Lexus IS 300h - Just bought one!

[bitchstewie]

Not quite the day I was expecting Had a look on the Lexus website this morning for no particular reason and saw a low miles IS 300h 2.5 Nav at the local dealership.

Went down to have a look and the vehicle is immaculate. One test drive and a no-hassles cost to change later job done just waiting to find out when I pick up.

Coming at this from a Golf TDI with DSG I'm quite excited given it's back to petrol with a 2.5 (albeit maybe not a traditional strong one) and the hybrid tech too.

Bit late now but if anyone has one I'm all ears (if you have one and you don't like it just keep quiet )

[bitchstewie]

gangzoom said:

Will do a true 55-60mpg at legal speeds on M-way runs and 45-50mpg in city traffic. Ours will be staying in the family for a while yet.

Thanks, and interesting on the real world MPG. I'd assumed I'll take a bit of a dent over the 53-55mpg I get from the Golf but what you've posted has me reasonably optimistic

I am struggling slightly with how something with 220hp can cost a tenner a year in VED!

[bitchstewie]

Ilovejapcrap said:

Ahh not a BMW or Audi for a change nice

I specifically wanted to get away from that as there's just too many of them on the road, plus as I said I quite fancied a change to petrol and electric so why not combine the two?

Test drive was strange, I've been in hybrids before but it's still a bit unnerving when you're trying to work out if you've somehow stalled an automatic when it goes (literally) silent at a junction

[bitchstewie]

Got it. Having just spend around 30 minutes going around in what seemed like infinite loops trying to find DAB stations and then add them to the presets I think I have a fun evening ahead with the (fking massive) manuals.

[bitchstewie]

Got there with the DAB in the end but fk me I work in IT and I struggled god knows how someone a little less technical would cope.

Impressions so far are really good. It's quiet as in really quiet which may be stating the bleeding obvious or may simply be me coming to it from a diesel Golf but it's simply spooky particularly at junctions or any time it's in full EV so all you've got is road noise.

MPG based on zeroing the trip and doing 85 miles so far of A road and town driving is coming in at 56mpg if the onboard computer is accurate, which is about what I'd get with my Golf if I was very lucky so if I can get that as a consistent MPG I'll be happy.

One thing I will mention is the paint. I don't know if I'm imagining it but it just seems different league to the VW and most other cars I've seen. In the sun it has a real pop about it but it's almost as if it's plastic (I know paint is so perhaps it's an odd way to try to explain it) and no obvious orange peel, it's very difficult to explain.

[bitchstewie]

Am I just too used to the diesel or is this thing fking quiet?! As in if I was in a 3 series or C class would it be similar?

[bitchstewie]

Also found out today it's got a fking big fuel tank. I'd assumed it would have a reasonably small fuel tank due to a combination of having the hybrid to help out and simple that the batteries must take up some space.

£70 worth of V Power disproves that one as the OBC showed 700 miles remaining after the fill-up.

[bitchstewie]

AmitG said:

OP - what colour did you get? Any pics?

Pearlescent white which tbh has really surprised me at how it seems to shift in the sunlight and really does take on a different colour to how flat it can look in dull weather.

First white car I've had and having spent a couple of hours cleaning it yesterday I'm delighted at how easily it seems to attract dirt

Plus side is that with most cars I've had they can look a bit st from certain angles but I'm yet to find what that angle is with this.

[bitchstewie]

Dyl said:

Is it that a change of one's driving habit is required as mentioned earlier in order to appreciate it at its best? We just couldn't see the appeal. Running around in EV mode was cool though.

After 10 days I would say that it depends.

I don't feel I've had to change my driving style too much but (dare I say this on PistonHeads) I'm quite a relaxed driver anyway so it seems to suit me.

It may be the novelty value but one thing that I have found is that it's quite addictive trying to get the thing in EV mode or regenerating the batteries as to some degree it's "free" mileage.

10 days in and whilst all I've not done any non-standard routes I'm seeing a fairly consistent 57-58mph from the onboard computer.

I would also say that as much as I liked the Golf it's quite nice to be different.

I just don't see that many Lexus on the roads whilst you can drive along counting the cars going past and it's literally "Audi, Audi, VW, Audi, BMW, VW".