Mercedes C220 vs 250 vs 300 vs Lexus IS300h

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cctwister

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Apr 4, 2015
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Honda CRV
Hi All

this is my first post, my car was recently written off and looking to jump into something new.

I am ideally looking to lease for 2 years and then see after that.

Originally I test drove the C250 which was great, quick, lot of fun, then drove the Lexus IS300h which is a totally different animal, hybrid petrol car

I am wondering what opinions people have of these cars? Any tips / tricks or concerns?
 
looking at around 10k miles per hour, potential company car but could personal lease, looking for fun and mpg
 
I think you need to test drive both. I don't think there will be many Lexus owners on an MB site.
 
looking at around 10k miles per hour, potential company car but could personal lease, looking for fun and mpg

Now I'm just baffled, thanks for trying Renault.
 
Just my 5 pence. I owned a Lexus IS 250 years ago, initially I was literally in love with the thing, all the gadgets, how smooth it drove etc etc, until a week later it made me sick when I drove it, it was perfect at everything and probably the best car I have ever owned with a silly spec....... BUT it bored the crap out of me, sooooo boring, the handling was excellent but gave no feedback, the engine was smooth, sounded great and had some guts but had the flattest power delivery in the world.

I think any of the mercs are a much better choice.

The depreciation is a massive factor, I payed 9 grand for mine 3 years ago, and it was about 3 years old, the highest spec possible and low mileage, the equivalent merc or bm was well over 20k
 
250 years ago... Wow!!
 
Just my 5 pence. I owned a Lexus IS 250 years ago, initially I was literally in love with the thing, all the gadgets, how smooth it drove etc etc, until a week later it made me sick when I drove it, it was perfect at everything and probably the best car I have ever owned with a silly spec....... BUT it bored the crap out of me, sooooo boring, the handling was excellent but gave no feedback, the engine was smooth, sounded great and had some guts but had the flattest power delivery in the world.

There is a chap at work who says exactly the same thing to me about his 57 plate IS250 petrol (he's into cars as well).

It was a possible for me once but I opted for the E55K in the end.

Glad I did...
 
You think a Lexus is Boring, my wife drives a (63)reg Quashqui 1.6i +2 , seriously end of life as i know it lol, its supposed to have a whole 125bhp. lol its a complete waste of time trying to get anywhere in the same week.
 
merc85 said:
You think a Lexus is Boring, my wife drives a (63)reg Quashqui 1.6i +2 , seriously end of life as i know it lol, its supposed to have a whole 125bhp. lol its a complete waste of time trying to get anywhere in the same week.

Yea I really am not a fan at all of these Japanese cross over jobs. The Germans have some pretty interesting engines in theirs, it seems all the japs have a 1.6 ltr engine and some Lego to jack up the Nissan micra chassis
 
I got an IS250SEI auto new in 2009 which has been fault free and a great car for my particular likes and requirements. I was intending to replace it last year with an IS300h Premier and so had a test drive and then borrowed a demonstrator for a day. I think the hybrid powertrain is really great, smooth and quiet. But most motoring journalists would disagree as they generally criticise the Lexus hybrid synergy drive system. Only a test drive will show whether it's something you personally like or not. I didn't buy the Lexus because for me the seats and ride weren't comfortable.

I've now got a C200 Sport Premium Plus with Airmatic on order because among other things it's more comfortable and for a similar price it's better equipped than the IS300h but the C200 engine isn't as quiet or smooth and, of course, the auto gear changes aren't as smooth. My top priority is reliability which is a potential concern with the Merc as my brother's 2010 W204 had quite a few faults including one which required the engine to be removed for rectification. I've owned and covered high mileages in a series of Honda and Lexus cars since 1984 and none needed much more than routine servicing.

I hope this helps but it's all rather subjective and a matter of personal preference so test drives in both alternatives along with a detailed comparison of specs and prices is the only way to choose between these two great cars. If the Jaguar XE had been released last year, it would have been an alternative I would have considered and it might be worth checking out if you can wait until the end of May when demonstrators are due to arrive in showrooms.
 
You think a Lexus is Boring, my wife drives a (63)reg Quashqui 1.6i +2 , seriously end of life as i know it lol, its supposed to have a whole 125bhp. lol its a complete waste of time trying to get anywhere in the same week.

Mrs JB has a Nissan Juke 1.6 and whilst I could never have one as my car, I don't mind driving it when we go anywhere in it. It's not a bad drive at all and the Juke-R must be a lot of fun to drive - despite the higher centre of gravity.

It is quite nice going from 600BHP down to 125BHP now and again although you really notice the 4/5s power drop LOL!
 
Not sure if this will help, or further confuse you.

I have owned 2 Lexus IS's, the IS200 and IS300. My mum used to have an RX400h which I drove frequently, and I have driven the RX450h.

Never had any issues whatsoever. They are a great talking point. I loved the fact they were rarer than rivals, so felt a little niche, a little controversial, a little specialist, a little, dare I say, taboo.

All boring as hell. No soul. Dull. Slow. A bit grandfatherish.

Good luck :)
 
Thank you very much for the comments, its exactly what i was looking for.

I am coming out of a written off CRV having had the likes of Golf Gt's and a mazda rx8, i am looking for a car that is fun to drive with enough power when needed but a nice smooth classy drive the rest of the time.

I have test driven both and to be honest think i would be happy in either, my main concern with the Lexus is that although i loved the quirkyness of it, that you dont see many and not many companies drive these, i was a little concerned that although the power delivery seems fine, whether i would be bored of it after a while and want to move. this isnt a long term decision as the idea is to lease it anyway for 2 year but looking to see what peoples opinions are of their cars........ill not even ask about the snow.....lol
 

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