ganzoom

Yes keep us updated. I never test drove the Q50, wasn't on the list, but I do like my Datsun's, the Leaf is my 4th :D

Charged up for free whilst doing some shopping and lunch with friends today. Was able to keep track of the charging status via the iPhone. Total 'refuel' costs for the first 100 miles of ownership has been £1.50 (over night charge), this compares over £20 in fuel for the same trip in my old BMW (<25mpg in city traffic)....Loving how cheap this thing is to run :D

I think the Lexus hybrid units are by far the best. Saw a Tesla in the flesh today, even the wife liked it and has given the go ahead to get one once the lease on the Leaf expires in 24 months...Judging by how long delivery takes, may well have to order one sooner rather than later :D

They do look good!! Cheap too, mainly because no one has bought any!! Same engine as the GTR (minus some turbos), if I hadn't gone totally mad and bought a Leaf I would seriously consider one :) There's a whole load of well specced ex-demos on autotrader. All under 10,000 miles, been on sale for months (Since Jan 2015) List price £45k+, their sticker price is now down to £30k, I bet you can get another 10% off with no haggling.... Also still a Japanese brand, so you know your get good realibilty. Go for it!!

Given the IS300H is a hybrid I would have thought the whole 'The batteries will explode/run out/be-unless' argument wouldn't emerge it's head...But here are some actually facts, rather than myth :P 1: Prius batteries have lasted much better than even Toyota thought. OK the technology isn't Lithium-Ion, but the whole argument about Toyota/Lexus hybrids become worthless because of battery issues has been proven wrong, the fact I now see more Prius Taxi's than Corolla Taxi's shows they work. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/02/the-200-000-mile-question-how-does-the-toyota-prius-hold-up/index.htm 2: The Battery technology used by Tesla has been developed via the Tesla Roadster. When it was studied by actual owners, they found the actual drop off in range was predictable and moderate, up to 100K 3: The Tesla S has the most advanced battery management systems around. The car is still too new to work out how degradation occurs longterm, but current owners report after an initial rapid fall in capacity, the battery than loses about 1% of charge every 30,000 miles, and at 90,000 miles battery health is at 92-94%...Incidentally if you ran a M5 for 90,000 miles, assuming 25mpg, and £1.30/L for super-unleaded you will have spent £20K on petrol costs alone!! 4: Remember my initial post about how I wanted a M5 but running costs are about £1000/month?? The reason high performance (>400bhp+) ICE cars cost £££ to run is because they are packed full of radiators/turbos/seals/gears/pumps. The current M3 has SEVEN (7) radiators. Random parts on my 335i would break for no reason.and you wouldnt find anyone would dare to run a M5 without a BMW warranty..I would take a less than 10% drop off in battery life over 90K on a Tesla S over a M5 running a stupidly complex ICE engine with the potential to throw a big bill any second :)

So I've done my first full day in the Leaf, amazingly I've some how covered 90 miles in the last 24hrs. Despite the fact the theoretical range of the Leaf is only 120 miles. A combination of charging over night, and a quick stop free 'rapid charge' means the I've had no hint of range anxiety :) If I was still commuting 80-100 miles a day than the Leaf would clearly be no good, but for my current work situation the Leaf is perfect. I have to say even though it's not all that fast, the ability to access 190 lbs of torque in a instant means the Leaf actually has better throttle response than my 335i...Though clearly it's a shopping chart in comparison, interms of outright performance. However based on my experiences so far, I don't think I'll be ever buying an ICE car again!! All of a sudden I have no interest in driving the Lexus anymore, unless its a journey that's longer than 80 miles :P.... I'm really looking forwards to the next 24 months of motoring in the Leaf, it'll be really interesting how it compares to the ICE car's I've had up till now. With regards to Tesla, I've not seen a single bad review about the car. I really I'm not bothered about where the electricity comes from, it's the £/Performance ratio that excites me... I think these videos speak for themselves....Remember the Tesla is a 5+2 family car, and costs the same as the equivalent BMW M5 to buy outright. I hope the mainstream car manufactures can come up with a product to rival it, but just because the company is new doesn't mean it will not be successful....Remember back a few years ago when Apple first entered the mobile phone buissness, and how dominant Nokia was back than, and where Nokia is now ;). I really don't car who build/makes my next car, as long as it can deliver similar levels of performance....The second video shows the advantage of having 4WD on an electric car, with motors been able to deploy 100% torque instantly!!

LoL, my wife was still convinced this whole thing was a April fools joke, and that this moroning the BMW would be back on the drive Essentially I'm a petrolhead, hence I don't mind spending ££££ on cars, ALL IN the 335i has cost me £40K+ over 4 years...Only petrolheads can justify wasting that kind of money on a car. But the 335i was so good, the cars that I wanted to replace it with was either a F10 M5 or a XJ Supersport, you can pick up either for £30-40K second hand, so not a stupid amount of £££, but their running costs are about £1000/month. Which translates to an annual pre-tax cost of £36K on running costs alone....which regardless of your annual income is a stupid amount to waste on a car....Even I recognise that :) So I was in a rather odd position, where I couldnt see my self ever parting with the 335i because I couldnt see anything better that I could afford to run. Given I bought the 335i before I was 30, it was depressing that the 335 would be my the peak of my car ownership experince before I even hit 35..... Untill the Tesla S came along, which has changed the whole peformance car ownership prospect, yes it still costs £70K+ to buy, but once you bought the thing it's running costs are negliable compared to equivelant ICE cars of the same peformance. I actually feel sorry for BMW/Audi/Merc still producing ICE hyper-saloons, because actually if anyone in a market for a M5 sits down and look at the numbers, there is no reason why you would buy a M5 over a Tesla. They both cost £70K, both have a rubbish range when driven hard, both can serve as a family car, but one costs £8 to refuel the other £100+....If you had £70K spare to spend on a hypersaloon, your be mental to buy anything but a Tesla S, which is probably why the Tesla S has been one of the top selling luxury cars in the US, pretty much pegging th S class for the top stop, and out-selling more than double what Lexus managed with the LS. I've actually deliberatly not booked a test drive in a Tesla, because I know if I drove one, I would want one, and would probably buy it on the spot (through finance ofcourse). At least this way I'll have a chance to save up a decent cash lump sum towards the Tesla....But this whole excerise is aimed at getting me into a Tesla ASAP. The home charge I'm having installed through the goverment EV grant is actually one that works for the Tesla rather than the Leaf...So although it may appear I've gone from been a petrolhead to a enviormentalist my motivations are purely selfish :).... The bizzar thing is Tesla don't believe in advertising, so this crazy behaviour is all self motivated....as one reviewer said 'any one how drives one of these things goes away trying to work out how they can afford one'!!

So after taking ownership of our Lexus about a month ago, I quickly realised that even though I love the performance of my modified BMW 335i, I simply love the relaxed, and comfortable drive the IS300H delivers(especially EV mode). Infact Ive loved driving the IS300H so much (despite the fact it's suppose to be my wife's car), the 335i has barely done 100 miles in the last month So the un-thinkable thought crossed my mind, why carry on paying £280/year road tax, £700/year insurance, £200-300/month on random repairs and 25mpg on the 335i when Im not even using it??? Than by coincidence I spotted some chatter on pistonheads about cheap Nissan Leaf deals.Did some quick numbers, took one out for a test drive, and 1 week later Ive sold the 335i and taken delivery of a brand new Leaf!!! Its no looker, not all that fast (but surprisingly quick up to about 45-50 due to instant torque), clearly not as nice inside as the Lexus, and has limited range (not a issue for me though. BUT it delivers the same smooth/quite/refined driving experience of the IS300H and for very little money. This thing is cheap, I mean really,really cheap. The deal I got was ZERO deposit (not a single penny), on PCP with interest free credit, 14,000 miles over 24 months, including electricity charges + insurance total cost of ownership over 2 years is going to be under £250/month. This actually drops to under £200/month if I take into account the free £900 electric charge point thats been installed at my house, paid for by the government EV grant. I know people that pay half that much for Sky every months, and this thing loaded with more tech than any car ive been in before (including the IS300H). Forget reading your e-mails/txt, you can control the charge/climiate systems of this thing from your laptop/iPhone!! My wife thought I have gone mad swapping my 3L, 380bhp, twin turbo car that could do 0-60 in under 5 seconds, for a 109bhp Leaf. I'm still 100% sure my 335i was by far the best internal combustion engine powered car I've owned ever (or ever will own), the fact I kept it longer than any of my previous cars is testimony to that fact (just under 4 years)...but technology/time moves on, and I have a plan to get back into something almost as quick. In 2 years time when the Leaf lease/pcp is up, Im going to chop it in for one of these (Haven't quite got £50K spare at the moment) ;) So Thank You Lexus....for making me look at driving in a different way. Now get on with it and make a full EV to compete with Tesla, so that in 24 months time I can hand over a big wedge of cash to my local Lexus dealer :D

Steer well clear of the BMW 3 series and the Audi A4....If your disappointed by the IS300H I would hate what you think of the more popular 'premium' German offerings in this class :)

What bits are been added :)

I'm sure your love the car....But I've noticed the IS300H is becoming more common, I say two in one day last week :D

Rather than rely on magazine reviews I think a more extended road test of the IS300H will give you a better idea of it's 'in-gear' acceleration. 0-60mph and 40-70mph more than matches the BMW 320D which, I admit it by no-means 'quick', but its the standard that most car reviewers seem to compare the IS300H to. I've owned a 380bhp BMW 335i, for the last 4 years (which I do class as a 'quick' car), even in the 335i, if your in the wrong 'gear' it takes time for the transmission to adjust to your throttle input. The IS300H is not as quick to respond as the 335, but its by no means slow compared to a 320D.

Clearly I'm driving too slowly....may be that's why I'm about to sell my 380bhp BMW for a Nissan Leaf :)

So my wife has been using the IS last week...Her average mpg is 40!! I took it out yesterday, struggled to get below 50....Maybe I do drive like a pensioner these days(no offence intended) :)

Your not going to get any where near the fuel consumption of the IS300H with a turbo petrol unit. There's a good reason why Lexus have pushed the IS300H, because the vast majority of buyer in the UK pick better economy/lower road tax over a quicker 0-60 time.

I've not driven a CT, but the BMW original 'M sport' factory suspension that came with my BMW 335i was awful, it wasn't the fact it was stiff/hard, it was purely because the actual dampers weren't that good quality and simply couldn't cope with any imperfections on the road surface. I've owned a Honda Integra Type R (DC2), Nissan 350Z, and driven Lotus Elise/E90 BMW M3. I can tell you from first hand experience the suspension setup on the IS300H is up there with the best of them. You don't have to do many yards to tell the damping in the IS300H is really compliant, yes there's under-steer and the steering provides not much feedback, but the actual suspension setup on the IS300H is very very good, and certainly much better than any BMW I've driven. Rather than rely on second hand information, you should go and give a IS300H a proper work out on a twisty B road...The power train isn't designed for B road blasting, but the road holding of the chassis is really impressive. I can see why the IS350 gets such rave reviews, and I really cannot wait see what the IS-F will be like :D

Having never owned a Lexus before our IS300H I have to say I find the build quality and general feel of the car a level above that of my BMW 335i...Even though the IS300H has been bought by my wife to replace her aging Honda Civic. The IS actually has an really well engineered chassis. Lexus do offer a 8 speed gear box for it, and when combined with 300bhp+ V6 engine, it's apparently even better than the latest BMW 335i as a all round sport saloon. Been a BMW 335i owner for the last 4 years, for any car from any manfacture to beat the 335i for all round performance/ecnomoy is a pretty amazing feat, considering BMW has built it's reputation on building the best sports saloons in the market :) I can see why Lexus hasn't bought the IS350 to the UK market thought, BMW sell more M3/M4s than 335i's, so the IS350 would generate sale figuers of no more than double digits, may be a few hundred at the most. Hopefully the IS-F will be along soon, and given the overall negative reviews of the current M3/M4, the IS-F has a real chance of coming up as the better drivers car....Now who would have thought Lexus could build a better sports saloon than BMW!!! http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a5213/the-comparison-65-3-roa1013/ The XE is may better the IS350 for dynamics, but bear in mind Jaguar pretty much ignored any hybrid/electic technology, as govermnents start putting higher taxes on diesels the cost/benfit of running a hybrid will quickly swing in favour of Lexus for many people. The planetery gearbox in the IS300H is needed for the hyrbid unit, a tradtional auto system will need multiple clutches/torque converters inorder to manage the ICE and electic motor, which will add significent complexity to the drive train, not to mention costs/reliabilty issues. I think Lexus/Toyota do need to continue and develop the hybrid drive trains, bigger/higher capactity battery would be a nice starte. But my over all impression of actually OWNING a Lexus IS over the first month of owernship and some 1000 miles is that it's a much better car than my near top of the range BMW 3 series tuned to 380bhp+....Which in my book is quite an achievement for any car from any brand, and that's opinion based on my real life ownership expereince, and paying out my own hard earned cash(Not into financing any of my cars), as well as reading reviews etc :D Infact the IS is so much better than my much loved BMW 335i, I've actually put the BMW upforsale (despite just spending £400 replacing it's raditor)!!!....Not getting a Lexus to replace it though..well not yet ;)

After 100 miles on M1/M25/A406 Not seen below 50mpg on a M run if cruising at national speed limit. Our is coming up to 1 month old, love it, never had so many positive comments from strangers when out and about :)

At the moment you have to opt for the Premier Spec to get the safety pack, I think for MY16+ Lexus will have to start offering it as a option for all cars, or even as a standard feature, since more and more cars are now coming with this standard, and it wouldn't be long before NCAP start reducing their safety ratings for cars' without pre-crash systems. Voice control...not tried it, but when I picked up the car from the dealer, the chap handing over the car pretty much told me it was rubbish and not to bother wasting my time with it!!!

I took the demo F-sport we had on a pretty hard B road thrush back in November last year, averaged 14mpg over 15-20 miles from memory, and I've given our Premier on a decent work out on the same stretch of road last week... I actually found the IS to be very stable mid-corner, and braking once you get use to the cutoff between regen/actual brake to be very progressive. I didn't do any deliberate brake tests, but I'm really surprised to hear your seeing the TC/ABS light come on hard stop, what kind of speed/distances are we talking about?? Our Premier has 17inch tyres, and despite my best efforts of putting the foot to the floor on existing corner, there really wasn't enough power to cause brake traction and light up the TC system (I think it happened once, and that was a corner with lots of camber)...If anything at the limit the IS just wants to carry on in a straight line, and does a very good demonstration of what understeer is like. You must be taking the bends at a fare pace to make the TC/ABS system come on mid-corner?? I do notice your longterm average mpg is 40.7...Our car with less than 1000 miles on the clock and the cold weather is currently averaging 50mpg (including my bit of spirited B road action)...So may be you are driving yours very hard

Go to the Bluetooth setting in the iPhone Click on Lexus.... Click SMS push notification to on (or something like that) Every time you get a SMS your have the option to get the car to read it out...with surprisingly good results. You can than reply using Siri :)

We went for 17inch wheels because I perfer the look of them, didn't realise they would give better mpg too :) The trim levels are odd, I read somethere is Lexus way of making people buy the Premier spec...Well it worked, we were happy with the Luxury spec, but I really wanted the 'safety pack', and since we'll be keeping this car 5-10years, I thought why not!! On the trip back home, I pick up the speed a bit...maybe was even tempted to run close to three figuers at one stage when the traffic disappered (memory hazy though, and pretty sure I don't remeber seeing the speedo go over the 70mph ;))....Still managed to return 54mpg. The best I ever got out of the Civic was 57mpg, and that was doing about 60mph, summers days + drafting lorries. So very very impressed by the Lexus so far...Sadly today my wife has taken it to work, so I was stuck driving the BMW!!

You set the cruise speed with the normal way, and the car will simply speed up/slow down depending on whats in front. I presume when it slows, the brakes lights come on to warn the car behind....You can also select how close/far you want to be from the car in front, which is useful depending on speed. That plus 'lane departure' detection warning means, and blind spot monitoring means I've just had the most relaxed motorway drive ever :)

Sounds good for Lexus, I'm loving our IS300H. Wouldn't take much to persuade me to swap the BMW for a GS/IS, but I want something with more grunt than the IS300H...I suspect the next generation GS450H wouldn't be due for a few years yet :( But I suppose the more cars Lexus sells, the bigger the development budget for future cars :)

So have had the IS now for 2 weeks, me and the wife are literally fighting for the keys every day! Today was the first time I've had the chance to drive the car on a long motorway stint, and test out the dynamic cruise control/ lane departure warning etc. With it been 7-8 degrees outside, and engine still new I didn't expect it to deliver any mind blowing mpg figures, especially since hybrids are best in town... So I set off, cruise control set at 70mph and dynamic mode. My trip me down the M1 and than North Circular around north London. Quite a lot of traffic (max speed possible was about 75mph), and quite a few 50/60 mph segments (which helped with mpg readings) The cruise control was fantastic, I only had to touch the throttle/brake a handful of times in 80 miles of busy M way traffic. Never had a car with dynamic cruise control before, but the system in the IS300H is fab, doesn't brake too harshly, picks up speed quickly enough for overtaking when changing lanes. After 90 miles on the motorway Than came 10 miles of been stuck in standstill traffic in North London, and the IS300Hs party trick (Full EV mode) saw the mpg IMPROVE Overall mpg is improving with every trip, come the summer, and the engine loosened up I wouldnt be surprised if itll hit 60mpg regularly :) Also found the most unless featureGoogle Street view on the sat nav screen, I thought it was cool, my wife said whats wrong with just looking out of the window':whistling: Overall, after 2 weeks, I'm loving the IS300H more than ever!! Infact I've even thought about selling my BMW 335i for either a GS450H or a Infinti Q50....I really thought, I would never get to the point where I would want to swap my BMW for a slower car, but the refinement of the hybrid technology is so convincing. I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait another 2 years for Tesla to announce an affordable pure EV car