tanimbar

Yesterday I had a back-to-back test of an IS 300H SE and a Luxury, 16 and 17 inch wheels, respectively. So this is a report on the ride quality of both. Unfortunately the roads available were quite well maintained but I did hit as many drain covers, potholes and rough tarmac as possible. Sadly, didn't get onto a quick road, e.g. motorway, or a rough B road. On well maintained surfaces the two cars are very similar - I think you would be pushed to tell the difference if blindfolded as a passenger. On these surfaces the ride of the two is essentially smooth and well controlled, while at the same time supplying sufficient feel for normal driving. Neither car exhibits the longer wavelength damping of cars such as a Mondeo; the damping and spring rates seem to be 'tuned' more towards vehicle control and sharper steering. I would not describe it as plush or luxurious but instead a firm, supple ride with more vehicular stability. Previously I had tested a Sport (18 inch wheels) on a motorway and that ride was acceptably smooth and controlled, but also fed back knowledge of the road surface and imperfections to the steering wheel, i.e. just as you would expect for 18 inch wheels and sports suspension. I would expect both SE and Luxury to have very good motorway ride quality - not sublime wafting, not soft wallowing either, but instead a well-controlled, supple acceptance of road imperfections; you would probably feel and hear imperfections but not be disturbed by them. The surprise for me was that the 16 inch SE was not very much better than the 17 inch Luxury at dealing with potholes, drains and rough tarmac. However, I didn't have a chance to test either car on a long length of damaged or poorly maintained road, i.e. a typical west country B road. That lack aside, the SE does deal marginally better with drains etc. than the Luxury. Neither car's suspension crashes, excessively thumps, or gives that disconcerting wheel-twisting feel of poor suspension and damper systems. For comparison the Sport does crash and thump over ridges and drains etc. - that's the nature of that beast. So, there you have my personal opinion. Before the back-to-back test I was expecting to have to write about a large contrast between the SE and Luxury rides but it's not there. They are surprisingly similar. A greater contrast may exist if driving on B roads - possibly/probably a more forgiving, compliant, smoother ride in the SE than the Luxury - but if the difference between the two on A roads and well-maintained B roads is indicative, then the difference on poor surfaces is probably not great. That last point is the most important thing I've learnt: I can now consider purchasing not only a 16 inch SE but also a 17 inch Luxury (and possibly the Executive). Thanks again for the feed-back on your experiences. regards, Tanimbar

I thought I wasn't being paranoid. He was out to get me! No sale, no test drive either.

Moving slightly off topic - just made enquiry about a 2013/63 plate, IS 300 h Luxury, 17,000 miles. Being sold by an independent dealer, not Lexus franchises. I was/am thinking of testing it so that I have a personal reference point regarding the ride quality of a Luxury and SE model. The price/mileage ratio is attractive too. Salesman claims it has not been serviced yet - not needed; has no service book for stamping (he claims all records are stored digitally by Toyota/Lexus) and that Lexus warranty is intact. I've read some posts here when people talk of their service books being stamped - do all Lexus cars/owners have a service book? As I understand it the new car warranty is for 3 years at 10,000 (or 12,500) or annually, whichever comes first, and that the warranty is invalidated if this is not carried out. Is this correct? Apparently the car has been returned early from a lease contract. The asking price is £16,995 which is why I was interested - but - ................... seems to be some oddities in what the salesman claims. Am I being paranoid? Thanks Tanimbar

Dutchie01 - excellent reporting. Thank you. I had hoped the SE (your base model) would be more compliant and better suited to rough roads than the F Sport (or Sport?) - you confirm that. It also seems that the Premier, possibly all variants on 17 inch wheels, ride less well on rough surfaces than the SE on 16 inch wheels. Not really a great surprise. Now all I need to do is find a SE test car - the one I hoped to drive has been sold by the dealer. There are more used SE cars available up north (Birmingham northwards) compared to the south-west. Patience required. Tanimbar

Thank you to everyone. Interesting, if slightly confusing, set of reported experiences. But what I can take from the replies is that it is worth my trundling the 150 miles or so for a test in a SE model. I'll report back. Thanks again.

Rayaans thank you for replying. I now think I should have clarified my question and observations about ride quality - I'll try below. On A roads and motorways, i.e. smooth, well maintained surfaces, the ride quality for my test in the IS 300H F sport was acceptable. It was firm and with a lot of 'feedback' from the surface - I could feel ridges, patch work and changes in road surface. No complaint from me because it was an F Sport. On country B roads and poorly maintained town/village roads the F sport was at times harsh, clattery and uncomfortable. The handling was generally fine, but at times bordered on the unsettled; however the steering was positive and I knew what was happening. So, it is the ride quality of the IS 300H SE on B roads and other poorly maintained surfaces that interest me the most. That is where I spend a lot of my time. Would I be right in assuming that your description of the ride of the SE as 'very smooth' and 'sublime' relates to A roads and motorways? If so, I would not be surprised. Can you now describe your experience of the ride quality of the SE on B roads etc? Thanks in advance.

Hello, I'm a prospective purchaser of an IS 300h. Live in the west country, roads are rough, potholes etc. and I spend a lot of time on poor B roads. Had a few hours test run in an IS 300h F Sport (only demonstrator available) with F Sport - 225/40R18 88Y (front), 255/35R18 91Y (rear). Great car except that ride quality was unacceptable. I expected this result. But, how much better is the SE with regard to ride quality on its 205/55R16 91W tyres and 16 inch wheels? I know a test drive would answer the question but that would be a 150 mile round trip for me. Depending on the answers here I will take the test drive or simply knock the IS 300H SE off my list of possible purchases. Hopefully not the latter because the IS 300 H makes a lot of sense otherwise (well, excluding the service costs and possibly the seat!). Thank you, Tanimbar