RE: New Lexus IS unveiled

[ZesPak]

JulianCharity said:

That IS300 engine sounds like something special, 200hp/65mpg/<100g Co2? Things have really come on in the last 10 years.

Lots of want.

I'd have a Lexus for those reasons (company tax) alone. If only they returned their estate-IS!
Bring it lexus, I'm waiting!

PS: Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all, but I think this looks stunning, about 100x better looking than the equivalent Audi, and 1000x better than the BMW. As a previous poster stated, with Saab dead and Alfa in a coma, there's a gap for Lexus/Jag to make a good looking small saloon/estate.

[AnotherClarkey]

ZesPak said:

Lots of want.

I'd have a Lexus for those reasons (company tax) alone. If only they returned their estate-IS!
Bring it lexus, I'm waiting!

PS: Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all, but I think this looks stunning, about 100x better looking than the equivalent Audi, and 1000x better than the BMW. As a previous poster stated, with Saab dead and Alfa in a coma, there's a gap for Lexus/Jag to make a good looking small saloon/estate.

Lexus have been tweeting hints about the 'return of the IS Sport Cross' in the last few days. If it happens, I will get one. The Prius has converted me onto petrol hybrids, no going back now. To have a similar but more powerful system in an estate would be just right for me.

[Fittster]

220hp
under 100g/km CO2
65mpg.

That's pretty impressive.

[Whiters]

Surprised there hasn't been more mention of that interior and dash styling. I think it's superb (regardless of what the exterior looks like).

Recent Merc dashes have been button fest messes of late. BMW haven't done a decent dash in a good few years IMO (Screen integrations in particular have been laughable at times). Jag's are pretty good (well, XF anyway)and Audi formulaic but consistent (like Beemers and Mercs used to be.

But this looks lifted straight from the LFA. Genuinely different and very clean. I like.

[ZesPak]

Whiters said:

Surprised there hasn't been more mention of that interior and dash styling. I think it's superb (regardless of what the exterior looks like).

Recent Merc dashes have been button fest messes of late. BMW haven't done a decent dash in a good few years IMO (Screen integrations in particular have been laughable at times). Jag's are pretty good (well, XF anyway)and Audi formulaic but consistent (like Beemers and Mercs used to be.

But this looks lifted straight from the LFA. Genuinely different and very clean. I like.

To sum it up for me:

Exterior: Looks ace!
Interior: Best in class from looks!
Engine: If true, ideal company car.
Reliability/dealer network: Toyota.

Make an estate and it'll be my first new car I've bought with my own money.

[daveyc86]

They've absolutely nailed it!

Play the video on the Lexus website, and look at that interior!!

http://www.lexus.co.uk/lexus-today/the-all-new-is/...

Edited by daveyc86 on Thursday 17th January 12:06

[Paul O]

I think I like that. The exterior is a bit quirky but the inside looks very nice!

[Andy ap]

Rumour has it that someone in the marketing department was playing with concept pictures on Photoshop and accidentally used the pinch tool to pull the bumper in. And the look somehow caught on?........;)

[va1o]

daveyc86 said:

They've absolutely nailed it!

Play the video on the Lexus website, and look at that interior!!

http://www.lexus.co.uk/lexus-today/the-all-new-is/...

It's nice but not perfect, there are still aspects of the interior that just look st and outdated:


It isn't just the climate control system and display that looks out of place, but the warning lights below that could have easily been integrated into the car's computer screens. You simply wouldn't find that kind of thing in a BMW or Audi.

Small but its the attention to detail that counts IMO

[Locknut]

I had a test drive in one last week and it's certainly an impressive car close up. The styling and related things has been done to death in this thread so I will make no comment on that. I came away from the test drive with two lasting impressions, both non-positive and probably the only non-positive things on the car:

1) the parking brake is one of those American-style pedals above where the clutch used to be. With it pressed there was no room for my left foot. The salesman said "don't worry, leave the pedal alone and put the gears in "P" , it will never move".

2)the auto gearbox is a CVT type. It takes getting used to at the traffic-light drag race. The engine revs up but there is no "bite" of acceleration. It's like a clutch slipping on a manual car, but a glance at the speedometer shows that it's making rapid progress.

I'm put off by the fact that the gearbox is a CVT rather than an ordinary auto. CVTs have a bad reputation for longevity. Maybe Toyota have overcome the problems but others like Nissan and Ford have failed in the past. I think the CVT would be the worry that would put me off buying.

PS: Do the other Toyota hybrids have CVT or conventional autos?

[AnotherClarkey]

Locknut said:

I had a test drive in one last week and it's certainly an impressive car close up. The styling and related things has been done to death in this thread so I will make no comment on that. I came away from the test drive with two lasting impressions, both non-positive and probably the only non-positive things on the car:

1) the parking brake is one of those American-style pedals above where the clutch used to be. With it pressed there was no room for my left foot. The salesman said "don't worry, leave the pedal alone and put the gears in "P" , it will never move".

2)the auto gearbox is a CVT type. It takes getting used to at the traffic-light drag race. The engine revs up but there is no "bite" of acceleration. It's like a clutch slipping on a manual car, but a glance at the speedometer shows that it's making rapid progress.

I'm put off by the fact that the gearbox is a CVT rather than an ordinary auto. CVTs have a bad reputation for longevity. Maybe Toyota have overcome the problems but others like Nissan and Ford have failed in the past. I think the CVT would be the worry that would put me off buying.

PS: Do the other Toyota hybrids have CVT or conventional autos?

I don't think you need worry. Toyota refer to the transmission as 'E-CVT' but it has nothing in common with other CVT units. It is extremely simple, reliable and compact with no clutches, torque converter, pulleys, change of gear ratio, valves etc.

There is loads of information on the web - mostly Prius related but the basics of the power split device in the Lexus are similar. e.g:

http://eahart.com/prius/psd/