Hello, I’m a relatively new 2017 is300 AWD base owner. I bought the car in June of 22 and so far I’ve been driving it as a daily. I would like to share my thoughts on the car first and also address some problems that is prompting me to change into another car.


Overall, the car is very fun to drive and the suspension is very firm. The car feels very heavy on the road but it’s surprisingly nimble around the corners. I really don’t put it into sport mode, but I’m always amazed at its cornering speeds and the cornering accuracy. Also, the 2GR has hefty acceleration for 255 hp. In the winter, the AWD system is great, planting me firm on the ground in snowy conditions. The AWD doesn’t feel as evenly split as a Subaru, but it’s a sport sedan so I get it. The trunk has plenty of space and honestly for a daily driver it’s manageable. I personally think that the IS is a great car in its own right; it’s got the reliability, drivability, comfort, etc that luxury sports car was meant to be, but with that I can’t live with it for different reasons.


My initial draw to the 3IS was the looks, reliability, and the fun factor that it carried. It looks good stock without having to change anything and it has been very reliable during my ownership, with minimal maintenance cost from my end. However, I don’t think it’s for me. First, the ride is horrendous with its firm suspension. Maybe it’s because my car is base, but I feel like the suspension is way too stiff to be a luxury car. Going over bumps on the highway and streets with potholes is like getting a chiropractor adjustment. Maybe it’s just me but the ride is very unbearable to the point where I can’t justify the handling of the car anymore. Sure it corners nice but driving on such harsh rides reminds me that it’s not a luxury car. Next, the wheel and tire setup is too thin. I think I’ve popped 5 tires by now and one on the highway. It’s a huge safety concern for me as I drive on the highway pretty often. Honestly it might just be the road quality concern (Michigan roads are not meant for IS) but there’s something to be said about the low profile tires. Additionally, the fuel economy is pretty trash (275 miles on full tank). This was my mistake as I didn’t put enough initial research into the car before buying it, but I don’t understand how I don’t get 300 miles on full tank. It’s taking a lot of effort to keep the car anymore. Lastly, combined with the fuel cost, the insurance is really high on this car. Granted I’m still on my parent’s policy, but I’m paying upwards of 1500 for 6 months.I knew beforehand that Lexus is quite pricey but I didn’t realize how expensive it really is until I owned the car.

So, based on my experience, I’m trying to figure out if you guys had a similar experience with your Is and if you did, what did you do about it? Did you deal with it and kept the car? Did you move over to another car where the upkeep wasn’t as high? My personal opinion is since I still owe money on the car, I should try to pay it off as soon as possible and trade it in for another car. Let me know what you guys think. Please be as honest as you can be as I’m looking for a reality check.

Also, how much could I sell my car for right now? It’s a base model with around 71k miles on it with clean carfax. Been kept upto date with maintenance and no major issue other than some curb rashes and whatnot.

thanks for reading

 

Interesting take.
About a month ago, give or take, I purchased a 2017 IS300 awd F sport.
Since 2006 I’ve driven Subaru wrx, still have a really nice 2002 wrx sedan and just sold my 2005 wrx wagon when I purchased the IS300. I’m just shy of 60 years old, I’m an avid mountain bike rider and in good physical condition. I find the IS300 has a smooth ride, not like my wife’s 2011 Toyota Sienna but better than her 2017 CT200h. Just like a wrx, the IS burns premium and is a bit more fuel efficient than my current and previous wrx’s. I’d think you should probably check out a Toyota Camry Hybrid. That car offers you the much better fuel economy and ride while still having good reliability and decent styling. If you like Subaru, perhaps try an Outback with the naturally aspirated 2.5, gets decent fuel economy and rides super smooth. Properly looked after they are reliable vehicles. Insurance cost has gone up recently across the board, I have super clean record and I’m old. My car insurance went from just shy of $1500 per year to $2600 per year.
Good luck whatever you decide.

 

Interesting. For one, your current age (and likely your location) is working against you on the insurance. My coverage cost is roughly 1/5 of yours.
Secondly, ride quality. Yep, the IS is not cushy cruiser. You can mitigate that a bit by going to a smaller diameter wheel with a higher profile tire. Also, the choice of tire can make a huge difference. Something with a softer sidewall will absorb more of those road imperfections.

 

As for the cons that you listed:

• Fuel mileage
  • RWD would have saved you a lot of fuel (half actually if you went for the IS200T / IS300 RWD)
• Comfort
  • Change the tires: Continental DWS are ultra quiet
• Low profile tires
  • Most luxury sedans have a low profile tires these days
• Insurance
  • This is a case by case scenario

With a bit of research, all of these cons could have been avoided.

 

Great writeup. If I am being honest with myself, I know the IS isn't a car for everybody. It is polarizing.

That said, the insurance is a really interesting point for me. Before I had my 2016 IS 300 AWD, I had a 2015 Toyota Camry SE. When I traded the Camry, I saw my insurance jump up by a measly $20 per 6 months, or about $4 a month, give or take. Back then, insurance on these cars was pretty darned cheap for what they were. Even on my IS 500, my insurance is less than my wife's BMW X3, which cost about $13k less new. So I wonder what's going on with the insurance?

 

Thanks for the reply. That’s funny that you mention the WRX because I’m actually looking to switch to the VA (15-21) WRX. The fuel economy is way better and it’s a manual so it’d be more fun. Funnily enough the insurance is way cheaper as well. I also mountain bike and it’d actually fit into my life pretty well. Just not sure if I wanna pull the trigger bc of the loan rates and my lack of down payment currently. Honestly was just thinking about selling the Lexus and getting a forester with more space and better fuel economy but I have yet to make that decision. Definitely will need an AWD bc of snow here so I can’t really go with a “fun” car. So I’m kinda in a standstill here haha.

 

yeah I called the insurance and they said the location is making my rates skyrocket. Can’t really avoid it now since I live here. I’ll have to look into the smaller diameter wheel thing because I’d love to have a thicker sidewall but I just don’t wanna put more money into it currently. Thank you for your insight.

 

Thank you for the response. I agree I definitely should have looked more into it before purchasing the car. I didn’t realize the cost was going to be so high. I can’t have RWD because of snow and I like the planted AWD feeling. Also regarding tires, I’ll definitely have to look into it and if it’s plausible make the change.

 

Polarizing is a good word to use for this car. It’s not the right one for me because of different characteristics and I can’t use it as much as I want. It just won’t fit into my life style and I can’t compromise it as well. Regarding insurance, my insurance agent told me that the area I’m in is probably the worst area for insurance. So with my age and area combined, I just can’t win. Oh well, thanks for the write up

 

I'm in Quebec, RWD is fine, heck most Tesla Model 3 are RWD :P
AWD is better, but for the days that you do need AWD, it's probably a storm and you should be at home haha!

What are you thinking of replacing the IS with??

 

I would have purchased a VB wrx but direct injection only is a no go for me. Not interested in having to do valve cleaning and dealing with the inevitable problems. The VA is also direct injection only. I love my old Subaru and would have liked a new one. WRX fuel consumption is going to be similar to the IS 6 cylinder unless your car needs some maintenance and is burning more fuel because of it. My 02 wrx consumes fuel ferociously if I get throttle happy. It’s ok if I’m gentle on the gas pedal but it’s hard to not get on it every chance.
Best of luck whatever you end up doing.
The relevance of my been a mountain biker is that I don’t mind a rough path. Even on a bike with the best Fox fork and rear shock one still gets bounced around, my old bones don’t mind it. Happy trails.

BikeJunkie.com

 

Not sure yet. I was thinking of 05-08 Subaru forester. Maybe down the road I can get an STI but for now I need something more spacious and economical. Do you have any recommendations? Honestly would love a truck but it’s just too crazy in the states with insurance and what not.

 

I was also looking into a VB but I agree walnut blasting valves just sound so tedious with only direct injection. I’ll give Toyota credit for the D4S injection. That was a smart move to mitigate valve carbon build up but I wish Subaru would’ve done that. Hopefully down the road I can get a STI for daily but for now I think a SG9 forester sounds good. With enough room in the back to fit two bikes in there, I should be hitting the trails in no time! Thank you and best of luck with your rides.

 

Outback rides smoother and does get better mpg. I had a 2008 Outback with a naturally aspirated 2.5 engine that crossed 300,000 miles on the original engine. It had a manual 5 speed transmission that was also very reliable, original clutch went 170,000 miles. Towards the end of my ownership it used a bit of oil but had to get rid of it because the exhaust manifold cracked. Purchased an aftermarket exhaust manifold but only got less than 3 years out of it. Didn’t feel like dropping the coin to get a new oem exhaust manifold for a vehicle with that many miles already. Outside of that it ran like new. I drove it back and forth between NY and Missouri a million times, it was extremely comfortable.

 

Sounds like you're young. You mentioned you're still on your parent's policy. Insurance is all based on loss ratios, and your situation apparently has a high loss ratio. Once you get out on your own, get married, get older, the rates come down. They drop significantly at age 25. YMMV of course.