Would The Is300H Work For Me

[ganzoom]

We went for the premier with the safety pack mainly because it's a car that we are going to keep for 5 years + so the extra gadgets will serve us well long after the pain of depreciation is forgotten :)

As to is it worth it?? That's very indivual thing, having now gotten use to things like adaptive lights/cruise control, memory seats, blind spot miontoring it's hard to imagine driving a Lexus without all these features....But yet none of our previous cars had these features and they severed us fine.

The M&L sound system is very good, takes a few hours to bed in, but the other day after parking up, I found my self just sitting there letting the song finish because it just sounded so good....I've NEVER done that before in any car. It's obviously not as good as a decent home stereo amp + speaker setup, but not bad!

[Anaplian]

OK, first up, big thanks for all the advice on this thread - really helpful.

I had a test drive today. Here are my impressions:

1. A lot of fun to drive. I've never driven a rear-wheel drive car before and the grip and cornering were great. Barrelling round roundabouts in Milton Keynes I had to resist the urge to shout "Wheeee!".

2. The drivetrain is not as responsive as a pure ICE car - and this nudges the driver towards smoother driving. Sport mode is much more responsive but, I'm guessing, would trash fuel economy.

3. It's a much more 'normal' driving experience over driving a Prius.

4. The boot is 'OK' size-wise. I actually came home and put a large suitcase and a buggy in the boot and there was still some space. I calculated that the boot was 79% the size of my Passats - which is itself cavernous.

5. Gliding along in EV mode is a delight.

My remaining misgivings are:

1. Am I prepared to spring £168 extra per month to get Adaptive Cruise - by the way I'm assuming that Adaptive Cruise will attempt to prevent me crashing by detecting an imminent collision and braking accordingly?

2. Can I really live with the boot space? My kids are 4 and 8. My youngest is pretty much out of the buggy stage so my boot requirements have actually dropped recently. I'll give this some thought.

3. For the same money as the IS300h Executive I can can get a new Passat Estate or a 3-series BMW which are automatic, have adaptive cruise, more storage and occupant space and are more fuel efficient. On the other hand they won't be as refined or as fun to drive (the Passat that is).

Decisions, decisions.

[ganzoom]

If see my other thread about the Electric Leaf your see I my views on the future of the internal combustion engine is clear ;)

Once you have got use to the refinement of the hybrid setup in the Lexus I can promise you the diesel burning lump in the Passat will seem like technology from the past (Once your try a full electric car, your feel the same about the Lexus, but that's another thread :)).

The Pre-collision kit apparently doesn't work at town speeds, though I obviously haven't experienced its effectiveness.

I do agree with you, the response of the throttle in the Lexus isn't as crisp as the best petrol car....But than again the performance is actually all there. 0-60 it matches the car every reviewers raves about the BMW 320D, and 'In-gear' acceleration it probably is actually quicker than the BMW :)

I used to own a top of the range BMW 335i that I absolutely loved (owned for 4 years) and spent £££ getting the power to about 380bhp, after getting our Lexus IS, I found my self hardly driving it because the Lexus was simply a much nicer driver, despite the 335i's power advantage...I've never driven or been in a Passat (apart from Taxis), but I honestly cannot see why you would choose one over the Lexus, providing the Lexus has enough space for your needs. I certainly would chose the Lexus over and 3 series BMW without a second thought.

[Steve44]

The look on the face of a guy driving a new Audi A5 TDI Quattro the other night, when I out dragged him at 3 sets of traffic lights and at a rolling 40mph drag race away from the end of the roadworks on the A46 round Coventry, tells you all you need to know about the performance of the IS300h. Yes the economy took a battering, but that is relative in any car.

I totally agree with Ganzoom's view on refinement. A trip in a colleagues Merc Diesel Hybrid had me shuddering from the very start at how rattly and noisy the drive train was compared to the Lexus.

If the car fits space wise, I'd pick the Lexus.

[Anaplian]

I've decided. I'm going for an IS300h Advance. I'm planning to order it on Monday. Am quite excited.

[Richard1200]

I've decided. I'm going for an IS300h Advance. I'm planning to order it on Monday. Am quite excited.

I ordered mine this week. It's about 4 weeks away on a boat somewhere. P/ex my 2013 Luxury with electric leather and sat nav, the Advance is same spec but about 3k cheaper than I paid in 2013 but then that's the premium for wanting the new technology when it was first available.

Anybody else on the forum on their second IS300h?

[Anaplian]

I have now submitted my order - an IS300h Advance in Atlantic Blue with Ivory interior.

I dithered for most of the week as the only feature in the Advance over the Executive which mattered to me was the driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support - my back is a bit dodgy. Unfortunately, the jump from Executive to Advance means that I have to make £100 monthly contribution over my base company car allowance. Ultimately, I could have bought some sort of lumbar support add-on but that would have irked me so I bit the bullet and ordered the Advance.

Thanks again everyone for all the advice. The wait begins...

[ColinBarber]

I think you have made the correct choice.

I've had an exec for the last couple of days and within 10 miles of driving it I found the lack of seat adjustment uncomfortable. For me the front of the seat cushion was too high so I would definitely recommend the 8 way adjustable seats so you can tilt the front and back independently, as well as getting the lumbar adjustment.

[Roscobbc]

I suffer from back issues following removal of a lower disc some years ago. I need to sit low with the seat back reclined. Previous BMW120D Sport had superb range of seat adjustment and was 100% perfect for me. Yes, I was a little concerned about the lack of adjustability on my Executive spec. I needed have worried as it is great - the lack of adjustable lumber and thigh support is fine. The only issue for me is if someone else uses it for a few days - or its in for a service is re-establishing the seat settings. Tend to wonder why after a few hours my back or neck is aching - and its only due to the seat needing adjusting.

[Anaplian]

I think you have made the correct choice.

I've had an exec for the last couple of days and within 10 miles of driving it I found the lack of seat adjustment uncomfortable. For me the front of the seat cushion was too high so I would definitely recommend the 8 way adjustable seats so you can tilt the front and back independently, as well as getting the lumbar adjustment.

Thanks Colin. That's good to know - though I'm sorry that you're finding the Exec uncomfortable.

[ColinBarber]

Comfortable again back in my own car :) although I'm sure I'd be able to find better comfort in the Exec given more time to try different seat positions

[Macscrooge]

It took a few attempts to get comfy in my Exec - and the Exec demo before that. Just done 800 miles over last weekend so I think I've got it right now!