus failed to deliver - engine is neither powerful, nor more fuel efficient. The only advantage I guess it lower CO2 on paper (in practice it is far worse like all turbo engines). 

You surpassed yourself by making a positive post and not criticising someone for their choice Linas. I thought the same. It was a compliment I think. 👍😀

[paulrnx]

49 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Not exactly sure what you mean, but for some context - the only issue with IS250 I had is that it lacked power, it was "okey", but just borderline... of being sluggish. So you can imagine I was really really not impressed with IS300h which is much slower and not as smooth. As well mk3 did not have as good standard equipment compared to mk2 it replaced. For example Standard audio in mk was 13-speakers and to be honest not much worse than ML, as well mk2 had keyless entry as standard and there were many more cuts. Like electric and leather seats were standard on lower trims (not all, but you don't need to go as high as on mk3) on mk2, memory seats were standard on lower trims etc. Even the entry level SE trim was relatively better equipped than SE on mk3... and don't forget mk3 "no trim" exists which literally has everything stripped out. 

As I don't know, I just going to guess that maybe you saying comparing IS300h with IS220d is insulting and unfair, but that is fact. 

IS220d was offered only in EU where fuel economy matter (unlike US or middle east where it doesn't), it was never offered anywhere else except of Europe and that is "entry level or entry level ECO option". in Line-up it was replaced by IS300h which again is only offered in Europe (perhaps Japan and Australia), but it is not offered in key markets like US and middle east. 

I appreciate that IS300h was massive upgrade compared to IS220d in all departments and in that context Lexus succeeded. However, where they failed miserably is providing upgrade for IS250

Lexus Replaced IS250... with IS250... and latter horrible IS200t (IS300 outside of Europe), so indeed 300h was never meant to replace 250 and arguably Lexus failed to replace this model overall. IS200t absolutely flopped and it wasn't for the reason that 300h succeeded. Simply people who wanted more from the car than either 250 or 200t have left the brand.

And it is real shame... Lexus spent at least 400 million developing 2 new engines for next gen and they both suck. It seems logical that they could have saved all that wasted money and build IS300h on 4GR-FSE engine from IS250 instead of developing entirely new and anaemic engine for hundreds of millions. 200t was expected evolution, with current downsizing and "paper CO2" trend, but yet again Lexus failed to deliver - engine is neither powerful, nor more fuel efficient. The only advantage I guess it lower CO2 on paper (in practice it is far worse like all turbo engines). 

I’ve had quite a few thoughts about trying to find a good 2nd generation IS250 SE-L or perhaps an Advance and getting rid of my NX. Not powerful as you say but very smooth and a nice way to get about. This would also allow me to buy a convertible to keep in the garage for nice sunny days.

[Linas.P]

8 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

You surpassed yourself by making a positive post and not criticising someone for their choice Linas. I thought the same. It was a compliment I think. 👍😀

In that case I may have misunderstood situation... for some reason I expect conflict all the time 😅

6 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

I’ve had quite a few thoughts about trying to find a good 2nd generation IS250 SE-L or perhaps an Advance and getting rid of my NX. Not powerful as you say but very smooth and a nice way to get about. This would also allow me to buy a convertible to keep in the garage for nice sunny days.

Not sure why you would want Advance, it is quite comparable to what Exec stands for in Mk3 - entry level tier just above SE.

When going mk2 you always have an option for convertible, so you don't even need to save space for another car (unless that is what you meant), but I would look for at least SE-i. 

I was actually thinking to replace RC with IS250C, the problem is that they are rather rare and in my opinion overpriced, comparing to simple saloon version which is just as good. From other perspective - IS250C cover 2 cars in one, comfortable everyday cruiser and summer weekend fun to drive convertible, so maybe paying 50% higher price is not that bad of the deal. But I am still very sad there is no IS350C... how amazing would that be!

[Mr Vlad]

I've list track of this thread but hey ho. is350c hhmmmmm. Yes it's more than a ruddy shame Lexus basically refused to let us have the is350. I've watched 2 YouTube videos this morning one from America the other from Australia on the 2021 Lexus is350 f sport. My word what a stunner. The sound through the zorsts is astonishingly subdued. However the aussie video guy mentioned that Lexus were doing a Turbo version is350. Now I don't know how true that is but that would be an outstanding car. Over in the RX section someone posted a Lexus video of putting the engine from the GSR into an RX. They actually made the RXR and it makes one wonder what other gems Lexus have up their sleeves. That RXR car is in one of Marty Motoring videos but only for a few seconds but what you see is outstanding. Sorry for this post but I'm bored lol

[royoftherovers]

15 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yes it's weird apart from 2 cars which had silver grey and one car a grey interior (I'm not counting the 4 lexus cars I've had) all other cars had black interiors. Loved them all. (now to Lexus) My 1st lexus had the cream interior as have 2 others (all is's as it happens) the RX had all black but my point is I'm converted to the cream interior which I'm rather surprised at. Ok my car has a black dash mind you every car has lol. Having the feeling of more space in a car hasn't really crossed my mind. If this post doesn't make sense please forgive me, I'm on my 3rd quadruple Southern Comfort hic well it is my birthday 🥃

Drinking like that will earn you a knighthood Vlad.

How about Sir Rossis of the Liver ?

[Bounce75]

22 hours ago, gtanny said:

Picked it up and I'm extremely happy,

First impressions:

I need to learn how to work the infotainment system a bit more but didn't want to sit to long before leaving but my first wow was just how quiet it was when driving both around town and motorway, the Bmax sat at 3000rpm on a motorway and had a lot of road noise.

Once I got my phone connected the audio system is a lot better then I expected so thank you Linus, I went in with super low expectations and it's much better then the Bmax system and I was happy with that - small things like being able to see the song currently playing is a great addition for me.

Sat Nav has live traffic which i didn't expect so another plus.

Seats are for more snug then I expected but once I'd got used to them I was very comfortable.

I was told the seats were excellent condition but there is a little nick in the drivers seat but the salesman told me he would arrange for me to take it back and get it repaired - 180 mile round trip but hopefully it will be when things are open again and I'll happily spend a day in a coffee shop in Nottingham. He said he'll email me more info but still waiting.

Got back and the tires look like they are covered in a dark liquid but after wiping looks like it's more of a dust, on all 4 wheels so hopefully not an issue, if it keeps happening after I've driven it a bit more I'll get in touch with the dealer just incase it's more than just road dirt or brake dust.

CVT is nice and easy to drive, switched between the 3 modes on the way back and sport mode does still have a bit of lag but I have power now which I never did before.

Im coming from a much more basic car so I am very happy, I can see where some people could pick fault but I'm not that sort of person, I drove back very comfortable in a lovely environment and when I had the chance enjoyed the bends more then I have in any car I've owned myself.

 

That is very nice, I hope you enjoy driving it.

[Mr Vlad]

It's only once a week John I'm on Southern Comfort usually but I'll be on it again Saturday. I'm not worried about that bloke Sir Rossis I don't drink enough for that.

[paulrnx]

5 hours ago, Linas.P said:

In that case I may have misunderstood situation... for some reason I expect conflict all the time 😅

Not sure why you would want Advance, it is quite comparable to what Exec stands for in Mk3 - entry level tier just above SE.

When going mk2 you always have an option for convertible, so you don't even need to save space for another car (unless that is what you meant), but I would look for at least SE-i. 

I was actually thinking to replace RC with IS250C, the problem is that they are rather rare and in my opinion overpriced, comparing to simple saloon version which is just as good. From other perspective - IS250C cover 2 cars in one, comfortable everyday cruiser and summer weekend fun to drive convertible, so maybe paying 50% higher price is not that bad of the deal. But I am still very sad there is no IS350C... how amazing would that be!

Yes Linas, I have thought about an IS250C. And an IS350C would be mega, agreed.

[paulrnx]

22 hours ago, gtanny said:

Picked it up and I'm extremely happy,

First impressions:

I need to learn how to work the infotainment system a bit more but didn't want to sit to long before leaving but my first wow was just how quiet it was when driving both around town and motorway, the Bmax sat at 3000rpm on a motorway and had a lot of road noise.

Once I got my phone connected the audio system is a lot better then I expected so thank you Linus, I went in with super low expectations and it's much better then the Bmax system and I was happy with that - small things like being able to see the song currently playing is a great addition for me.

Sat Nav has live traffic which i didn't expect so another plus.

Seats are for more snug then I expected but once I'd got used to them I was very comfortable.

I was told the seats were excellent condition but there is a little nick in the drivers seat but the salesman told me he would arrange for me to take it back and get it repaired - 180 mile round trip but hopefully it will be when things are open again and I'll happily spend a day in a coffee shop in Nottingham. He said he'll email me more info but still waiting.

Got back and the tires look like they are covered in a dark liquid but after wiping looks like it's more of a dust, on all 4 wheels so hopefully not an issue, if it keeps happening after I've driven it a bit more I'll get in touch with the dealer just incase it's more than just road dirt or brake dust.

CVT is nice and easy to drive, switched between the 3 modes on the way back and sport mode does still have a bit of lag but I have power now which I never did before.

Im coming from a much more basic car so I am very happy, I can see where some people could pick fault but I'm not that sort of person, I drove back very comfortable in a lovely environment and when I had the chance enjoyed the bends more then I have in any car I've owned myself.

 

How has today been with the car? 😀

[doog442]

Reads thread, shakes head ...again

All the best with the car @gtanny I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I've owned a Mk 3 IS (and a Mk1 for many years) and they're lovely cars and they do turn heads, even now. Mine was the pure petrol version which has a big following in the US, was a fantastic unit but discontinued here due to the usual emissions stuff so the hybrid was always going to be top dog. You only have to go back through the forum as far as 2013 to see what a solid, reliable car you've purchased...best of luck. 

 

[LenT]

19 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

I tried the moonroof in my is250 a good few months ago. I thought oh feck how do I shut it lol. Eventually I did and haven't used it since lol.

Could have been worse.

For example, some time ago I drove in to the local car wash and inadvertently partially lowered a rear window.  I thought the car wash was a bit noisier than usual.

It was only when I got out later that I noticed the rear seats were also a bit damper than usual.  Still, they scrubbed up nicely.

Mind you, it can’t happen again.  Having had the car ‘detailed’ and ceramic coated, car washes are now verboten.

[noby76]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:17 PM, Spacewagon52 said:

This has been a very interesting and funny thread to read. It is fascinating to read what features people like / miss / want / from their cars. The BIG worry I have when buying a car is: "Am I  going to be disappointed?"

All the research and a test drives, does not fully prepare you for actual ownership. Lexus cars are initially underwhelming on first acquaintance. The longer you own them the more you seem to appreciate the cars. Regarding equipment / accessories; I am convinced there is a big difference in owner expectation, depending on your age. Younger Lexus owners require more tech - especially when it comes to playing music and phone compatibility. For older owners (like me!) what was once very important, is now no longer a big issue. There are features on my 1998 LS 400 that I am sure I do not use - sunroof / heated seats.

My first priority, in buying a car, is reliability. An unreliable car would drive me crackers (try owning an old Ford!). Comfort and build quality would come second.

 

What features do I like?

ABS braking

Air bags

Automatic Transmission - Well I am also sold on automatics, provided they have a powerful

engine.

Air conditioning / heater – we forget that not many cars had these years ago

Reversing sensors

Radio / CD player

Power Steering

Trip computer

Electric windows

Electric door mirrors

Remote petrol cap

Folding rear seats flat

Heated rear window

**************************

What features could I live without?

I am not rubbishing these features, JUST saying I could forgo them.

Fast 0-60 times

Lane departure / Radar cruise / Pre-crash system

Self-parking gismo.

Cruise control (It would not be a hardship to be without this feature here in the UK)

Heated seats (I forget to put mine on in the winter! – Though they are lovely!)

TPMS – Tyre pressure monitor (something else to go wrong)

Air suspension

Phone connectivity (answering phones, even hands-free I think is a real distraction from driving)

Electric tailgate

Electric adjustable seats and steering

Sunroof

Headlight washers

Rear camera

Navigation system (Use Tim Tim)

Rear side blinds

Handbook – complete waste of time! Too long to read! Just post on here if you want to know anything! (*)

+1   I think some people worry about certain features of cars they might just use once or a couple of times to show off to their friends and will either never ever use again or forget the feature is actually there.  cant believe some loose sleep and make a big fuss about some laughable features but each to his own. 

I enjoy actually driving my GS so much i don't care if it does not have a cup of tea making feature or spotify connectivity within it.

all i do is upload my 6 CD changer and enjoy the drive. and when i get tired of music i can always switch to listening to the V6 roar.

[Mincey]

1 hour ago, noby76 said:

+1   I think some people worry about certain features of cars they might just use once or a couple of times to show off to their friends and will either never ever use again or forget the feature is actually there.  cant believe some loose sleep and make a big fuss about some laughable features but each to his own. 

I enjoy actually driving my GS so much i don't care if it does not have a cup of tea making feature or spotify connectivity within it.

all i do is upload my 6 CD changer and enjoy the drive. and when i get tired of music i can always switch to listening to the V6 roar.

I'm reminded of the blind for the rear window in my IS250. Absolutely sod all use other than for showing off to friends.

Totally with you on the V6 roar. I still stand by my IS300h every evening and ask it why it can't make the same noise as my IS250 did. 

[Sully888]

52 minutes ago, Mincey said:

I'm reminded of the blind for the rear window in my IS250. Absolutely sod all use other than for showing off to friends.

Totally with you on the V6 roar. I still stand by my IS300h every evening and ask it why it can't make the same noise as my IS250 did. 

James, you need to flick that switch by the parking sensors for it to make that noise 😆

I've just sold my IS300H F-Sport, @royoftherovers made me feel guilty so I'm looking for a Premier. I despised the suspension on mine. I'm chickening out at buying an Audi (and dont have deep enough pockets to buy new). If I regret it he might find my ghost haunting him in Cheshire.. mind you if I use the Lexus SatNav I might not get there before xmas..

[ColinBarber]

18 minutes ago, Sully888 said:

made me feel guilty so I'm looking for a Premier.

If your priority is comfort then you want one with 17" wheels, not 18" ones that the Premier has.

[Linas.P]

1 hour ago, Mincey said:

I'm reminded of the blind for the rear window in my IS250. Absolutely sod all use other than for showing off to friends.

Actually I have used it a lot and missed the feature in RC. Yes there is only particular setting when it is useful … and that is when you driving in early morning west or in late evening east, sun is either rising or going down and thus blinds you over rear view mirror, then you raise the sun bling and everything is dandy. I did not think I will use it so much, but I did use it and there were several times where I was thinking in my RC "if only I had sun blind now"...