Dave748

Hi All, So I've arranged a test drive of the Lexus model I want this weekend (IS300h) and looking forward to it. The Cheltenham dealer I'm going to almost instantly replied to my emails, even at 10pm which is dedication and customer service indeed so off to a good start. They also offered for me to take it away for the night which I'm still deciding on but will probably take them up on the offer so I can get a real feel for it having never drove a hybrid before or a petrol for about 2 years. I know what to expect from the Lexus now thanks to lordlen21's post. As opposed to the BMW that grabs a hold of you and drags and throws you to where your going (which is fun when you want it but not used all that often) the Lexus will gently waft me to where I want to be in relative comfort. After reading a few forums though I know some people have gripes which I hope some have been fixed, one thing that has been mentioned that I know will annoy the hell out of me is the Informant Centre screen auto going back to the main page when not been used in Nav and having no way of locking it to one screen. Is this still the case? I know it's nothing to do with the drive and car ect. but my Fitbit Surge used to do the same thing and I sent it back because it used to annoy me so much. Can anyone also tell me how often the servicing is and around how much? Anyone also tell me about any software updates to the Informant System, are they free, are they often, is it any good. I must admit the iDrive system looks pretty good and easy to use, I love gadgets and tech which is part of the reason why this car is a serious contender for me to the 3 Series. Hows the battery life of the electric engine? How long to the batteries last and do they degrade over time and by how much and how does this affect performance? I will probable have more questions but of any can answer some of these that would be great. Thanks Guys. Regards

OK, well that's not quite the same type of drive as I do but I see where your going with that, I'm in the process of organising a test drive of the Lexus so I'll see how that goes. I'm not really looking at either one for the brand just the build quality, efficiency, reliability, comfort, drive feel and tech. Both have pros and cons, I wish I could take the best parts of both I like and mash them together into one awesome car, but I can't. The BMW Tax is £10 for the first year and £30 per year after, when you're spending up to £20000 on a car £20 a year difference in TAX is not even a factor.

Thanks, I only do the occasional 3 hour motorway trip at the moment, mainly its my commute to work that's about 17 miles each way on country and B roads, not single track but windy and hilly 40 - 60 mph roads.

OK, so I know that posting this in a Lexus forum will open myself up to a barrage of bias comments but please if you do have something to say try to be as un-bias as you can, constructive and justify your comments so they are actually useful. So, I've decided that for my next car I'm going to dig a little deeper into my pockets and get something decent, comfortable and an easy driving bit of luxury. Right now I've narrowed my choices down to a Lexus IS300h and a BMW 3 Series saloon 320d. I've had a test drive in the BMW (an M-Sport in exactly my price range) about a few hours ago actually and I have to say it did feel like a nice solid well put together car, looked great on the outside with the large M sport alloys in the exact colour I would chose but a little bland on the inside I have to say and the seats were a bit narrow, the wings of the seat stuck in my back a bit. All in all I wasn't blown away by it but not put off either, it felt like a sensible choice. My next choice is a Lexus IS300h, the nearest dealer is quite a bit further away but I will be going over to have a go in one and see one in the flesh before I decide. At the moment my main concern is the engine, I've never had a hybrid before or a Lexus so don't know how reliable they are. I don't do much city or suburban driving and don't get stuck in traffic it's mainly country and B roads so I'm worried that I won't see much of the efficiency of the Hybrid as compared to the BMW diesel engine. I explained my predicament to the BMW sales person and he was very understanding and didn't in anyway try to put me off the Lexus he just gave me exactly what I wanted, the facts and figures of the car I was looking at. I really am 50/50 on this right now, I know I still need to see and try the Lexus but when your spending a lot of money you want to make sure you do as much as possible to make the right fully informed decision. I'm not buying new, my budget is around £20000 and price wise both cars are almost identical for what I want. If anyone can help shed some light on my situation please do so but like I said please try to keep it un-bias (I know that's a bit silly to ask in a Lexus forum but try anyway) but also constructive and justifiable. Thanks in Advance Dave