Ian J. Parsley

Just for reference, you can override the auto-dropping of heated seats and you can set the sat-nav to be either permanently "day" or permanently "night". What I think is fair to say is that some of these things are not instantly obvious. (That said, I've only just spotted how to change from miles to km on my wife's sat nav, a month after 2000 frustrating miles on the Continent!)

I'll come back on the other points when I get a moment, but just a thought: have a think, just a think, about trying a non-F-sport model. That loses you the central guage but the seats are different. They may solve that problem. Re the mouse, you get used to that. I grew familiar with "backspace" in the first few days but rarely if ever miss now (besides, I control most things by voice). If you like the car and you want to try something different, I'd say you've nothing to lose by trying another version. Like I say, I'm an Audi fan too so no quibbles with your choice!

Congrats on your new car (and colour selection!) Just a quick note for others, the Nav only reads texts on some phones. Unfortunately (or probably fortunately actually) mine isn't one of them.

Ah that was you, was it?! Must say I was very impressed both by the request and by Lexus UK's instant affirmative response. The blog is very good. Same can't be said for the website, which is still seriously short on information.

Yes, that late option came about because someone had the sense to ask for it on the Lexus UK blog! Do you get a choice from a few plates over in GB, or are you just allocated one? Can you choose any region or do you have to take where you are (eg L-London, S-Scotland or whatever)?

I'd have thought the Merc would be faster 0-60, but the Lexus 30-70.

That's correct, Roger.

I don't have them on the Luxury spec. I'd prefer to have them, and wasn't aware whether I would or wouldn't, but I don't really mind.

The Lexus UK web site is still a bit of a disaster, tbh. For example, it doesn't actually offer leather seats as an "option" on luxury trim - it definitely is, because I have them! I think it could do with a bit of work, because people do make calls based on options available!

Well exactly - not a "whine" by any definition! My frustration (as with many walks of life) is that this is just lazy journalism. One reviewer probably did get a mistaken impression of an "annoying whine", so a few others have just copied that. I do, seriously, suspect that some reviewers have not actually sat in the car at all. And they wonder why the profession is going to the wall... Such a shame for those who do take the job seriously and work hard at it.

Welcome, and if you want the sporty drive the F-sport with Nav is the ideal combo, no doubt about it.

I can't work it out at all. There is just no sound apart from the one you describe and the brief growl when you floor it. Think the mercury grey is sensational too.

Agree entirely, including re the mouse controller. Yeah occasionally I miss my intended target but not as often as with the dial in my wife's Audi! I have black metallic (celestial I think they call it) and black interior; I haven't seen arctic pearl but it's tempting, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the contrast.

RTÉ, which is directly relevant to you, is fair but actually has little to say: http://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/motors/reviews/2013/0729/465280-lexus-is300h/ I'm beginning to worry about my hearing, mind. They mention a "drone" again: honestly, I hear nothing but road noise. I wonder how these people are driving the thing; are they going out of their way to apply the throttle while in sport mode with the synthetic noise at full volume?!

Yes, likewise. Though I find newspaper reviews not far off - I daresay they're not as influenced by advertisers.

Each to their own, of course, but my point is my last car was higher spec (including auto-folding mirrors), and I really don't miss any of that spec. You think you need this stuff once you have it, but sometimes you really don't! Like I say, honestly, I think (but only my opinion) it would be a mistake to let something like that put you off. If there are aspects of the driving or ownership experience which put you off, that's another matter of course. I really can't push one of Audi or Lexus over the other because the very reason I didn't go for Audi was that we already had one in the household - in other words, I like 'em both!

To be clear: my door mirrors *do* fold. There is a button which folds them. The only thing I don't have is the option to fold them automatically upon locking the car. My wife's Audi Q3 is the same. It's really not an issue! I can think of reasons to pick an Audi over a Lexus, but folding door mirrors ain't one!

PS: whereas this kind of nonsense seriously lets journalism down. http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/2013-lexus-is-review/265900 You wonder, genuinely, whether the author actually drove or even stepped into the car at all. The very phrase "annoying drone" is borrowed from somewhere else (and simply not something I've noticed at all). And the 3-series has a "classier cabin" - I know it's subjective, but don't make me laugh. File under "safe to ignore"!

For what it's worth, I found this review pretty fair: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/10205081/Driven-Lexus-IS300h.html I would take issue on two points (aside from the final paragraph), however: - the steering differs in the different modes because the throttle response is different - it took me a few days (i.e. a lot more than a test drive or two) to get used to this, but once you do, the steering/throttle combo is sensational; and - the remote touch is superb (see my video on the "Connected Services" thread) - again, just because the reviewer isn't used to it and hasn't had time to learn it, he gives it up as a bad thing, but give me the mouse-style control over my wife's Audi's "dial" any day of the week. I think it is true - and to the detriment of Lexus among reviewers - that the systems take longer to get used to. Frankly, and I hate to admit this, it is worth reading the manuals thoroughly cover to cover. After ten days with the car I still haven't done this, but every time I pick up a manual I find out how to do something else. Reviewers, whom I blame for many things but not this, do not have this luxury. And, as ever, the final paragraph is nonsense (the IS frankly slaughters the 3-series as an all-rounder, except if you've an extra 20k to spec up the latter), although it touches on something we've discussed here before, namely that Lexus shouldn't be attempting to emulate the 3-series. I believe that for different reasons from the reviewer. And I don't mind "quirky"!

I had electric seats on my last car but yes, as you say, I don't miss them as I am the only driver. I *think* power folding mirrors are standard across the range; but I can't say I checked as I was always going for luxury trim. And yes, I have floor mats.

No, I don't have dipping mirrors, but a reverse camera (with guidelines and sensors) comes with the navigation system, which I opted for. I also added leather/heated seats but *not* ventilated/memory seats. It is quite possible dipped mirrors come with the latter, I honestly don't know (I didn't research it because I knew I was getting a reverse camera). Just for reference, the reverse camera has two modes for guidelines, one for perpendicular parking and another for parallel parking. I would advise anyone to get the navigation system in any case - nominally it's £1995 but this can be negotiated, and I'd say there won't be too many ex-demos without it.

Well I must admit I look at it the other way around - if I'm going to take a risk on a hybrid, I should be rewarded! Living in Northern Ireland, I appreciate the UK tax regime is nothing like as punitive as the Republic of Ireland's, where a combination of high road duty and taxing options has seen car sales plummet.

Congrats. Health to enjoy! Pics compulsory come Halloween or so!

I have (I hope!) uploaded a video to YouTube of how Lexus Connected Services works, to select a destination via online search, in the new IS. http://youtu.be/S2vkbKE3zW4

Honestly, I just don't "get" BMWs! Obviously, however, a lot of people do - although a slightly declining number proportionately, judging by UK/Irish sales so far in 2013. I could well be wrong, but my suspicion, in the UK and Ireland at least, is that the people who do get BMWs would rarely consider Lexus in the first place, except out of desperation with BMW's notoriously poor after-care. Thus, lining up Lexus as a serious competitor to BMW is somewhat pointless. Perhaps it is different in other markets, notably North America, I just can't say. To me, Lexus aces on comfort, refinement and actually just all-round feel - I feel the same about a GS in its segment. Where I think the new IS really strikes is that it is markedly different from the GS, whereas I suspect the others will come to regret essentially rushing to create different "models" which are essentially the same car built from the same platform just in slightly different sizes or shapes. That said, it seems to me the GS has sold particularly poorly in the UK. That's disappointing, as it is unquestionably a great car. Perhaps, as I've written elsewhere, the new, less expensive hybrid (GS 300h) will make a difference.