Lexus IS 300

jmess · August 2002

Hum, the SportX came out in Oct 01. Anyone who can drive (13K+22K) 35,000 miles in 10 months will be wearing out more than tires ;-()

aa717driver · August 2002

Wife's cousin got an IS and lives up the hill west of DEN. As with my GS4, the performance tires are worthless. Snow tires on the IS allow him to go anywhere(same for my car).

Also, Potenzas are a joke. They are so gumball, I've got pencil erasers made from a harder compound!

I am looking at a WRX or IS/6spd. next time. I know it's apples and oranges amenities-wise anyone else look at those two?TC

jmess · August 2002

I think the RE040s work really well because they do have a soft rubber compound (140). I really like them in the rain. I have 6K on mine and they look like they will go 20K-30K. I would rather have a really good handling tire that last 25K than a lower performance tire that last 40-50K. Performance means better braking and better response to emergencies.

nschulman3 · August 2002

I have both. My wife uses the sportcross, while i drive the wrx. They are both a lot of fun. Since putting on 17" rims and tires, the wrx handles as well or better, even in the dry. Of course, there is no comparison in the rain or snow, although the IS does quite well in rain. The engine in the IS is much smoother, but the car isn't very fast when compared with the subie. I enjoy having a choice, but would probably pick the wrx if i had to.

wale_bate1 · August 2002

jmess

D'oh!

Should've read 12K. Sorry. She is on the road constantly, but not quite, umm, THAT constantly.

She does go through rubber, though...

markymark4 · August 2002

I have an offer for a 2002 for $413 a month for 42 mo.s. off a price of $30558 w/only inception. Options include Power & Leather, heated seats, spoiler.

Looks like a good deal. Any thoughts?

Thx,

jmess · August 2002

Sorry my head still spins when I look at leases. Edmunds has some good info on how to figure the true costs. I would compare cap cost to the invoice price of the vehicle. The new 03s should arrive next month; reports are that there are no significant changes for 03. So you should be able to get a car very close to invoice.

wale_bate1 · August 2002

So, do you know if they pulled the plug on SportCross for '03?

ilanazach · September 2002

Does anyone know if there is anything new for 2003? Information seems to be lacking. When might a redesign occur? I like the IS very much but will likely wait for a redone model with a better interior and more power.

jmess · September 2002

SportCross is on for 03. The only reported changes for the IS300 in 03 seem to be some colors and wheel styling. Rumor is a new car will be out in 04; speculation is the engine will be a V6. I hate to see the inline 6 go, it is so smooth. I have driven a new ES300 and the IS motor is smother.

As far as power goes I had some fun with a 330 4dr 5 speed today. My SportCross with the E-Shift isn't as fast in a straight line but the difference in speed isn't as much as you might think. An IS sedan with a 5 speed would have narrowed the gap to almost nothing. Throw on a good intake and exhaust system and you would probably be the one with the edge. So the point is the power is adequate unless you are into drag racing.

superman5 · September 2002

crickets in here

superman5 · September 2002

does anybody else have problem hitting parking blocks? is300's bumper hangs pretty low and everytime i park, it always scrapes the blocks in parking spaces. yesterday it scraped bottom of my bumper pretty bad =(

nyccarguy · September 2002

members of IS300.net? If you are, there was a post last week about a kid who crashed his IS300 in the rain while driving with the TRAC off, but here is the kicker...the kid put armor-all on the entire tire (not just the sidewalls). So if anybody is wondering why their insurance is so high, geniuses like that are the reason. If I can find the link, I'll post it.

bjtjps · September 2002

and one (which i can't relocate) about the guy who had his friends video him taking a turn at 80 mph and crashed, trying to take out a few innocent bystanders as well. he was complaining about how weak the is300 frame was after he walked away from the wreck... i love the car, but many of the posts i have seen make me really wonder about some of the owners.

nyccarguy · September 2002

It is funny that the poster made a comment about the frame which is considered to be one of the stiffest and most rigid in the auto industry according to crash tests.

lenscap · September 2002

In a recent article Denny Clements, the Lexus GM, said the next generation IS is due in the 2005 model year. He also said it will be a contender and not a pretender.

It will be availble in sedan, coupe and convertible models, offer AWD as an option and have a range of engines.

nyccarguy · September 2002

I think the current IS is a contender and not a pretender as far as the real world goes. Forget about the magazine comparos and check out the individual reviews, long term tests, & short takes on the IS300. Many of them have nothing but praises to say about the car. When the 5 speed model came out, prasies were sung even higher. Obviously the car isn't selling that well though because dealers are really trying to get rid of these cars.

I've heard rumors of the next iteration of the IS being offered as an IS350 (270 hp?) and possibly an IS430 (340 + hp?). Personally I think the 3.0L 215 hp I-6 is a great engine. I'm not a numbers guy. A nice looking, great driving car that handles phenomenally, and is well screwed together is more important to me than the fact that other cars are faster or have more horsepower.

An IS300 coupe seems like a good idea except I don't know how close it would be to the price point of the next generation Supra (rumored to be built on the next Altezza/IS platofrm).

If the styling is toned down a little for the next generation, the next generation of the IS (or Toyota Supra) would make an excellent replacement for my beloved Honda Prelude Type SH.

Just my opinion, I prefer stealthy looks, but still think the current IS is a good looking car (especailly with the smoked rear tail lights).

AWD is a good thing especially if you're marketing a performance car in the northeast, but I'd want a RWD model.

ambull · September 2002

according to this link:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5282
Looks the same except for wider fenders, air scoops, etc.

superman5 · September 2002

I think it is a fake picture but who knows.

What I love about our IS300's engine is the sound. I love the low deep growl i get everytime I press the gas pedal, I love the 2JZ(?) engine. inline motors rock. HP # isn't all that, I think spd is just fine for me

bjtjps · September 2002

and i was impressed by the "fun to drive" ratings the edmunds staff gave the car, especially noting their longstanding affection for bmw. it really depends on what you want in a car - most critics feel that a car of this level (and badge) should have more luxury/room in the interior. for me, there are relatively few manuals in this class and this car is just a blast to drive.

as for dealers wanting to get rid of this car - i can't say that was my experience. i practically had to beg someone to sell me this car. i was originally going to buy from a dealer about 100 miles away, but he didn't seem that interested in getting me a vehicle. neither was my local dealer. from what he said, they could sell 10 manuals/month but they aren't readily available. a collegue of mine, who had also gone through this local dealer, said it took them 5 months from the time he looked to the time they got one in for him. but we live in an area where the is300 isn't a common car.

as for upcoming modifications - there's been a lot of speculation. hard to tell what is true prototype or merely fantasy.

nyccarguy · September 2002

I'd like to see LEXUS reatin the current 3.0L I-6 as the BASE engine and then offer the 3.5L I-6 and the 4.3L V-8 engines as options. 3 engine choices, coupe, sedan, wagon (sorry, sportcross), RWD or AWD will make for some great competition in the marketplace.

rghessel · September 2002

I wish Lexus would revamp the interior of this otherwise very cool car. Is anyone else as turned off by the cheap (and tacky)looking gauges and controls?

nyccarguy · September 2002

I actually like the chonograph style instrumentation, but what I didn't like about the 2001 model (the last one I drove/sat in) was the 3 humps on the dashboard to the right of the instrument cluster.

vocus · September 2002

I LOVE the style of the gauges on the dash. The dash itself is not up to the visual appeal level of my VW Jetta's, in my opinion, though.

superman5 · September 2002

I agree, chonograph style instrumentation is awesome, some cheap plastic material sucks and plastic gets scratches over long period of time. i think corolla uses softer plastic material than IS300, but overall interior of IS300 is not too bad, I like it alot, very original. I love my color combo also, GGP w/ black seats and everything is dark inside. One thing, i never drive with my windows down, dust gets in and makes my car dusty.

bjtjps · September 2002

i don't mind the gauges and overall am satisfied with the interior - i like the monochromicity much more than wood trim, which seems to be the standard in "luxury" cars (even when real, it looks fake to me). to be honest, i find the inset gauges pretty useless - who needs a running tally of battery charge or instantaneous gas mileage?

the interior does need some changes though - there are universal complaints about the cupholders (which get in the way when occupied by anything larger than 12 oz.) and the relatively sparse storage space. give me practicality over beauty any day...

i don't know if the jetta has the same dash as the passat, but i thought the dash for the passat was a lot of fun. i've never been fond of orange dashlights - i'd even prefer plain white.

vocus · September 2002

Yes, the basic look is the same. And the lights are not orange, they are red. Like I told a friend of mine the other day, if it's good enough for fighter planes, it's good enough for my dash.

kartah · September 2002

From a design and ecstatic point of view, the Dash of the IS is Good, but not Great. From certain angles it looks as if it's still trying to find it's place. It's not yet comfortable with itself, like a bottle of not yet aged Red wine.

Compared to BMW 3-series however, you can see that from every angle it is seamless, well thoughout and everything fits well together. Like a well written song. Then again, design is subject and taste is different from owner to owner.

swinga7 · September 2002

How is the is300 in snow? It one of the cars on my long list of potential new cars but I live in New England so how a car handles in snow is a big factor in my car buying.

nyccarguy · October 2002

Go for the IS300 and then buy yourself a set of 16" Steel Winter Wheels and Winter tires. You'll be fine. Oh yeah, go for the 5 speed as well:)

jmess · October 2002

Last winter I bought a set of Konig 16" alloys with Bridgestone LM-22s for my SportCross. I only got to drive on snow for 2 days but I had no problems getting around. Canadian IS owners have reported that the IS does fine when equipped with a good set of winter tires.

My car has ABS, LSD, skid control, traction control, along with snow mode for the e-shift. Outside of an AWD/4WD car equipped with winter tires I don't think you can really find alot of fault with the way the IS handles on snow. I always seemed to have enough traction to drive around the idiots in SUVs and pickups who discover that lift-throttle-oversteer is not a new type of hamburger.

The only thing that I could see as a potential problem, with almost any sports sedan, would be ground clearance in really deep snow. My first car was a Corvair and in deep snow the nose would plow snow to a point where the front wheels would start to raise off the road.

ron_m · October 2002

Personally, I find the IS300's interior to be quite nice. Original design that is racy-looking
yet still classy. My only complaint does pertain
to the cup holder issue(s) previously mentioned
on this board and elsewhere. I think we can all
find a few features of any vehicle's interior to
be somewhat undesirable--due to varying personal
preferences. But again, I find the IS300's interior to be pretty sharp when compared to a lot of other cars' interiors.

Ron M.

is300_lover · October 2002

My wife and I took a major step and finally put down the money for the 2002 IS. Boy, I love this car (but I've only had it for two days, and the second day, I'm stuck here in the office)!!! I love the way it handles corners with confidence, the passing power. Previous to this, I had a camry, and every time some little punk in his [non-permissible content removed] car flashed his lights at my rear, I reluctantly, but realistically had to relent. Not this time, baby! I simply put the shifter in "M", pushed downshift and pulled away from the young punk. Simple as that.

There are some concerns that I do have with the car. I wonder if you guys have experienced similar problems/concerns/issues:

1. Radio reception: isn't terribly good. Even my camry had better reception. What about you guys? How have you dealt with the situation?

2. Build quality: Granted, I live in Jersey, which probably has the worst roads in the civilized world. However, I noticed a bit of rattling emenating from somewhere on the dash. Have you experienced anything like that?

Other than these quibbles (and the gas mileage, which I expected), the car is a blast to drive. I would love hearing your comments on the two problems. Look forward to many more discussions with you folks.

jmess · October 2002

I live on the west coast and my SportX replaced a Tundra truck that had the 3 in 1 factory head unit. I found the IS radio to be a lot better than the radio in my Tundra; I don't think I noticed any real + or - in range though. I tend to listen to the CDs 80% of the time anyway. As you might know the IS has a dual antenna system, there is an antenna in the windshield along with the roof antenna.

The rattle might be between the instrument panel glass/plastic and the frame. I wedged a chunk of foam rubber between them the first month I had the car and I had forgotten about the noise until I saw your post. The foam isn't visible.

If the noise goes away when you touch the glass/plastic and the instrument panel frame then you know you have found the source.

It nice to have a faster car but be advise you may find the IS draws some attention. Don't let one of the little morons lure you into a contest that could endanger you or anyone else on the road. Just ignore them like you did in the Camry.

Also, you need to think carefully about using the term "Rice boy". There are many people in this country who don't care for it. Enough said. Hope you enjoy your IS. Check out is300.net you will find a lot of info about your car.

pat · October 2002

that term is off-limits in the Town Hall. I'll let the messages above stand, but going forward please refrain from using any "rice" terms related to vehicles.

Thanks.

vocus · October 2002

I agree with you on the "boy" thing. It's politically incorrect and inappropriate. "Motorhead" might be more appropriate.

pat · October 2002

We are not going to have this conversation here. If anyone has further comments to make, please address them to me off-line.

Let's get back on topic....

is300_lover · October 2002

Ooh... didn't know about the term being off-limits. Will keep that in mind for future postings.

Anyway, thanks for the info on the rattling. I will try that. I am a bit dismayed that there is any rattling of any kind in a brand-new Lexus. Aren't the build quality supposed to be excellent?

And Jmess, yup, won't do anything stupid here. Good to hear advice like that from time to time.

jmess · October 2002

The trouble with cars are they are made by people or machines designed and built by people. I remember fondly riding in a brand new Ferrari on a rainy day and the top leaked? In general the car was noisy and somewhat uncomfortable to ride in but everything else was pretty cool.

I have personally have never had any car, or spent any significant time in a car, that didn't make some noise at some point that was out of tune with the rest of the car.

If the noise persists you can always make a trip to the dealer. Most Lexus shops provide a loaner car if you schedule your visit in advance.

My only unscheduled trip to the dealer so far has been for the windshield squirters. Until the IS, with all the Toyotas I had owned, you pull the lever back to squirt the windshield. I thought my squirters were broke and dropped into the dealer. I was a little red faced to learn that you have to push the button on the outside of the lever. So much for a day in the life of a highly trained Engineer :-)

vocus · October 2002

Actually, almost all Toyota are like that. You push the button at the end of the wiper stalk to wash the windshield.

jmess · October 2002

The Trucks may be different, I traded my Tundra for the IS and it was pull back to squirt. The other two Toy truck I had prior to the Tundra were also pull back. I think pull back is easier to use at speed.

I just upgraded my SportX over the last week. Installed a K&N intake, L-tuned muffler, and a set of Eibach swaybars. The car is definetly a little quicker and turns into corners with a little more gusto.

Next up is a set of body colored mud guards that had to be special ordered from Japan. The IS is the first car I have had in a long time that you couldn't get a set of factory mud guards for from the dealer.

is300_lover · October 2002

Yeah, that is true (people making cars). But the reason why Lexus (Lexi?) command such a premium is because of quality that is associated with the name.

If Kia made the IS300, it would be priced less, because the Kia nameplate just is not as valuable as teh Lexus nameplate. And precisely because of this, people EXPECT more from a Lexus IS300. (In fact, I would not really complain about a Kia making noises, because I presumably would have paid less for it.)

jmess · October 2002

Some of the worst noises I ever had in cars were with some of the cheaper cars I had. I complained loudly because the noises were so downright annoying on a daily basis.

I didn't really believe that Lexus could build a prefect car when I bought mine and still don't after owning it. Probably the most perfect car I ever had was a new 87 Honda Accord. It was so perfect I would start to doze off while driving it. I sold it 9 months later due to lack of interest.

hky · October 2002

Sounds like I am not the only one to have rattling noise between the clear plastic gauge cover and the external housing. I've been to the dealer 3 (4) times to get them fix it. 1st time they improve it but forgot to plug back the light (duh..). 2nd time no improvment, 3rd time fix last 1 day. That sound is quite annoying (like some broken plastic shaker box). I always know the sound is coming from there since if I push the gauge cover I hear the same sound, finally I bought the little furniture felt pad from lowes and stuck it in the glove of the plastic housing near the guage cover and the sound is pretty much gone.

lenscap · October 2002

For those interested, Lexus held an all-day new products meeting with dealers on Friday. While the new RX 330 was the main topic, Lexus confirmed with their dealers that the next-generation IS will be on sale in the fall of 2004 as a 2005 model.

wngjd · October 2002

I like the IS' Navigation System because the screen isn't always exposed like those in other cars (including other Lexus'). Okay, it looks real trick too opening and closing. Is the screen a touchscreen like other cars or is it only controlled by the joystick? The Lexus site indicates that it is but at the auto show, the screen didn't seem to be. It would be hard to use as a touchscreen since it is located so far up the dash but touchscreens are far easier to use than a joystick. Any answers?

vocus · October 2002

I am pretty sure it's a touch screen, like the Camry's is.

n1daniel · October 2002

I live in southern california and I would like to know if anybody received any good deals on Is300. I am looking for 36 months, 15K miles with nav. I also own a lexus now so I am wondering if Lexus still have some incentives for Lexus owners to stay with them.

superman5 · October 2002

is300's nav is not touch screen
i prefer it that way since it is so easy to leave finger prints, i hate it when people sit in my car and they think it is touch screen and leave smudges on the screen =/

superman5 · October 2002

you should be able to get nav equpped is300 (probably fully loaded, with full leather/lsd/htd sts, moonroof) about 33k neighborhood , lease rate would depend on yoru credit rating

Lexus IS 300

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