IS300h models and specs 2013-2019

[Ahsan123]

Hi All

So I have finally decided to buy IS300h but I could not find a chart to compare specs across different models.

Is there anywhere I can find a detailed comparison of these specs to decide which model to go for?

Also, does the mpg reduces as we go for higher spec models due to weight of extra equipment added on?

Thanks

[wharfhouse]

Lexus IS.pdf

1 hour ago, Ahsan123 said:

Hi All

So I have finally decided to buy IS300h but I could not find a chart to compare specs across different models.

Is there anywhere I can find a detailed comparison of these specs to decide which model to go for?

Also, does the mpg reduces as we go for higher spec models due to weight of extra equipment added on?

ThanksLexus IS.pdf

Here is the brochure from circa 2016 - however trim levels (like most cars) varied each year but it will give you some idea. Also, in 2017 the IS had a minor facelift and what was included in trim levels changes quite a bit (for the same trim name) too. Lexus decided not to bring the IS to the UK around 2019 and so there in the last year or so there were again some different trim levels for those final year cars. Difficult to compare trim levels over years, best guidance is decide what you must-have and then find cars at the right price/condition with the must-haves and compare the nice-to-haves. Regards mpg, then the biggest impact on mpg for the IS 300h (hybrid, so not the 250 or 200t) is the wheel size - so the SE model has 16" wheels and the best mpg, the mid-range models had 17" wheel and the F-Sport and Premier models 18" wheel and so they have the worst mpg - however between the best and worst isn't that far apart - maybe a few mpg at most.

[Linas.P]

1 hour ago, Ahsan123 said:

Hi All

So I have finally decided to buy IS300h but I could not find a chart to compare specs across different models.

Is there anywhere I can find a detailed comparison of these specs to decide which model to go for?

Also, does the mpg reduces as we go for higher spec models due to weight of extra equipment added on?

MPG has no real bearing to real-life as that is just theoretical number for comparison reasons based on standardised test. The reason higher tier models have lower MPG/higher CO2 is mostly due to F-Sport, Premier and few other trims having 18" wheels with 255mm rear section in contrast with lower tier being on 17" 225mm in the rear (if not mistaken... I believe only IS250 had 245mm).

So yes - larger wheels and wider tyres will have negative effect on MPG, both in theory and in real life. 

I am sure once Phil includes the brochure (perhaps there is missing link @wharfhouse?) it will answer all your questions. But in short you have No Trim>SE>Sport>Luxury>Executive>F-Sport>Premier from the worst to best in that order (despite the order it appears in brochure) before the face lift. I think highlight is F-Sport as that gets LFA style digital dash which is must in my opinion and makes you feel like you driving actually modern car, the rest feels like quite ordinary hybrids from the era. As well F-Sport get electronic dampers and few other more sporty bits, but Premier would be sort of top-model and most comfortable. Other thing to mention - I would avoid standard Lexus audio for IS, it is just horrible. So you better of looking for the car that has at least "Premium" Audio. Some cars have updated ML system which is very good, but not strictly necessary (Premium sound is good enough). Premier trim gets ML as standard. As well lower tier models have what looks like leather, but it isn't so for that again you would need to go for F-Sport or Premier. All that will be clear in the brochure. 

[wharfhouse]

25 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

MPG has no real bearing to real-life as that is just theoretical number for comparison reasons based on standardised test. The reason higher tier models have lower MPG/higher CO2 is mostly due to F-Sport, Premier and few other trims having 18" wheels with 255mm rear section in contrast with lower tier being on 17" 225mm in the rear (if not mistaken... I believe only IS250 had 245mm).

So yes - larger wheels and wider tyres will have negative effect on MPG, both in theory and in real life. 

I am sure once Phil includes the brochure (perhaps there is missing link @wharfhouse?) it will answer all your questions. But in short you have No Trim>SE>Luxury>Executive>F-Sport>Premier from the worst to best in that order before the face lift. I think highlight is F-Sport as that gets LFA style digital dash which is must in my opinion and makes you feel like you driving actually modern car, the rest feels like quite ordinary hybrids from the era. As well F-Sport get electronic dampers and few other more sporty bits, but Premier would be sort of top-model and most comfortable. Other thing to mention - I would avoid standard Lexus audio for IS, it is just horrible. So you better of looking for the car that has at least "Premium" Audio. Some cars have updated ML system which is very good, but not strictly necessary (Premium sound is good enough). Premier trim gets ML as standard. As well lower tier models have what looks like leather, but it isn't so for that again you would need to go for F-Sport or Premier. All that will be clear in the brochure. 

Oops yes, not sure why that didn't link the first time - it's attached to my original post now and also here

Lexus IS.pdf

[cdmaskell]

The Advance IS has all the whistles and bells as standard albeit without ML, this my opinion. The F Sport has a very harsh ride.  As I have said previously I would have an IS tomorrow, if had the same refinement as my ES Premium pack. Good luck choosing your iS.  You will not be disappointed.

 

[Ahsan123]

Thanks for replies. I have few follow up question if you can help.

I was actually considering 'Advance' version which is not listed in the reply. I wonder where does this fits in the below versions comparisons?

SE>Sport>Luxury>Executive>F-Sport>Premier

I also found that 'Executive' only has heated seats where as 'Luxury' has heated and cooling seats which puts Luxury on top of Executive. Isn't it or am I missing something?

In terms of tyre sizes, Is it not possible to use 16'' SE tyres in Advance/Luxury/Executive models to get better fuel economy?

I am trying to avoid F-Sport version due to its stiff suspension. I understand overall IS is a well road worthy car and this stiff suspension will not hugely makes any difference to its road grip etc. but I get your point on leather seats. Also, fuel economy is a consideration for me and I know F-Sport version returns the worst MPG.

If MPG is a theoretical number then what does IS normally returns in real life as Average, city and Motorway driving in eco mode? 

[PaulWhitt20]

I have a 2015 Advance (until tomorrow)

Spec includes:

Heated/cooled leather seats - very nice

Satnav - rubbish

Standard radio - the one Linas hates - but is ok for thrash metal!

17inch wheels - reasonable ride quality

Reversing Camera - very useful

Front and rear parking sensors - also very useful

Traditional Dials dash - not LFA style

Split folding rear seat - SE spec does not have folding seats

My Average MPG is about 45 around town, can get it up to 50 on motorways (at 70 mph).

[Ahsan123]

Thanks Paul.

Do you recommend having 'Advance' then. I think it depends on how long you kept it for and how satisfied you are with this version of IS 🙂

Where does 'Advance' sits when comparing low to high spec IS models? Above Executive and below Luxury? or 'Luxury' is another adopted name of 'Advance' and they are the same? If so, how is 'Executive' better than 'Luxury' in terms of its specs when Executive only have heated seats and Luxury has heated and cooling seats?

Do you know which models have premier sound (I am not intending to buy F-Sport for reasons explained in previous post)

thanks

[wharfhouse]

25 minutes ago, Ahsan123 said:

Thanks for replies. I have few follow up question if you can help.

I was actually considering 'Advance' version which is not listed in the reply. I wonder where does this fits in the below versions comparisons?

SE>Sport>Luxury>Executive>F-Sport>Premier

I also found that 'Executive' only has heated seats where as 'Luxury' has heated and cooling seats which puts Luxury on top of Executive. Isn't it or am I missing something?

In terms of tyre sizes, Is it not possible to use 16'' SE tyres in Advance/Luxury/Executive models to get better fuel economy?

I am trying to avoid F-Sport version due to its stiff suspension. I understand overall IS is a well road worthy car and this stiff suspension will not hugely makes any difference to its road grip etc. but I get your point on leather seats. Also, fuel economy is a consideration for me and I know F-Sport version returns the worst MPG.

If MPG is a theoretical number then what does IS normally returns in real life as Average, city and Motorway driving in eco mode? 

Yes, it's not always as simple as the list Linas sent in the "middle ground" as trim levels didn't just build on each other by adding more features, as different trims actually substitute some features for others. Also there were some options (like leather, premium nav etc.) in that "middle ground" that would raise one trim over another if those options were specified, but those options were also not always available for all the trim levels either...!

It may be more accurate to put the list as SE>Luxury/Executive/Advance>Premier (where Luxury/Executive/Advance have various features and options and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another) and separate the Sport (a more basic spec around the "middle ground" but with some wheel/bodywork add-ons) and the F-Sport which had it's own particular spec and bodywork parts, some of which were not available on any other trim level. It's worth stating again though that ALL trim levels have the exact same power train, so no difference whatsoever in performance, and only the F-Sport had the handling upgrades (dampers), the rest are again all the same regards handling (other then 18" wheel on the Premier and 16" on the SE). 

All a bit confusing! That's why you have to compare each car you see carefully - in fact many used car sales don't say any trim level anyway (I think Lexus may) but just list features (though they are not always accurate and so it needs a careful check of the car when viewing it). of adding more features.

By the way I have an Executive trim - I chose this at the time (in 2016, when it was a two year old car with 40K miles on it) as it had the must-haves for me (though of course that was very personal for me) and is used for a mix of business and personal use. I still have the car and it's now done 134K miles and I intend to run it for many more miles. Hardly anything has gone wrong and it still drives as good as the day I bought it and the mpg is still the same (over 8 years of all sorts of driving, including a lot of motorway miles my overall average is 48 mpg on the car trip computer - I reset it in 2016 have have left it running since).

Good luck in your hunt and feel free to fire off any more questions.

[wharfhouse]

32 minutes ago, Ahsan123 said:

I also found that 'Executive' only has heated seats where as 'Luxury' has heated and cooling seats which puts Luxury on top of Executive. Isn't it or am I missing something?

That's where it's not quite so straightforward for example - Luxury had cloth / Tahara (synthetic leather) with manual adjustment and no heating as standard but with leather trim, power adjustable seats, heating/ventilated as an option. Advance has leather seats with power adjustment and heating/ventilation as standard. Executive has leather and manual adjustment with heating (but no ventilation) as standard but no option to upgrade like the Luxury has...!

[PaulWhitt20]

Some have shark fin antenna and some don't. I think this may be the difference between standard satnav and premium. Premium Satnav also has the "Mouse" controller.

I was happy with the Advance spec. It ticked my boxes and was a great compromise over comfort and style. 

[Ahsan123]

Thanks for explaining wharfhouse.

It is indeed a bit confusing at start but its slowly making some sense.

Executive, Luxury and Advance is what I am struggling to decide but I have some useful information now to help me decide.

Good to hear it didn't give you any trouble since 2016 and having done 94k miles.

In terms of hybrid Battery maintenance and warranty, does it require any maintenance or regular checks? I understand it has 15 years warranty as long as its checked annually by Lexus main dealer. In that sense, is it then ideal to buy a car that has full Lexus history and its hybrid Battery is checked every year by Lexus, otherwise the 15 years hybrid Battery warranty is void?

What is expected lifetime of its hybrid Battery? Is it measured by miles or years?

thanks

 

[wharfhouse]

16 minutes ago, Ahsan123 said:

Do you know which models have premier sound (I am not intending to buy F-Sport for reasons explained in previous post)

All models had standard sound (6 speakers) except Premier (which had the Mark Levinson top system as standard) - as Paul says above the 6 speaker standard system is not IMHO all that bad unless you are into having a really good sound system in your car - personally I'm not and I am ok with the standard setup in mine and don't find it inferior to most other standard setups in other brands (BMW/MERC/Audi) that haven't got any added option of better sound.

However, any model that has the Premium Nav option (that is the nav with the mouse type controller rather then the dial) fitted, which was an option on only the Luxury and F Sport (but not the Advance or Executive) got the premium sound 8 speaker system as part of that option. The Mark Levinson fitted to the Premier was only an option for the F Sport and no other trim levels.

 

 

[wharfhouse]

25 minutes ago, Ahsan123 said:

In terms of hybrid battery maintenance and warranty, does it require any maintenance or regular checks? I understand it has 15 years warranty as long as its checked annually by Lexus main dealer. In that sense, is it then ideal to buy a car that has full Lexus history and its hybrid battery is checked every year by Lexus, otherwise the 15 years hybrid battery warranty is void?

What is expected lifetime of its hybrid battery? Is it measured by miles or years?

The hybrid Battery requires no special maintenance or checks that you can do. However, if you have the car serviced at a Lexus dealer you get the following:

- Free (Relax) extended (and reasonably comprehensive) warranty from the point of service for 12months / 10k miles whichever comes first (i.e. until the next service is due) - this applies each year until the car is 10years / 100k miles old (whichever come first) 

- Free Hybrid Health Check that warranties the Battery for 12months/10k miles whichever comes first - this can be repeated at every service until the car is 15 years old with unlimited mileage. A Hybrid Health Check can also be done by a Lexus dealer independent of having it serviced there (should you want to service at an indy for example) and costs around £60.

- Personally I would go for a car with a full Lexus service history, but each to their own on this. If you buy from a Lexus dealer I think you still get a 12 month used car warranty with them.

- There is also an option for when the car is over 10years / 100k miles (when the Relax extended warranty does not apply any more) and this is the Lexus 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty (car does not have to be 10 years old if it has done 100k miles). This cover is very similar to the above free Relax extended warranty, so again reasonably comprehensive, especially compared to any 3rd party warranty. It costs about £500 per year (but includes Lexus Roadside Assistance, worth £155 of that cost) but also requires the car to still be serviced by Lexus. This can be renewed annually until the car is 15 years / 150k miles old (whichever comes first). Some Lexus dealers for some reason are not always aware of the 10 Year Plus Extended Warranty but a call to Lexus customer relations will sort it out. 

These cars are very reliable and go wrong very little so whether or not any of the above is of interest depends on your attitude to risk. However, when they do go wrong Lexus parts and repairs can be very expensive, depending on what has failed.

Oh yes, expected lifetime of the hybrid Battery - very long! There have only been a couple of reports of people having to change the hybrid Battery on this forum to my knowledge, but in both cases the cars were at around 200K miles. The main part of the tech is basically the same as the Prius and they have been known to cover 200k - 300k miles without any issues with the hybrid part of the drivetrain - it's well tested and proven. Not that things can't go wrong, but a traditional engine blowing up is probably more likely within the same mileage. If the worst does happen with the Battery and it's out of warranty it's not the end of the world to have it replaced and there are now places that can also just replace failed cells (it's rarely the whole Battery that fails, just some cells).

[Ahsan123]

Thank for detailed response wharfhouse.

What is the cost of annual Relax warranty (under 100k or 10 years)?

I understand Lexus covers hybrid Battery warranty up to 15 years (as long as checked by them each year) but does Lexus give any idea of expected lifetime of this Battery. I was watching a few videos and experts say its not down to how many miles but its down to how many years it can last? is it true? If yes then how many years? 20,25,30 years? 

If there is a problem with hybrid Battery or it dies, is it still possible to run the car on petrol or not?

You mentioned when something goes wrong it can be expensive. What sort of things are reported to go wrong with these cars and is it normally after a certain age or miles?

Sorry but repeating one of my questions earlier, is it possible to install 16'' wheels on advance/executive/luxury versions to get better fuel economy?

thanks 

[wharfhouse]

15 minutes ago, Ahsan123 said:

Thank for detailed response wharfhouse.

What is the cost of annual Relax warranty (under 100k or 10 years)?

I understand Lexus covers hybrid battery warranty up to 15 years (as long as checked by them each year) but does Lexus give any idea of expected lifetime of this battery. I was watching a few videos and experts say its not down to how many miles but its down to how many years it can last? is it true? If yes then how many years? 20,25,30 years? 

If there is a problem with hybrid battery or it dies, is it still possible to run the car on petrol or not?

You mentioned when something goes wrong it can be expensive. What sort of things are reported to go wrong with these cars and is it normally after a certain age or miles?

Sorry but repeating one of my questions earlier, is it possible to install 16'' wheels on advance/executive/luxury versions to get better fuel economy?

thanks 

The annual Relax warranty (under 100k or 10 years) is free by having the car serviced by a Lexus dealer (it's only available through a service with Lexus, can't be "bought" any other way) and lasts 12months/10k miles (whichever comes first and then you would get the car serviced again to activate for another 12months/10k miles) - see: https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance for info and links to various maintenance related items.

Lexus does not give any expected lifetime of the hybrid Battery other than they simply "expect" it to last the life of the car! However, by giving it a 15 year unlimited mileage warranty (if you get the hybrid health check done each 12 months/10k miles) I think they are backing that up probably the best that they can. It will fail of course at some point, but if you get to 15 years and perhaps 200k+ miles and they would still replace it for free probably can't ask for any more.

If the hybrid Battery has a problem you might be able to drive on (it will have a dash light warning lit) - if it dies completely then no you won't be able to drive the car as the hybrid Battery is responsible for starting the internal combustion engine (spins it up using one of the electric motors) - there is no traditional starter motor.

Very little is reported as going wrong to be fair. General maintenance parts (discs / pads / dampers etc.) all seem on par with any other luxury marques. Quite a few parts are shared with Toyota models and so the price of these is reasonable (in fact you can sometimes buy the part from Toyota cheaper) However, less common parts, particularly those unique to Lexus and/or the IS 300h are the ones  that get expensive. However, there are quite a few IS 300h now in breakers yards (that were crashed) and so some used spares can be sourced from there and some members here have got parts from overseas a lot cheaper than buying in the UK.

As far as I know, yes 17" wheels can be replaced with 16" wheels but not sure 18" wheels can be (though there was someone who replaced the 18" wheels on a Premier with 17" wheels for better ride comfort). However, the small gain in fuel economy is really not worth the effort and IMHO would spoil the look of the car (unless you were doing it to eg fit winter tyres).

By the way, I see you live in Berkshire, same as me. I bought my car from Lexus Reading and have all my servicing/MOT/even tyres done there ever since and I've been happy with the service I've received. I have a service plan with them and I now pay for the Lexus 10 Years Plus Extended Warranty. I can only vouch for my own experience of course, others may disagree, though a few members on here seem to have been happy with Lexus Reading.

 

 

[cdmaskell]

Well Ashan,  you certainly have had a lot of experienced replies to your pending purchase of an IS.  One thing I don’t personally understand ( As an automotive engineer) is why you would contemplate changing the wheel size?  Leave the build specifications to those who know best.

[Linas.P]

6 hours ago, Ahsan123 said:

Do you recommend having 'Advance' then. I think it depends on how long you kept it for and how satisfied you are with this version of IS 🙂

Where does 'Advance' sits when comparing low to high spec IS models? Above Executive and below Luxury? or 'Luxury' is another adopted name of 'Advance' and they are the same? If so, how is 'Executive' better than 'Luxury' in terms of its specs when Executive only have heated seats and Luxury has heated and cooling seats?

Do you know which models have premier sound (I am not intending to buy F-Sport for reasons explained in previous post)

As well there is optional vs. standard stuff... so yes Luxury may have more options, but Executive may come with more things as standard e.g. leather. Now whenever that is important of not depends on what you value more. Likewise Sport is slotted in at the front, but realistically it was very poor spec. the "sport" seats were not leather and it was missing a lot of basic conveniences by 2013 standards. 

My understanding is that Advance is kind of best features of Luxury/Executive combined, although it depends on what optional stuff was fitted and as Phil said it is not direct higher-lower spec sometimes and depending on what you looking for. But for example Advance if I remember correctly doesn't even have an option to get Premium audio, so they all going to have standard horrible sounds system. Just to be clear - the standard system is fine if you just listening the radio, but in my opinion unsuitable for any music (perhaps except trash rock - it may even compliment it indeed, by sounding extra trashy) and just absolutely has no place in any car... nevermind Lexus. Further problem - there is no upgrade path for it without replacing whole "head unit" and many other things. Which by the way in itself may be something that you should consider - as Android units that replace standard screen and sat-nav are great addition (Lexus infotainment was not the strong point). 

The F-Sport/Premier gets worst fuel economy again purely because of tyres/wheels. And yes you can theoretically put any wheels on any car within IS300h range as all other components that matter for wheel fitment are identical e.g. brakes. Sure F-Sport has the adaptive suspension, I would not say it is really that hard, but it will be harder than normal suspension in some circumstances and obviously car with R18/255/35 tyre will not be as comfortable as one with R16/225/55.

In my experience I would get average of 30-36MPG in IS300h F-Sport, I assume Premier would be the same and cars with smaller wheels will do marginally better. But it depends on a lot on how you drive and where you drive. For example IS300h just not excel at motorway driving as 65MPH is probably as fast as you would like to drive it economically. So if you stay a lot in outside lane at outside lane speeds it may never get above 30~something. In other hand on quiet B-road where you going to be doing 40-50MPH most of the time, they can be very good and that is where owners are reporting 50MPG and similar. City driving again is alright, but any ICE car will suffer in start/stop traffic, hybrid maybe a little bit less. Sorry for being obvious, but the problem is that MPG itself is horrible measurement of fuel economy... that because it isn't! MPG is measurement of range (or at least it would be if we used gallons), so it gives wrong impression of economy. For example 4MPG difference between 25-29MPG (difference of 1.6L/100km) is actually far greater than it is between 55-59MPG (only difference of 0.4L/100kmh). So I would say by the time Executive Saloon that weights close to 1700kg does 36MPG it is quite decent and savings by getting more MPG are becoming increasingly marginal e.g. if the car would do 42MPG and you do average British 6800 miles per year, then the saving over the year would work out at ~£165. Sure I would take extra £165, but it isn't such a fundamental difference that would impact my decision making over which trim I want. Or as well you may choose just to drive 5MPH slower and be generally more economical with your driving and probably save more then there is between the trims. What you can't do is to replace digital dash, or retrofit leather interior or some other major feature you realised you are missing after you got the wrong trim for your liking (at least not in economically feasible way). I certainly much rather have Premium audio and digital dash... and nicer looking car with better resale potential instead. Obviously - it is your money and your choice, I am just putting out the stats out there to make it easier for you to decide. 

 

[wharfhouse]

8 hours ago, Linas.P said:

In my experience I would get average of 30-36MPG in IS300h F-Sport, I assume Premier would be the same and cars with smaller wheels will do marginally better. But it depends on a lot on how you drive and where you drive. For example IS300h just not excel at motorway driving as 65MPH is probably as fast as you would like to drive it economically. So if you stay a lot in outside lane at outside lane speeds it may never get above 30~something. In other hand on quiet B-road where you going to be doing 40-50MPH most of the time, they can be very good and that is where owners are reporting 50MPG and similar. City driving again is alright, but any ICE car will suffer in start/stop traffic, hybrid maybe a little bit less.

In my experience that is low mpg for many drivers. Yes, if one is giving it the beans with a lot of hard acceleration then mpg will be in the 30s and I know others have reported similar for spirited driving. I've also seen the same. For good mpg hybrids benefit greatly from a smoother driving style, that doesn't mean slow but carrying speed rather than scrubbing it off through hard braking and then accelerating hard again. In that respect hybrids are more sensitive to driving style than petrol and especially diesel cars and one finds a different driving style if mpg matters as one lives with the car over months.

I do a lot of motorway miles and at more than 65mph but also below a speed where I'd be triggering the motorway speed cameras (assuming these are set to the 10% +2 guidelines even when no restrictions apply). I use the GPS speed on Google maps to be accurate (the IS speedo overreads by about 8%). So you can work out roughly what that means. I generally use cruise control where I can and refrain from racing as fast as possible from one car to the next down the outside lane in busy traffic. I then consistently see over 50mpg in the summer and high 40s in the winter. Cruising at the speed limits on A/B roads will easily see 50s and if careful I've seen 60mpg. Stop start traffic is also mid 40s (sometimes higher) unless one is doing the traffic light grand prix starts all the time.

Air temperature does have quite an impact however - best mpg is when the temperature is around 20C (so no need to heat the cabin from the engine running or have much air con working which I leave on all the time) and then drops away either side of this (engine on more in winter to keep it warm and air con more in hot summer months). A 10% difference in mpg between summer and winter is usual. 

I reset my car computer when I bought the car in 2016 - it was 2 years old with 40k miles and now has 134k miles on it. Over that 94k miles the car computer shows an overall fuel consumption of 48mpg. So that's through all seasons and all sorts of driving, which I estimate includes over 50% on motorways. I used to use the old 95 fuel (mostly supermarket) but when E10 came in I found that hit mpg quite hard so switched to Costco / supermarket E5 which is financially a better buy than E10. 

So in summary, driving style does impact mpg in a hybrid more than conventional petrol or diesel cars. With spirited driving the hybrid will not deliver much if any improvement over a petrol / diesel only car. But drive to the hybrid strengths (not slow but smooth) and the benefits come through. 

[Ahsan123]

You are all fantastic members of this group and I can not thank you enough for your helpful and detailed explanation of different models and specs of IS300h.

I understand that fuel economy mainly depends on two factors. 1. driving style 2. size of tyres.

'Advance' version meets a good balance between value, specs and ride comfort.

'F-Sport' is the only version that comes with digital dash but F-Sport and Premier gets lower fuel economy mainly due to their tyre sizes (which I understand can be changed but might not go with rest of styling of the car).

I now have some good level of information. Regardless of the trim I will chose, I will consider full Lexus history.

Now slightly diverting from IS300h, I came across ES300h which of course is more expensive compared to IS but reading its real mpg figures on honest john it doesn't make sense that the size of the car ES300h is it still gets similar fuel economy as IS300h although ES300h also has a 2.5l 4 cylinder engine with hybrid Battery same as IS300h? Is it due to any technological advancement in ES300h compared to IS300h that improved its fuel efficiency? 

[Linas.P]

2 hours ago, wharfhouse said:

In my experience that is low mpg for many drivers. Yes, if one is giving it the beans with a lot of hard acceleration then mpg will be in the 30s and I know others have reported similar for spirited driving. I've also seen the same. For good mpg hybrids benefit greatly from a smoother driving style, that doesn't mean slow but carrying speed rather than scrubbing it off through hard braking and then accelerating hard again. In that respect hybrids are more sensitive to driving style than petrol and especially diesel cars and one finds a different driving style if mpg matters as one lives with the car over months.

I do a lot of motorway miles and at more than 65mph but also below a speed where I'd be triggering the motorway speed cameras (assuming these are set to the 10% +2 guidelines even when no restrictions apply). I use the GPS speed on Google maps to be accurate (the IS speedo overreads by about 8%). So you can work out roughly what that means. I generally use cruise control where I can and refrain from racing as fast as possible from one car to the next down the outside lane in busy traffic. I then consistently see over 50mpg in the summer and high 40s in the winter. Cruising at the speed limits on A/B roads will easily see 50s and if careful I've seen 60mpg. Stop start traffic is also mid 40s (sometimes higher) unless one is doing the traffic light grand prix starts all the time.

Air temperature does have quite an impact however - best mpg is when the temperature is around 20C (so no need to heat the cabin from the engine running or have much air con working which I leave on all the time) and then drops away either side of this (engine on more in winter to keep it warm and air con more in hot summer months). A 10% difference in mpg between summer and winter is usual. 

I reset my car computer when I bought the car in 2016 - it was 2 years old with 40k miles and now has 134k miles on it. Over that 94k miles the car computer shows an overall fuel consumption of 48mpg. So that's through all seasons and all sorts of driving, which I estimate includes over 50% on motorways. I used to use the old 95 fuel (mostly supermarket) but when E10 came in I found that hit mpg quite hard so switched to Costco / supermarket E5 which is financially a better buy than E10. 

So in summary, driving style does impact mpg in a hybrid more than conventional petrol or diesel cars. With spirited driving the hybrid will not deliver much if any improvement over a petrol / diesel only car. But drive to the hybrid strengths (not slow but smooth) and the benefits come through. 

I have no doubt about it, my figures are brim-to-brim Full Tank MPG measurements when refilling and I always quote GPS speed, which as you say is ~5-10% lower than what is indicated. 36MPG is just what I got in F-Sport, but I was driving it exactly as I would drive my IS250 where I would be getting ~24-28MPG. Having 17" and 225 tyres in the rear would make some difference, so I would say even with my driving style it would add extra 2-3MPG and by that time we arrive to 39MPG which closer to what is generally reported by owners on sites like fuelly.

Although that said I have caveated this already - 36MPG is more of my driving style and where I live and less about the car, basically in London I would either be in stand still traffic for city driving, or even on motorways surrounding it I would be in tailbacks all the time. I am sure it is possible to get better MPG than I did and for somebody living in country side it must be possible to stay above 40MPG all the time. Slow but smooth driving benefits all the cars anyway, so on that I agree that helps, but IS300h specifically does not like higher speeds. Although that probably isn't an issue as speeding is becoming more and more impossible.  

1 hour ago, Ahsan123 said:

Now slightly diverting from IS300h, I came across ES300h which of course is more expensive compared to IS but reading its real mpg figures on honest john it doesn't make sense that the size of the car ES300h is it still gets similar fuel economy as IS300h although ES300h also has a 2.5l 4 cylinder engine with hybrid battery same as IS300h? Is it due to any technological advancement in ES300h compared to IS300h that improved its fuel efficiency? 

ES300h has newer version of hybrid system, similar engine (not exactly the same) and it is Front Wheel Drive, so yes it is probably 10% more fuel efficient despite being larger car. Although at that time we are talking about ~2019 car I guess, so it will work out significantly more expensive. Second thing, many earlier IS300h (2013-2018) gets ~£20/year road tax (may be £30 now). On ES you will be paying new style tax which will be ~£180 after 5 years. So in isolated comparison between say 2014 IS and 2019 ES - all the economy benefits would be lost to road tax. Although that again depends on the mileage you do. 

[wharfhouse]

1 hour ago, Ahsan123 said:

You are all fantastic members of this group and I can not thank you enough for your helpful and detailed explanation of different models and specs of IS300h.

I understand that fuel economy mainly depends on two factors. 1. driving style 2. size of tyres.

'Advance' version meets a good balance between value, specs and ride comfort.

'F-Sport' is the only version that comes with digital dash but F-Sport and Premier gets lower fuel economy mainly due to their tyre sizes (which I understand can be changed but might not go with rest of styling of the car).

I now have some good level of information. Regardless of the trim I will chose, I will consider full Lexus history.

Now slightly diverting from IS300h, I came across ES300h which of course is more expensive compared to IS but reading its real mpg figures on honest john it doesn't make sense that the size of the car ES300h is it still gets similar fuel economy as IS300h although ES300h also has a 2.5l 4 cylinder engine with hybrid battery same as IS300h? Is it due to any technological advancement in ES300h compared to IS300h that improved its fuel efficiency? 

We also have our disagreements on the forum but try to keep it reasonably-light hearted.

The ES 300h is a bigger car than the IS and was brought to the UK to try and replace both the IS 300h and the GS line. It's a different proposition though, larger than an IS but not quite up to the luxury that was the GS, and the ES is front wheel drive (IS and GS rear wheel drive), whether that matters or not to you is up to you. The ES is a relaxed drive for long distance travel and yes, it has the next generation hybrid system over the IS and so although a bigger car can achieve as good or slightly better mpg compared to the IS. Driving experience of the IS and ES is different - there are a number of members on this forum that have gone IS to ES so a post in the ES group asking for their thoughts might be worthwhile if you are thinking about an ES. Or try and get a drive in both to help you compare in your own mind which better suits you.

 

[Linas.P]

Yes - that is next important point. Test drive as many as you can, don't just commit to drive Advance and buy the first one you go to see. 

I am sure your local Lexus should still have some stock of IS300h so feel free to pop in and drive around in one, in the past they even provided cars for 24h/Weekend test drives, but I am not sure if that is still the case for IS as it is discontinued model. I think that will answer your questions regarding MPG and regarding how hard F-Sport actually is (because it is just relatively hard compared to other models in line-up, still way softer and more comfortable than average BMW on rock hard run-flats). 

[Ahsan123]

Hi Linas and whafhouse

If ES300h gives approximately similar fuel economy due to its drivetrain and newer version of hybrid system then it is an option I would consider. This is purely because I think you get a lot more comfort, specs and space in ES as compared to IS and of course it looks pretty good.

The only issue is that as its newer and quite expensive when comparing like with like with IS (year and mileage), I might have to consider a higher mileage ES300h. I came across a 2019 model with 140k miles but as the warranty on hybrid Battery is only covered till 150k I am getting confuse whether I should consider it or not? Its only 4 years old with one owner and full service history and a newer hybrid system means it should have plenty of life still left (but not covered by Lexus). Any thoughts are welcome. 

[wharfhouse]

50 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Second thing, many earlier IS300h (2013-2018) gets ~£20/year road tax (may be £30 now). On ES you will be paying new style tax which will be ~£180 after 5 years.

Linas makes a very good point on the road tax (VED).

IS 300h registered before the 31st March 2017 benefit from £10 per annum VED (I think this is due to go up to £20 per year soon as the alternative fuel car £10 discount is due to be dropped - in fact IIRC the SE version is zero rated as it was below 110g/km emissions and so in Band A due to smaller wheels - but there was something about this becoming Band B when they do some changes to the bands, but all other trims are in Band B 101 to 110g/km). An IS 300h that was registered after 1st April 2017 will have the flat rate VED of £170 per annum (classed as alternative fuel car) and this will be £180 per annum once the alternative fuel £10 discount goes.

Also for cars registered after 1st April 2017, if their list price at time of purchase was over £40,000 you get stung with the "luxury" tax of an additional £380 per annum (due to rise to £390 when the alternative fuel £10 discount goes) for 5 years (from the second time the vehicle is taxed). I am not sure whether any IS 300h fell into this luxury" band (very late model Premier may have or fully spec'd F-Sport, certainly worth checking if you are looking at one of these late models). For the ES then the higher specs of the earlier cars did fall into the "luxury" tax and I think today no ES can be purchased for under £40K.

For more details see: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables