lexus27

iTrader: (1)

hi fellows. i wanna be part of the proud IS300 owners group. could anyone please enlighten me on the differences between the 2001 and 2002 model years. I'm looking into both cars locally and I'n not sure if there is any significant difference (problems?).

thanks in advance.

darden

Welcome to CL.

The "Search" button is your friend.

anyway, here's one thread that may answer your questions:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...2&pagenumber=1

mmarshall

The main differerence between the two was the lack of a manual transmission in 2001, which did not come until 2002. Other things:

.....The Auburn Sky Metallic paint color was dropped in 2002 and replaced by the gold.
.....Vehicle Stability Control was offered in 2002.
.....The SportCross hatchback became available in 2002
.....The navigation system became available in 2002.
.....The E-Shift automatic transmission control unit got reprogrammed.
.....A limited-slip differential option was also added after 2001, but I don't remember if that was in 2002 or later.

While the 2001 had some small E-shift transmission shifting quirks, all IS300's have been pretty reliable since the car's introduction. Properly cared for and not abused, it is one of the best cars on the market quality-wise.