Roger Bill

Excellent contribution Jonas, many thanks. The comments about hard ride are a big concern for me because, like Jonas, I have occasional back problems. Has anyone compared the ride in an F Sport with that in one of the non F Sport models running on 17" wheels? Tyres on the 17" wheels are not quite so low profile and I guess the F Sport suspension and seats are firmer. My impression was that the ride in a non F Sport was more comfortable than my 2009 IS250SEI and a lot better than the CT200. But I've only had a brief test drive, so I'd really appreciate comments from anyone with longer experience. Obviously some of this will be down to personal preference and I am planning on having an extended test drive in January. If I find the IS3 ride too hard then I'm not sure what my options will be. The GS is nice but it's a little too big and limo like for me and I've already discounted the BMW 3 Series.

https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Motor-insurance/Winter-tyres This is the Association of British Insurers position: "Most motor insurers do not charge additional premiums for vehicles fitted with winter tyres, provided that the tyres are roadworthy and have been fitted in accordance with the manufacturers instructions." There's also a link on this page to a document listing which insurers don't need to be notified.

Hi Haf, In addition to fuel consumption I think the two other most important criteria to compare against your Merc would be ride comfort and refinement. I haven't driven an E class Merc but I'd guess it might have a more comfortable ride whereas in terms of quietness and smoothness, the Merc diesel should be bettered by the Lexus hybrid system. Most problems/irritations reported on these forums relate to the phone, nav and audio systems so I think you should see if you find: The mouse easy to use or, if not, whether voice commands are a viable alternative. The nav system response times are fast enough. Your particular phone pairs and connects consistently and that it works happily with the Inrix traffic system. As Jonas suggests it would certainly be advisable to listen for rattles, squeaks, etc. Some journalists have said that the regenerative brakes make it difficult to stop smoothly and that the CVT gearbox blunts the acceleration and whines at high revs. However, because I haven't seen any complaints from owners, I think these maybe non-issues. I'm planning on having an extended test drive with a view to placing an order in January, so I'll be very interested in your views ad feedback. I hope you enjoy your test drive.

Inrix also have apps for all Smartphones in the Windows, Android, Apple and Blackberry stores: http://www.inrixtraffic.com/ I've got the free apps on my Windows phone and tablets and the traffic info does seem good. Also the other day our local BBC News program interviewed an Inrix guy about the hold ups caused by a big accident that had happened a few hours earlier.

Hi David, The traffic data you're seeing on the Nav system could be from Inrix. For details see for example http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=49276 Inrix is supposed to be much better than the old traffic data on nav systems which was broadcast by the RDS radio system and is often out of date.

Hi David, Many thanks it's good to know the hand free works well. Re the Inrix traffic & parking system sorry it's what I meant to say that I believe the data would normally be fed via 3G to the phone and then via Bluetooth to the car. I wonder if some of the reported problems might be caused by having more than one Bluetooth device trying to communicate with the car at the same time. I've read that Bluetooth is slower and less able to handle complex communications than is the case with WiFi.

I wonder if there are different versions of the software on cars in the UK and is is why some report more trouble than others. According to posts on www.clublexus.com this is the convoluted method required to check the program version: Cycle Ignition to ACC- The Lexus Emblem displays on screen Wait for the display to switch to the caution screen, then select continue. Cycle the headlight switch On/OFF 3 times while holding down MENU Select service information Select version information Select EMV-M If the current version is less than V10A8400 you require an update. Turn ignition off to exit service I guess the V10A8400 and 8500 version numbers they have in the USA will be different in other markets such as the UK.

Hi Charles, Once again many thanks. That all sounds fine I can easily overlook a few minor glitches like these especially on a car which is so quiet, smooth and reliable. None of the obvious competitors seem to measure up on these, which are the important criteria for me.

Hi Charles, Many thanks for the detailed feedback. Based on your comments and from what I've read elsewhere all looks OK for me to place an order in a couple of months, subject to another test drive. One question: do the basic hands free phone functions work reliably, i.e. do problems only arise when you try to play music from the phone via Bluetooth or USB cable, etc? A reliable hands free phone is an essential for me. The only other function I'd use is the Inrix traffic system which I understand relies on data from the phone via Bluetooth unless you have the £320 Hotspot accessory and a SIM card.

http://blog.lexus.co.uk/category/homepage/ Due out next year it seems the IS coupe (RC) will have more leather trim and a touchpad to replace the joystick. Both the exterior and interior look good but I guess it'll be priced at a significant premium over the IS300h and so will be out of my price range! I wonder if the UK will get both the 300h and 3500cc V6 power trains. The rumours about Lexus developing a 2.0 litre turbo seem to be confirmed by the LF-NX article. Presumably it's performance and economy will match or better that of the IS250 engine so making that engine obsolete? However, the LF-NX isn't expected until 2015 so I guess the IS250 can be expected to continue for another year or two.

This page: http://www.ehow.com/about_6586564_wide-vs_-narrow-tires.html contains a good explanation of the benefits of narrow tyres in snow & ice. I got a used set of 16" wheels from an IS220d & was going to fit them with cold weather tyres assuming I could use them both on my 2009 IS250 and on the IS300h I'm hoping to order early next year. However, I've now been told the wheel stud pattern and/or the wheel offsets for 16" wheels on the IS2 and IS3 are different. Can anyone confirm whether the fitments are different?

Hi Renate Many thanks for an excellent contribution. Like David I agree with pretty much everything you said. I'm hoping to order an IS in January with Ivory interior mainly because I feel in need of a change from the black interiors of all my recent cars. Although I guess it'll need a more diligent cleaning regime, I think it looks good and I'm surprised Lexus publicity material only has photos of black and red interiors.

Hi Kelvin, Congratulations. In January I'm hoping to order a Premier with the no-cost 17" wheel option because I share your concerns about ride quality. I haven't been able to compare ride quality with different wheel sizes in the new IS but experiments with my 2009 IS showed some, but not a dramatic, difference. Another advantage of the 17" option is the improvement in fuel consumption, according to figures in the brochure. Also I guess the wheels and tyres should be less susceptible to damage from hitting pot holes and presumably the tyres should be cheaper to replace. Finally because the front and rear 17" tyre sizes are the same they could be rotated to balance wear. Sorry I'm beginning to sound like a salesman so maybe I should end with the contrary point that 255 wide, lower profile 18" tyres should improve road holding.

Hi Simon, The same 8U1 Ultra Blue colour is also an option on the Lexus CT200h. To get some indication of it's resistance to stone chips you could try searching the Lexus web site for 2 or 3 year old Ultra Blue CT200h at nearby dealers. I've just gone through this process with Mesa Red and the couple of used cars I saw had very little in the way of stone chips or scratches. Satin Silver would probably be the safest choice but my last couple of cars have been silver so I feel like a change and I think red, which is a mica paint that sparkles in the sunlight, really suits the new IS; as I'm not planning on going for the F Sport, Ultra Blue isn't an option for me. The new IS paint has a coating which is supposed to provide some "self healing" properties. I understand warm temperatures are supposed to "heal" very minor scratches. Like you, I'd also be interested to know if there is a treatment to provide a worthwhile extra degree of protection. I'm somewhat sceptical because I would have thought the car manufacturers would use such coatings if they really were effective & the paint treatments I've been offered when buying previous cars all seemed expensive. Hope you enjoy making you choice.

Hi Wicksy, Sorry to hear that. If the noise was just a small squeak, like you, I'd be hopeful that it would disappear as things bed in but if it can be loud enough to hear over the radio I think that might be wishful thinking! Just a thought but if it only happens with higher outside temperatures, could it be when the climate control system has automatically switched the air conditioning on? If so, might be worth trying manually switching the air conditioning on to see if that causes the rattle and then off to see if it stops. Air conditioning compressors and the flaps used to route the airflow can rattle and I'd guess should be relatively easy to fix. Also I wonder if air conditioning pipes can rattle as is the case with air in radiators & water pipes of a central heating system?

Hi Wicksy, That's annoying, but isn't it something Lexus, Newcastle could quickly resolve now they've already done the difficult work in tracking down an intermittent fault and because a kinked wire in the engine compartment sounds like something that would be easy to get at and fix?

Both Mesa Red exterior and the red leather interior are really nice. I guess the extra weight of the hybrid battery and equipment would account for the 0.3 second difference in 0-62mph acceleration times. However, I think 0-62 times are somewhat theoretical because you have to be fairly brutal with a car to achieve those times. Also have you seen the earlier topic in this forum "Lexus vs Mercedes Performance Figures" and the videos of an IS300h beating a Merc C250 CDI? The difference in subjective acceleration feel of the IS300h compared with traditional automatic gearboxes has been widely discussed by owners in this forum.

Hi, I've had brief test drives in both the new 250 & 300h. I'm planning on changing my 2009 IS250 with a 300h early next year, but I can see the choice would be more evenly balanced given your low mileage. For what they're worth here are a few thoughts which I hope might help. Both powertrains should now be pretty well proven; the Lexus ES300h and the Toyota Camry both use similar hybrid engines and gearboxes and, while neither are available here, I believe they've sold well in the USA. The new IS250 has essentially the same powertrain as my IS and, while it's a smooth engine & gearbox, it's now rather dated in terms of performance & emissions. There are rumours that Lexus is developing a 4 cylinder turbocharged 2 litre engine which could be a replacement in the not too distant future for the IS250 engine. I've been watching closely for any reported problems with the new IS but so far the only complaints on here & www.clublexus.com have been a couple of minor rattles and some slow response with the audio and navigation; these issues seem to be more common with the USA media systems and which Lexus are addressing with software upgrades. To offset the higher cost of the 300h there should be significant savings in fuel, road tax and, I would guess the residual values should be better. However, it's the smooth, quiet and refined driving experience of the 300h that has me hooked whereas I thought the 250 was good but not that much noticeably better than my current car. If you haven't already done so I'd recommend a back to back test drive in both, as so much is down to personal preference. Also have you compared the F Sport with the Luxury or Premier alternatives? Hope you have fun making your choice.

Thanks Wicksy that's good to know.

Hi Wicksy, That's a great result and reassuring it wasn't anything serious; must help restore your faith in the car. Also it's good to hear they didn't have to remove the dash. I really sympathise with the difficulties faced by technicians having to identify intermittent noises. Was the IS300h Luxury on 17" wheels and, if so, I was wondering how much firmer you find the ride on 18" wheels and your F Sport suspension?

Hi Wicksy, Sorry to hear that but hopefully you'll find they've taken time to ensure a good, rather than a rushed job.

Hi Wicksy, Just wondered if Lexus have fixed the rattle on your car and, if so, what was the cause and cure? Many thanks, Roger

http://www.germancarforum.com/community/threads/autocar-road-test-lexus-is300h.49577/ Just seen this copy of the AutoCar IS300h road test which was published last month. I think it's more factual and rather better balanced than most other magazine reviews.

Hi Wicksy, Really sorry to hear that. Have you seen this post about a dash rattle on an IS350 F Sport: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-third-generation/709727-dash-rattles-above-3500rpm.html? Does it bear any resemblance to the type of noise you hear and, if so, is it related to engine revs?

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/6-series/66073/video-man-smashes-his-own-bmw So BMW 6 series suffer from rattles and the video on this page shows one solution!!