Any Is 300H Owners From Cork In Ireland On The Forum?

kazmac · March 29, 2015

Hello Everyone,

I have been following the forum for the last year, but this is my first post. I was driving KIA ceed for the last couple of years and wanted to change to something more luxurious. Initially I looked at bmw/audi/mercedes, but quite quickly I have narrowed my choice down to Volvo S60 or Lexus IS 300h. I think S60 is a great car, but after I test driven Lexus for 24h I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It just feels so different to other cars and also there is hardly any on the roads in Ireland at the moment which gives you a feeling that your car is in some way exceptional. So in December 2014 I finally placed my order for F Sport version in Ultrasonic Blue.

Collected the car week ago. Put on a clock over 500km and I'm happy, smiling all the time. Maybe the fuel consumption could be lower, but it may go down once I start driving it normally and stop testing all the dive modes. At the moment I'm averaging between 6.8 - 7.0 L/100km. I remember the Executive version I test drove for 200km averaged 5.8-6.0 L/100km, it was in the summer though.

When I was collecting the car my dealer said it is the only F Sport Ultrasonic Blue he sold so far and that he is pretty sure it is the only one in Ireland at the moment! :D

I saw S-Design and Executive versions in Cork area 3 or 4 times during the last year, but it was maybe 2 different cars. Have never seen any F Sport version on the road yet. My dealer said he sold 3 so far.

Are there any IS 300h owners from Cork/Ireland on the Forum ?

Best wishes and happy driving your Lexus :)

Kaz.

Beejay55 · March 29, 2015

Cead mile failte !

If you go to the members page, you can search it and one of the filters is Location. If you scroll down the pull-down menu you will find Cork listed, which produces four pages of members. Of course, not all of them will be active.

Both my parents 'came over' from Cork in 1950, on the Innisfallen, so it is a city I grew up knowing well - having always spent my childhood summer holidays with my Nanna in Fairhill :winky:

kazmac · March 29, 2015

Hi Brendan,

It looks like there is two other IS 300h owners from Cork on the Forum.

I'm not native Irish. I came from Poland some time ago and it looks like I'm staying here for good. Like the country.

Thanks for the instruction.

Kaz.

Beejay55 · March 29, 2015

You have chosen a great country to live in.

However, our family had a summer holiday in Krakow and the Tatra mountains and I must say your homeland is fantastic. We had a great time and loved the food - and vodka !

Brendan

kazmac · March 29, 2015

:) Yes, I agree, it is good for holidays when you work abroad, but it is difficult to work and live there comfortably. I'm a software engineer, but working in my country I doubt I could afford brand new IS 300h ever, maybe later when I'm much older. Here in Ireland after 8 years I have a house (with mortgage obviously) and now can afford a luxury car.

Talking about holidays, I'm going to Gdansk this year. it is going to be my first holiday in Poland and not just visiting family. I grew up just between Krakow and Tatra mountains. I know Krakow, Zakopane and the actual mountains quite well. Never been to Gdansk yet, but heard is it worth to go there.

Kaz.

Kiedee · March 30, 2015

Hey kaz,

I live in west cork (glandore). I bought an f-sport is300h, in the f-sport white,last year. Took delivery in April and I currently have 26000km done and still love the car.

Hope you enjoy the car,

Kieran

kazmac · March 30, 2015

Hi Kieran,

I live on the other side of the Cork City, close to Midleton, but was exploring West Cork areas number of times. I like the Drombeg Store Circle, close to Glandore.

Have you seen many of IS 300h on the roads there ? In my area and also in Cork City it is very rare.

What is your average fuel consumption? Is it like mine 6.8 - 7.0? It actually dropped today to 6.7 :)

Kaz.

Kiedee · March 30, 2015

On my way to work which is pretty bad road I get about 6.4/6.5. I was actually in midleton yesterday and I got very close to 6 or just under. Sorry but when it comes to consumption I still work in mI/gal but I have got it down to 5.7. Using ev in the towns helps with that. You do find yourself trying to get the comsumption down. On the other hand it is pretty easy for to drive it like you stole it with plenty of acceleration in sport mode.

When it comes to da rarity of my car. I havnt seen any of the f-sport and only 5 or 6 other is300h's, mostly in cork City. Did u buy your in Douglas. How did you find them. I bought mine in macroom when lexus were based there and found them to be top class even though I had to wait for delivery of the car for 10 weeks.

kazmac · March 30, 2015

5.7 ? How did you do that. The 6.5L seems to be doable based on my current 6.7, but I just can't imagine how I could get 1L out of it. Was your consumption higher at the beginning ?

My initial contact with Lexus was through Macroom motors and it was brilliant. They also provided me with 24h test drive of S-Design version. Very friendly staff. Then when I was finally ready to order they moved Lexus to Cork. I think you can still buy Lexus through the Macroom branch and actually, if I was buying again I would go that option, even though the car would be ordered by the Cork branch anyway. This is maybe only my experience, but facing the people in Macroom and Cork is a completely different story.

After my first contact with Lexus Cork I really wanted to go to some other dealer, but this would mean buying from Dublin or Galway, too far away.

The reason was that I asked for a test drive as the one I had was 2 or 3 months ago and I just wanted to finally make my mind. The answer was NO. Dealer asked how much do I want to drive the car, he pointed that I already had it for 24h and that the driveability hasn't changed since I last drove it. It was really like slap in a face. Oh, and dealer also kindly explained to me that I have really no choice but only buy here as even if I go to Macroom the order will go through Cork branch anyway.

I then remembered the time when I was returning the car after the 24h test drive and they didn't even try to push me to make a decision. I just dropped the key and they said to give them a shout if I need anything or test drive the car again.

I'm disappointed with my experience with Lexus Cork, but I understand that this may not apply to all customers. Never been provided with a test drive by them.

Kaz.

Kiedee · March 30, 2015

I did take awhile for my mileage to settle down but it does come down. I actually work in macroom and have to travel secondary road every day, on these roads I'm getting about 43ml/gl. I drive da car in Eco mode for "everyday" driving and honestly settling into main road driving it does go up to close to 47/49 ml/gl pretty easily.

Through work I got to know a few of the sales men and like you they gave me an s design for a day, within 10 miles I was sold. Wouldn't have a bad word to say about them, I was even told that they will still sell lexus to there customers. It may be comin from cork but at least I can deal straight with macroom in the future.

Kieran

kazmac · March 31, 2015

Hi Kieran,

Can I ask how much did you pay for your first service and where did you do it, at Macroom Motors?

Kaz.

ledeirdre · April 2, 2015

Hi Folks from Cork,

Just to let you know I drive IS 300h S design and I live in Cork...I have it since February.. I am getting circa 50 mpg on average..I got 60mpg + cruising at 100kmh all the way in from Lissarda to Rochestown this week...

kazmac · April 2, 2015

Hi Fin,

Don't know why, but it looks like the S-Design and possibly Executive versions use about 1L less. Is it because of bigger wheels on F Sport?... Not sure. I had a test drive on S-Design and after 200km I averaged 5.8L which is about 50mpg. Now I'm getting 6.7L on my F Sport.

F Sport instead has more gadgets, looks better, due to the grill and the bigger wheels..., and I really like the seats, like how they look, how comfy they are and they are electrically adjustable and heated.

Kaz.

ledeirdre · April 3, 2015

Hi Kaz,

Yes the bigger wheels add to mpg..but you will find as you put the miles on the fuel consumption should improve also the warm weather helps. Maybe all that extra equipment must add to the weight...I have only seen one other F sport in that colour in a garage in Galway.

This is my third IS, I had 200 for about four years and drove an IS 250 for the past nine years from new....didn't want to trade it but the tax and Mpg didn't make any logic in view to the cost of running the IS 300h...

Fin

Vinnie_Cork · July 12, 2015

From Cork here too. Picked up my Exec spec IS300H on Friday after 1st test driving and ordering one 2 weeks ago. Put almost 400kms on since picking up. Currently hitting 6.2lt/100km. Traded in a chipped 234bhp 09 520d Msport (which was hitting 5.6lt/100km) 1st time lexus, my last 3 cars were BMWs.