New Owner Looking For Tips And Mod Ideas[IS 300h F Sport]

[TheMcSame]

So... I've decided to take the plunge and jump on a 2020 IS 300h F Sport and something I like to do is swap a few things out or add the odd bits to give it a bit more of a personal touch or add things that are a bit more functional than standard

Having previously come from a Fiesta, I'm sure you can imagine that I'm feeling a tad stranded given the vast difference in size when it comes to the modding community of the two vehicles...

Given the risk of me going on a huge ramble here... These are probably the main points

Anything specific worth knowing that I might have missed upon initial searching?

Obviously, the LCA bushes are a topic that seem to have been covered to death.

That very specific spot below the air box that seems to rust. Admitedly, I saw this after the fact... I;ll have to check on that just before collecting, but I can't imagine it being an issue at this age.

I do have a question about the intake... Because there are some roads a tad prone to flooding in my area. It appears that the intake port is pretty much presenting itself once you open the bonnet, which seems unusually high... I mean, I'd figure it is the only intake... But it is definitely taking air from there right? Silly question, but I'd rather be 100% sure given some of the road conditions it could be up against rather than find out it's actually taking air from lower down the hard way.

I suppose I may as well ask for tyre recommendations. 220BHP isn't massive by any means, but I'd figure tyres are a tad more important on a RWD 220BHP hybrid than a 15 year old Diesel putting out 68BHP... It's a bit of a step up for me, being my first RWD car as well. I probably won't end up binning it... But I'd rather give myself a good chance of not doing so... I was looking at Cross Climate 2... All seasons seem to be the way to go for our roads, they seem to do particularly well in winter which, given my area, is the primary season of concern and I'm not sure I can justify forking out for rims to somewhat conveniently run winter and summer tyres. Especially with how winters have seemed to flip flop between the switchover point of summer and winter tyres in recent years... So are there any other all seasons worth looking into?

Any ideas for mods/accessories worth doing/having?

So, having come from a Ford, as you can imagine, ForScan was a friend of mine... Lexus' closest equivalent seems to be Carista, but the app doesn't offer any previews of its function so, has anyone tried it? What's it like? And what options are there when it comes to coding?

Infotainment is probably the biggest one here... I wasn't coming across many with the bigger screen, so for now, I'm kinda stuck with the dinky little screen with Nav. I hear a direct replacement to the bigger screen isn't possible without essentially ripping and replacing everything out the centre console... But is that really the case?

If so, aftermarket system... Does anyone have any recommendations? IceBoxAuto seems to have a solid system for £730 😨 I mean, worthwhile investment... I got a good 8 years out of the now 15 year old Fiesta, but is there anything else that might be worth considering?

Obviously, again, LCA bushes... I was planning to have the GS-F bushes fitted but I suppose if anyone knows of any better options, feel free to suggest them.

Wind deflectors are on the list, Hekos will be on shortly after collection.

mats... 🙄

I'll probably get some hood stays (basically just a little safety device for use on failed/failing struts)

I suppose air filters are there too.. Not really something I've bothered with. But is anyone running aftermarket filters? Any noticeable changes that make it worthwhile? 

But bar that... It seems pretty thin out there... I was hoping I could potentially throw some OEM upgrades in there for a fraction of Lexus' cost... But there really doesn't seem to be much of anything out there really... Maybe you guys know of something that could be worth looking into.

 

Guess I still rambled on a bit 😅 Hopefully it wasn't too much of a pain to read.

[ColinBarber]

Not sure you would need to replace the LCAs on a 2020 vehicle.

Air intake is high, at the bonnet level, but not sure if the resonator is air/water tight that sits lower so I wouldn't be submerging the vehicle in any deep water.

 

CC2 tyres are a good choice. Not the ultimate in performance or economy but suit the IS300h quite well and give good grip all year round.

Carista is a good way to change the vehicle customisations that aren't available through the in-car menus. It can be expensive to subscribe long term but most people would only need one month's access and then don't touch it again. If you look in the owners manual at the customisations there are a bunch of options that are dealer configurable only - these you will be able to alter with Carista - e.g. how many indicator flashes on a light press of the stalk, how long the headlight stay on after you exit the car etc.

 

Standard infotainment is a bit rubbish. Many of the Android based third party options have good features but are flakey in operation.

Aftermarket air filters - directly OEM replacements are ok to save a couple of ££, although may not filter as well. So called performance ones are a complete waste of money on the IS300h unless you go for a complete induction kit - and even then the gains would be minimal at best.

[Boeryeoes]

Check the forum.  There's plenty of informative posts for mods, tires etc.

My view:

- tires: personally the CC2 were a step back in driving experience.  I've gone back to UHP tires. 
- mods: TPMS details in console display with a 30€ module from Ali 😁

- Android Carplay unit

- Sound deadening

- Space saver spare wheel 

- Rubber boot mat 

But foremost, just enjoy the car! It's worth it. 

[Notamech]

Depending on what kind of "mods" you want availability might not be a big issue. The is300 is very similar to the 3is gas only cars sold in the US and there are several cosmetic mods that you could source and apply to the is300h including fancier LED taillights that look like the gen 4 is, RGB DRLs, Bodykits, spoilers etc. As far as performance mods go i dont think you can do any with this hybrid system. Even air filters - just go with stock its pretty pointless running a k&n etc on this set up.

As far as a larger screen goes plenty of chinese Android options out there. They work well but are a bit clunky to use as you end up with 2 systems the cars original system + the chinese android. Quality is a hit or miss with these but it might work well for you if a big screen is what you want. They normally cost around 4-500

 

Also in the UK i highly recommend mudflaps and rubber mats. Theyre awesome. 

[TheMcSame]

On 3/2/2024 at 12:56 PM, ColinBarber said:

Not sure you would need to replace the LCAs on a 2020 vehicle.

Well, I would've had them looked at first to make a judgement. But this is a

"They've sorted the issue and fit better LCA bushes in recent years"

Or just a causal

"They shouldn't be a problem at this age"

On 3/2/2024 at 12:56 PM, ColinBarber said:

Air intake is high, at the bonnet level, but not sure if the resonator is air/water tight that sits lower so I wouldn't be submerging the vehicle in any deep water.

Of course, some level of common sense is required. It's just good to have much more solid idea of where the car 'breathes'

On 3/2/2024 at 12:56 PM, ColinBarber said:

Carista is a good way to change the vehicle customisations that aren't available through the in-car menus. It can be expensive to subscribe long term but most people would only need one month's access and then don't touch it again. If you look in the owners manual at the customisations there are a bunch of options that are dealer configurable only - these you will be able to alter with Carista - e.g. how many indicator flashes on a light press of the stalk, how long the headlight stay on after you exit the car etc.

I figured as much. Was pretty much the case with ForScan, get the trial, do what you need and anything you might change and be done with it.

I'll have to take a closer look at the manual too given that the app lacks any sort of previews.

On 3/2/2024 at 12:56 PM, ColinBarber said:

Standard infotainment is a bit rubbish. Many of the Android based third party options have good features but are flakey in operation.

Any other disadvantages to it? I aware a lot of options are able to retain in-car controls, support factory fit cameras, and the like. 

Presumably, it's largely a case of you get what you pay for?

On 3/2/2024 at 12:56 PM, ColinBarber said:

Aftermarket air filters - directly OEM replacements are ok to save a couple of ££, although may not filter as well. So called performance ones are a complete waste of money on the IS300h unless you go for a complete induction kit - and even then the gains would be minimal at best.

Fair enough, though I'd imagine that's part of the appeal of an aftermarket filter. You know, less filtering would, theoretically, improve airflow into the engine. But I am aware that the car doesn't have much going for it in terms of performance mods, it's not a side of things I tend to dabble in in all honesty.

On 3/2/2024 at 12:57 PM, Boeryeoes said:

Check the forum.  There's plenty of informative posts for mods, tires etc.

My view:

- tires: personally the CC2 were a step back in driving experience.  I've gone back to UHP tires. 

That's fair, I do notice you're not based in the UK though. Perhaps that's more a product of having a climate better suited for running UHP year-round? Obviously, there's going to be compromises, especially in comparison to UHP summer tyres

 

On 3/2/2024 at 1:01 PM, Notamech said:

Depending on what kind of "mods" you want availability might not be a big issue. The is300 is very similar to the 3is gas only cars sold in the US and there are several cosmetic mods that you could source and apply to the is300h including fancier led taillights that look like the gen 4 is, RGB DRLs, Bodykits, spoilers etc.

I figured that'd be the case. I'm also aware of some other minor things between different models that can be used.

My only concern on that is the cost, particularly shipping and import charges. Anything big is no doubt coming through a courier that charges an arm and a leg just for dealing with customs.

On 3/2/2024 at 1:01 PM, Notamech said:

As far as performance mods go i dont think you can do any with this hybrid system. Even air filters - just go with stock its pretty pointless running a k&n etc on this set up.

Yeah, that's fair. Someone else mentioned the air filters earlier. I don't really tend to dabble in performance mods, but it was something that came up in the search.

 

On 3/2/2024 at 1:01 PM, Notamech said:

Also in the UK i highly recommend mudflaps and rubber mats. Theyre awesome. 

Alrighty, they do seem like good shouts

[ColinBarber]

1 hour ago, TheMcSame said:

That's fair, I do notice you're not based in the UK though. Perhaps that's more a product of having a climate better suited for running UHP year-round? Obviously, there's going to be compromises, especially in comparison to UHP summer tyres

I'm in the UK, I just don't want to advertise where on the internet and the forum software doesn't just give a generic UK option. CC2 are fine all year round in the UK, plenty of members here have them. Actually I'd say it is the perfect country to run them, especially if you aren't in the south (where you can realistically get away with summer tyres all year round if you are careful). Most northern European countries have harsher winters than we do, where they really need proper winter tyres for part of the year.

I was happy to have UHP on my GS F, not necessary on my previous IS300h F Sport.

1 hour ago, TheMcSame said:

Any other disadvantages to it? I aware a lot of options are able to retain in-car controls, support factory fit cameras, and the like. 

You certainly need to retain the standard controls - I think most will support that. You need to make sure whatever unit you are interested in supports then infotainment system you have as there are a couple of different options.

1 hour ago, TheMcSame said:

Presumably, it's largely a case of you get what you pay for?

I'm not so sure. Many people take the cheap Chinese products and repackage them and sell for a higher price - they might provide helpful installation advise but if they have no control over the firmware/software then you are stuck with bugs until the OEM issues an update, if they ever do. Hopefully other members here who have done this will be able to offer some advice. I've never do it, I just used a phone cradle and my smartphone for improved navigation and access to music etc.

[Notamech]

Agree with colin on the tyres. In London for example you can make do with UHP tyres all year round (I have the good year asymmetric 6) and am quite happy with them generally speaking but in the peak of winter they do feel hard and harsh when cold also they make loud popping noises (crabbing) when setting off in the winter. But if you live in a place where it snows might be worth getting the cc2s they are probably the best all seasons. 

Also on ordering from China and paying customs its luck of the draw really.  i have bought several interior mods, mudflaps and loads of other small bits and bobs from Ali express they all arrive quite promptly within 2 weeks with regular shipping and i have not once paid customs. I even ordered a Chinese android screen once worth ~£500 and didn't have to pay customs. I think if the boxes are bigger they are more likely to be picked up by customs. Else customs probably get millions of parcels from china daily and im sure a lot of them slip under the radar.

On the android screens. Yes you do retain all of the button functions on the steering wheel. But the audio is sent to the lexus system via aux so the quality is not as good as if you directly streamed via Bluetooth to the factory system. It does add functionality in terms of android auto etc and looks cool. But i didn't like it...because of the sound quality and the fact that it got  confusing with calls being on the lexus factory system but audio and navigation being on the android. Also the overall fit and finish of the unit i bought was not great something about it screamt "unoriginal" and i struggled to live with that and just preferred using my phone with the original system. But you might get a good one just buy one that has many reviews. There are several sellers on ali express and a few different brands like nunoo, navi rider, soarcomer etc. I had a soarcomer unit and it was absolute rubbish and didnt fit correctly avoid this one and avoid this seller. I think navi rider may be better - something i learnt after the fact. With Aliexpress you only have 15 days to return products that are marked free returns and you can return it to their uk warehouse so make sure you install and test the product soonish.