3 Very Simple Questions For A Soon To Be New Owner...

[darrude]

I'm soon to pick up my Is300h and just have a couple of questions that i can't find the answer to.

1. Sitting in heavy traffic, is it best to knock the car into neutral / transmission park or leave it in Drive (long term clutch wear etc)? I test drove a Toyota Auris before the lexus and on this car they said to knock it into neutral on the test drive, on the lexus he said just leave it in drive.

2. If the electric engine is 141bhp and petrol engine 179bhp and the combined is 221, where does the other 100bhp go, is there a reason why this is limited?

3. Is the transmission park on CVT a suitable replacement to the handbrake, or would it be ill advised to rely on this (My wife wasn't very happy when she saw where the handbrake was and in her last car (slush box) generally just used the transmission park even though I told her not to as i believe it is just a small pin to lock the cogs so putting pressure on this, in my head at least, sounds like a bad idea).

Only a week and a day to wait :)

Many Thanks

Darren.

[ColinBarber]

Hi Darren

1 - You should keep it in drive or use park. In neutral the hybrid system cannot charge the Battery if it needs to. If the Auris was a hybrid the dealer shouldn't have told you to use neutral.

2 - The system isn't designed to deliver maximum power from the engine and motor at the same time, hence you cannot just add the two figures.

3 - The lock is essentially the same thing as with an auto transmission, a small pin. In reality these are quite difficult to break so it isn't to much of an issue but like you I really don't like the idea of only just using it. A lot of owners don't use the handbrake (parking brake) but I recommend that you do, if for no other reason than to stop it seizing up due to lack of use.

[Matthewjblake]

Hi Darren,

I can help with the first and third parts of your question; leave it in Drive. As the transmission is a CVT there is no clutch to worry about. Not sure why you got conflicting advice from the dealer - not particularly helpful!

With regards the handbrake - always use the handbrake. You get used to its location very quickly - and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Matt

[wendle]

Hi congratulations on the new car.

To answer your questions

1…. Leave it in drive, unless or course your in really heavy

traffic and can see your going to be at a stand for a long time then you can
put it in park but its only in park or drive that you will recharge the hybrid
battery’s, in fact if you put it in natural you will get a message come up on
the screen warning you of this.

2… your not using the full potential on the batteries (141

bhp ) when driving at high speed, for example on a motorway doing 70mph you are
hardly using the hybrid system and purely relying on the 179 bhp petrol engine

3… I would use the handbrake, unless you are parked on a

flat surface then I suppose you could get away with just leavening it in park,
I am assuming it is a foot operated handbrake? And agree it does take some
getting used to, my GS had a electronic handbrake witch automatically applied
the handbrake when you put it in park, my RC has the foot operated handbrake
and for the first few days kept forgetting to take it off, although the car
soon let me know. Lol.

Not long now, just a few sleepless nights ahead.

[bluenose1940]

Agree totally with all that has been said above. I only ever knock mine out of drive if it looks as though I will be stationary for more than a few minutes.

The foot operated handbrake becomes second nature very quickly.

Enjoy your new car, you will absolutely love it!

[darrude]

Guys thank you very much for the quick replies.

sounds like it is going to be a very easy car to live with.

Talking to colleague at work, he just sent me a spreadsheet showing all the ranking from the Auto Express Power Survey with the IS coming 1st overall, and in the top quarter of the table in every category.

[wh05apk]

2. Now if it could be remapped to use both power sources to the max for short periods................................

[ColinBarber]

Only around 70% of the engine power can get to the rear wheels, the remaining drives the generator to product electricity. There are other design and reliability reasons why all the power cannot be applied at the same time.

[rayaans]

Worth noting that if you wash your car over the winter, dont leave the parking brake on. It'll seize up. Either wash and go for a drive to dry the brakes and then put the parking brake on or just leave the parking brake off.

[baxlin]

That's interesting, I've only ever heard of handbrake freezing on an Alfa Guilietta.

Why does it happen on the Lexus? Even the Rover 75 with a weird dedicated handbrake DRUM (discs all round for the service/foot brakes) didn't suffer from this.

[rayaans]

That's interesting, I've only ever heard of handbrake freezing on an Alfa Guilietta.

Why does it happen on the Lexus? Even the Rover 75 with a weird dedicated handbrake DRUM (discs all round for the service/foot brakes) didn't suffer from this.

Itll happen on most cars. If you wash the car a thin layer of rust will form on the brakes. When combined with a lot of water and sub zero temperatures, it tends to freeze pretty badly. Only happened once mind and that was because I left it for 3 weeks after washing with the parking brake on. It wont happen if the parking brake isnt on