My 2007 IS 220-d doesn't swing it's boot open fully when you ask it to, it just unlocks it and pops it about 1 inch.
I assumed this to be a limitation across the range.

Having just driven a US toyota camry, though, I'm not so sure.
The boot on that would pop wide open, and much of the mechanism seemed to be the same.

So: Does your IS boot swing open, or just pop it open an inch or so?

Originally I asked lexus and they said it just doesn't.
If some of yours do then I'll ask them again why mine doesn't.

Hello
No it does not, I asked this question before buying my IS220 as i thought it was faulty.
the Boot lid on my IS200 used to open up. but not on the new one

Regards
Matt

Sucks, doesn't it?!

I'm considering moving to a GS450h.
If it didn't do it on that either I'd be very miffed.

Hey Gareth. The boot on the UK spec IS will only just pop open. I have the top se-l spec and it is the same too. A pity I agree.

It just unlocks as it was designed to do. What's the problem? I'm sure there's an aftermarket fix for those of you without full use of both arms

second that.

I started out with a question, not a problem.

However the gist of your question still bears answering:
The problem is that a IS with all possible options should be able to do something that a far cheaper camry can do, when many of the parts are shared between Toyota and Lexus, and Lexus is supposed to be the prestige marque.
Furthermore, I believe it's even possible that the old IS model used to do so, though I might be wrong.
And that it's a reasonable expectation that it might do so, because competitors do so;
And further because it's practically useful to do so.

Does the new IS have gas struts or torsion bars on the bootlid?

I have the old IS and was a little bit disappointed that there's torsion bars and a stick to hold the bonnet up, was hoping for gas struts. Then again struts might struggle with the weight of the bonnet.

Gas struts

The bonnet has gas struts but is prevented from opening up by the safety catch once the release is activated. The boot lid isn't exactly heavy and I don't want mine to spring up to be honest. My IS200 boot opens a little further but the mechanism is to assist opening, not spring up like a Jack-in-the-Box.

....and if I had a 220D I'd have more to worry about than whether the boot lid springs fully open or not

The toyota and Mercedes ones I have seen/used have been a very gentle action with a lot of cushioning, so not something that you could, for instance, launch a squirrel with.... If that's what you're planning.

The reason I asked whether it was struts vs. torsion bars is because if it doesn't open fully and has torsion beams then it could be that the bars have come out of place or they aren't strong enough. Torsion bars can be unreliable on some cars if they aren't uprated to take the weight of spoilers on sport models etc.

Seeing as the new IS has struts, I'd say the bootlid is doing exactly what it was designed to do, and is designed not to spring open for whatever reason.

I had a car a few years ago where the torsion bars were getting tired and the bootlid could come down and smack me in the head while I was putting stuff in the boot. That used to annoy me.

....and if I had a 220D I'd have more to worry about than whether the boot lid springs fully open or not

Not everyone has an issue with the 220D, Mine is superb for what i need, and returns good readings for Fuel Economy,

I used to have an e60 5 series - the boot on that sprung opne so hard you could launch the squirrels and the tree they were in!!

Was sometimes useful, but I lose count of the amount of times I nearly decapitated one of the kids

My 200d just opens slightly. That is how I would like it, rather than opening wide to the local riff-raff in the supermarket car park when I do it from the drivers seat and cannot get round the back to stop them!

I don't think I've ever opened it from inside.
I mostly use the rubber nipple on the bootlid, but sometimes use the fob.

In Northern Italy at the mo and Hertz have given me a BMW 320D...and guess what?........ the boot lid remote opening does exactly the same as my IS250 SE-L.