Lexus IS 300

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Comments

  • tacoriverstacorivers Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased a 2003 IS300 and I am very pleased. I recently sold my BMW M Coupe and was looking for something that was more comfortable and had more space. Nothing short of an M3 or AMG MB could even touch the performance of the M Coupe, so I wasn't looking for the fastest or the sharpest handling sedan. Also, I wanted to save money buy limiting my spending to 33K.

    I purchased an auto. loaded IS for 30,500 + TTL. Its by far one of the best cars I've driven, especially for the price. I think that it compares quite favorably to my old 330i and costs 10K less. Most drivers will not use more than 80% of thier car's ability (I learned this with the M Coupe) in everyday driving situations.
    So, the marginal loss in performance is not noticable.

    I love the styling. I know that this is subjective, but I don't know how many people have said that the style is too "young" or "boy racer". Do you like it or not should be the question. I'll leave the image considerations to those who insist on wearing designer clothes and eating at bad trendy restaurants.

    My wife commented that the interior is much better than her old E Class or my 330i. I tend to agree. The driving position is perfect.

    Last but not least is the Lexus service. We were treated like royalty the entire time we were at the dealer. And get this: two years of free oil changes (not as good as BMW or AUDI but not bad) and my dealer will send somebody to my office to pick up my car, give me a loaner, and then return the car when its done.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    tacorivers - When you say $30.5K loaded, do you mean including the Nav system? That sounds like an incredible price. Where are you located?
  • superman5superman5 Member Posts: 154
    i don't think he said fully loaded, he just said loaded probably meaning, escaine, moonroof, and auto.
  • tacoriverstacorivers Member Posts: 2
    No Navigation, but full leather and power, rear spoiler, trunk net and mat.
  • inthezoneinthezone Member Posts: 21
    Yo! People - I am flying in car heaven right now!! I am sooo in love with my car its ridiculous!! I've washed it 5 times already. The ride is very sporty but silky at the same time! The leather seats are perfect for me - snug but not squishy. It feels like good leather not the cheapy stuff! The 8-way power seats for BOTH the driver & front passenger are a definite plus! Any excuse to drive the car - I've got it! What! honey you want a pizza tonite? Let me go get it for you! (Back 1 hour later ...) I took delivery on March 22 so its about 12 days now. The salesguy didn't call me when he picked it up from the prep center. Figures. I actually went in 2 days prior to the 22nd to check only all the lights at nite! Someone suggested to do that but don't take delivery at nite. There was only 6 miles on the speedometer. I checked the tires & the little nubbies were still there. So he didn't burn rubber. At delivery, the car was not exactly Lexus clean tho'. The bottom portion of the grille & exhaust pipe was water spotted. Behind the wheel spokes were dried drippings from either brake dust or cleaning. Rather than yelling I politely asked the salesguy to clean it. I told him I'm surprised the detailer felt the job was complete. He was kinda taken back-like-REALLY?? I said nothing & ignored him. He gave in & took the car to get it cleaned. He was gone for 45 mins & announced that he had to clean it himself cuz everybody was busy! Aside from dealership attitude - I am having the time of my life!! People stare!! On the way home from delivery this "green car" was tailing my [non-permissible content removed] on the freeway (the road was empty) - almost to home even! I was getting really annoyed! The "green car" pulled along side for a short time then zoomed away! That "green car" was another IS300!! I cracked up! Did you find it hard to do the "break-in" period? I wanna "board" the car already! Salesguy said to drive between 55-60 for the 1 or 2 hundred miles. What did you guys do?
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    I found it impossible to drive my car at 55-60 on the freeway. Just take it easy for a couple 100 miles; avoid full throttle and high engine revs along with heavy braking. The engine was ran in at the factory. You are really breaking in the brakes, transmission, and rear differential. So try and find pizza places that are on the other side of town so you can get more miles on the car faster.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Kinda like a little slice of heaven eh?

    I'm with jmess on the speed limit. I bought mine about 100 miles from home, so my first drive was a freeway run. I tried to take it easy, but hey, c'mon now! I avoided holding a constant speed for too long though. I let the odo hit 1K before I went full-throttle, and avoided any hard braking situations.

    Have you noticed the butthead count going up around you? I noticed it right off the bat! Little dwids in all manner of conveyance looking to turn everything into a contest. Oh well, let 'em!

    brydymond: I find the 1-2 shift particularly soft at full tilt, though all the shifts are a bit squishy. For a "formula one inspired" manumatic, it's not particularly sporting. It seems lifted without massaging directly from a Camry. Truth is, the Mitsu Sportmatic (or AutoStick, as DCX calls it) I just left was firmer and more "sporting", though it sadly lacked the closer ratios afforded by a fifth gear.

    Mind you, I'm not seriously complaining at all; I really don't stoplight drag and I go M-mode on curvey bits, but it feels to me like about a half-second could be shaved off the 0-60 if the shifts were firmed up a bit. Put too much lux in sport-lux, and at some point all you've got is lux! :O
  • ron_mron_m Member Posts: 186
    Has anyone out there ever gotten a price quote for a 2002 IS300 wheel? If so, how much did the dealership's parts department want for one? Long story behind the reason I need to replace one of the wheels on my IS300.

    Thanks in advance!

    Ron M.
  • hkyhky Member Posts: 71
    Mine is the 5 spoke graphite price is above 600 w/ labor. If the damage is not too severe, wheel shop may be able to repair it. I've mine repaired for half the price. Really can't see any difference after the repair.
  • ron_mron_m Member Posts: 186
    hky,

    Looks like I may be in luck. The spare tire is mounted on the exact same wheel type as the four primary wheels. I'm just going to replace the bad wheel with the spare--and let the bad one become the spare. The only problem with the bad one is that I got into a tight parking situation and accidentally curbed the left, front tire. Due to having such low-profile tires mounted on the stock rims, the concrete curb also got into the edge of the rim creating about a 2 inch long burr in the metal. It doesn't look all that bad, but I'm extremely picky about my cars. I want the wheels to be as flawless as possible. There was a Suburban and an extended cab pickup truck parked directly behind me yesterday at work, so it was a struggle trying to get out of an end parking spot without curbing the left, front tire. You would have had to have seen this parking situation to understand why it was so tight.

    At any rate, the spare usage may just end up saving me about $465.00 for a replacement wheel.

    By the way, thanks for the advice on the wheel repair option. I may still go ahead and have what is now going to be my spare buffed out. Providing of course that a wheel repair shop can pull this process off without making the wheel look even worse. Hopefully they can buff out the burrs with little difficulty.

    Ron M.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 17,535
    If you're replacing wheels, definitey check out Ebay as many IS300 owners choose to replace their stock rims with aftermarket ones. You might be able to pick up 1 (or 4) cheaper than the cost of replacing 1 wheel from the dealership.

    If you're skeptical about ebay (and there are many reasons to be), then definitely call around to different dealers outside your area, you'll be suprised at the cash you can save. Then just bring it to a tire shop to have it mounted and balanced.

    When a steel plate I drove over cracked one of the rims (among other major damage) of my 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH, I called about 5 dealers in the NYC area and was quoted a price of about $445. I called a dealership in Connecticut that shipped me the wheel via FedEx for $330 (including shipping).

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD

  • hkyhky Member Posts: 71
    Ron,

    It's pain to suddenly have to pay for that 1 second.. I was following 2 big suv and suddenly both of them swayed to the right side on of the highway, when it's my turn I met with a few debris and my wheel struck with one appeared to be a alternator - chipped a little on the rim and noticable scar on the service. Since my spare is not the same as the graphite, I don't have your option. My dealer gave me a loaner why they send the wheel to the repair shop. Then you may be able to find a better deal on ebay or internet..
  • ron_mron_m Member Posts: 186
    Hello hky and nyccarguy,

    Thanks for the feedback guys! It does take the wind right out of your sails when a one second driving screw up can end up costing you a rather large chunk of change. :-) But the money aspect of it doesn't necessarily bother me as much as the inconvenience of having to swap out the rim with a replacement. Whether I end up buying a wheel off of Ebay or using my own spare, it's still sort of a self-made hassle to have to deal with. Also, I just wish that I hadn't gotten hemmed into that parking space by those two behemoth-sized vehicles. That made it very difficult to get out of my parking space without curbing the tire and corresponding rim. But, it could be much, much worse. It's just the price of an education. Next time I'll just make extremely short turns and work my way out by backing up and pulling forward a few times until the clearance is better. Being more patient will pay off. :-)

    Regards,

    Ron M.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Hey, a question for those in other locales: I pulled into the Safeway parking lot on Saturday, and there was a pristine sedan in a color I have not previously seen. It was an orange very similar to that great Jeep color on this and last year's Liberty. Orange, but with deep red and slight brown undertones. Very tasty.

    I've never seen it before. Was that a first year only color? Or did someone actually repaint a mostly new car?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...to a factory color in the first year that was called Autumn Something-or-other. It was not quite orange and not quite red, and very striking...but also questionable in my mind as to how well it would age on the street. Sounds like it got your attention, anyway...
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Yeah, caught my eye in a big way. It's easy to understand why any mfr would shy away from taking a big cost risk on an off-beat color. I think the Autumn-whatever is a safer bet than Solar Yellow, though!

    Minor qualm #2: I want a much lower intensity bulb behind the "Trac Off" indicator. This has quickly become my default setting, and that little light is kind of annoying.

    How's that for niggling? :)
  • jay108jay108 Member Posts: 52
    Drove one. Sized like a Corolla. Six banger with a bunch of options; big deal.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Where are you, man? Still out driving?!? :)

    Give us an update.

    You know what I'm impressed with? The brakes. Funny? These brakes feel wonderful. The confidence you get from brakes that have a firm very linear feel and remarkable consistency is amazing.

    Gadzooks, I love this thing... :)
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    Corolla-sized? How about BMW 3-series???? IS300 is nearly identical in size to A4 and 3-series.
    You want space: get a BUICK.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    I agree: the traction control off light is too
    intrusive: I turn it off and then after a short while back on, because at night it distracts me.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...it IS Corolla-sized - but so is the MB C [we have both an '03 Corolla and an '02 C240 - the Corolla is slightly bigger], the BMW 3er, and the Audi A4. All of these cars vary somewhere between 174" and 178" in length, more or less, and have the same interior room plus or minus a couple of cubic feet. If being "Corolla-sized" is a sin, it is one that defines the class. What precisely is the point?
  • jay108jay108 Member Posts: 52
    I like the Corolla better because it has front wheel drive and gets better gas mileage.

    I don't care to spend my money on the IS.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    Chances are, the types of people who dislike IS300
    tend to be very conservative without a trace of enthusiasm. It takes a driver to value an inline-6, 5-speed short throw shifter, ZR-rated tires and BMW-crushing handling. For Jay, may I suggest an Acura TL: a front driver with lots of space and
    "value" for the dollar, yet the car that is boring and utterly lacking in the dynamics department. TL & CL seem to cater to these "value" oriented buyers: it is a competent car and you will feel like you have a lot of sheet metal for your sheckel.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    Ha-ha. You are funny :)
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I wasn't gonna play to the troll, but since y'all fired, I'll just say, "have you been in a Corolla recently?" Things are freakin' huge! :) I wouldn't worry about it; jay just bought himself a Vibe. IIRC, that's a hip hatch version of the, ummm, Corolla. I like 'em, except for the fact that they're a little too tall for my tastes and of course the power goes to the wrong wheels!

    rsr: I can deal with it during the day, but, yeah, you're right, at night it's really distracting. I'd imagine a lower wattage bulb could be subbed (unless it's a LED), but getting into the cluster to change it is generally a pain, and I can't begin to imagine what it would cost to have a Lex-tech do it!! Maybe a spot of duct tape over the spot? Sure seems to be plenty around these days...;)
  • jay108jay108 Member Posts: 52
    Thats right I did just buy a Vibe a few days ago. It is suitable for light hauling so I can unload my wifes minivan in a year or two, at that time I might actual get her a Lexus or Acura. I have decided to stop using my GM Mastercard; it tends to lock you into GM products; switching over to a frequent flier card instead, free airline tickets are always good.

    I put American Racing wheels on it and it looks fine. Once they start selling the supercharger package, I'll buy it its reasonable say, $2500. Though so far I can't really complain about the engine power.

    I did like the IS fine; it reminds me of my '82 Supra I had, it had the 2.8L inline 6 w/RWD.

    I just want to banter about on the message board.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    You poop, you! :)

    So, you like the Vibe? Dumb question I guess. I think the two cousins are pretty sharp, even though I can't quite get past this new, tall, "micro-van" styling concept. If the profile were about 4" shorter (and it was a RWD I-6!), I could definitely take one home!

    I had AR-50 16" rims (painted, no chrome 150s) on my old '95 Stratus ES. There were solid and much better looking than the OEMs. Watch out though, some of AR's more stylish rims are really heavy, and on a sizeable four-banger under 200 hp, extra unsprung weight is gonna hurt.

    Have fun.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    ....Both were called "driving appliances" by Car & Driver. The 1.8L has no torque, too peaky the
    car. It is basically a station wagon with a high-revving 4-banger. Between Vibe & Matrix, I think Matrix is way more tasteful: that GM body cladding is ugly. The manual seems to be well positioned and the interior is nice.
  • jay108jay108 Member Posts: 52
    When C&D called it an appliance, I thought that was a compliment implying reliability. The engine has plenty of power for everyday service. My Vibe came with the 'no cladding' option.

    On my business travels the past 2 years, I have rented many Japanese and domestic cars; the only one I thought lacked power was the 4cyl Galant; all other base engines seem fine to me even though guys like C&D say they are underpowered.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    jay - Based on your posts I would have to say that I agree that the IS would be a big waste of money for you. I think you made a wise choice.
  • ifish66ifish66 Member Posts: 1
    I need some advice from IS300 owners. I have compared a few new cars and have narrowed my choices to the IS300, Acura CL type S and the G35 coupe. I test drove the IS300 and was surprisingly impressed. The only reservation I have, is the car going to fast enough for me. I like the car but with only 215hp, is it enough?

    Also, does anyone have any comments on leasing or buying. The dealer is trying to talk me into leasing sayng there is a program for 329 a month
    with $2500 plus taxes and fees. Should I lease it just buy it since interest rates are low.

    Thanks
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 17,535
    Only you can make the decision on wether or not 215 HP is enough for you. Obviously something impressed you about the IS300. Given the IS300's almost 200lb weight advantage, it should perform more than adequetly in everyday driving.

    As for buying vs. leasing, you need to decide on the mileage you do and wheteher or not you like to customize the car or not. If you do lease, do not put a $2500 Cap Cost Reduction (down payment) on the lease. All you're doing is giving them their money early. If the car gets totaled or stolen during the lease, that $2500 vanishes.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD

  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    The only real answer is to drive all the cars then decide for yourself. I have found the performance of my E-shift SportCross to be entertaining. I find the engine to be really smooth and have good midrange power.

    I have never leased a car before. Edmunds has a leasing guide.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    Here is why you should choose the IS:

    Acura cons:
    - Front wheel drive: a sporty car in this price range must have rear wheel drive.
    - Spotty quality (Ohio-built Acura has been less than perfect)
    - Notchy gearbox (manual), as for the Auto version: Honda/Acura automatics are known for their poor reliability.

    G35 cons:
    - Too new to have any track record.
    - Infinity depreciation has been terrible (even if you lease, this will greatly affect your residual value)
    - No manual on a sedan (in case you care)
    - Styling (subjective)

    IS300 has more than sufficient power: you will be happy with performance. And the buttery smoothness of this engine is another story. All in all, IS300 is a Lexus with all the quality associated with this marque.
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    I did test drive the cars you mentioned prior to deciding on IS300, and G35 was a very close runner-up. If you can have them come down in price to match the IS (about $29,000)....
    Oh, and depreciation will be severe.
  • superman5superman5 Member Posts: 154
    get the g35 coupe!!! best value
  • rmtraderrmtrader Member Posts: 30
    Has anyone heard if the new Toyota 3.3L V-6 is going to replace the current Inline 6? I personally love the current motor, not because of it's outrageous power but because of it's excellent throttle response. Any rumours?
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Here's the link jmess posted:

    http://www.autofiend.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&a- mp;sid=51&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

    I'm not enthused frankly. It would appear a 3 series is in my future. [sigh]
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    Let's see, a V-6. What else can they do to screw it up? Wanna bet they make it larger, add more sound deadening and soften up the ride to satisfy the mainstream crowd and thereby destroy what is best about the current car?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...but that sounds like a good plan to me - a quieter car with more room and a better highway ride would actually sell me on this car. To each his own...
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I'm on the same road as Don. This car sold me on handling, fun factor, and being able to distinguish it from the crowd. Bigger, quieter and highway cruisability is how you sell Buicks, NOT compete for a piece of the BMW niche pie. You want a better Buick? ES, GS or LS will take care of all your needs.

    This car was supposed to help rejuvinate the demographic for Lexus, and it was heading in almost exactly the right direction. Can't happen overnight. The updates I'm looking at are just the ticket to attract stodgy customers, not youthful ones (notice not "young" per se); the exact opposite direction of that intended.

    Improvements I would have made? Tidy up the interior to make it a bit more cohesive, find ways to reduce the weight and improve the efficiency of their I6 (the plant that is a major factor in this car's appeal), replace or augment (replace would be better) e-shift with a sequential manual and lose a whole lot of the ridiculous and unnecessary badging.

    Getting into idiotic horsepower wars with a platform whose greatest attribute is, and should be, its handling is ludicrous. And no V6 is going to deliver the great response as smoothly and sweetly as an I6, ever, IMO.

    Unfortunately, unless a dark horse shows up on the program, it looks like I will have only the 3-series wagon in three years as an option when the lease is up.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    wale_bate - The residual on that lease is ridiculously low, so you could seriously consider buying it out at the end of the 39 months. Then you don't have to sweat what to replace it with.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Depending on whether or not the 3 series gets all Bangled up, Don, I may just end up doing that.

    Problem is I know me! I'm going to be hankering for a new thrill in about two and a half years! ;)
  • dill6dill6 Member Posts: 120
    how does RWD with traction and stability control perform in serious snow-packed road conditions? This is WITH good dedicated winter tires on, like Blizzaks. And I'm talking about totally snow packed - not a little slush on a city street, and not dead-flat either, but hilly terrain.

    Anyone have any experience with this?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    What makes you say the depreciation will be severe on the G35 coupe?
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...ride as well as a standard 325 or C-Class is hardly going to turn it into a Buick. Whatever...
  • rsr742002rsr742002 Member Posts: 64
    Based on Infinity lineup, which is known to have higher than average depreciation. But why take my word for it, go to a dealer and ask about residual values on, let's say QX4 and G35 and then go to a Lexus dealer and ask about residual values on RX300 and IS. Enough said. Infinity has a Nissan-level of depreciation. To me, depreciation is one of the vital parts of the deal.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Admittedly, I've never driven a C-class, as I never found it appealing nor considered it real competition in the sport sedan category, but I cross-shopped the 325it against the SportCross. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the IS's ride quality, IMO. Nothing.

    Don't fix what ain't broken, says I!
  • maxhonda99maxhonda99 Member Posts: 1,289
    Here are some key things I would change on the IS300 for the future. I don't own, but I did test drive a IS300 when it was first introduced. I think the ride is fine, therefore that is definately one thing not to change too much, if at all.

    But some things I would change:
    -Redesign the interior so that it's more Lexus-like. Basically better quality materials an cleaner design.
    -Add a bit more room. Maybe add a few inches to length of the car, a couple to wheelbase, so that legroom is greater(I found the front seat kind cramped and the back-seat was downright small).
    -Also, add some trunk space.
    -Add some features, notably VSC, curtain bags,
    -Add some power, the current one is a bit slow compared to it's competition.
    -And improve fuel efficiency, the current figures suck compared to the competition.
    -Let's not forget a 6-speed manual.
  • jmessjmess Member Posts: 677
    Well you can scratch VSC and side curtain airbags off the list; they have available since 02.

    http://www.lexus.com/showroom/model/is_sportcross_safety.html

    The Sportcross has more useable space but not any more trunk space.

    The car has a nice balance of power and handling. How fast, is fast enough, is your call. Every car I have ever driven could be faster.

    Not too many people base their purchase on 3 or 4 MPG difference in gas consumption. If we were interested in saving the planet, we wouldn't be buying sports sedans.

    Not too many people are really interested in rowing the gears, so 6 speed manual is not very high on the list of must haves. Now a 6 speed e-shift might be nice.

    Other than that I agree with you ;-)
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