Your Thoughts/comments Will Be Appreciated....

[bluenose1940]

As many of you know, I am leaning heavily towards buying an IS300h and have one lined up as a courtesy car this coming Wednesday when my 250 goes in for service, (looking forward to it!)

I am reading and taking in all the information that I can about this car and, I came across a review by Carbuyer UK this morning and am wondering if any of you current owners have any thoughts on the snippet that I have shown below.

"The new car handles better than the previous model thanks to new suspension and better steering, too. What's more, the Lexus brand offers terrific reliability and dealer service, so the Lexus IS will be a popular car for company car buyers. However, the lack of performance and the noisy automatic gearbox mean it's hard to recommend the IS over its rivals"

Read more: Lexus IS saloon review | Carbuyer http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/lexus/is/saloon/review#ixzz3J8boW9lP
Follow us: @CarbuyerUK on Twitter | CarbuyerUK on Facebook

[dochybrid]

It is very interesting to see this and most other reviews focus on criticizing the CVT gearbox and lack of performance, for all Toyota/Lexus Hyrbids. At times, its a statement which they could easily make even with out trying the car..Also, the reviews on hybrids are done on just one drive, considering the engine and class is different and does need knowing the car more before jumping to conclusion! Which most reviews do..

Going back to it, the car has gearbox which has potential to become a bit noisy when you are pressing the throttle hard, more prominent if one is going over the speed limits quickly (e.g. overtaking). The noise is not disturbing in any ways..The key message is if you the car is driven within the normal speed limits , the car should give good MPGs and reasonable performance.

I have kept Prius before this Lexus and have never felt that the performance or noise are issues any ways!

Hope that helps

[mikeyv]

Simple, make your own mind up based on your personal opinion of your drive.

I've owned loads of Japanese cars over the years, most of which have been rubbished by the motoring press, but have suited my needs perfectly.

If I'd taken their advice, I'd never have owned anything that wasn't German, and I'd have spent a lot more time fixing them.

[royoftherovers]

Simple, make your own mind up based on your personal opinion of your drive.

I've owned loads of Japanese cars over the years, most of which have been rubbished by the motoring press, but have suited my needs perfectly.

If I'd taken their advice, I'd never have owned anything that wasn't German, and I'd have spent a lot more time fixing them.

my view too!

Most (if not all) journalists have never bought nor owned their own car. I STOPPED READING THEIR RUBBISH COMMENTS YEARS AGO.

In my opinion the only Motoring Journalist that is worthy of noting is Honestjohn of the Daily Telegraph and honestjohn.co.uk

Regards

John

oNLY hONEST JOHN

[tinka]

I don’t have a problem with the gearbox, and in sport mode, the car is a lot faster than you expect. Furthermore I would much rather put up with an occasional whine from the Gearbox (I’ve not heard that yet, I might add), than the constant clatter from a 4 cylinder diesel engine.

Most reviewers drive these cars like they are on a race track, and that is not comparative to real world driving, so I take most reviews with a pinch of salt to be honest. if you like it, go for it.

[Gary T]

I have come to the conclusion that when testing hybrids motoring journalists revert to cut and paste comments from previous reviews. If you look at various magazines and websites the wording seems almost identical.

In contrast, take a look at the recent comparison test beween the IS300h and the Mercedes C class hybrid in AutoExpress where they say the Merc is less refined and relaxing on the road because it runs its diesel engine too much of the time.

[C Mclean]

I think they mention lack of performance because they're basically wannabe racing drivers that failed to meet their own expectations. 90% of the reviews just trot out the same drivel based on a very short test drive and as they are "in the media" they expect everyone to believe them, just like reality stars. Have a good long test drive and make your mind up, I think you will be impressed.

[DJP]

I echo what's been said already. I'm ex 2nd Gen and was worried about the power aspect. In 'Normal' it's not quite as quick from the lights as the 2nd Gen, but the mid range torque is much better. Whack it into 'Sport' and your away from the lights more than fast enough, that's for sure.

I'll be astonished if you report back that it's not powerful enough or that the 'noisy' whirring puts you off. It's a bit different, yes that's true, but my money says you'll like it.

And defo the handling/cornering is miles better.

Can't wait for your report!

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[ColinBarber]

There is no noise from the gearbox. There are two noises which are different from a car with a normal auto or manual transmission:

The CVT allows the engine to run at the optimum rpm for the current situation and therefore when you put your foot hard down that means 5000+ rpm to get the maximum power and it will stay at a constant rpm until you back off the throttle. This is often referred to as a drone because the pitch of the sound isn't changing, which is different from the constantly changing rpm sound as a normal car goes through the gears. This is the sound of the engine, not the transmission, and in the IS300h it is quite well muted.

When coming to a stop the electric motor is used as a brake which recovers energy into the batteries. The motor makes a bit of a whine, a bit like a milk float, and because the engine is off it becomes audible. It is maybe more apparent in the IS compared to the RX or CT because the driver is physically close to the motor but it isn't really noticeable over the stereo at a sensible volume.

The 300h feels no slower than the series II 250, especially in sport mode.

[is200 Newbie]

The best honest review about a car can be found from drivers themselves from forums like this where you will get all the good and bad points from owning and running a car - owning being the key word here - how can a review of a car done over a week or a day in some cases be an accurate reflection of how you can "live" with the car.

Most of these magazines are there for their entertainment value more than anything - dig a bit deeper and you will find some interesting details of who sponsors these magazines!

[doog442]

As many of you know, I am leaning heavily towards buying an IS300h and have one lined up as a courtesy car this coming Wednesday when my 250 goes in for service, (looking forward to it!)

I am reading and taking in all the information that I can about this car and, I came across a review by Carbuyer UK this morning and am wondering if any of you current owners have any thoughts on the snippet that I have shown below.

"The new car handles better than the previous model thanks to new suspension and better steering, too. What's more, the Lexus brand offers terrific reliability and dealer service, so the Lexus IS will be a popular car for company car buyers. However, the lack of performance and the noisy automatic gearbox mean it's hard to recommend the IS over its rivals"

Read more: Lexus IS saloon review | Carbuyer http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/reviews/lexus/is/saloon/review#ixzz3J8boW9lP

Follow us: @CarbuyerUK on Twitter | CarbuyerUK on Facebook

The lack of performance is an issue im afraid..there are alternatives.

[ganzoom]

Hi guys we've just done a 24hr test drive with the IS300H, I have to say the comments many reviewers give about the CVT box is justified. For a car that produces 220bhp, a 0-60 time of over 8 seconds is awful, the paddles and sport mode is a joke compared to a traditional 6 speed ZF box, and when really driven hard the Battery depletes quickly and the performance drops off even more. Compare it to my BMW 335i.....in terms of performance/power delivery/handling, it's like comparing Man City/Liverpool against Darlington FC/Cambridge United.

BUT the IS300H isn't a 'sports car/saloon'. Nor is a 320d or 2.1 diesel Mer C class. The IS is a luxury family car. When seen from that point of view it's amazing, and simply blows away the completion interms of refinement. You get the same performance/economy as a 320d, but without the diesel rattle. Which in my book is fab ;)

We were so impressed by the over all package of the IS we've decided to order one to replace our Civic diesel. I do agree that most motoring journalist are biased though, and don't seem to get the point of the frankly

amazing drivetrain :)

[rayaans]

Hi guys we've just done a 24hr test drive with the IS300H, I have to say the comments many reviewers give about the CVT box is justified. For a car that produces 220bhp, a 0-60 time of over 8 seconds is awful, the paddles and sport mode is a joke compared to a traditional 6 speed ZF box, and when really driven hard the battery depletes quickly and the performance drops off even more. Compare it to my BMW 335i.....in terms of performance/power delivery/handling, it's like comparing Man City/Liverpool against Darlington FC/Cambridge United.

BUT the IS300H isn't a 'sports car/saloon'. Nor is a 320d or 2.1 diesel Mer C class. The IS is a luxury family car. When seen from that point of view it's amazing, and simply blows away the completion interms of refinement. You get the same performance/economy as a 320d, but without the diesel rattle. Which in my book is fab ;)

We were so impressed by the over all package of the IS we've decided to order one to replace our Civic diesel. I do agree that most motoring journalist are biased though, and don't seem to get the point of the frankly

amazing drivetrain :)

Lets not forget that the car weighs nearly 200kg more than the BMW. I do have a feeling that the 8.4s time is a tad underestimated. There's a youtube video showing the IS300h clearly beating the old Merc C250 CDI in a drag on a test track which used to have a time of 7.5s if I recall correctly. The IS250 is also consistently getting 7.5-7.7s in 0-60mph test, I think its the performancedrive one on youtube.

Lexus vehicles seem to feel slower than they actually are. I know ive been caught out a few times in my RX when putting the pedal to the floor, I thought Id be going at 60mph on the slip road....... I was actually going at 100mph :O

[doog442]

On 16/11/2014 at 5:30 AM, ganzoom said:

Hi guys we've just done a 24hr test drive with the IS300H, I have to say the comments many reviewers give about the CVT box is justified. For a car that produces 220bhp, a 0-60 time of over 8 seconds is awful, the paddles and sport mode is a joke compared to a traditional 6 speed ZF box, and when really driven hard the battery depletes quickly and the performance drops off even more. Compare it to my BMW 335i.....in terms of performance/power delivery/handling, it's like comparing Man City/Liverpool against Darlington FC/Cambridge United.

 

[michaelH]

Nobody has ever suggested that the Lexus 300H is a serious rocket ship to compare with cars such as a BMW 335i or 135i. The comparison with two litre diesels such as the 320D is indeed much more appropriate, as is the suggestion that it is better described as a small luxury car. But I think it is pushing a point to say that any car with claims to being sporty should be able to compete with the 135i's of this world. Those cars are a step or two above sporty. They are seriously fast.

But if a friend were about to splash out on one, I would ask him where he hoped to use all that massive performance without risking his life and/or licence in the process. I wouldn't dream of using all the power of my 300h for anything more than an occasional tight overtake on a single carriageway road (and yes, I suppose some 135i rocket power might be useful in some such cases). For every other purpose I can think of, I have more than enough power, even when fully laden and overtaking traffic up steeply graded motorways or dual carriageways.

I also find the paddles and sports shift pretty good at applying engine braking (e.g. on descending a 1 in 4 hill) and engaging sport mode (while turing down the silly false engine sound) really does sharpened things up to give it a sporty drive (relative to cars with no no such sporty pretensions anyway).

There are some seriously feeble cars out there. Did any of you see the Stig (as was) on 'Watchdog' trying and failing to get a (Euro 6 revised) Fiat 500 1.2 to go up a steep residential road in Bristol? People did test drives in 2013 vintage demonstrators that were basically OK, but were then sold gutless new cars that lacked any torque worth mentioning below 2000 rpm, while Fiat took months to admit there was even a problem. If Fiat had looked after their customers from the start they might not have had Watchdog kicking them where it hurts on prime TV.

[ganzoom]

I agree that comparing a 335i with the IS300H is complete unfair, for a start if you spec up a 335i to the same level as the luxury IS trim with leather and nav the price difference is nearly £10K....and thats before you even start to consider the running costs of the 335i....Mine current reading 25mpg longterm, and on a B road blast I've seen 8-9mpg.

However its equally unfair to claim something like a 135i/335i is near the top of the performance tree and has too much power for real day life, power/sportness of a car is all relative to what your use to. My 335i is quite heavily modified, its currently running at a dyno proven 380bhp and 400lbs of torque. I have a clean licence (no points in the last 7 years), and nearly 10 years of no-claims bonus, and on-oncassions I still find the engine response from my 335i lacking....So what ever car that replaces my 335i needs to be faster (At least 400bhp) and more economical....which is why the 400bhp 85kwh Tesla is so appealing, 100% bhp/torque at 0 rpm, £10 to refuel....bring it on :)

I would say a stock 135/335i is moderately quick, but not really sporty, a GTR/911 turbo is sporty, but their running costs are in a whole different league

I think the IS300H is a fab family car, but the CVT drivetrain is awful if your after anything like a sporty drive.....the paddles shifts are useless, since they really don't affect power delivery, and the whole drivetrain will do pretty much what it wants to do in regards to power distribution regardless of what your doing with your right foot....where as in my 335i I can literally flex the toe on my right foot and nearly instantly feel it's effect on the power delivery.

Now thats not a criticism of the drive-train in the IS (we're about to order brand new one after all), but it is a fact the hybrid drive train is set up for comfort and economy, much like a diesel engine and long gearing in a 320D. Even though only a small majority of people buy a 335i or M3, the 'Halo' effect means most 320D drivers seem to think they are driving a 'sporty' car, when in reality they are not, and in my view the IS300H far more advanced than a 320D. But it works for BMW interms of sales, hence all the 320Ds driving around with M badges stuck on every where, and generally driving like ****.

When buying the 335i 3 years ago, I nearly went for the ISF, but a big V8 was just too uneconomical for me to justify. I would love Lexus to produce a new hybrid version of the IS-F....the instant torque of an electric motor, couple with a decent blown V6, and real life economy of 35mpg would make it very hard car for me to resist .

[rayaans]

I agree that comparing a 335i with the IS300H is complete unfair, for a start if you spec up a 335i to the same level as the luxury IS trim with leather and nav the price difference is nearly £10K....and thats before you even start to consider the running costs of the 335i....Mine current reading 25mpg longterm, and on a B road blast I've seen 8-9mpg.

However its equally unfair to claim something like a 135i/335i is near the top of the performance tree and has too much power for real day life, power/sportness of a car is all relative to what your use to. My 335i is quite heavily modified, its currently running at a dyno proven 380bhp and 400lbs of torque. I have a clean licence (no points in the last 7 years), and nearly 10 years of no-claims bonus, and on-oncassions I still find the engine response from my 335i lacking....So what ever car that replaces my 335i needs to be faster (At least 400bhp) and more economical....which is why the 400bhp 85kwh Tesla is so appealing, 100% bhp/torque at 0 rpm, £10 to refuel....bring it on :)

I would say a stock 135/335i is moderately quick, but not really sporty, a GTR/911 turbo is sporty, but their running costs are in a whole different league

I think the IS300H is a fab family car, but the CVT drivetrain is awful if your after anything like a sporty drive.....the paddles shifts are useless, since they really don't affect power delivery, and the whole drivetrain will do pretty much what it wants to do in regards to power distribution regardless of what your doing with your right foot....where as in my 335i I can literally flex the toe on my right foot and nearly instantly feel it's effect on the power delivery.

Now thats not a criticism of the drive-train in the IS (we're about to order brand new one after all), but it is a fact the hybrid drive train is set up for comfort and economy, much like a diesel engine and long gearing in a 320D. Even though only a small majority of people buy a 335i or M3, the 'Halo' effect means most 320D drivers seem to think they are driving a 'sporty' car, when in reality they are not, and in my view the IS300H far more advanced than a 320D. But it works for BMW interms of sales, hence all the 320Ds driving around with M badges stuck on every where, and generally driving like ****.

When buying the 335i 3 years ago, I nearly went for the ISF, but a big V8 was just too uneconomical for me to justify. I would love Lexus to produce a new hybrid version of the IS-F....the instant torque of an electric motor, couple with a decent blown V6, and real life economy of 35mpg would make it very hard car for me to resist .

The 450h would be quick enough in the IS. In the GS its an absolute blast! It'd be doing 0-60 in the low 5's as currently the IS350 does 5.6s with "only" 306hp

[LexIS200Sport]

I would love Lexus to produce a new hybrid version of the IS-F....the instant torque of an electric motor, couple with a decent blown V6, and real life economy of 35mpg would make it very hard car for me to resist .

The 450h would be quick enough in the IS. In the GS its an absolute blast! It'd be doing 0-60 in the low 5's as currently the IS350 does 5.6s with "only" 306hp

It does exist, somewhat: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/infiniti/q50/postcode/sw1a2aa/radius/1501/onesearchad/used,nearlynew,new/sort/default/fuel-type/hybrid

Except that it also has AWD and uses Li-ion batteries instead.

[DJP]

I would love Lexus to produce a new hybrid version of the IS-F....the instant torque of an electric motor, couple with a decent blown V6, and real life economy of 35mpg would make it very hard car for me to resist .

The 450h would be quick enough in the IS. In the GS its an absolute blast! It'd be doing 0-60 in the low 5's as currently the IS350 does 5.6s with "only" 306hp

It does exist, somewhat: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/infiniti/q50/postcode/sw1a2aa/radius/1501/onesearchad/used,nearlynew,new/sort/default/fuel-type/hybrid

Except that it also has AWD and uses Li-ion batteries instead.

Based on a two second read of the spec that looks like a contender??!

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[ganzoom]

Ive looked at the Q50, but the reviews are not all that great. The steering sounds awful....after all its not just about power, also I've previously owned a 350Z, and the engine into Q50 is essentially still the same as the Z's but with an electric motor stuck on, so it'll be abit like a backwards step for me ;)

But more seriously though the IS300H is for my wife, and for her mpg > bhp any day of the week, and actually I enjoyed driving the IS300H much more than I thought....hence my very brief/fleeting thought about getting something similar for my self.

I don't do many miles in the 335i so mpg is not really an issue, and have spent about £7K on modifications to the engine/suspension/ICE over the last few years, which means even though from the outside it looks like a 320D, it's capable of delivering 90% of the performance/fun of a M3, but without the 'M' tax. Recently did a 2000 mile+ round trip around Europe in the 335i, including 8 Alpine passes, 140mph+ blasts down the Autobahn with the wife asleep in the passenger seat, and the Belgium GP....So it will take some thing very very special indeed to tempt me away from my 335i, the Lexus dealer tried it, but I put a stop to that conversation within about 10 seconds

The only car on the market that I can realistically seem my self letting the 335i go for is the Tesla S....but at nearly £100K for the model/spec I want, I think I'll be holding on to my 335i for a long long time yet, which really is no hardship .

[DJP]

Very nice and very off topic!

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[rayaans]

Id be surprised if you even got 250 miles out of a Tesla. The range is nowhere near 300 odd miles!

Hmm I thought the Q50 was more GS size?

[LexIS200Sport]

Hmm I thought the Q50 was more GS size?

Nah, it's actually the same size as the 3IS. :)

The Infiniti Q70 competes with the GS.

.

I've looked at the Q50, but the reviews are not all that great. The steering sounds awful....after all its not just about power, also I've previously owned a 350Z, and the engine into Q50 is essentially still the same as the Z's but with an electric motor stuck on, so it'll be a bit like a backwards step for me ;)

True, the steer-by-wire system does have polarized opinions (like most new tech). Although I have a sneaky suspicion that many can't look past the fact that because the steering is disconnected from the wheels, it "ought to" have a vague feel to it, or something is wrong :P

There are those who like it though, like CNET and drive.com.au so I guess it needs a little getting used to, just like driving a hybrid car itself (steady deceleration to maximise on regenerative braking, etc).

And if it's anything like my aunt's Murano, that 3.5 V6 is a gem of an engine; it certainly feels more refined than the one in my GS (which sometimes feels compelled to sound like a diesel...)

[michaelH]

I should defer to Ganzoom, who clearly takes his motoring (and his cars) very seriously indeed. I am a bit like that with hi-fi, so I know where he is coming from. And a part of me would love to have just a quick go on his 335i. But if he regards the stock 335i as only 'moderately quick' and 'not really sporty' then I think he must have it really bad.

Nice mountain pics, BTW, (I'm sure I have seen pictures of the Tour de France going over that first summit) and did I also see the University of Leicester in one of your earlier photos, Ganzoom? I am at DMU and have long been a customer at Lexus Leicester.

[ColinBarber]

Even though only a small majority of people buy a 335i or M3, the 'Halo' effect means most 320D drivers seem to think they are driving a 'sporty' car, when in reality they are not, and in my view the IS300H far more advanced than a 320D. But it works for BMW interms of sales, hence all the 320Ds driving around with M badges stuck on every where, and generally driving like ****.

Sadly Lexus don't feel the need to bring out the IS350 in the UK.