Review After A Few Days Ownership

[Greenfield]

Hi

Thought it was worth listing my initial likes and dislikes after few days of ownership (IS300h Premier), just my opinions!

Like:

• Refinement,so relaxing to drive
• Great handling
• Very comfortable driving position and seats
• Electric memory seats
• Feels very special & high quality
• Feels alternative (to 3 series, A4, C class)
• Heater slide controls
• Reversing camera
• Blind spot monitor
• Performance more than adequate (despite press reports)
• No issues with CVT gearbox (despite press reports)
• Auto wipers & lights
• Promising fuel economy
• Folding rear seats

Not Sure:

• Mark Levinson seems no better than standard system (perhaps it’s my music selection)
• £10 road tax is satisfying but not important in relation to cost of the car (private not company owned)
• Complexity makes me nervous about keeping it beyond 3 years (despite the additional Hybrid warranty)
• Connected services (with premium nav) seem very complicated & fickle, suspect I will never use them

Dislike:

• No spare wheel
• Unable to turn off traffic news part way through broadcast
• No sound mute button for music system
• No digital speed readout
• Unable to undo windows from remote (needs setting by Lexus)
• My left elbow falls into the central cup holders
• Not enough interior storage

Summary:

A superb car, highly recommended especially if you can stretch to the Premier

[DJP]

Glad to read that the car scores ok on all the major points and it's mainly minor niggles.

One point, you can mute the music, from memory I think you press and hold the middle button in the cluster on the left side of steering wheel. Repress to activate again.

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[rayaans]

Few points about the ML -

1) There should be an equalizer somewhere, have a play with it as it sounds bog standard when it comes out of the factory as everything is neutral

2) CD's dont sound as good compared to USB or Ipod. DVD Audio however, is better than all of these and there is a noticeable difference.

3) ML is made for Audiophiles. Its a system which plays music how the producer wanted it to be heard so if you're into rock or pop with artificial bass, it wont be utilised to its full potential. It seems to be especially good with jazz or classic music.

[Silver Arrow]

On the GS, the ML only has Bass, Mid and Treble, and you have to customise each for CD, iPod, DAB, Radio etc

The new "greener" MLS is pretty naff to be honest. My GS is supposed to have 17 speakers, but the sound is tinny - there is not enough oomph. My old IS had MLS and it was much much better. Just my opinion. It's also flatter sounding that the BMW HK system.

I agree that the BSM and Rear camera are Pro's, but not the performance. It's decent until you see what else you can have for £35kish....

It's a personal thing of course - but for the money a german diesel will actually provide a much better compromise between outright performance and economy. I say this because I have just tested a 330d M Sport, fully loaded (i.e. Adaptive suspension, nav, e/seats, xenon's, HK sound system, reversing camera etc etc), £34.5k with the huge discount and the performance was mind blowing - it absolutely flew, and now I understand why the latest Beemers get rave reviews. Fromt a standing start, there is no lag - it just launches when in Sport mode ferociously....On the test drive it showed 39mpg, and that was driven hard!

I have my eyes on that car - just need to convince the budget holder/accountant/wife, all rolled into one!!

[ColinBarber]

the play/pause button is the mute function

[Steve44]

That same button, the mode button on the left side of the steering wheel, if you press it when a traffic report comes on it will cancel it and return to whatever you were playing before.

As DJP says if you long press this button, more than 3secs I think, it will mute the radio, or pause the iPod etc.

If you short press it changes the mode of the stereo, cycling through the various audio modes.

[rayaans]

On the GS, the ML only has Bass, Mid and Treble, and you have to customise each for CD, iPod, DAB, Radio etc

The new "greener" MLS is pretty naff to be honest. My GS is supposed to have 17 speakers, but the sound is tinny - there is not enough oomph. My old IS had MLS and it was much much better. Just my opinion. It's also flatter sounding that the BMW HK system.

I agree that the BSM and Rear camera are Pro's, but not the performance. It's decent until you see what else you can have for £35kish....

It's a personal thing of course - but for the money a german diesel will actually provide a much better compromise between outright performance and economy. I say this because I have just tested a 330d M Sport, fully loaded (i.e. Adaptive suspension, nav, e/seats, xenon's, HK sound system, reversing camera etc etc), £34.5k with the huge discount and the performance was mind blowing - it absolutely flew, and now I understand why the latest Beemers get rave reviews. Fromt a standing start, there is no lag - it just launches when in Sport mode ferociously....On the test drive it showed 39mpg, and that was driven hard!

I have my eyes on that car - just need to convince the budget holder/accountant/wife, all rolled into one!!

Yeah but thats what I meant. It needs tweaking as it makes a big difference to the sound. I have bass and treble on +3 and mid on 0. Gives a fuller sound IMO. Im surprised you think it lacks oomph, its got like 835watts pumping through it?

The problem with the BMW 330d is, basically that its a BMW. Id rather be seen in a morris minor. And compared to an IS300h it looks slightly old + diesel is the devils fuel. Revs to about 4.5k rpm and changes gear, no drama!

[Silver Arrow]

Even with the volume up to 40 or 45 the sound still doesn't quite sound right. I've tried all combinations, CD, DVD, USB, Bluetooth streaming, with all combinations of treble, mid and Bass, and somehow leaves me wanting more. Like I say, the old IS Gen 2 MLS seemed better - deeper and richer. You could hear the artist hitting frets on a guitar - same track on the GS and it doesn't sound anywhere near as good.....

You are right about the BMW being a BMW. If you want to be different etc......It rev's I think to 5250, but it really doesn't need to be revved, even between 1200 - 3000 RPM it will propel you like nothing else....I can only imagine what a 335d is like nowadays....no lag, just pure power from no revs at all....

[rayaans]

Even with the volume up to 40 or 45 the sound still doesn't quite sound right. I've tried all combinations, CD, DVD, USB, Bluetooth streaming, with all combinations of treble, mid and Bass, and somehow leaves me wanting more. Like I say, the old IS Gen 2 MLS seemed better - deeper and richer. You could hear the artist hitting frets on a guitar - same track on the GS and it doesn't sound anywhere near as good.....

You are right about the BMW being a BMW. If you want to be different etc......It rev's I think to 5250, but it really doesn't need to be revved, even between 1200 - 3000 RPM it will propel you like nothing else....I can only imagine what a 335d is like nowadays....no lag, just pure power from no revs at all....

Might have to get it checked out before the warranty runs out. Could be an amp! The system in my RX is only 300watts or so but at 45 it gets really loud! I usually have it between 30-35 but at 40 when I open all 4 windows.

The only issue I find with diesels is that it gets slightly boring. The car doesn't need to be revved so it all gets monotonous. With petrol engines, no matter what displacement or how many cylinders it has, it always feels lively and exciting!

[shapiro]

Hi All,

Agree with silver arrow - I found the ML in my previous is220d more "fuller". There are certain frequencies which the IS220d ML just handled better. A case in point - if I play MJ Dirty Dianna in the IS, the initial 15 seconds on that song has my entire car vibrating, in a good way. In the GS, there is no such drama, very flat, like it's got gaps in certain frequencies.

That's not to say it's bad... it's still one heck of a system... but I did expect better.

It's interesting to hear that the IS may "suffer" a similar issue. It's the type of issue you'd only flag if you had a ML system before, if not you'd just be over the moon about the step change in quality!

Regarding the digital read out of speedo, I agree this is a missing feature, I've got on the E - Class and it's hard not to live without it!

[Greenfield]

Many thanks for all the responses, I can now mute the music system using the play/pause button but still can't turn the traffic info off mid bulletin, still I don't seem get traffic announcements using the DAB so that solves that!! The ML now sounds much better having found the bass/middle/treble controls and using the USB input - quite impressed now. Thanks to the link above I will buy a space saver and a case/cover and just carry it loose in the boot, I notice a jack is fitted in the Battery compartment and a wheel brace under the boot lining.

I don't wish to enter the BMW debate but I did test drive a 335i petrol the same day as the 300h and wow did that perform however I just preferred the laid back relaxing nature of the 300h and the performance is more than adequate for my needs, the 300h just feels special every time I drive it.

[rayaans]

Many thanks for all the responses, I can now mute the music system using the play/pause button but still can't turn the traffic info off mid bulletin, still I don't seem get traffic announcements using the DAB so that solves that!! The ML now sounds much better having found the bass/middle/treble controls and using the USB input - quite impressed now. Thanks to the link above I will buy a space saver and a case/cover and just carry it loose in the boot, I notice a jack is fitted in the battery compartment and a wheel brace under the boot lining.

I don't wish to enter the BMW debate but I did test drive a 335i petrol the same day as the 300h and wow did that perform however I just preferred the laid back relaxing nature of the 300h and the performance is more than adequate for my needs, the 300h just feels special every time I drive it.

Fantastic! That's 2 less things to be disappointed about then!

Got to say the 335i is fast, but then, its in a whole different price bracket when it comes down to it. I wouldn't be surprised if it hit £45k specifying it to a similiar standard to the premier model. And of course, it guzzles fuel like a good un!