New to the Lexus World. Need advice.
10-20-14, 11:41 AM
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New to the Lexus World. Need advice.
Hey guys,
Alright so just to get this out of the way I am currently the owner of a 2000 bmw 323ci. Love the little car but it's not what I am looking for. then I discovered the IS300, I am putting serious consideration into purchasing one possibly in January but I'm just a bit curious. How do they perform? The bmw is a monster when it comes to taking turns and it is quick but it's too quiet and let's face it. If ANYTHING breaks in one of those cars it's 2 grand just to get them to pop the hood.. Now. I have heard a few exhaust clips, do they really have that throaty sound stock? If so, that's pretty badass.. Anyways. I'm getting off track here. So. Problems with them? Pros, Cons, Let me hear them all. And thanks in advance!
Alright so just to get this out of the way I am currently the owner of a 2000 bmw 323ci. Love the little car but it's not what I am looking for. then I discovered the IS300, I am putting serious consideration into purchasing one possibly in January but I'm just a bit curious. How do they perform? The bmw is a monster when it comes to taking turns and it is quick but it's too quiet and let's face it. If ANYTHING breaks in one of those cars it's 2 grand just to get them to pop the hood.. Now. I have heard a few exhaust clips, do they really have that throaty sound stock? If so, that's pretty badass.. Anyways. I'm getting off track here. So. Problems with them? Pros, Cons, Let me hear them all. And thanks in advance!
10-20-14, 12:27 PM
#3
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Welcome to CL as a new poster, Zerottie. Glad to have you. 
The IS300, in general, is significantly more reliable than the BMW 3-series (and somewhat less-expensive to service). The in-line six in the IS300 (same block as in the 90-vintage Toyota Supra) is smooth, refined, and durable as iron if driven and serviced properly. It is also the same engine used in the original GS300 and SC300. The downside is that it is thirsty, and uses gas pretty much like a V8. For your taste, it may also be too quiet, partly due to the car's extensive sound-isolation.....you seem to want a noisy car, and complained about the 323 being too quiet.
Having owned one myself for almost 5 years, there are also some other downsides to the IS300. Its automatic shift-lever has a nice snap-crisp feel but has some quirks in its operation and block-out of some gears. You can't downshift shift into first manually either with the lever or the steering wheel shift-buttons. When the transmission is cold in the winter, it says in lower 3 gears until the fluid warms, delaying upshifts and causing high RPMs on a cold engine if you don't creep along. The chrome-ball shift **** has to be kept out of the sun in hot weather to keep it from burning your palm. The climate-control system tends to keep forcing the intake-air to the recirculate mode...you sometimes have to keep pushing the fresh-air button to keep the windshield from fogging. The dash materials are cheap-looking by Lexus standards except for the nicely-styled chronograph gauges (which I liked). Traditional 3-pedal 5-speed manual transmissions are hard to find, having only been produced for a year or two. The throttle-by-wire system also sometimes is very unresponsive starting out from low-speed rolling starts after deceleration.
But, overall, an extremely well built car, IMO one of the most mechanically solid vehicles Lexus has ever done. Most of the problems and annoyances are not from mechanical unreliability (which is top-notch) but simple electronic and design-quirks.
The IS300, in general, is significantly more reliable than the BMW 3-series (and somewhat less-expensive to service). The in-line six in the IS300 (same block as in the 90-vintage Toyota Supra) is smooth, refined, and durable as iron if driven and serviced properly. It is also the same engine used in the original GS300 and SC300. The downside is that it is thirsty, and uses gas pretty much like a V8. For your taste, it may also be too quiet, partly due to the car's extensive sound-isolation.....you seem to want a noisy car, and complained about the 323 being too quiet.
Having owned one myself for almost 5 years, there are also some other downsides to the IS300. Its automatic shift-lever has a nice snap-crisp feel but has some quirks in its operation and block-out of some gears. You can't downshift shift into first manually either with the lever or the steering wheel shift-buttons. When the transmission is cold in the winter, it says in lower 3 gears until the fluid warms, delaying upshifts and causing high RPMs on a cold engine if you don't creep along. The chrome-ball shift **** has to be kept out of the sun in hot weather to keep it from burning your palm. The climate-control system tends to keep forcing the intake-air to the recirculate mode...you sometimes have to keep pushing the fresh-air button to keep the windshield from fogging. The dash materials are cheap-looking by Lexus standards except for the nicely-styled chronograph gauges (which I liked). Traditional 3-pedal 5-speed manual transmissions are hard to find, having only been produced for a year or two. The throttle-by-wire system also sometimes is very unresponsive starting out from low-speed rolling starts after deceleration.
But, overall, an extremely well built car, IMO one of the most mechanically solid vehicles Lexus has ever done. Most of the problems and annoyances are not from mechanical unreliability (which is top-notch) but simple electronic and design-quirks.
10-20-14, 01:15 PM
#6
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10-20-14, 03:42 PM
#9
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Yes, I understand your point, but I used the term "significantly" anther than "much" because the OP was interested in a line of vehicles (IS300) that has been out of production for almost 10 years. On vehicles that old, even with stellar quality ratings as brand-new cars, one does not always know exactly what he or she is getting, and there is always a certain element of risk. The average IS300 that age is usually going to be more reliable than the average 3-series, but it is difficult to know exactly how much. Thus, the term "significantly" covers more of an area of uncertainty.
10-20-14, 03:54 PM
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Thank you all for replying, I appreciate all of the feedback, I honestly really surprised when I saw some of the prices listed for these. And from what I have been told they do not disappoint when it comes to power. Noise can be handled and not a major let down. Although the 350 does look nice and I'm sure would do a fine job of giving me the comfort and power I like I do not have that sort of money to shell out. I saw models of the IS300 going for about 6500 in good condition with low miles. So I do believe my little beamer may go away this December. The bmw only offers 170 horsepower and the DSC is stuck on and will not turn off, and i have no e-brake. So that sucks, haha.
10-20-14, 04:45 PM
#11
Yes, I understand your point, but I used the term "significantly" anther than "much" because the OP was interested in a line of vehicles (IS300) that has been out of production for almost 10 years. On vehicles that old, even with stellar quality ratings as brand-new cars, one does not always know exactly what he or she is getting, and there is always a certain element of risk. The average IS300 that age is usually going to be more reliable than the average 3-series, but it is difficult to know exactly how much. Thus, the term "significantly" covers more of an area of uncertainty.
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