Jim34

Hi, I had the Luxury spec IS 300H on demo for a weekend. I've currently got an e90 320d ed for comparison purposes. I found the ride very good on the Luxury spec, a firm edge but still very supple and far from uncomfortable. The biggest benefit over the 320d was how quiet the ride was, by this I mean the suspension just got on with its job without that drumming sound you get in some cars. The handling felt very taut and fluid too. I just need my firm to get round to launching their new scheme now to help make my mind up.

Hi Ian, thanks for the response. The first thing that attracted me to my current BMW was the 13% BIK (back in 2010) combined with decent performance, handling and economy. Lexus didn't really have anything comparable at the time, the new IS has changed all that in my opinion. It's now a real contender for performance, ride and handling, not just low BIK. A 3 series (not sure what engine and spec as yet) will still be on the short list, I know there are loads of them around but apart from the engine being a bit gruff they are still great all rounders. I do like the idea of the Lexus being rarer and more exclusive though, in addition to this I'm hoping it will be more reliable than my current BMW has been. I also have my sights on the new mk7 Golf GTI, the BIK is now down to 19% which is reasonable based on the performance it offers. It all comes down to the total out of pocket cost in the end, the combination of the lease cost plus the BIK. I'm on a salary sacrifice scheme and have no restrictions on how much of my pay I allocate to a car. If there's only say £20-£30 a month difference between my final three it will make the decision even harder. My firm is just in the middle of changing lease providers so I can't get final costs as yet, it should be sorted in the next couple of weeks though. Thanks again. James.

Thanks for all the responses folks. Seems it will probably be best to leave it in drive mode and forget about EV mode. With regard to the cruise control the newer BMWs have a function whereby the car will brake automatically on a downhill section of road if the set cruise speed is exceeded. I couldn't decide if the IS did this or not. Not a deal breaker at all, just curious. Thanks again for the responses.

Hi All I've been loitering here for a few months now. I currently have a BMW 320d as a company car which is due for renewal soon. I had a Luxury spec on a demo for a weekend and I must say I was very impressed. Lovely balance between ride and handling, nice steering, great interior and exterior and superbly refined. There is a disconnect between road speed and engine speed which took my brain a little time to get used to, but I just don't get what the press bang on about the CVT 'drone'. The brakes were probably the worst aspect of the drive, effective enough but with little feel. A few questions to existing owners if I may: I tried all drive modes including EV and I'm a little confused. It seemed that in all modes it would still use electric only when conditions allowed. So what does the EV mode actually do? I also couldn't decide if the cruise control has a braking function or not? I think it did brake when I was in Eco mode only? Perhaps this is just the generator being more forcefully engaged on a trailing throttle? Finally, any idea on what the current delivery times are? I'm hoping to order mid November, fingers crossed to squeeze a Christmas delivery in :-) I need to get the final lease costs but with the fantastic BIK savings the Lexus is definitely high on my list. Many thanks. James.