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So totally agree with all of the above and mirrors my experience. I have had a number of fast and expensive cars in my time (the cream of the crop according to the motoring journalists) and also many hire cars in the UK, Europe and the USA. In addition to many hundreds of thousands of miles driven in the UK I have also driven many times across much of Europe - a lot of that on the German Autobahns where I have in the past used performance to the full - however in more recent years I have found even on the Autobahns that the majority of the local population now drive a "sensible" speed (usually around 90-100mph) - which may be due to a change in their law where if you drive over the recommended speed limit (in unrestricted parts 130km/h) you could be held accountable for a crash, even if it was not your fault - which could lead to serious problems with the law and with insurance companies - so 125mph for the IS 300h (where it's not in the least strained, as it's just electronically limited, is plenty). I do think that it takes some time to "get" the IS 300h - this is where the car suffers at the hand of journalists and those who just get one as a courtesy car for a day when theirs is in for a service for example. When I was looking for my next car I went back and forth over the IS and in the end managed to get one for a full day test drive. I tried to mimic my usual driving and conditions the best I could in that time and by the end felt good about buying the car. However, I have to say it took me a few months to then really "get" the experience. In real world day-to-day driving (i.e. a mix of roads, some where progress can be made but others with traffic jams and interminable road works...!) it delivers everything I want. And it's certainly not just a "city car" (though excellent at that) - long motorway drives (of which I do a lot too) are very enjoyable, almost serene, and I arrive at the other end as refreshed and calm as any other car I have been in - and no later than any other car I could have been driving regardless of on-paper performance figures - and with petrol consumption generally between 48-52mpg to boot. It is the balance of doing so much so well in such an unflustered way that puts the IS 300h up there as probably my best overall car.

Ist paragraph. I do not recognise any of that whatsoever. My 300h has great power delivery and no inconsistency. 2nd paragraph . Condescending arrogant tosh. I have owned well in excess of 50 cars, from a 380bhp 4x4 cosworth to a brand new Peugeot 406, 1.6 (company supplied) ! I have also driven in europe, many time, America too. Never felt the need to travel in excess of 100, except in the cossie (uk) when I was younger and more foolish. Maybe this describes you? Your post has me in mind of a 'hard driver' I encountered on the A3 recently. Cutting in and out, tailgating people who dare to travel at the 50 mph limit and generally being a dangerous jerk. 6 miles later he's 50 metres ahead of me, stuck in traffic. 20 minutes later I choose another route to the same end and there he is stuck at the queue at lights as I cruise past. All that 'hard driving' to end behind me by some margin. Pointless. If you want excess speed and thrills, try a track. Unfortunately I've seen first hand the results of inappropriate speed, most of the time other people pay the price. Owned both 250 (2nd and 3rd generation) and 300h , from no stand point is the 15 years old engine of the 250 comparable to 300h in power delivery or refinement. Done a motorway journey in 300H at steady 70-80 pretty much all the journey, 52 mpg, what loss of efficiency?. Sound is not an issue for me, I have read the journalists reports of the cvt drone and its not something I experience at all. The 300H has out sold the 250 and 200T many times over, hence the decision by Lexus to drop both from the UK, so the 300H has in effect made them redundant.

More condescending tosh. I do in excess of 50k miles a year. I am fully aware of the use of the correct lanes. Driving since 1984, max NCB, zero fault accident since 1986. Do I drive like a pensioner, no. Do I drive considerately and for the road conditions, yes. Does this ever mean 100+ mph, not on your or anyone else's life, NO. If the motorway or A road is congested with no space to change lanes, and one is the outer lane, you cannot travel faster than the person in front.of you, you do know that right?! So no amount of tailgating, flashing lights, indicating etc is necessary. You or drivers like you are not the Police, we do not have to change lanes for YOU on a congested road. Which part of that do you not understand? Where did I claim 300h was enough for everyone? Yep nowhere. The fact is people have voted with their respective wallets, and were not buying a 13 year old engined car (nor its replacement the 200T) and preferred the 300h. 0.6 seconds faster to 60mph wow, big deal! Certainly insufficient reason not to buy the 300h, as sales testify. Try a race track for your thrills and 'hard driving' not the road.

You preferably want to see a nice fully stamped up Lexus service history and possibly a recent hybrid health check certificate. These cars like most Lexus cars can take mileage very well, a few weak spots on these cars to check are the shock absorbers can leak and are quite costly to replace, rear brake calipers can seize I think because of under use as these cars use regenerative braking so the actual disc brakes are used less than a normal car and the exhaust can leak at the Y joint and check for rusty back boxes, some early cars can have paint bubbling corrosion along the front edge of the bonnet. There is no real way to check the hybrid system other than check for any warning lights and/or messages and check it operates as it should. Basically when cold it should always start up on the petrol engine to warm the car up, once up to temperature with the hybrid battery charged you should be able to very gently accelerate from stand still to around 20mph in silence on electric power alone, it’ll only go for about a mile or so on electric power alone in my experience, remember it’s not an electric car it’s still a predominately petrol car with electric assist. When the hybrid battery runs low the engine should kick in to start charging it, the engine should shut off when standing still most of the time unless it’s being used to charge the hybrid battery or other demands are placed on it such as by the climate control etc when it might not switch off. The petrol engine will turn on and off whilst you drive depending on acceleration, coasting, braking and going downhill and this should be almost seamless, the hybrid battery level will also rise and fall as you drive, don’t if you don’t get the battery level to the very top as this only really happens when you are driving down a long descent using lots of regen braking and it won’t stay full for long even then!!! When you put your foot down these cars are really fast and not much can keep up with them and the acceleration is very addictive!!! Even though they use a CVT transmission you still may feel what feels like a gear change under certain conditions, this is because the electric motor has a high and low range transmission and you sometimes feel it changing. The gauge to the left of the speedo is not a rev counter, instead it tells you how much the electric motor is being used, at the bottom of the gauge you will see a blue section, when the car uses regenerative braking the needle should enter this section to show the kinetic energy produced is charging the battery. That’s everything I can think of off the top of my head, sometimes the dash can have a bit of a creak or rattle but this is more of an irritation than anything and if your car does have the problem it depends on how annoying it might be to you, mine does it slightly but not enough to bother me. I’ve had an SE-L and currently have an SE, the only differences I can see is that the SE-L has radar cruise and a sunroof although my SE has a sunroof so it’s only the radar cruise I don’t have. Obviously all other usual used car checks apply and check all electrics and gadgets work as they should (there’s lots of toys on these!!!), good luck and keep us posted!!!

To answer my own question it appears to have been the front brakes. I renewed the front pads [the originals were not bad] and the noise has gone, certainly 90% gone.

Nothing too exciting but I did get an issue addressed that's been bugging me since I bought my car. It must be a thing with light colored leather, there's a blue ISF at Lexus Coventry with a lot less miles that has similar wear. Also i finally got round to fitting the Apexi throttle controller which really perks up throttle response in normal mode when set to 'red', drives great, really impressed with it.

This yobbo was taking up the whole car park in Wales..... 😉

Just installed the new bicycle carrier works a treat! I'm a happy man! Drove it with 2 bikes and it didn't move a bit. Next time will do with all 4!-------- scary!!

Hopefully this will be a useful comparison for those thinking of going down the QS route. Two videos, same IPhone. Both outdone by a Corsa(?)

So I see that @tomRCFcarbon was spotted yesterday near Spa in Belgium in his lovely Carbon Rcf....... Big Rat

Linas - you seem like an angry person - really don't know why - I was trying to be constructive. The comment about the Autobahns came from some of my colleagues on the continent - appreciate some of it may have been skewed a little in translation but the crux is that if a driver is involved in an accident on the Autobahn when exceeding the advisory speed limit, the burden of proof that their high speed did not cause damage is with the driver exceeding the recommended speed limit. It may not be a criminal offence but money, or at least insurance money, talks. However that is taken on board it has had the effect of lowering (or capping) the speed of many drivers on the Autobahn. I do agree though that the German drivers have much better lane discipline than in the UK and that is one of the reasons I enjoy driving in Germany. Your comment about needing to drive an IS 300h carefully and slowly like a pensioner is just insulting! Any car regardless of power in the wrong hands can be driven at an inappropriate speed, in an inappropriate way, and becomes a lethal weapon. I have NEVER had a problem with my brain just telling me to slow down or not overtake because the car is "slow" - do I overtake in the same way as in other cars I have had - YES! and use the appropriate control modes to do so - safely. Do I take stupid risks - NO - but I never have and I try and respect all the other drivers on the road, despite some of them being complete idiots! Do I enjoy driving the car - YES! and in fact more than most other cars I have owned. As I said, to appreciate the IS 300h and what it delivers I do think it takes a few months of ownership and not just a few hours or even a day - but after that first few months it certainly didn't change the way I drive or how I perceive and react to situations, just allowed me to appreciate the depth of the car and its technology more. I certainly don't think the car is for everyone but no one is twisting anyone's arm to buy one either - there are many, many cars all offering different experiences and waiting for someone open their wallet and buy them. It sounds like you want the reliability and quality of a Lexus but something that goes from 0-60 in sub 5 seconds - well there are plenty of alternatives out there for you to try - including the Lexus LC of course - assuming you have the money to scratch the itch - I've been lucky enough to scratch a few of my own itches in my life. No manufacturer will ever make the perfect car for an individual - that's why some people have more than one of course - but in general a very high proportion of owners on this particular IS Mk III forum seem happy with their choice, the reasons for which I am sure are many and varied (300h and the 250 or 200t). The few who have actually owned an IS 300h for a reasonable period of time and found it doesn't suit them, then I take on board their critical comments that come from that experience and wish them all the best with their new purchases - one day that might also be me should my needs and circumstances change, as they do through life. I have seen your similar comments slating the performance and power delivery of the IS 300h in a number of previous posts - you seem to be a pretty lonely voice - but everyone to their views and if that is your view then fine - we will agree to disagree. I am happy in my choice of car, I assume you are still looking for yours. That's my final word on the matter, though I am sure you will want to have the last word?

Doesn't surprise me, these guys aren't master engineers, they just change consumables and read computer codes nowadays, apart from a few good guys. They'll be under pressure by their managers and we've seen plenty of examples of Lexus trying to wangle out of warranty claims.

Hi Some of you will know me from the Mercedes forums and Volvo forums but I now have a Lexus GS250. I really like the car, and it's good to be back in a petrol car after owning diesels for the past decade. The last Mercedes (2010 E350cdi) wasn't very reliable and in my line of work (full time landscape photographer now) I need a car that I can depend on to take clients out on workshops and to get to the mountains. I frequently travel abroad and after a break down in the Mercedes outside Tolouse at 3am I thought enough was enough. The car is in every way better than the Mercedes. Better seats, better build, better ride etc. I really like it. Shame I couldn't have afforded the 5.0 though.

i do have to side with rayaans on this one. how boring is formula E you know in some cases you need the sound as well, i tuned in for the 1st race and it wasn't the same without the roar of the engine and instead just a whine, for me there wasn't any feel of speed so i haven't tuned in to watch it again.

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You are just different driver or something you have above and I don't think you even know what "refinement" means. You know that outside lanes are for "overtaking" so it doesn't matter what speed you are doing, if you not overtaking you have to move over - I don't understand why British drivers don't get it. What cars you had makes no difference, what makes the difference is what kind of driver you are and what are your needs, if IS300h is enough for you - fine. But don't claim IS300h is enough for everyone. For me it is slow, for me IS250 is too slow as well, if I would want something more from the car it would be quicker gear changes and few less seconds 0-60.. still better then IS300h. 1. That is incorrect, you never going to be accountable for crash if it is not your fault. However, if they believe that excessive speed caused the accident which is your fault, the insurance company have a right not to pay you out, they will obviously pay out the other side. There are no criminal accountability for that (unless obviously under some influence), but you will get nothing for your own car. 2. Yes you need to drive IS300h very carefully and slowly like pensioner. I did got used to it and I had RC300h for 24h as well, same story for CT200h. Experience is that you get relaxed and sort of dull.. In other car you would think... "oh let me overtake this guy", in IS300h is more like ... "a nahhh never mind.. I just slow down to his speed". IS300h simply punishes you for driving faster, so after a while the brains starts working to maximise efficient of hybrid drive instead of enjoying the engine and the car.

Don't think many of us wish to understand !

I suggest that you put the VIN number into Toyodiy .com and you should get info as to the right spec Belt for your Car. 211 or 209 I thought there was only one tooth difference but you sure don't want to get it wrong. Its an expensive enough job to have done. Lexus parts didn't even provide a gasket for the water pump. Not happy with what it cost me.

This is the company I found for lights, bodykits etc. The shipping instructions say to email for a shipping quote outside of USA. https://www.bodykits.com/

I think that is either/or not in combination. You start doing 4.5 sec launches your range will plummet I saw three Tesla model S on various motorways on our way back from Gatwick, each time pootling along at a steady 55-60 mph in lane one.

40 all around for months now. Giving very even tyre wear.

Thought I'd update and eat some humble pie. I was on my way with the kids and wife to try out a couple of BMW''s but had to pass the lexus garage. Whilst passing I noticed that the RX450H I tested 2 weeks ago was still there so I called in. Well the humble pie is because grand daughters seat and grandson and daughter fitted in the back seat and there was plenty of room. They loved it. So I'm waiting for a call to confirm finance.

Last week I found a good position for the oil/air separator and hooked up new vacuum hoses only to find they collapsed under idle. So back to the drawing board there #sigh On a brighter note I took a look at the roof trim that's been loose on the OSR and found the last 3 clips are broken; So I popped a dab of TigerSeal in each clip, another at the end of the trim for good measure and it's nicely seated now.

The seat was done by www.leatherrepaircompany.com, took the chap about 3 hours to do it. I got the Apexi controller from eBay which was the cheapest place i could find it (ebay link), complete with ISF harness for ~£120 including shipping, doddle to fit with a very helpful guide by Peter P18 found here

Steam cleaner and microfibre cloth yes, I think a steam iron might be a bit risky...

If you not going to point it out to Tester, I am 99% confident he won't notice. But if you going to go like - "here are crack are you sure this isn't MOT fail", then he might go "well if you want me to fail it, I can fail it for you". So be careful of what you ask...😀 I just checked my old set of wheels which still has tires on them and around edges they have sort of "wrinkles", it is hard to tell in the picture, but they aren't even cracks. Very similar to what you have just bit less pronounced, but my tyres covered nearly 40k miles and I am replacing them anyway as they are now less then 3mm (make sure you click on the pics to zoom-in):

Yes, better to have them open when you start!

I have owned and driven an IS250 and IS300h back to back, both MY2014. The 300h is just as quick and the power delivery is vastly superior. The 0-60 times are identical. Obviously, mpg is vastly superior in the 300h, even when in sport mode, where there is no discernible difference in performance to the 250. Top speed is much reduced in the 300h, however, 100mph is a driving ban in the UK, further it is simply irresponsible to drive that fast. Add in the reduced fuel costs, it is no surprise to me Lexus have dropped the 250 and its replacement, the 200T, due to poor sales. The 300h makes them pretty redundant in the real world.

I think I may upset @Big Rat, but these couples have wide doors you know!

A lonesome Toyota Avensis parked up in mid Wales

@ComedianThat’s it you see it’s at my eye level even with my booster cushion 😉 🐀

@Flytvr You really need to stop this looking at a higher being...... things are just fine down here you know...😇 🐀

Not bad, but this is the best parking space I’ve ever found (in a multistorey too), perfect fit for the 4C I had at the time.

@GibletPH I fully agree about the Carbon trinkets I have a couple of things in mind the exhaust is already done...... Ive seen one or two other subtle items there's this one for the steering wheel, it's just a clip over item, no idea of the quality but for the price maybe worth a punt....... She's in for a major service in July and a wheel recut as well as the calipers being refinished in this Brembo yellow, I had my last 2 911's done this way and I personally really like it....... Big Rat

I agree - really like those wheels. The LC500 I test drove had the yucky bling wheels on.

@rayaans Yes I see what you mean......... Big Rat

The problem with the Corsa is the occasional interior contents....... Big Rat

Estate agents cannot afford the RCF, GSF because 40% of their salary goes to good causes... So they're stuck with the old ISF.

I was quite liking the new ES as a potential replacement for my IS next year....... right up to “front wheel drive”. Not sure if Lexus have dropped a clanger here. I see they won’t offer an AWD option either.

He tried to get 3700 out of me then dropped it to 2500