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If you are reasonably fit, your health your car and the planet would benefit by walking 900 yards!

The NX has a 20% lower power to weight ratio compared to the IS300h due to the extra weight and giving up 28 bhp. All of that power loss is from the petrol engine which then has to work harder to get up hills. Isn't the torque / weight ratio more important than the power / weight ratio? I decided not to buy the NX a while ago following a test drive which gave very poor mpg on the test route. If you are looking to buy a refined SUV style car, I was impressed by the new Subaru Outback petrol auto version. It was as refined as the NX, more economical, cheaper, fully 4WD and has much greater luggage space.

I worked out the breakover angle of the IS 300H at only 11 degrees is unlikely to handle the steep drive. That's a shame since it would have been my first choice for a new car. I've noted a trend in modern car design to stretch the wheelbase with no compensating increase in ground clearance. Mercedes quoted a ground clearance of 92mm and a breakover angle of only 7.4 degrees for the Mercedes C200 which is the worst of any car I've considered.My current 2006 Honda Accord has a breakover angle of 13.7 degrees by comparison. I'll probably need to consider a SUV style car. The Lexus NX 300H is a possibility but there are reports of extremely poor consumption compared to the IS 300H. Car designers take note - a breakover angle of at least 13.5 degrees would be useful for steep drives and difficult car parks.

Honest John Real MPG at http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/lexus/nx-2014/300h reports an average of 33.5 mpg which agrees with the above reports. The economy reported on the HJ site and in the above thread is extraordinarily poor compared to the IS 300H. I don't see the point of buying a NX 300H when other SUVs with conventional engines can easily achieve a real world economy much better then the NX 300H. Plus the NX 300H is rather expensive compared to the trim level offered by other cars in the Lexus range (e.g. IS 300H) and there are currently no discounts on offer.

"Lexus is marketed as a high premium brand, the vehicles are more expensive with servicing and part costs reflecting a percentage of the vehicle cost and what customers are willing to pay rather than directly related to the manufacturing costs." I accept the need to pay a premium price for a Lexus but the servicing costs should reflect the actual cost of the service parts and labour used. Lexus cars share many service parts with Toyota so the prices should be similar. Lexus use the same technicians in many joint Toyota/Lexus service centres but charge a higher labour rate for Lexus servicing compared to Toyota. There is a weak argument for the high Lexus service costs other than the willingness of customers to pay the high charges. The Lexus UK warranty cover is also poor compared to Toyota UK (using the same hybrid technology) and compared to the Lexus warranty in other countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia).

I'm looking at buying an IS 300H to replace an ageing 2006 Honda Accord. In defence of Honda to an earlier post, I've only had one fault on my Accord after 8 years (new brake master cylinder) which was replaced under the extended warranty with no fuss. This Honda warranty has been costing £250 per annum including full AA breakdown and recovery. Honda servicing is also much cheaper than the rather excessive Lexus charges. I note some Lexus and Toyota dealers share sites probably using the same servicing facilities but charging far higher rates for Lexus servicing. Lexus seem good judging by feedback on this forum but they do seem rather expensive for servicing and extended warranties. Why do we only get a 3 year Lexus warranty in the UK when the similar Toyota technology is covered for 5 years (8 years hybrid drivetrain) and in the US the Lexus warranty is 4 years (6 years hybrid drivetrain) - and the purchase price is much cheaper?

Does the Advance spec include navigation as standard? The Lexus web site shows the Advance model does not have navigation fitted as standard but the Lexus Blog and Post 1 above suggest it does have navigation. Which is correct? The Advance offers the following advantages over the Executive Edition according to the Lexus web site: ventilated seats, rear camera, electric adjustable seats, electric lumbar support, body protection film (what is this?) & LED fog lights. I might choose the Advance over the Executive Edition for an extra £1500 but only if it includes the navigation system.

I had just about decided to buy the IS 300H when I saw mention in this Forum of the IS 200T. Does anyone have inside knowledge of when the revised model may be available in the UK, the cost and fuel consumption compared to the IS 300H?

Thanks for your help. It seems reversing up the drive I mentioned will be no problem but the change in slope might be a problem. The only way to resolve this is to try driving in and out of the drive (carefully). Lexus customer service and my local Lexus Centre have put me in touch with the Lexus Centre 300 miles away near to the drive I need to try - the latter Lexus Centre has offered to loan me an IS300H for another test drive when I next visit. Excellent customer service!

One issue before I buy an IS300H is that I frequently visit my father some distance away who has a steep 15' section of driveway about 1 in 3 incline descending down to his garage (see photo). I'm concerned that the lowish ground clearance of the IS300H at 5.3" may be a problem where the incline changes at the top of the drive. Where is the lowest point beneath the car? If it is near the wheels (e.g. engine sump), then this is probably OK but it may be a problem if the lowest point is midway between the wheels. Does anyone know the ground clearance midway between the wheels? I guess the lowest point would be the exhaust or propshaft? Also, are there likely to be any problems with the hybrid drive in reversing from cold up the steep incline out of the driveway? I assume the engine will cut in to assist if required?

Thanks for the above information. How does the IS 300H transmission cope with reversing up a steep hill? My father has a 15' length of steep driveway (about 1 in 3) which I need to reverse out of. Will this be a problem?

Thanks for the above feedback. Steve44 said "S mode on the gearbox, puts steps into the CVT transmission and basically creates 6 'gears' to use with paddles and the stick." Are the 6 gear ratios fixed, or does the S Mode constrain the CVT to operate within 6 gear ratio bands, each having a min / max ratio limit? Is there a reference about how the CVT operates? Sorry to ask, but as a scientist, I'm interested in how things work.

I've pretty much decided to buy an IS 300H Executive Edition following a test drive and generally very good comments on this Forum - thanks to all. I have an offer from my local dealer for an Executive Edition in metallic paint for £27,500 (cash) which seems like a good offer to a private buyer - unless someone knows better? Lexus are also offering a £1500 'contribution' in addition if you take PCP finance, but the overall cost works out about the same as paying cash taking into account the interest charged. I didn't try 'S Mode Driving' in the test drive (using the +/- gearshift paddles) and it's unclear how this operates from the Owners Manual (p 218-220). How does S Mode operate? Does S Mode lock a particular gear ratio on the CVT transmission or just constrain the range of ratios the CVT uses? Do people find this a useful feature and when do you use it?

Thanks to zippyone for the last post. Bad luck about the flat tyre so soon after purchase. Please post where you find a space saver spare wheel. If I buy the car, I'll need one since I frequently do long motorway journeys.

In reply to post 11, I hope the AA is lobbying manufacturers to reinstate spare wheels in new cars. Interestingly, Lexus sees fit to provide a space saver wheel for the CT 200H and NX 300H but not the IS 300H.