Mpg Fiction Is 300

[Happy Charlie]

Bought a new IS300h 4 months ago.

Love the car and the Hybrid principle but Lexus should be referred to the ASA for the fiction of advertising combined urban MPG at 64.2 ,utter nonsense.

At best I am achieving 45 mpg and I am not a fast driver ,the motorways around Manchester are all 50 mph for the next 2 years of upgrading .I am always looking at my monitor to achieve EV mode .Where do they get these figures from ?

My friend also bought a new is300 around the same time time as me and has the same story to tell.

Would love to hear from other hybrid users.

[scudney]

Obviously as i assume you already know their figures are not achieved by testing them on real roads,all car 🚗 manufacturers do it(don't know why),so the figures are a bit misleading 😠

[steve2006]

All new cars are tested unber laboratory conditions so unless you can constantly drive downhill with a wind behind you take them with a pinch of salt.

Nothing new,Clarkson tested the new electric BMW the other week with a claimed MPG of over a hundred,car managed something like 35 MPG in the real world.

I agree manufacturers should quote real world not lab rat figures.

[aviator888]

Same hoax goes on with CO2 emissions- lower figures are achieved in lab conditions.

[asharb123]

Best place to look is What Car magazine. They have actual figures. Which surprisingly said that the IS300h was closer to its publsihed figures compared to most cars. However as one of their long term fleet cars, they weren't sad to see it go. Which says a lot about the current range of Lexus cars.

[ColinBarber]

Fuelly is a good website to look at. That gives you real figures from owners.

There are many people here able to achieve mid 50 mpg in their IS300h. What model do you have and how many miles has it done?

[Eire Lexus]

Manufacturers claims are always over stated. They are tested in a lab environment conditions using a rolling road. The same over stated stats apply to any car and in real world can be a 25-30% actual difference.

I've done over 35,000 miles in my IS300H but it s mostly motorway at high speed. I've an average of just over 40mpg which is very good for a 2.5 petrol with 223 bhp...

[ganzoom]

After 100 miles on M1/M25/A406

Not seen below 50mpg on a M run if cruising at national speed limit.

Our is coming up to 1 month old, love it, never had so many positive comments from strangers when out and about :)

[bluenose1940]

Hi Gang, I have just this very minute walked in having done a motorway trip, plus some 'B' roads aswell and, I can report that my returns are almost identical to what you have shown in your post above.

i'm really impressed i must say.

[capese21]

Best place to look is What Car magazine. They have actual figures. Which surprisingly said that the IS300h was closer to its publsihed figures compared to most cars. However as one of their long term fleet cars, they weren't sad to see it go. Which says a lot about the current range of Lexus cars.

What says a lot about the current Lexus range? What?

What is your opinion of the is300h? You own and drive one so ignore the press!!

Dont take as gospel what motoring hacks write it is just one mans opinion. I made my own opinion of the is300h Fsport that is why I bought it not what What Car? numpties write.

I get 45mpg mixed normal driving. It would no doubt be more if I drove slower and didn't use Sport mode but 45mpg from 2500cc petrol is pretty good imho.

Ed

[asharb123]

Edward, in my humble opinion, the Lexus range is not as good as the very first car built by Lexus the LS400. This was the benchmark in engineering, refinement, luxury and quality. This was the car that every other manufacturer was being benchmarked against.

If you take the current range, the CT is a glorified Prius. The IS could have been so much more but isn't. Lexus only offer the car as 2.5 or hybrid. The 2.5 has a 6 speed auto when the rest of the high end manufacturers are using 8 speed autos and developing 9 and 10 speed autos for greater efficiency and economy. The hybrid has a CVT, why?. The CVT is for Nissan micra's. The second gen IS was a much better looking and better built car than BMW, Mercedes and Audi, but was let down by a lack of engines to broaden its appeal and gearbox a CVT. The current IS will face greater competition from Jaguars new XE.

I'm a big fan of Lexus and hope they start leading the market as they did when they introduced the LS400. Today I think they make cars as a knee jerk reaction following the competition who have upped their game significantly, where Lexus once LED.

I read a broad range of motoring magazines to form my opinion and drive the cars myself to see for my self if I agree with them.

I just think Lexus could be so much better if they applied the same principles, beliefs and vision as they did with the first LS. That's all I meant.

[tinka]

I remember when the first LS came out, I was working in a garage at the time, for a large company, and the directors had them. I have not driven another car as refined as that, the story was, put a glass of water on the engine and it will not ripple, I seem to remember it being true.

I’m not comparing that against the IS though, two different cars. I love my IS, but it could be better, most cars could be better. But its still one of the best looking cars, as was the 2nd gen IS.

Talking of mpg, the new BMW I8, is supposed to reach over 100mpg, but real world is 40-50. Its bordering on fraud if you ask me. We should ask for our money back, if they don’t achieve the figures stated.

[bluenose1940]

tinka said "put a glass of water on the engine and it will not ripple, I seem to remember it being true"

I seem to recall a very similar statement being applied to the old Austin 1800 or the Austin Princess Vanden Plas, can't remember which...........it might have been both. I think that the wording was more along the lines of putting a glass of water on the dash, rather than the engine though.

[ganzoom]

The IS could have been so much more but isn't. Lexus only offer the car as 2.5 or hybrid. The 2.5 has a 6 speed auto when the rest of the high end manufacturers are using 8 speed autos and developing 9 and 10 speed autos for greater efficiency and economy. The hybrid has a CVT, why?. The CVT is for Nissan micra's. The second gen IS was a much better looking and better built car than BMW, Mercedes and Audi, but was let down by a lack of engines to broaden its appeal and gearbox a CVT. The current IS will face greater competition from Jaguars new XE.

I'm a big fan of Lexus and hope they start leading the market as they did when they introduced the LS400. Today I think they make cars as a knee jerk reaction following the competition who have upped their game significantly, where Lexus once led.

Having never owned a Lexus before our IS300H I have to say I find the build quality and general feel of the car a level above that of my BMW 335i...Even though the IS300H has been bought by my wife to replace her aging Honda Civic.

The IS actually has an really well engineered chassis. Lexus do offer a 8 speed gear box for it, and when combined with 300bhp+ V6 engine, it's apparently even better than the latest BMW 335i as a all round sport saloon. Been a BMW 335i owner for the last 4 years, for any car from any manfacture to beat the 335i for all round performance/ecnomoy is a pretty amazing feat, considering BMW has built it's reputation on building the best sports saloons in the market :)

I can see why Lexus hasn't bought the IS350 to the UK market thought, BMW sell more M3/M4s than 335i's, so the IS350 would generate sale figuers of no more than double digits, may be a few hundred at the most. Hopefully the IS-F will be along soon, and given the overall negative reviews of the current M3/M4, the IS-F has a real chance of coming up as the better drivers car....Now who would have thought Lexus could build a better sports saloon than BMW!!!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a5213/the-comparison-65-3-roa1013/

The XE is may better the IS350 for dynamics, but bear in mind Jaguar pretty much ignored any hybrid/electic technology, as govermnents start putting higher taxes on diesels the cost/benfit of running a hybrid will quickly swing in favour of Lexus for many people. The planetery gearbox in the IS300H is needed for the hyrbid unit, a tradtional auto system will need multiple clutches/torque converters inorder to manage the ICE and electic motor, which will add significent complexity to the drive train, not to mention costs/reliabilty issues.

I think Lexus/Toyota do need to continue and develop the hybrid drive trains, bigger/higher capactity Battery would be a nice starte. But my over all impression of actually OWNING a Lexus IS over the first month of owernship and some 1000 miles is that it's a much better car than my near top of the range BMW 3 series tuned to 380bhp+....Which in my book is quite an achievement for any car from any brand, and that's opinion based on my real life ownership expereince, and paying out my own hard earned cash(Not into financing any of my cars), as well as reading reviews etc :D

Infact the IS is so much better than my much loved BMW 335i, I've actually put the BMW upforsale (despite just spending £400 replacing it's raditor)!!!....Not getting a Lexus to replace it though..well not yet ;)

[capese21]

Today I think they make cars as a knee jerk reaction following the

competition who have upped their game significantly, where Lexus once

led.

All this based on reading a few magazines. Be honest you haven't owned or driven any of the modern Lexus range have you!!

I only have knowledge of the IS300H as I drive one every day. To me it is a better car than the equivalent BMW or Audi mainly as I dont want to drive a diesel. It is also better equipped looks great and enables me to drive a petrol that also has good mpg.

It is also better built and has better reliability. Lexus still come top for owner satisfaction to.

Doesn't sound like a "knee jerk reaction" to me.

The CVT in an IS300h is a fundamentally different system to the original CVT gearboxes found in "Nissan Micras" Rather than utilise a drive belt and a conical pulley it uses a combination of planetary gears.

Ed

[asharb123]

Gang, appreciate your feedback and comments especially re the CVT and your experience of owning a BMW 335i and the Lexus. I don't think the 8 speed auto is available in the UK. I know it is available on the IS350.

Ed, no need to make this personal. You don't know me from a bar of soap. If you've read what I had written my opinion is not based on just reading but also on driving the cars and not just test drives. I am fortunate enough to be able to experience and drive many cars and be able to compare them as I have a geniune passion for cars and form my own opinion.

[capese21]

no need to make this personal. You don't know me from a bar of soap.

If you've read what I had written my opinion is not based on just

reading but also on driving the cars and not just test drives. I am

fortunate enough to be able to experience and drive many cars and be

able to compare them as I have a geniune passion for cars and form my

own opinion.

Apologies it wasn't meant to be personal. I took time choosing my is300 and am delighted with it.

When you say a "CVT belongs in a Nissan Micra" it seems quite an ignorant thing to say.

It is though what an uninformed motoring hack would come out with having read similar statements in various magazines.

Ignoring Nissan Micras what do you think of the driving dynamics & overall package of the new shape is300h?

Ed

[asharb123]

No worries. i appreciate my comment re the CVT comes across as ignorant, but I was not fully aware of the complexity of the hybrid system. However I would have thought Lexus would have found a way round that.

As already memtioned I'm a big fan of Lexus. My wife's car is a first gen IS which I love and will probably never get rid of. I love the second gen IS, it looks stunning and is beautifully made and a significant step up from the 1st gen.

I really like the 3rd gen IS, but only with the sport grille. I didn't feel that the interior was quite as much a step up as it was from the 1st gen to the 2nd gen IS. Not a big fan of the heater control the slide my finger on. It would annoy me over time, (which it did after a week). It is signifcant step up from the 2nd gen IS interms of handling dynamics, it feels more surefooted through corners and I wasn't afraid to put my foot done round large bends (A1 onto M62 heading towards Manchester speed limit 50 mph I could easily have done 70mph in the Lexus). The only issue, I like comfort so I find any car in Sport spec tiring after a while regardless of how good the dampening is. As a package you cannot beat Lexus for quality and specification, even though the new C Class is a game changer in terms of interior quality fit and finish, engines are poor on this car, really did not like the diesel.

I'm also a petrol driver as my overall personal mileage is not high and really thought the IS250 could do with the extra gear's especially on the motorway which would improve economy. They have an 8 speed on the IS350. I need more time with the IS300h I just found the gear change a but synthetic as it blips to sound like a gear change and it felt heavier to me. However these are trival things. As mentioned by Gang, hybrids will become more a thing of the future and Lexus /Toyota are leading the way and fingers crossed get better.

Lexus are bringing or have brought a 4 cylinder 2 litre twin turbo engine to the NX, I hope they offer this to the IS and bring in an IS200h that would be interesting and open the range to more people.

[rayaans]

No worries. i appreciate my comment re the CVT comes across as ignorant, but I was not fully aware of the complexity of the hybrid system. However I would have thought Lexus would have found a way round that.

As already memtioned I'm a big fan of Lexus. My wife's car is a first gen IS which I love and will probably never get rid of. I love the second gen IS, it looks stunning and is beautifully made and a significant step up from the 1st gen.

I really like the 3rd gen IS, but only with the sport grille. I didn't feel that the interior was quite as much a step up as it was from the 1st gen to the 2nd gen IS. Not a big fan of the heater control the slide my finger on. It would annoy me over time, (which it did after a week). It is signifcant step up from the 2nd gen IS interms of handling dynamics, it feels more surefooted through corners and I wasn't afraid to put my foot done round large bends (A1 onto M62 heading towards Manchester speed limit 50 mph I could easily have done 70mph in the Lexus). The only issue, I like comfort so I find any car in Sport spec tiring after a while regardless of how good the dampening is. As a package you cannot beat Lexus for quality and specification, even though the new C Class is a game changer in terms of interior quality fit and finish, engines are poor on this car, really did not like the diesel.

I'm also a petrol driver as my overall personal mileage is not high and really thought the IS250 could do with the extra gear's especially on the motorway which would improve economy. They have an 8 speed on the IS350. I need more time with the IS300h I just found the gear change a but synthetic as it blips to sound like a gear change and it felt heavier to me. However these are trival things. As mentioned by Gang, hybrids will become more a thing of the future and Lexus /Toyota are leading the way and fingers crossed get better.

Lexus are bringing or have brought a 4 cylinder 2 litre twin turbo engine to the NX, I hope they offer this to the IS and bring in an IS200h that would be interesting and open the range to more people.

IS200t coming later this year - expect power output to be the same if not slightly tuned up. Lexus have mentioned its a very flexible engine in terms of tuning so it may come with more power.

[capese21]

I need more time with the IS300h I just found the gear change a but

synthetic as it blips to sound like a gear change and it felt heavier to

me.

The ASC is a gimmick agreed but can be turned off. Heavier gear change?

I had the choice to go diesel and was close to buying an XF. Our friends in Islingtoin are set to pay an extra £100 a year just to park a diesel on the street. Paris has banned older diesels. Other cities are set to follow.The government pushed people to buy diesels and now are starting to back track. Then there are DPF issues etc

A 2500cc petrol engined car that can average 45mpg is excellent imho. My Lexus IS ticks all the boxes for me and doesnt really have a competitor. Electric power in the city and a powerful petrol engine when required is a perfect combination imho.

The XE looks ok (a little dull compared to the IS) but not available until May. It to though has gone the diesel route but does have a couple of petrols but no Hybrid which could be a mistake.

It is a little unfair to say the CT is glorified Prius and sorry to say also sounds a little uninformed. It does share some common drive-train components no doubt but that is where the similarity ends. Remember the Prius has been around a while & is used by taxi firms who run up astronomical mileages with excellent reliability so is well proven technology.

Ed

[bluenose1940]

I've got a Prius parked on my driveway at the moment, lexus picked up my IS this morning to do a couple of jobs on it, software update to 'G' is one of them.

I am definitely not a Prius lover I'm afraid. It might be a technically good car but, I absolutely hate the look of it, it's about as attractive (to me at least) as the old corrugated Citroen!!!

[asharb123]

Rayaan, thanks for the update re 200t, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on that when that arrives. I may finally have found my replacement car.

Ed, not getting in a debate with you mate re whether my comments are informed or not. I would have thought from my last post that it is clear that I will not write something I have not driven. The CT doesn't tick any boxes for me. When it was launched it rode to hard, it was supposed to be a sportier hatch based very much on the underpinnings of the Prius. The facelift version had the suspension reworked to address some of the ride quality. As mentioned above my preference is comfort interms of ride.

No one especially me is questioning the reliability of Toyota, as someone who has grown up with most variants which my father and other members of the family have owned.

[capese21]

Sorry to say but it comes across as regurgitating what you read in magazines & on the net. How do you get to drive loads of different cars & all of the Lexus range? Are you a motoring journalist?

If you drove an is300h for any length of time you would have more to say than don`t like the heater sliders & a heavier gear change, whatever that means?? You would probably learn to turn off the ASC to.

I am not a fan of the CT either but it looks pretty good and is perfect for some people.

What did it drive like?

Ed

[asharb123]

I have friends and family in the motor trade so I am fortunate enough to be able to get access to a wide range of cars through them. You're right I am probably using their words and not my own, By heavier I meant it felt heavier as a car but that maybe due to my preconceived notion that it is heavier due to the additional weight of the batteries. If they do introduce a smaller 2 litre petrol that would work for me. As mentioned already I've not spent as much time with the IS300h as I have with the IS250 Sport and that is what I was commenting on. I need to get used to driving a silent car as I don't listen to the stereo when I'm driving. I like listening to the car. I love the look of the Sport, but I like comfort and found it abit uncomfortable after a while. It has stiffer setup but is very agile and planted compared to previous IS models and the only other thing being the multi media system with the mouse control. I'm a simpleton and like things simple. However like BMW's idrive I know Lexus will refine this and make it better and easier to use. I like the IS but I think it has more potential.

I found the CT just too hard a ride almost bone shaky.Fine on a smooth road but how many roads are like that? It was strange getting used to how quite it was, which I think took something of the driving pleasure away for me. I was dropping the car off to a dealership for a friend in Manchester and picking up a BMW 325i Sport which had been taken in p/x. Chalk and cheese day and had back ache when I got home.

[ganzoom]

I have friends and family in the motor trade so I am fortunate enough to be able to get access to a wide range of cars through them. You're right I am probably using their words and not my own, By heavier I meant it felt heavier as a car but that maybe due to my preconceived notion that it is heavier due to the additional weight of the batteries. If they do introduce a smaller 2 litre petrol that would work for me. As mentioned already I've not spent as much time with the IS300h as I have with the IS250 Sport and that is what I was commenting on. I need to get used to driving a silent car as I don't listen to the stereo when I'm driving. I like listening to the car. I love the look of the Sport, but I like comfort and found it abit uncomfortable after a while. It has stiffer setup but is very agile and planted compared to previous IS models and the only other thing being the multi media system with the mouse control. I'm a simpleton and like things simple. However like BMW's idrive I know Lexus will refine this and make it better and easier to use. I like the IS but I think it has more potential.

I found the CT just too hard a ride almost bone shaky.Fine on a smooth road but how many roads are like that? It was strange getting used to how quite it was, which I think took something of the driving pleasure away for me. I was dropping the car off to a dealership for a friend in Manchester and picking up a BMW 325i Sport which had been taken in p/x. Chalk and cheese day and had back ache when I got home.

I've not driven a CT, but the BMW original 'M sport' factory suspension that came with my BMW 335i was awful, it wasn't the fact it was stiff/hard, it was purely because the actual dampers weren't that good quality and simply couldn't cope with any imperfections on the road surface.

I've owned a Honda Integra Type R (DC2), Nissan 350Z, and driven Lotus Elise/E90 BMW M3. I can tell you from first hand experience the suspension setup on the IS300H is up there with the best of them. You don't have to do many yards to tell the damping in the IS300H is really compliant, yes there's under-steer and the steering provides not much feedback, but the actual suspension setup on the IS300H is very very good, and certainly much better than any BMW I've driven.

Rather than rely on second hand information, you should go and give a IS300H a proper work out on a twisty B road...The power train isn't designed for B road blasting, but the road holding of the chassis is really impressive. I can see why the IS350 gets such rave reviews, and I really cannot wait see what the IS-F will be like :D