Opinions on the Lexus IS300H?

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derektrotter

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Hi All

I'm thinking of downsizing from the 2011 E250 diesel into a smaller petrol car, I've had 2 E classes already (W211 and W212) and I fancy a change, reliability is key for me but still want to retain luxury, on paper it sounds like Lexus could be the answer.

I'm leaning towards the IS300H (decent mpg compared to their thirsty older models) as thats the biggest model I'd want, not a fan of the CT200 looks and i've also heard its not as luxurious as the IS300, any opinions on these cars? I've done a quick search and they seem pretty reliable, the CVT does sound interesting and I'll have to test drive to make sure i'm happy with it as it will work very differently to the 7G plus i've currently got.

I'm probably looking to spend between £10k to £13k so be a 2013/2014 model.

Thanks :)
 
Hi All

I'm thinking of downsizing from the 2011 E250 diesel into a smaller petrol car, I've had 2 E classes already (W211 and W212) and I fancy a change, reliability is key for me but still want to retain luxury, on paper it sounds like Lexus could be the answer.

I'm leaning towards the IS300H (decent mpg compared to their thirsty older models) as thats the biggest model I'd want, not a fan of the CT200 looks and i've also heard its not as luxurious as the IS300, any opinions on these cars? I've done a quick search and they seem pretty reliable, the CVT does sound interesting and I'll have to test drive to make sure i'm happy with it as it will work very differently to the 7G plus i've currently got.

I'm probably looking to spend between £10k to £13k so be a 2013/2014 model.

Thanks :)
Do test drive one. They are very capable cars, but deadly dull
 
+1 - I came to the same conclusion.

I'm sure they are great cars if you can get over that negative.
 
Hmm, to clarify do you guys mean dull as in quite and relaxing? Nowadays I'm not a spirited driver, just need something refined and something that keeps the road noise out :)

I should hopefully be test driving soon in any case.

Any other recommendations for reliability and refinement at that budget? I've heard Lexus are pretty bulletproof which was the attraction.
 
Hmm, to clarify do you guys mean dull as in quite and relaxing? Nowadays I'm not a spirited driver, just need something refined and something that keeps the road noise out :)

I should hopefully be test driving soon in any case.

Any other recommendations for reliability and refinement at that budget? I've heard Lexus are pretty bulletproof which was the attraction.
I like quiet and relaxing, but I like a bit of character too, which is why Mrs jdrrco drives a Yaris hybrid instead of a Jazz and why I now drive a 4.7l V8 twin turbo CLS SB instead of a E220 diesel.

Ultimately, only you can make the choice. Go for that test drive.

In my opinion (and it is only my opinion, but that's what you asked for) the IS300h is extremely capable. But then, so is a dishwasher.
 
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Watch the hybrid models, very expensive is anything goes wrong. In fact I'm helping my mate next week replace a simple oil pump on his RX450H hybrid drive...... £580 for the pump alone.

Dull cars but great build quality.
 
Lexus offered £4k trade in, even webuyanycar offering £4900, my car is a 2011 E250 Avantgarde Cdi, 101k miles, think i'll need to find a better way to sell it, maybe auction? just want a no hassle sale and no dealing the general public myself.

Will be test driving this Sun hopefully, not happy with the trade in price though!
 
replace a simple oil pump on his RX450H hybrid drive...... £580 for the pump alone.

Dull cars but great build quality.


isn't that a contradiction 😂
 
Hmm, to clarify do you guys mean dull as in quite and relaxing? Nowadays I'm not a spirited driver, just need something refined and something that keeps the road noise out :)

I should hopefully be test driving soon in any case.

Any other recommendations for reliability and refinement at that budget? I've heard Lexus are pretty bulletproof which was the attraction.

I "do" quiet and relaxing these days since I banned myself from the proper fast stuff. It took a while to get used to it mind!

Although my car is also a 4.7 V8 TT similar to jdrrco's, I do drive it as intended (i.e. like a chauffeur).

So rather than pace and performance, it's more about the feeling you get when driving the Lexus - it's just boring and clinical / sterile.

If a car just "getting from A to B", a Lexus will do the figures.

If you need more from a car than that, I suspect the Lexus will feel lacking and you would be "putting up with it".

I looked at a 67 plate GS300h (and it wasn't pace because I tried the GS450h too) and whilst it is a very competent car, it just left me cold.

Lexus cars on the whole are very reliable (no manufacturer has no failures of course) but their dealerships whilst pricey, do offer a very good service.

Walk into a Lexus showroom and see how long it is before you are assisted in a balanced and relaxed way.

I've never experienced this from any of the main dealers I've been in (mostly German).

I always advise people to experience the dealerships and cars themselves and make their own minds up.

At the end of the day, all anyone on here can offer is opinions and your opinion could very well be different.

See what you think and report back...
 
So far, it seems I’m the only one who’s had one! Mine was a 15 reg IS300h Advance, tbh that’s the lowest spec I would go for - heated/ventilated seats, etc.

I really enjoyed it, but from my experience don’t buy one for its mpg, I couldn’t get more than 35 except on an isolated long run, then maybe approaching 40. And I was trying to drive with a light right foot. ( the dealer even gave advice on how to ‘drive’ a self-gen hybrid)

The only annoyances I had were that adding (even a decent) dashcam killed the DAB reception, but until I removed it prior to lease end, I didn’t realise that was the cause, so probably not the car’s fault, and secondly, the ‘gear’ selector knob scratched very easily.

Again, from my experience - I had the car from new - the pure EV range was very poor, I don’t think I got more than one mile, but it was very good in stop/start traffic.

Put it in ‘sport’ mode, drive it like you stole it, and the 2.4 ltr ICE and the 120bhp (equiv) lecky motor combined transformed it completely, (as well as transforming the mpg into V8 territory 👹).

Would I get another? If I was still working, and company lease was available, yes.

Hope this helps
Malcolm
 
So far, it seems I’m the only one who’s had one! Mine was a 15 reg IS300h Advance, tbh that’s the lowest spec I would go for - heated/ventilated seats, etc.

I really enjoyed it, but from my experience don’t buy one for its mpg, I couldn’t get more than 35 except on an isolated long run, then maybe approaching 40. And I was trying to drive with a light right foot. ( the dealer even gave advice on how to ‘drive’ a self-gen hybrid)

The only annoyances I had were that adding (even a decent) dashcam killed the DAB reception, but until I removed it prior to lease end, I didn’t realise that was the cause, so probably not the car’s fault, and secondly, the ‘gear’ selector knob scratched very easily.

Again, from my experience - I had the car from new - the pure EV range was very poor, I don’t think I got more than one mile, but it was very good in stop/start traffic.

Put it in ‘sport’ mode, drive it like you stole it, and the 2.4 ltr ICE and the 120bhp (equiv) lecky motor combined transformed it completely, (as well as transforming the mpg into V8 territory 👹).

Would I get another? If I was still working, and company lease was available, yes.

Hope this helps
Malcolm

Wow thats quite a bit lower then I was expecting, honestjohn realmpg quotes 48 which sounded reasonable for a hybrid!
 
I always advise people to experience the dealerships and cars themselves and make their own minds up.

When I buy a camera or a computer I don't care about 'the dealership'. I care about the product.

An expensive glass palace with sofas and free coffee and lots of staff is just adding to the cost of purchase.
 
How much do you spend on a camera or computer?

Do you need the shop staff to service, repair and maintain your camera or computer?

Presumably your preferred retailer has other products, smaller than a car, on display for you to peruse and be tempted by?
 
The only Lexus I've experienced was a GS300 back in the 90's in the US. It was a great upgrade to the normal American car I'd have had and I enjoyed tooling around in it. I kept it for a week's holiday and spent a lot of time barreling around in the hills to the south of San Fran and thought it was surprisingly competent.

Mind you it was a 3.0 petrol with a slusher not a CVT. And the interior was in a very naff pale grey. Like really bad 80's shoes.
 
Wow thats quite a bit lower then I was expecting, honestjohn realmpg quotes 48 which sounded reasonable for a hybrid!
My RC300h will easily do 45mpg around town and urban driving. Take it on the motorway or long cross-country trips and it will drop to low to mid 30's. Lexus hybrids are town/urban focused, once on the open road they are simply 2.5ltr petrols
 
When I buy a camera or a computer I don't care about 'the dealership'. I care about the product.

An expensive glass palace with sofas and free coffee and lots of staff is just adding to the cost of purchase.

Indeed.

However, Lexus being a prestige brand has to compete with the Germans who all have marble flooring and diamond-encrusted glass windows.

If Lexus were based in similar buildings to WBAC, would this present the correct image and impact footfall - I wouldn't imagine so.

Do I agree with them spending a lot of money on a dealership?

It's certainly a nice place to be like most dealerships but as I don't have a Lexus and I use an independent for my servicing and go nowhere near a main dealer, doesn't bother me either way!

And you certainly pay for that dealership in the servicing prices I've seen!

Had they been a more modest proposition, that would have helped me closer to putting up with one, albeit not a deal-maker I suspect. 😄
 
How much do you spend on a camera or computer?

Sadly I totted up the value of my camera gear a while back. Second biggest personal expenditure after a car (though a bit of a gap).

So .... it can mount up.

Do you need the shop staff to service, repair and maintain your camera or computer?

I don't need a dealer to service and maintain my car.

Presumably your preferred retailer has other products, smaller than a car, on display for you to peruse and be tempted by?

Shops typically don't stock 'the good stuff'.

So you want a specific laptop - they have something similar - but not the one you want. Same with camera stuff. It can be ordered in - but why order it after a visit to a shop. This isn't a new problem but it has got worse over the last two decades.

The exception to this has been my local camera store (the last one standing) which has an 'open day' twice a year. They clear an area on the sales floor and lay out some tables and the *manufacturers* provide stock and representatives to let people come in and handle the gear and talk to people whio know about it. But that's not the situation every day in the shop. But that's not the normal situation in the store but an event situation. It's like the store is only genuinely useful 2 days out of 300.

Car dealers. Well suppose I want to look at E Convertible at my local MB dealer - or testdrive the 4matic version of a model - or try the version with air suspension? Chances are they won't have the model I'm looking for. So ..... what purpose do they serve if you end up doing all your own research and evaluation using online resources? They just add cost to your transaction.
 

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