“The car is quiet and gives peace of mind”
With the IS 300h, Lexus brought another real challenger to the market. The rear-wheel drive sedan took on the BMW 3 series and Mercedes-Benz C-class, but in its own way. Because where the competition mainly wore diesels, you always got a 223 hp hybrid powertrain at Lexus. A station wagon was also missing, while many customers in this segment opt for that. Are these facts the reason why the IS 300h has had only modest success? Owners who did choose him give the answer.
In this article we describe the third generation IS, which was available from 2013 to 2021. In our country it was only available with the aforementioned hybrid powertrain, elsewhere you could also get it with common four and six cylinders. Although Lexus just makes a new IS, now even with a very thick eight-cylinder, it is not intended for Europe. The focus here is now on crossovers and SUVs, although IS drivers can still upgrade to the larger – but front-wheel drive – Lexus ES for the time being.
How spacious is such a Lexus IS?
It is well known that cars from the higher D-segment are tighter than more modal models in this class. This driver describes it as follows: “In terms of space, it is sufficient for me, but compared to my previous Lexus (GS 430, 2006) or the leading car of the leasing company (Opel Insignia), it is a bit less. You can of course fold the back seat, but with two kids that is a bit more difficult. It’s enough, but not enough.”
Another rider uses the same words: “Space is enough, but not enough. There is room for two in the back, three people can only be used for shorter distances. In the front you really sit in the car, which is all right for my stature. If you are taller than 1.80 meters, it may feel a bit tight.”
This IS 300h owner traded his car for a Lexus NX 300h and explains why many people in this segment choose an SUV or station wagon: “With family expansion coming up, decided that a sedan is not practical for this. A pram could fit in there, but not much more.” Another driver also emphasizes the disadvantages of this traditional body style: “Accessibility is very limited. You actually slide your stuff through a slot, so you can really forget about moving refrigerators.”
And the seating comfort?
“The seats are extremely comfortable and can be adjusted in many ways, and can be heated and cooled. When you get out, the seat moves back slightly and the steering wheel rises slightly to make it easier to get in/out,” the owner writes of his IS 300h F Sport Line. “The sporty bucket seats are great, but they are also really comfortable enough to make long holiday trips for a few days, for example. The seating position is very good, with the center console at the right height,” is the verdict of a year younger IS 300h 25th edition. The driver of an IS 300h Business Line Pro is also complimentary: “The seat, great and of Volvo quality.
There is a comment about the comfort of the rear seat: “I have already heard from several rear seat passengers that the seat is not really comfortable, the 18-inch tires are also a bit to blame. On longer stretches you experience too much the quality (or lack thereof) of the road surface. The comfort in the back is therefore significantly less than in the front of the cabin.”
How does the Lexus IS 300h drive?
Some quotes about the handling: “This car is balanced as a whole and the comfort is at a high level, a smooth suspension, the car is quiet and gives peace. The car is not disappointing in terms of driving on any part. The CVT is great, the electric motor in combination with the petrol engine provides a whisper-quiet drive” and “The steering is very nice, perhaps due to the 235 and 245 mm wide 18-inch tires it has a lot of grip and gives a lot of confidence. There is no body roll in the corners, so you don’t have the feeling of being on the road with a 1,600 kg car.”
These positive sounds come practically without dissonance. The only blemish could be the weight, which contributes to the hybrid powertrain. “Sometimes you notice that you are on the road with a very heavy car. I notice it a little in cornering and a little more when braking hard. Not that he doesn’t stop in time, because in my opinion he has a short braking distance. But you have to get used to the fact that when braking you feel that a lot of weight has to come to a stop.”
Do you like the hybrid powertrain?
It was already touched on above, the hybrid powertrain. Although there is no traditional CVT, the feeling for the user is the same. Such a CVT has the name that it makes the engine roar when accelerating, but that hardly seems to be the case with the IS 300h. “You can also hear it in my IS, it really is a different sound than with a stepped system and I would have preferred not to have it either. But the IS is so quiet and delivers so much power that it hardly bothers you, and it also takes some getting used to,” this owner describes the behavior of the transmission. “Noise when accelerating is minimal. If you accelerate from 100 to 120 km/h at the most, you will only hear a short growl, because then you are already on it”, this satisfied driver agrees. We already found out what the Lexus IS 300h consumes on the basis of practical data: owners and users drive an average of 1 in 15.9 (6.3 l/100 km).
Infotainment less entertaining
The system features voice control, which riders have a clear opinion about. “Navigating via voice control is Worthless (written with a capital letter). I had already noticed during the test drive. Just very bad. Point.” These are the words of a disgruntled owner, who is applauded by others. “It would have been better not to give orders via voice commands, it is cumbersome and often simply does not recognize what you are saying”, is the experience of this IS driver. The navigation system itself also does not seem to do what it should do. This driver also experiences this: “Traffic jams are not picked up and processed until you are already in them”. There is also positive news. “The control mouse for the audio/navigation system, about which the press is so negative, is not too bad if you use it a little longer. Requires getting used to”, a satisfied owner stands up for his Lexus.
Disturbances and irritations
Lexus has a reputation for delivering quality products, and this IS 300h is no exception. Owners actually report no problems, unless it is a hum that can occur between 80 and 100 km / h. “The dealer has checked and appears to be a known problem. Has been solved perfectly, if I now drive at those kinds of speeds then I no longer hear anything”, is the comment of an owner who had to deal with this problem. Furthermore, we hardly read even minor suffering, unless it is a rattle in a door.
“The build quality is perfect, no rattling or squeaking, everything works and continues to work, even after a turn you don’t notice any difference”, this driver praises his car. Still a critical note: “The doors sound like solid bank vaults. Then why does the trunk lid sound so hollow and tinny? It is precisely those kinds of trifles that have to be ‘right’ with a premium brand,” says this owner sternly.
These are minor things, in general owners are very pleased with their Japanese maverick. The handling, the interior space, the seats and even the stepless powertrain are praised, while hardly any problems occur. At most, the infotainment and LED headlights can be improved. Could we call that luxury problems?
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl