Is300H, 24Hr Test Drive Views...in Short It's Fab!

[ganzoom]

So have just spent the last 24hrs driving the Lexus IS300H as a replacement for our diesel Civic, I thought I share my views on it.

Interestingly I think the hybrid drivetrain is both the best thing and worst thing about the car :)

IS300H vs our BMW 335i as a 'sports saloon':

There is no contest. The IS300H with the hybrid engine/CVT gear box combination is just not designed for any kind of 'enthusiastic driving', and despite putting out 220bhp feels slow, laggy, and under full acceleration makes awful noise. The 'active noise control' it's worse than even the real noise at full load. The steering paddles are a gimmick, the 6 speed ZF box in our 335i is x10 more responsive.

When thrashed the hybrid drive train is also pretty un-economical (17.5 mpg on a 6 mile B road thrash). It's a shame because the actual car handles well, but sorry Lexus to pretend the car has any 'sporty' potential is a joke. Don't get me wrong, the car isn't slow, and will hold it's own in a traffic light GP, but drive something like a 335i/S4/Golf R back to back against the IS and the IS feels like a £5k 1.0 Dacia interms of performance.....But than again a 320d vs my 335i will result in a similar conclusion.

But compare the IS300H to our Civic diesel as a 'family run around':

The hybrid drive train/cvt box is so smooth and noise free at town traffic it makes the diesel engine in the civic feel like something from the industrial revolution. Over a day of driving covering some 70 miles, including my little bit of 'spirited' driving we averaged 50 mpg. In urban stand still traffic some of the mpg readings it was reporting was frankly astounding (over 60mph), it's the only car I've driven that's returns higher mpg numbers the worse the traffic!!!

I know some diesels can achieve that, but not in the same smooth, rattle free style. The full EV mode where you can hit 30mph on Battery alone is amazing, and a real head turner. Our car will also be doing mainly a daily 3-4 mile commute so that's a good recipe for DPF issues on any diesel.

As a luxury family car it's a pretty compiling package, we were so impressed have ordered a brand new one :)

So in summary the hybrid unit in the IS300H makes for a great luxury family car, it's bring a level of refinement I've not experienced before and make the noisy diesels found in equivalent cars feel totally outdated. But it's unlikely I'll be replacing the 335i with any kind of hybrid, however a full EV car like a Tesla is whole different matter, and am 100% sure full EV is the future of motoring.

Theres a few small things I would like Lexus to change, the outdated foot brake, the controller to the Nav unit. The CVT transmission is also loud under full acceleration, but once you reach the desired speed it all quietens down nicely :)

The crunch point for us was when we went to the Jag show room and another IS300 glided in under EV mode, a few minutes later a £70K diesel XJ pulled up. The first thing I noticed about the Jag was the engine rattling away. At that point both me and my wife pretty much agreed there was no point in us even going to look at the Mer C class in the show room down the road.

I half thought about delaying the order to see if Lexus release any MY015 updates but frankly the car is so nice we cannot be bothered to wait 6 months. So soon we'll have a Mercury Grey IS300H in Luxury spec, with electric leather seats and pro Nav on the drive way :)

[DJP]

I enjoyed reading your review nearly as much as I think you enjoyed the car! If they put the bigger 3.5 engine in it (like the GS450h has) then the Beemer would be gone. Unfortunately the company car market wouldn't stand it so that's unlikely to happen.

Welcome to the club!

[dochybrid]

Very good review!

Hybrid power train does require a bit of 'habituation' in terms of noise :)

As for car, you will love it:)

[ganzoom]

So handed back the demo today, was a shame to have to hand the keys back :(

I think in a few years time if Lexus stick in a decent engine in a hybrid/EV combo I could be easily persuaded to part with the 335!

For now we have to decided colour combo. Was all set on Mercery Gray and Ivory interior but we really like the Titanium colour of the demo....decisions decisions :)

[DJP]

So handed back the demo today, was a shame to have to hand the keys back :(

I think in a few years time if Lexus stick in a decent engine in a hybrid/EV combo I could be easily persuaded to part with the 335!

For now we have to decided colour combo. Was all set on Mercery Gray and Ivory interior but we really like the Titanium colour of the demo....decisions decisions :)

I have the Sonic T and love it. The colour really does seem to change depending on the lighting conditions. Just my tuppence worth!

[Steve_L]

Always good to read a real in depth review. Well done and pleased to see you made a good decision. 24 hours in a FSport would have convinced me sooner if I'd had the chance.

I agree that colour choice would have been difficult if I had bought new. Sonic T with ivory was my preference as, like DJP said, they seem to always look different. Had to take what was available in the pre-owned market but (at the risk of adding to your confusion) no complaints from me about the Mercury.

[dblacha]

Could you explain please, what it means "10x more responsive"?

The ZF has 100-200ms shifting times. The IS300h has, as I believe and feel (didn't make exact measurement yet) something about 50ms. So, which one is more responsive?

Unless you're talking about more the shifting noise and mechanical jerks :-D

[ganzoom]

By responsive I mean how the drive train delivers it's power.

In the 335 when you spot a gap in traffic to make a pass, you simply have to squirt the throttle, if needed the will drop a gear and than it just shots fowards. There's no lag or waiting. If you want you can keep the revs at 4k rpm which is peak torque and nearly peak BHP, that way the car will respond instantly to any throttle input, and you can really play with the rear end of the car mid corner simply with the throttle.

The IS has a rated 220bhp which is a fair amount but the CVT transmission is built for economy not speed. Even in 'sports' mode what you do with your right foot seems to have little impact on the rate of power delivery, it certainly isn't linear. Add to that the drone from the engine and it makes for a really disengaged driving experience, I certainly wouldn't be taking the IS on any Sunday morning blasts.

The IS isn't actually slow, it's well damped and corners well, give it a tradition autobox and am sure it'll change the nature of the car, but that would destroy the excellent economy of the car and therefore make the whole hybrid drive train a bit pointless.

Anyways all these are my views, but I have been spoilt regarding how a car should handle. My first proper quick car was a Honda Integra Type R (DC2), which by all accounts its one of the best handling cars ever made, and despite it only having 180bhp could crack 0-60 in under 6 seconds and had an engine that reved to nearly 8krpm before peak power. In terms of pure driving fun on a twisty B road it makes my current 335i feels like a slow witted barge, the DC2 was almost telepathic, you see a ....but these days as I get older things like a stereo/aircon/leather seats have become a bit more important :)

[dblacha]

The same as the IS300h - you can keep it on 4000-6000 (highest torque range) non stop if you want to have a good response.

Just set it to Sport plus S manual mode and keep it on 3-4 gear, response is immediate.

And indeed, it will reduce the gear if you press the throttle as kick down (additional switch at the throttle).

it has 4 seconds from 60-120 and 5 seconds 80-120, it's pretty enough in my opinion.

The proof: please look on the RPMs and gears:

The difference between Eco, Normal and Sport is huge, and even greater with virtual gears.

But... you have to learn how to drive the hybrid car :-)

[ganzoom]

60-120 mph in 4 seconds....Humm that's very quick, infact twice as quick as a 500bhp+ M5 and nearly three times faster than a Tesla S, your 300H must be running some kind of super charged hybrid system :P

I spent a good 30min hammering the 300H in 'sport' mode and in my view its the worst mode for the hybrid drive train. I'm sure some people will love it, but for me it delivers a driving experience that I just cannot get on with and when our 300H arrives I cannot see my self ever using the sport mode....

That's a opinion based on my own driving experience and in comparison to other cars I've owned, not by watching YouTube videos or reading stats, so for me, sorry but the IS300H in any mode is no sports car, and the more people tries to compare it to a proper sporting small saloon like a 335i or S4 etc the more flawed the hybrid drive train will look.

[ColinBarber]

km/h not mph

[dblacha]

thanks, of course kph

this is the default for Poland :-)

http://www.klikk.no/motor/bil/biltester/article868615.ece

0-100 km/t, sek: 8,4
...
60-100 km/t, kickdown: 4,3
...
80-120 km/t, kickdown: 5,3

[dblacha]

ganzoom: you wrote the you have 30 minutes experience....

My experience is over 1 year and 25kkm.

And I'm using Sport mode a lot of the time.

No surprise that you wrote that IS300h is under-powered if you tested it in the different than S mode mostly...

[ganzoom]

I think your missing my point. I'm not saying the 300H is underpowered, I'm saying the way the drive train is set up is not aimed at 'enthusiastic' driving.

As I've said the most fun/best drivers car I've ever owned was my Integra Type R which only had 180bhp but delivered a driving experience that I've not experienced in anything else since. Infact even standard I found my BMW 335i to be comprised as a drivers/fun car, due to a lack of a LSD, poor damping, and inherent understeer, I had to spend over £5k on suspension mods alone before I was finally happy with the car. I would have just bought a M3 in the first place, but the wife put a stop to that :(

I'm glad you enjoy driving the 300H in sports mode, but I'm just giving my view that the 300H falls a long long way short of delivering a fun/engaging driving experience compared to the cars I've driven/owned in the past, C- at best, decent effort but not up to standard....'sport' mode or not ;)

[rayaans]

I think your missing my point. I'm not saying the 300H is underpowered, I'm saying the way the drive train is set up is not aimed at 'enthusiastic' driving.

As I've said the most fun/best drivers car I've ever owned was my Integra Type R which only had 180bhp but delivered a driving experience that I've not experienced in anything else since. Infact even standard I found my BMW 335i to be comprised as a drivers/fun car, due to a lack of a LSD, poor damping, and inherent understeer, I had to spend over £5k on suspension mods alone before I was finally happy with the car. I would have just bought a M3 in the first place, but the wife put a stop to that :(

I'm glad you enjoy driving the 300H in sports mode, but I'm just giving my view that the 300H falls a long long way short of delivering a fun/engaging driving experience compared to the cars I've driven/owned in the past, C- at best, decent effort but not up to standard....'sport' mode or not ;)

Its because we dont get the damn IS350 here lol

Ive driven both 250 and 300h. 250 is definitely more entertaining in the way it behaves. Transmission shifts differently to the 2nd gen and the Sport mode holds the revs higher on the 250. Very nice!

Driven the 350 in the states and that was insane! 8 speed, 306hp, rev matching transmission and adaptable dampers make that particular car sublime.

[RossCo74]

So handed back the demo today, was a shame to have to hand the keys back :(

I think in a few years time if Lexus stick in a decent engine in a hybrid/EV combo I could be easily persuaded to part with the 335!

For now we have to decided colour combo. Was all set on Mercery Gray and Ivory interior but we really like the Titanium colour of the demo....decisions decisions :)

I have the Sonic T and love it. The colour really does seem to change depending on the lighting conditions. Just my tuppence worth!

I have Sonic Titanium too and it does look very different colour depending on the light. I love it! So glad I opted for it.

[ganzoom]

We're set on Sonic Titanium with Ivory interior, I know not to everyone's taste by my wife loves the combination....still on holiday for another 8 days before we can be back to the UK so I can get a deal done....at least one good thing is that used values look stable...12 months old cars with under 10k on the clock aren't that much cheaper than brand new with a decent discount :)