Lexus IS 300 SportCross

wale_bate1

Well, I have had a day to reflect on the new F1 GS-D3s, and it's not enough!

I like this tire, initially. I have a couple of intersections on the commute that usually require moving out with some degree of urgency, which usually causes the trac control to come on. Not so with these yet. Nice and sticky on the curvy ride home yesterday. Seems a little softer in the sidewall than the OEM RE040s, but the pressure was a little low. I pumped a couple pounds in this AM, so we'll see how they respond this afternoon.

So far, I'm happy. Thanks for the rec, J!

saz1861

I'm going to get a paint protection film and tint installed soon? Any suggestions? I'm thinking about Stongard, it is slightly more expensive than x-pel but the coverage seems much better. The Invinca shield kit is almost as expensive when you put on the stongard full kit extras that are included; mirrors, back bumper top etc. I'm not going to skimp for $100.00 if the kit is really better. Any thoughts?

wale_bate1

What about that Star Shield Armor kit Scott was talking about at Net? I didn't see pricing, but their literature seemed somewhat compelling. And the B package looked awfully complete.

saz1861

I didn't like the fact that you couldn't get pricing info or see if they had your model on the site. Installer link was just a form to fill out for them to get you information. Just seemed a bit too new to me.

wale_bate1

I understand.

I did notice, though, that their example car is an IS...

wale_bate1

Well, the mule is in for it's 10K. I let them do the align as well, though their price is ridiculous. One stop shopping, don't you know...

Other items I had them look at:
*HVAC 1 - when the compressor is on, there is a hiss like something's leaking. I doubt anything's leaking, but it's very un-Lexus-like, I should think. BTW, J, the tech said that when the ACC is on, the compressor is on. It's a defaut.
*HVAC 2 - the fan is making a very slight low buzz after about ten minutes.
*Upholstery 1 - the driver's seat back has separated from where it meets the headrest locks; almost like settling. I'm a few pounds overweight, but not THAT much.
*Upholstery 2 - got an elbow mark in the Alcantara insert on the door. I don't mean to nit pick, but I've only had the damn thing for 10K miles!

I have an '03 ES300 loaner. For the life of me, I'll never understand how they sell so many of these things!

jmess

The elbow wear on the door insert could have accelerated since you got the GS-D3s? You might try leaning your body into the corners more to take some weight off the elbows :-)

wale_bate1

I got yer body lean, right here!


The techies over at Pleasanton Lexus assure me that the little constant hiss I get when the compressor is running is normal to the IS and GS. Any of you notice the hiss? Am I just a sensitive lout?

CND on the fan buzz, so I'll have to wait til the next time round.

New driver's seat back ordered.

They sucessfully brushed back the elbow mark, but I'm sure it'll be back. Down the road I'll ask to have the insert or whole panel replaced, whichever is easier for them. They seem to think my skin secretes "more acid" than your standard IS flyer. Yeah, whatever.

I like my tires, but I do believe the sidewall has a touch more flex than the old RE040s. Added a pound more to the fronts. Me happy, me likey!

saz1861

I had window tint (32% Solarguard, Charcoal, all but front window)and Stonegard, (full kit and lights) installed on Friday. The tint really adds a great look and the Stonegard will lessen my fear of driving behind trucks. I went with the 32% because PA has a 30% limit and with the black interior it appears darker than the number. I am quite pleased with the results and will recommend this installer to those in the Philadelphia, South Jersey area if asked. I am at 900 miles on the odometer. Unfortunately, I haven't been driving it as much as I would like due to the weather and fear of highways. My 1000 mile service is scheduled for Wednesday. Next weekend, I will be taking a road trip to finally air this baby out a bit. It has been very difficult to stay under 70 mph. In the little over a month I've had this car, it has not disappointed in the least. I look forward to driving whenever I can!

maxhonda99

saz1861,

could you give me the installer information for the Stoneguard?

saz1861

The place is called AZ paint protection or Glass Tint Specialists. It is located in Maple Shade, NJ and there is a website, azpaintprotection.com. Keep in mind that AZ is NOT an authorized Stonegard installer. Jeff is an x-pel installer but since I didn't like the coverage of x-pel vs. Stoneguard, he said he would do it for me if I ordered the kit. Anyway, I don't know if you have a Sport-X or not with a name like Maxhonda but I would go on to the xpel website to check out the coverage. He cuts the xpel there if you use that system so you will save some on the S&H. xpel may well be fine for your car. Let me know what happens and tell 'em Pete with the Sportcross gave you the info. That's the great thing about the Sportcross, my last car was a Honda and if you said Pete with the Civic he would probably say, Who? I've done a million Civics.

maxhonda99

saz1861,

Thanks for the info.

I have a Accord and have been looking for awhile for a installer for Xpel or stoneguard.

jmess

FYI, when we had our 03 Accord done hood and fenders done, we followed the installer's advice to just buy a sheet of material and have him cut it to fit. He felt the Accord precut kits don't cover enough of the hood and fenders.

I wish I would have known this when I had my SportCross done in 02 because you get a lot better coverage on the hood for about the same money.

wale_bate1

<knock, knock, knock>

Hello? Anyone in here?

I still own mine, how's 'bout all y'all?

Hey J, I find running the F1s at 37lbs up front and 36lbs in back is about where I'm getting satifactory (crisp) handling. Are you up that high?

I was a little concerned going that far, but ride, wear and hot pressure are all looking OK.

How's your SX?

jmess

I still smile every time I drive my SX and I have no plans to get rid of my car anytime soon.

Wale I have 225s and 17x8 wheels on all 4 and I have been using 36 on all 4. 34 has a better ride but I drive this car mostly on the weekends for fun. so to heck with ride.

wale_bate1

So we're dead on re the pressure.

Interesting. I started to notice some real early wear on the front shoulders (after alignment) and some spongy response when I had everything at 35. Amazing the difference one or two pounds can make.

I'm still in heaven in this car. Every single day's commute or errand running is simply a joy. I can have the cruddiest day at work and be hating life, but once I'm in the car and on the road, I'm just as zen-peaceful as I can be. Gets to the point I take long-cuts just to prolong the drive.

Ahhhhhh...

wale_bate1

Hey, anybody know which branded wiper refill fits the rear wiper? I don't relish the thought of needing to go through Toyota parts for anything so commonplace.

hky

I still have mine sx, just love it whenever I get on it. 2 yrs now, service is absolutely great. LF sent me a $50 gift card out of the blue which I used to get the new cup divider (03 - much better than the old one, now the bottle water finally fit while on way to the gym) + a bottle of rejetX.

Anyone used those touch paint pen?

fredmcmurray

Any of you IS owners change your own oil? I tried this weekend. The biggest problem I thought I would have was getting any kind of tool on the filter but luckily it was only hand tight so I was able to get it off without a tool.
Then the real problem surfaced. I couldn't get the damn thing out of the engine bay. It just doesn't come out the top anyway that I could see nor could I see anything easily removable that would allow it out. Taking it out from the bottom didn't look too promising either. Any tips?
If there's one thing I hate, it's when the car designers make oil changes difficult. I hope I'm just missing the easy approach here.

wale_bate1

Oh Fred, please be very, very careful!

Really, only a Lexus factory-trained technician should ever handle maintenance on such a sensitive area of your vehicle's mechanical componentry. You don't want to have any warranty troubles, or worse void the warranty, down the road, do you?

}-]

Wimp city here: first two were free (of course) and the last one I had done at the dealer. Cost me $42.50, but they did clean my battery terminals, among other things, or so they say!

fredmcmurray

Warrantee, schmarrantee. If this was a Hyundai, I'd be worried but everyone knows Lexi never break.
Snicker if you will but my pride has been seriously damaged by getting stumped by an freaking oil change.

jmess

I change my oil twice. 1st time: I removed the oil filter while trying to catch the oil in plastic bag with paper towels inside. I couldn't slide the filter out and had to leave the messy bag hooked inside while I found a piece of wood to use as a pry bar. By applying a little pressure on the intake manifold I could rock the engine over just enough to to slide the filter out between one of the intake runners. By the time I got the filter and the bag out I had spilled a lot more oil than I had planned.

2nd time I drove the car up some cheap plastic rams and removed the wind tray under the engine. This made the filter change easier but you still have to maneuver around things to replace the filter. I also spilled more oil than I had planned. In this case it is much easier to clean.

I run Mobil 1 5-30 and follow the recommended intervals.

wale_bate1

If I was snickering, you can bet your bottom dollar it wasn't at you! wink wink nudge

I didn't have much doubt that jmess would come through for ya. Just thought we might hear from some other "experts"...

fredmcmurray

Thanks, jmess. A guy at Club Lexus who said a Lexus Master Technician does his oil changes uses the prybar technique. I did try moving the engine a bit with just hand force but it wasn't enough. I should have followed the old shadetree mechanic credo - "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger prybar."

jmess

I off ed my little Civic commuter car last weekend. It was kind of a buzz box but it handled fairly well and who can complain about 36 MPG on the highway these days. Anyway I was thinking on getting another pickup truck but the wife wanted a van. So I picked up a Honda Odyssey.

Jumping between the FWD Ody with it's high center of gravity and the SC, which sits lower with RWD, is pretty interesting. Driving the Ody is sort of like dancing with a large woman. The weight transfer that occurs when you ask it to change course is pretty interesting. Jump back in the SC and you feel like you are in a fighter plane.

The Ody motor does pull pretty good though for 240 HP in a vehicle that weighs 4000LBs. MPG is about the same as the Cross but it runs on regular.

I am still looking forward to driving the SC this weekend. Only 2 more days left dancing with the bread box.

fredmcmurray

If your wife wanted the van, why are you stuck with driving it?

jmess

My SC is a hanger queen during the week. I was commuting in the old Civic. Sort of a park and forget car. I have to go into the city every day and never know who will be passing by my car in the parking garage. The SC attracts a lot more attention than the van will.

The wife got a new Accord last year and likes the smaller size for daily commuting. I offered to trade with her; I like the Accord.

Beside being my commuter, we will use the van for camping and towing a small fishing boat. If you take the center seats out of the Ody you can sleep in it. No running water or heat but better than a tent.

fredmcmurray

You are a stronger man than I. When it came time to grab the keys every morning, I'd have a hard time passing over the IS keys to grab the ones for the van. I've sort of been there (though it was the MR2T vs. a Maxima SE(bleh!))and the one I liked driving is the one that got the nods most mornings. That's why I had to buy a $30K car to preserve a $7K car(???).

jmess

My key choice in the morning was made easier by some recent events with the unloved civic. A careless, unknown, neighbor scratched the door in the parking garage. A few weeks later somebody put chewing gum under the driver's door handle. The car was completely stock without anything to make it stand out from the crowd.

The parking garage is right next to one of our southern neighbor's consulate offices. So you have all sorts of folks coming and going all day. Sometimes in the mornings there are 30+ people lined up at the consulate office door and a lot of them have paid to parked in the ajoining garage where I park.

wale_bate1

I'm with Fred, J. I couldn't pass over the SC on a daily basis. Hell, I get depressed when I'm not driving it! You da man!

Occasionally, I'll take the Mrs.'s T&C for the day, which handles exceptionally for a mv, and you're right; getting back in to the SC is an illuminating experience to say the least. Of course, I get kinda the same feeling when I come back from a rental Park Ave at National!

jmess

I put some wheels and tires on the truck. Nice change; took out some of the initial understeer. The offset and bolt pattern appear to be the same as the SC. At some point I am going to see if a Lexus wheel will fit a Honda.

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrjmess/my_photos

It is fun to jump from the truck to the SC at the end of the week and give the GS-D3s a work out. I have noticed that after 5 days of sitting the garage the GS-D3s belts settle a bit and it takes a few blocks before they are round again.

riez

Was at my local Lexus dealer (Lexus of Omaha, Nebraska) today getting the 10,000 mile service work done. Noticed a beautiful bright red 2004 SportCross, with tan interior, sitting in the showroom. MSRP of $34,000. Has LSD, VSC, and leather. A real beauty! Surprised to see this dealer have one. He doesn't order too many. If only it had a manual transmission....

riez

Just came back from Lexus of Omaha. Same salesperson has now sold us 3 ISs: 2 sedans and now onw SportCross. Wife traded in her silver sedan for the Absolutely Red '04 SportCross. She fell in love with it at first sight and had to have it. Dealer almost never has any SportCross.

And it has everything I had to have:

-LSD ($390)
-VSC ($350)
-Summer high-performance tires (N/C)

Plus a couple things I wanted:

-Full leather Value Pkg ($1,505)
-Heated Seats ($440)

$34,035 MSRP (includes $545 dest).

Quite a beautiful, practical, all-around performer. Not only is the weight distribution better than the sedan (53/47 vs 54/46), but the SportCross rides on wider rear tires (225/45-17 vs 215/45-17). She also has a bit more rear headroom and I love the split-fold seats!

I'm (almost) jealous. If only they made a SportCross with a manual transmission....

jmess

Congrats to Mrs. Riez.

Keep an eye on the inside front tire edges for abnormal wear if you have the RE040 tires. They are pretty soft and don't like toe out from a wear standpoint. During the first 12K miles Lexus will redo the alignment if you have a problem.

ek01

Can someone tell me if the 2002 model has a side rear passenger airbag curtain. Thanks.

riez

ek01... ALL of the IS300's airbags are up front. None in back.

- The '01s had only 4 airbags: dual front and dual front side (chest).
- All '02s-'03s-'04s have 6 airbags: dual front, dual front side (chest), and dual front side curtain (head).

All IS300s have front seatbelt pretensioners. All five seating positions have 3-point safety belts.

There are no rear airbags of any kind in any IS300 regardless of model (sedan or SportCross) or year.

The IS300 has gotten very good safety ratings from Consumer Reports, NHTSA, and IIHS. Check out their web sites, ratings, and rating methodologies.

riez

My wife just came back from a two week 3,272.3 mile vacation trip with the kids. So the three of them and all their luggage and trinkets.

She used 125.169 gallons which cost her $266.26 (using premium).

She averaged 26.14 mpg, driving mostly 74 mph on interstate.

And she loved every minute of the trip. Plenty of room for them and their things. Great driving experience. Her family members loved the car. The couple that drove it were jealous.

soundman1

Can someone provide detailed info for me on what regular maintenance intervals are over the first 20K miles for a SportX, and what maintenance items should be done at each interval?

I am looking at buying a used 2002 with 17K miles, and the owner did maintenance at an independent garage, not the dealer. I have requested the maintenance records, but I want to make sure that all of the regular maintenance was done.

Thanks

maxhonda99

These should be the service intervals for the IS300(Lexus recommends either 5K or 7.5K intervals):

5K: Basically a oil/filter change, tire rotation, lubing hinges, bushings etc.

10K: Same as 5K.

15K: Same as 5 & 10K plus air filter change, possibly coolant fluid, interior air filter, wiper blades, and some other minor stuff. Sometimes dealers also add transmission fluid change at this interval to pad their wallets. But you don't really need it until at least 30K or 45K.

20K: Same as 5K.

soundman1

Thanks maxhonda99.

My concern is to make sure that sufficient maintenance was done to meet the warranty requirements.

FYI, I have communicated with 2 different dealers, one who quoted $375 for 15K service, the other $600, although neither gave me details on what they do for the money. I am still trying to get that info.

riez

Lexus provides the 1K inspection and 5K oil/filter change for free. After that, it is all your coin.

The expensive maintenance comes at 30K and 60K.

Unfortunately, unlike BMW, Mini, etc., Lexus does not provide any free maintenance after the 5K service.

mica88

Disappointed that there are no apparent changes in 05, except black fabric is not available for bluestone metallic.

riez

Reading all the car magazines the past two months is driving me nuts. All the pictures and discussions about wagons. Wagons like Audi's A3 5-door wagon. Or their A4. Mazdas, including the new 6 hatchbck. Even Kia's.

Just check out the November 2004 issue of Sports Car International. Page 22 is their review of the Audi A4 Avant 3.0 Ultra Sport. MSRP of $44,335. 0-60 mph in7.9 seconds. The article talks about the BMW 3 Series wagon and the Subaru Legacy GT wagon. No mention of SportCross.

Or page 12. Jay Lamm's "backfire" column. All about hot wagons. He talks about everything from old Volvo 850R and even P1800ES to MB to BMW 5 Series , not to mention Taurus, Peugeot, Audi, and VW. BUT NOT A SINGLE WORD ABOUT THE SPORTCROSS!

Just look at all the press Audi is getting with the A3 5-door wagon? Bet they won't even consider doing a test comparison using a SportCross.

Can't Lexus put some ads out? Give some journalists free rides in one? Do anything to remind the world that the great SportCross is here and has been since MY2002?!?!

So now wagons are hot? But nary a mention, even when they run down the list of competitors, of the SportCross.

If Lexus can't figure out how to get the word out about the SportCross today, makes me wonder how they will do it in future.

Everyone who see's my wife's bright red '04 SportCross loves it. They usually say the same thing:

"Cool car. What is it?"

And once told it is a Lexus SportCross, they say:

"I didn't know Lexus made this."

Too bad Lexus dealers are fixated on selling ES330s and RX330s, and the other behemouth SUVs.

riez

Today I'm reading the latest issue of European Car and I come across this sentence in their "First Look" at the 2005 Audi A3 5-door SportBack:

"Never before has such a high-quality compact hatch been offered in America, and it's aimed at the most dynamic sector of the market, at young, active consumers looking for distinctive vehicles to fit their lifestyles."

What a crock! Notice how what they said has applied to the SportCross which has been here for 3 model years!

EC makes a big deal about the A3's FWD, 200 HP and 207 lb-ft of torque. Oh Boy! And they rave about the A3 having ABS, EBD, TC, VSC, etc. The SportCross has all of this plus LSD!

All EC can do is compare the A3 to Saab 9-2X, Volvo V50 and Subaru WRX.

35moparman

Mr Reiz, your posts about the Lexus SC intrigue me. As an SC owner you can provide insite I could use to help me with my decision.
  I want the following features; High MPG (30+), Performance when I want it, Quiet ride, Manual trans, High safety rating (bags, curtains & ABS) sporty good looks & fun to drive.
  I am about to purchase a new car with this body type. My choices are:
Mini- S Works
Lexus Sport Cross
Saab 9-2X
 To date the Saab 9-2X is a serious contender and I'm about ready to take the plunge. Convince me why I shouldn't.
I look forward to your reply.

jmess

Why not buy a WRX and save some money or take the same money and buy a Legacy GT wagon with a 5 speed automatic vs the 4 speed in the WRX/Saab. I found the ride of the WRX is hampered by the shorter wheel base and the turbo lag can be annoying in day to day driving. I haven't driven a Legacy turbo but it should be an improvement.

The Cross has a super smooth in line 6 and equipped with good winter tires will get you where you need to go. I am going on 3 years with mind and I still enjoy it. You also seldom see a Cross anywhere.

Forget the 30 MPG with the Cross though, you will get 22-26 on the highway and 17-20 in town depending on how hard you press the pedal.

riez

35moparman... The IS300 SportCross gets you:

- Outstanding reliability
- Excellent safety
- Great value
- Magnificent performance, esp. steering, handling, and braking
- Practical utility
- Durable, smooth I6 engine
- Available LSD and stability control
- Great b-to-b and powertrain warranties (plus the option to buy a full extended warranty from Lexus, something you can't do with marques like BMW)
- Something your friends and neighbors won't have!

I much prefer RWD to either FWD or AWD.

The 9-2 is just a modified Subaru. I'd get the WRX. (The reviews of the 9-2 haven't been too kind.)

jmess is right. You'll only get about 24-26 mpg on highway.

35moparman

Thank you Gentlemen for your input. One thing I did not see in your responses; am I correct in assuming that SC does not come with a six speed manual? I am very aware that the Saab is an upscale WRX. The Saab has more sound insulation and is quieter. It also has a little more refinment on the interior. I have driven an IS for a day and liked it a lot. I've seen (one) SC in a doctor's parking spot and its styling really caught my eye. It sparked my interest enough to send me into a Lexus dealer to find out more about it.(Lexus web site did not offer much info on it)
  I know that Lexus reliability is legendary, but I really must insist on 30+ MPG in order to justify a purchase. I am happy to see it has RWD w/ LSD optional... any performance car worth its salt should be RWD (or AWD) and should also have a manual transmission. Mr. Riez what reviews are you refering to? So far I've seen positive reviews from the Edmunds editors.
  I haven't researched Car & Driver or Motor Trend etc. for additional reviews. I will tonight, however. Thanks again for feedback.

riez

35moparman... The IS300 SportCross comes only with the 5-speed E-shift automatic transmissions. And you'll only get about 24-26 mpg on highway.

I'll I can say is take a SportCross for a serious test drive. You might love it.

Sounds like you should also look at a 325i wagon, with 5-speed manual.

Only you know what is important to you, what you can pay, and what you are looking for.

I subscribe to C&D, R&T, MT, AW, Bimmer, Roundel (BMW CCA), Forza, Porsche Excellence, CR, HMC, HCC, SCC, EuropeanCar, and CA.

35moparman

The local dealer here in southern NJ didn't have any at the time I went. I'll keep looking in PA & DE.