dutchie01

I was wondering what cars you all drove before getting your first Lexus. Is there a common background here? In my case i started off with several Alfa Romeo's. GT Junior, Giulia, GTV, then SAAB's. the 9-3 in several versions, and then the first Lexus came along ( IS250 2nd gen ), then BMW 320 and now back to Lexus with an 300H F-Sport. What attracted me was the individualism, the beeing different, not german. what about you?

i can compare the 300h f sport with the latest gen bmw 320 estate running on 18 inch alloys that i drove for 2 yrs and also with the IS 250 previous generation. the 320 was way better in handling than the 250 but i honestly feel the 300H is on thesame level as the BM at least. it has a great balance, neutral handling and the chassis feels like it can handle much more horses. Driving in the wet in my situation feels safe and under control, i did not experience anything nasty yet and can not report of any tramlining currently running on wintertyres that feel a bit softer, have more comfort. Tramlining is more experienced with superflat/wide tyres, inflated tyre pressures, flexible chassis, uneven worn tyres or misalignment of front or rear or both wheels. i do not think that a new IS should have any problems in wet or dry, should not have any tramlining or other handling issues so my conclusion is there will be something wrong with your car, better go see the dealer and let them check all! drive tastefully

Wow Ganzoom, what a great rant, i realize that reading can be difficult for some of us but it seems you are replying to a different post altogether?

Speed itself Never Kills. One can drive 200 mph on an empty track without traffic in great weather. It is always speed in combination with something else that creates danger. rain, fog, dense traffic, lorries and so on. I dont think it is possible to judge the situation only be 70mph rain and aquaplaning as we dont know about road surface, tyre wear, wind, puddles etc. However, if you run into problems at 50,60,70 or 100mph then clearly something needs to be adressed. Driver mindset could be the first and easy thing to do, lift off reduce speed on that part of the road. Then Check The Car. tyres, balance. The F-sport has some pretty wide and flat tyres and this by definition is more prone to aquaplaning than skinny tyres. A friend of mine wrecked his 911 in pooring rain doing less than 50mph on the highway when his car started driving on water simply spun around and went into the armco backwards, nothing he could do! Drive Carefully! ( and that does not mean drive slow..)

I have now driven 6000km with my 300H and do know the car inside out. I sometimes compare it with my previous 250 which i drove for 4 years and 140.000 km. I wonder if there are any members out there that also owned a 250 and now drive a 300H? what are your experiences/thoughts? I loved the 250 to bits. when comparing it with the 300H you do notice it is a generation old and overall the 300 is a better car but in some aspects the 250 was closer to the real lexus experience than the 300H will ever be. The 250 was more refined and utterly silent. the creamy six cylinder petrol was noiseless and without any vibrations at all. The six speed auto did shift without any hickups vibration or noise and driving off from standstill was limousine like, an uniterrupted movement that increased in force all very refined and Lexus Like. I also feel the cabin of the 250 was more isolated, more silent. Less windnoise, doors that shut like a bankvault. The doors on the 300 have a different feel, are thinner, lighter, more like "other cars". the soundsystem was way better than the 300 which disappoints. Mind you i think that overall the 300H is the better car, better package, brakes, consumption, styling etc but it seems that Lexus has abandoned the number one unique selling point - the peerless refinement, the number one position in Noise Vibration Harshness - that was so convincingly there as an overall experience in all parts of the 250 from the doors to the glovebox. I do realise the drivetrain of the 300H is by nature not so refined as it lacks 2 cylinders but the noise and enginevibrations just dont seem as damped as on the 250. On top of that my car suffered from the dreaded drivetrain vibtations as described on this forum. It is now repaired by the dealer but Hey.. this on a Lexus? I do think the 300 is the better car by far but i sometimes feel the 250 was more refined, more Lexus. What are your thoughts?

I have now driven 6000km with my 300H and do know the car inside out. I sometimes compare it with my previous 250 which i drove for 4 years and 140.000 km. I wonder if there are any members out there that also owned a 250 and now drive a 300H? what are your experiences/thoughts? I loved the 250 to bits. when comparing it with the 300H you do notice it is a generation old and overall the 300 is a better car but in some aspects the 250 was closer to the real lexus experience than the 300H will ever be. The 250 was more refined and utterly silent. the creamy six cylinder petrol was noiseless and without any vibrations at all. The six speed auto did shift without any hickups vibration or noise and driving off from standstill was limousine like, an uniterrupted movement that increased in force all very refined and Lexus Like. I also feel the cabin of the 250 was more isolated, more silent. Less windnoise, doors that shut like a bankvault. The doors on the 300 have a different feel, are thinner, lighter, more like "other cars". the soundsystem was way better than the 300 which disappoints. Mind you i think that overall the 300H is the better car, better package, brakes, consumption, styling etc but it seems that Lexus has abandoned the number one unique selling point - the peerless refinement, the number one position in Noise Vibration Harshness - that was so convincingly there as an overall experience in all parts of the 250 from the doors to the glovebox. I do realise the drivetrain of the 300H is by nature not so refined as it lacks 2 cylinders but the noise and enginevibrations just dont seem as damped as on the 250. On top of that my car suffered from the dreaded drivetrain vibtations as described on this forum. It is now repaired by the dealer but Hey.. this on a Lexus? I do think the 300 is the better car by far but i sometimes feel the 250 was more refined, more Lexus. What are your thoughts?

i use the ECO setting in dense city traffic. it dampens acceleration like there is a cloud between my foot and the accelerator. you also run more on battery power. going from traffic light to traffic jam this is the most relaxing way to drive for me. and yes it is more economical . however, when i arrive at a red light and am the first in line i ALWAYS switch to sport as i just love the push in the seat sudden acceleration of the electric motor. when reaching 70 km/h and looking in my mirror where the rest is i switch back to ECO, listen to classic DAB radio and move along in total silency. until the next red comes on.... haha

i have them on my IS300H F-Sport. the intensity and "whiteness"of the light is Ok ,but the length of the beam is not far enough. driving on a dark B road you have to adapt your speed or swicth to highbeam which is not always possible. In town OK but i will switch them for Xenon immediately.

totally agree. the graphics look a generation old, the menu is overcomplicated, the mouse is only working hassle free if standing still, when on the road it is a nightmare to operate and the navigation itself just is not 100% reliable. mine tells me to take the exit only to enter the highway immediately after. This Lexus PREMIUM system costs 10 times more than a tomtom and honestly cannot compete at all. it is one of the negative aspects of a good and individual car but it is an opportunity missed. shouldńt there be a tesla like screen in there?

you know what really makes the difference? what makes this make/model stand out above the german companycarmarket? when driving it it feels just special, exclusive, different. when looking at it it just looks special, like a study made it into production, from every angle there is a different view when you take a friend for a spin you see them thinking, looking, trying to understand what is going on underneath the bonnet you like or loathe the looks, the grille the interior, dash. the Lexus is not mere traffic not just transport going from A to B it is a car that you have to discover, experience and every time i drive off i find it interesting, fun, i think of ways to improve performance, efficiency etc. even after 6k km i still discover new things it is my car, my Lexus i like driving it like watching it ( oh oh i hear violins playing maybe a bit over the top with this love letter haha)

am driving an IS300H Fsport and my consumption varies between 25 and 50mpg depending on drivingstyle alone. i tried a tank of ECO driving applying hybridtechniques, rapid acceleration and sailing home on the battery, especially in town driving is fun that way. another tank of sport driving not using hybrid techniques but just drive it like a normal car revv it up and floor the throttle just to see what would happen with consumption. well it doubled.. i mostly drive in normal and average around 40 mpg the low temperatures in winter have a big effect on battery capacity and the engine now kicks in much faster than in summer having a negative effect on consumption

the toyota tsb is done. ecu upgrade and diff damper and it transformed the car. from 100% irritating to ok. the engine runs smoother power seems more spread over the total revband it feels much nicer. the vibations are now almost gone, Problem solved for 95%!

i am with you Ganzoom. am driving an IS300H Fsport fuji white red leather etc. i like it. very much. It is by no means perfect and even in the NVH department it is not as good as my IS250 2nd gen. That was a smooooth car this has its vibrations now and then. but i love it. i like the styling inside and out, it polarises unlike most of the germans that are bland. drove a 4 series gran coupe which i think is one of the bst lloking bmś out there but the interior is so conservative compared to my IS. I like looking at the IS and it takes along time to really discover it, to understand how the hybrid system works, performs. i like the instant torque from standstill. the IS feels special unlike most german cars. it is not perfect but good enough for me

All the people that really complain about this are not in the UK. Not sure if it is road surface related or the LHD conversion makes it worse but it is really just slight in my vehicle - noticed it a couple of times today on Motorway roadworks at 50 mph, just accelerated a tiny bit to avoid the situation. this problem has been extensively debated on this forum with 2 threads started by Dblacha which triggered 27k reactions. i am new here but it seems these 2 threads are amongst the most popular by far. it could well be that this problem is not so hot on UK cars and maybe the left hand drive conversion plays a role here but thesame discussions are on other international forums (german, dutch , even usa where the car is not available). the problem is a deep droning sound combined with rough vibrations from the rear axle, it does not sound healthy at all. it occurs mostly when cruising between 70and 95km/h. when the engine kicks in the problem is there and when cruising at that speed the system constantly switches between battery/petrol or sailing withouth power and one cannot influence this. even if you are happily driving around with your IS please believe me there is a serious isue with the drivetrain ( the GS300H also seems affected according to Lexus forums). I look forward to a smooth Lexus like ride again end this week !

hmmm, i would not call it slight vibration, i drove 2 cars and both had it, when cruising in heavy traffic on the highway it drives you nuts. i agree it is not a safety issue but it compromises the core values of the lexus brand, namely NVH. a lexus should always be silky smooth, quiet and excellently put together. in this case it clearly isn t and in my opinion lexus should adress this pro actively. there will be customers out there thinking this is propably ok, the humming and vibrations and next time will go for an audi or bmw. sorry lexus fanboys on this forum but the car feels underdeveloped because of this issue, why was this not discovered before bringing it to market?

I will get the possible solution for the drivetrain vibrations combined with the droning noise next week after asking at the dealer myself. They immediately knew what i meant and simply booked the car in for repair. following various international Lexus Forums it shows this issue is widespread with this model. Lexus is regarded as a Top Quality Premium Brand so, dear Lexus WHY IS THERE NO RECALL to set this matter right? WHY wait until customers contact the dealers? Are the beancounters directing that cost of repair is more important than satisfied customers or the Brands Reputation? Lexus?

I am happy enough witht the satnav, it gets me to my destination with no obvious problems & seems accurate in warning of traffic jams. I have the upgrade (not ML) ice and it has good sound quality. No vibrations on my car at any speed and the mouse is better now I put the feedback level up to high. I suppose it depends on what car you had before. A colleague has just bought a E-Class coupe about the same age as my f-sport. It doesnt have satnav and is quite noisy being a diesel! Ed Hi Ed the ML soundsystem is disappointing as i am comparing it with the ML system i had in my IS250 2nd gen. that was 350 watts this 850 but the sound is much flatter you really have to turn up the volume to get some sound. at low volume it just cannot match my 250 system. the satnav works fine but the graphics are just ridiculously bad for a premium car. pacman is alive... it looks like 1995. BMW Merc and especially Audi are lightyears ahead in this and i honestly do not understand how a system like this can find its way in any lexus. the mouse is just not very user friendly. combine that with a complicated menu and it just looses attraction. if i want to look up a number and dial i do it with my i-phone as ten times faster.. still loove my IS300H haha. ( drove a BMW 320i for 2 yrs and got so bored i sold it again. the IS is way more interesting, more layered you have to discover this car over time and it keeps growing on me. i will make an appointment for the drivetrainvibrations. drive tastefully!

i drove a base model IS 300h from 2014 for 3 weeks until my new IS300h F-sport was ready so i can compare the 2. I first noticed the strange noise combined with vibrations from the diveshaft? when driving on the highway in heavy traffic doing 40/50mph for at least 20km. the engine is humming just over idle rpm and the system constantly switches between petrol and electric. when the petrol kicks in the sound is there and oh boy did that het irritate. mainly because the cabin is so quiet ( i recently drove a jag xkr 8cyl convertible and when you accellerate it vibrates, rattles, sniffs, shakes but here it is called character... ). from that moment on i always noted that sound and i could onluyhope my car would be better. and it is. the new 2015 does have it but much shorter. it is more or les bearable. but is still wonder why Lexus brought this car to market with this phenomena. i sometimes think it was marketed too soon and development was not finished yet.. i am sure they knew and maybe that is also the reason the IS300H is not for sale in the states?..

good styling - buildquality - torque - cabin - seats - chassis - mpg. could be better Satnav - ML sounddsystem - Drivetrain Vibrations - Mouse