Considering buying an IS300h

CorkVilla · 2024-09-18T09:22:23Z

Considering buying a Lexus at the moment. Currently driving a diesel 2008 Volvo so this will be quite a change/upgrade for me.

This has come up for sale and I was looking for an opinion on it:

Used 2020 (201) Lexus IS 300 h 2020 IS 300h Sport in Dublin (carzone.ie)

The dealer is offering me 1500 euro on my own car as a trade-in so it will come in at around 30,000 euro.

Does this seem like decent value? Granted, cars are usually a lot more expensive in Ireland.

This was originally a UK car, which probably explains the extras like the sunroof.

Mr_Groundhog · 2024-09-18T09:32:24Z

wow 30k for a car that's nearing the 100k km? have we lost our minds? It's not even the Takumi edition.

CorkVilla · 2024-09-18T09:50:10Z

I would have thought 100k kms is nothing for a car like this. My own car has 230,000 miles. As I said, Irish prices are generally crazy.

Juicedrinker · 2024-09-18T10:52:12Z

The mileage I would not worry too much about BUT I have to say that a Volvo that I had in the past (2003) was in my opinion built to last so not a direct comparison in terms of durability. Lexus interior trim in the Lexus's I've owned was not as long lasting (developing squeaks and rattles) compared to my very high mileage Volvo which was solid inside. Mechanically wise the Lexus was superior to the Volvo though.

Have you test driven it yet? If not you MUST try out over a good run and see if you can cope with the ECVT transmission in all manner of situations, for me personally whilst it totally reliable it is horrible and will be the main reason that my current Lexus will be my last. The Honda Civic ECVT is far far superior if you actually like to have the opportunity to drive your car rather than have them just take you places in a bland, uninvolving way.

GMB · 2024-09-18T11:05:00Z

I had a test drive in an IS300h and the only thing that put me off was the CVT. For me, it was unacceptably awful, but that's just me. Both my Lexus cars have 8 speed auto transmissions and they are excellent ( most of the time🤪 ).

ikeja · 2024-09-18T16:41:05Z

What is so wrong about the CVT on the IS300H?

GMB · 2024-09-18T16:50:46Z

Just now, ikeja said:

What is so wrong about the CVT on the IS300H?

Just me and a few diehards with this old chestnut. DAF33 where are you? ------ Not just the Lexus but all CVT geared motors. If you want a bit more pep the engine races to about 5000rpm and sits there while the car catches up. It just feels daft to me and bears no relation to proper intelligent driving. It's horrible! But hey that's just my opinion.

BTW It has taken me over 3 months to get nice quiet snickety gearchanges on the bike ( with a Harley Crash Gearbox ) Now that is a lovely feeling of skill and being in sympathy with the car or bike. There is no skill or satisfaction in driving a vehicle with CVT.

But maybe I'm just old fashioned and appreciate good mechanical systems?? - chacun à son goût ?

wharfhouse · 2024-09-18T17:26:30Z

33 minutes ago, GMB said:

Just me and a few diehards with this old chestnut. DAF33 where are you? ------ Not just the Lexus but all CVT geared motors. If you want a bit more pep the engine races to about 5000rpm and sits there while the car catches up. It just feels daft to me and bears no relation to proper intelligent driving. It's horrible! But hey that's just my opinion.

BTW It has taken me over 3 months to get nice quiet snickety gearchanges on the bike ( with a Harley Crash Gearbox ) Now that is a lovely feeling of skill and being in sympathy with the car or bike. There is no skill or satisfaction in driving a vehicle with CVT.

But maybe I'm just old fashioned and appreciate good mechanical systems?? - chacun à son goût ?

Technically the CVT is the most efficient way for a car to accelerate - hence why when it was tested in F1 it proved faster than a traditional gearbox but was then immediately banned (more to do with the noise not sounding like a racing car IIRC...)

Notamech · 2024-09-19T07:13:51Z

14 hours ago, ikeja said:

What is so wrong about the CVT on the IS300H?

Depends what youre looking for. Nothing wrong with the CVT. Its just that when you put your foot down it takes some time to get up to speed and during that time you just hear a loud groan from the engine that makes you feel like its struggling. But in my experience for normal street driving you cant really feel it that much. The only times i have really felt it in the is300h is when overtaking on motorways. I once even turned on the ASC to mask the engine noise on the motorway.

Other than that the eCVTs used in toyota hybrids are ultra reliable and can go without oil changes really long. They're very simple and almost never go wrong. So if you just need a car to commute you will be fine. Infact in sports mode the is300h does pack a punch but its just the noise when you put your foot down thats a bit annoying.

wharfhouse · 2024-09-19T08:05:22Z

42 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Depends what youre looking for. Nothing wrong with the CVT. Its just that when you put your foot down it takes some time to get up to speed and during that time you just hear a loud groan from the engine that makes you feel like its struggling. But in my experience for normal street driving you cant really feel it that much. The only times i have really felt it in the is300h is when overtaking on motorways. I once even turned on the ASC to mask the engine noise on the motorway.

Other than that the eCVTs used in toyota hybrids are ultra reliable and can go without oil changes really long. They're very simple and almost never go wrong. So if you just need a car to commute you will be fine. Infact in sports mode the is300h does pack a punch but its just the noise when you put your foot down thats a bit annoying.

Like a lot of things in life it's what we are accustomed to. If the world had cvt before manual gearboxes then then the concept of swapping cogs in a gearbox would have been seen as ridiculous - less efficient, less smooth and incredibly complex. In the marine world there are no multiple gear ratios in a marine engine - you open the throttle and the prop spins at whatever speed is dictated by the engine revs selected and the boat accelerates until it matches prop speed - not dissimilar to how an cvt feels and there has never been any thought to having multiple fixed gear ratios in a boat. I was used to marine engines long before getting my Lexus with cvt and so that's perhaps why it always felt "right" to me. But everyone to their own opinions and desires - when the world is all boring one gear silent EV drive trains we will miss the variety that used to be on offer...