Hi everyone!

Ever since I was of driving age I always thought the is300 was a sharp car that would hopefully one day make it into my garage. I initially fell in love with the 1st gen, and after going through college, working for 6+ years in my field of study, I finally had enough saved up to purchase a new car. On a side note, I've been driving a 2002 corolla with 180k miles so this is a much needed and welcome upgrade. Although I was initially on the fence with the 3rd generation styling, I absolutely love the new refresh that came in 2017.

I went to a local dealership this past weekend with the intent of purchasing a 2017 is300 AWD non-fsport and the car seemed to meet all my expectations (reliable V6 engine, 6 speed transmission, AWD, 4 doors, foldable rear seats, etc etc.). Long story short, I couldnt pull the trigger on the purchase mainly because of the driver side cockpit area. It seemed cramped for me (5'10" ~ 150lbs) and my brother (6'3") could barely squeeze inside. I think the biggest reason is due to the large hump that sticks into the driver's footwell for the AWD (VERY poor design imo) as well as the lack of upward adjust-ability on the steering wheel combined with tall center console.

I need this to be my everyday car - driving it in the snow, taking it on roadtrips, fitting car seats in the back in the future, etc. For those of you that drive this car daily, is this a comfortable car? Is it a practical car?

I also felt the car is very low - does anyone have issues driving up steep driveways, or with larger speed bumps and speed humps? I feel like the bottom portion of the grill that acts as a lip will be torn of with rock chips and scratches in no time.

Thanks for your help!!

 

Your impressions seem spot on with my impressions..... Useless back seat, barely any room up front, that "stupid hump" on the side of the tranny tunnel on driver side for AWD models, engine power nothing to brag about, fuel economy nothing to brag about.

Honestly, if this is going to be your only car, I would recommend something else that's better on gas, has more room, and more power.

IS drives really rough too. Doesn't have the "Lexus" ride.

Now if you stuff the 5.0 in it and the entire IS-F drivetrain....that's a different story and I would be willing to look past all the shortcomings haha.

 

I had a great experience with my IS as a daily driver. I’m also 5’10” and 155 lbs. I found it to be very comfortable.

The only time time I ever noticed the AWD hump was on the test drive. It’s far enough back that I never bumped into it so it was never an issue for me.

Nor or did I have issues with scraping.

I did find the rear seat fine for people but ultimately got rid of the IS because it was too tight back there for multiple car seats, one of which was rear facing.

It it was a fantastic car and I’d happily own one again.

With that said, if you didn’t feel the car is right for you, I’d recommend you continue to search for a better fit. Don’t try to convince yourself to like it or you may regret it later.

 

Yes, you are right, the foot well area is indeed very cramped, so the pedals are too far to the left, which is giving me right side hip pain. I intend to sell mine once the warranty ends, but otherwise, I quite like the car's snug driving position, seat comfort, and the tall centre console, which makes me feel very cocooned with all buttons within reach, and feels like I'm in a premium vehicle. Just wished that big hump wasn't in the way. I don't like cars with low centre consoles because it doesn't feel as luxurious.

if you want to fit car seats in the back, this isn't gonna work out so well. Get another car is my reco.

 

Comfort is kinda a question mark. The suspension is pretty firm, so any less-than-perfect roads are going to make the ride choppy. Then again, it has independent rear suspension, which means it won't get as unsettled as something like your Corolla, which uses a torsion-beam setup in the rear. In my experience this proves to be true - sure, you feel the bumps, but you are never bounced around.

On the flip side, the seats are rather comfortable. I did 8 hours of driving in one day (with a couple of breaks) in my IS 300 F Sport and had no aches or pains afterwards.

I am surprised that you found it cramped, though. I'm 5'11", about 155 lbs (basically 1% larger than you lol) and like the way it "fits". It's a snug, but sporty-feeling cockpit. If that's not your thing, I think you may want to look at something like the ES, or if you're set on a sport sedan, you may have to just jump to a different brand (or something more expensive like the GS). I think the BMW 3/4-series are a bit airier. The Mercedes C-class, from what I recall, is about as snug as the IS.

Keep in mind, the seats are crazily adjustable in the IS. When I test drove one for the first time, the driver's seat was so far back I could barely reach the pedals at all (and I have long legs relative to my height). So, your brother may have been able to fit if the seat was properly adjusted. My 6'2" boss can even fit in the rear seat behind me when I am driving, though I suspect he prefers the passenger seat...

As far as the ride height, I have only had one issue with that - I scraped the bottom of the front bumper a bit on a parking chock. It was taller than some other parking chocks I have seen though, since I had gotten used to pulling up and over them. Honestly, I feel this car is not all that low when stock. The seats sit pretty low in the car, but in reality it isn't extraordinarily low. This is apparent if you look at the car from the side.

I'll echo what Sybaritic said about car seats - JDR76 also mentioned that he moved away from the IS for the specific reason of needing car seat space.

For my taste, this car checks all the boxes. It's quite practical and a great daily driver, but I wouldn't say it is a good family car. If you're a single person just cruising to work and back, occasionally shuttling the coworkers to lunch, this could work fine. However, if you are already concerned about the cabin space, I might say - would you want to be in that cabin every day commuting to work?

Best of luck and welcome to the forums.

 

The one thing everyone mentions about the AWD models is the hump, am I the only one that is not even slightly bothered by it? I too thought it would be a problem, but I am 220 6'1 and since day 1 I kinda love it. I use it to rest my leg during long highway drives where I'm on cruise control.

 

I just picked up a '18 IS 350 F Sport and noticed i'm scraping like crazy on stuff that i never had problems with my S4 and Evo's.

I just looked at the front undertray and there are 2 air dams right in front of the tires and each of them stick at least 1.5 inches out of the front undertray. Guess that's what's scraping on the ground....

 

I also have no issues with the hump. I only really notice the difference when I sit in the passenger seat (which is rare ).

 

I'm 5'3" and actually rest my right leg against the hump (AWD model). I do notice that my right arm tents to rub/bump against the center console when turning the steering wheel.
I do find the seats to be VERY comfortable.

 

Coming from mid size sedan (07 accord) , i find the IS350 to be extremely comfortable in ride and seat quality. ride is firm but i never feel like i'm going to break my back. I've never had an issue with an E90 BMW 3 series ride either, which is what i think the IS350 feels like if i had to compare it to anything. I've done 4 hour road trips with no pain... i'm 5'7 and 170 lbs. I have RWD so no hump though. fold down seats in the rear give the car lots more utility than you'd expect. nowadays the competitions in the category have that feature too.

 

I've had my IS 300 F Sport AWD for about 1.5 months. Here are my overall impressions of the car, mainly referring to the things you posted about, along with some other things. I'm about 5'11 200 lbs...

I took a 4 hour trip on my first day with the car. I honestly thought that the hump was a leg rest at first until I read into it a bit more lol. It never bothered me and it is nice to use as a leg rest for me on longer drives. I personally love the seats and the feeling in the cockpit. Probably one of my favorite things about the car.

I have only had 1 person in the backseat at most (behind the passenger) and have had no complaints. I am considering keeping this for when I have kids, so hearing the troubles with car seats is disappointing. Currently I have a backseat cover for my dog and she likes it just fine. One thing I HATE about the car is the holes in the seats that allow little particles to get stuck in them. I haven't found a quick and easy way to get them out.

I've come close to hitting the front lip on a few parking blocks so far but have not had impact as I stopped just in time. I back in most of the time but it's not always feasible.

The car has enough power for me to get around town and pass when necessary on the highway. It could use some more power down low though, and I'm planning on getting the RRRacing tune, hoping that will help. I'd also like an exhaust but I'm going to (try to) wait until my lease is up and I decide to keep the car.

The one thing that I didn't foresee having as big of an impact as it has had is the gas mileage. Having never had a V6 before, it hurts me to average around 16 mpg. I have a short commute to work and I fill up once a week. It sucks.

The navigation/infotainment system is good enough for me though it could be a lot better. I mostly just use the steering wheel controls. I don't love or hate the mouse, its just there and I use it when I need to.

Hope my thoughts helped from somebody else who bought the car you're looking at. I have no real regrets except I wish I would've bought used instead of leasing new. I still love the car overall.

 

I’m 6’3” and 190lbs, athletic built and I find the IS to be comfortable. The hump by the gas pedal has never bothered me. The car is comfortable, love the seats. I feel in tuned with the vehicle. No issue with the power, i have a is350f sport and thats plenty of power for me for a daily driver.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone, this is a great community!

From all the comments above, I think the overall theme is that this is indeed a comfortable car and can be used daily, however it wouldnt be great as a family car. While I had hoped to buy the car new and hold onto it for 10+ years, I think this is probably not feasible. That said, I think I'll look into a used is250/is350 ~ 2-3 years old. This way I can justify holding onto it for ~5 years and I can get something more practical once our family grows.

Thanks for your help everyone, I'll keep you posted with my search!

On a side note, how is the power in the is250? I drove the is300 which has about 50 more hp and it seemed adequate for me. Is the is250 very underpowered or is it still fun to drive?

 

Thanks for the input, coming from a 4 cylinder corolla I think I will notice the gas mileage as well. However, I do want the larger engine. I'm not a fan of all the is300 competitors going to 4 cyclinder turbo engines.

 

Do not get the IS250. I found the power train on that to be unacceptable in this class. The IS350 is a much better car and the F Sport version comes with adjustable suspension unlike the other IS250 / 300 F Sports.

The other option you should look at is a used GS350 as it seems the GS has a higher depreciation than the IS350. The interior is a notch above and you would probably be more comfortable in it. The handling is still top notch and only slightly worse than its smaller brother IS.