Raincitys4

Hello everybody. My wife and I are looking at the 2019 is300 for our son. We would like to know the pros and cons and maybe something to look for. Thanks in advance

babaijebu

Can y'all adopt me, please

Raincitys4

lols hahahahahaa

arentz07

There's lots of info throughout the vast number of threads this forum has accumulated, but I can sum it up as concisely as possible with 4 pros and 4 cons:

Pros:

• Reliable - most early issues the IS will have will be very minor. Drivetrains are pretty solid.
• Stylish - I'm sure your son won't complain about getting the IS as a first car. It's not boring at all, and the interior is sporty yet comfortable.
• Practical - Decent-sized trunk and four doors mean it can do most things, apart from hauling large items.
• Fun - The IS is relatively fun to drive, so if he's still learning driving, he'll probably enjoy getting some more seat time.

Cons:

• Interior storage - the interior of the IS isn't that roomy, and storage is limited to the door pockets, a small center console, and an average glove box.
• Tire wear - the IS is known to wear through front tires quickly due to its compliant lower-control arm bushings.*
• Smartphone connectivity - No Android Auto or Apple CarPlay at this time. The infotainment system itself can take some getting used to as well, but it is functional.
• Fuel mileage - Some of the competitors get better gas mileage while offering quicker acceleration at the same time.

Those are my personal main cons I've seen. I personally own an IS 300 AWD, which has the 3.5-liter V6 (but detuned compared to an IS 350), but it's still mostly the same car as the IS 300 with rear-wheel drive. I've enjoyed it a lot as a daily driver, but I am a little jealous of the updated 2017+ cars for their nicer interiors. It's a fun car to drive but doesn't have the tech of the Germans, or the outright acceleration power (which, you might not want if this is a first car honestly). Anyway, this is oversimplifying it a bit. I'd recommend you go test-drive it above all else.

* The tire wear issue can be mitigated by installing stiffer lower control arm bushings, such as the bushings from the RC F.

Sheddy

2019 IS300 AWD has a V6 whereas the 2019 IS300 RWD has the 4 cylinder turbo motor.

arentz07

Yeah, it would help if the OP specified which car they were looking at.

Edit: To clarify what I mean by "mostly the same car", I mean duh, I mentioned it had a different engine, but it's still an IS, so most pros/cons will generally apply outside of the driving dynamics.

E46CT

It's quite an old car at this stage.

Will eat tires and brakes like no tomorrow, particularly in F Sport trim.

Honestly I'd look at something FWD (front wheel drive) and more economical for a first car for your son unless he really needs to be hauling around corners. Also something newer that would have more tech toys that kids like like apple car play and what not. The IS is ancient technology.

Check out the new Mazda 3.

unioncorps

If he's a good son and you're locked in on getting him an IS, get the 350 for a few grand more.

arentz07

Yeah... get a certified one for much less than the cost of even a new IS 300. Or, at least, less than one with the options you'd realistically get, such as Nav, etc. Good point.

mak8504

Just as people have said above, the critical distinction we would like to know is if you will be buying an F-Sport model or non F-Sport. F-Sport models are clearly the preferred trim for the IS, but they do complicate maintenance a bit. F-Sport trims come with staggered tire sizes (225 front, 255 rear); this makes tire rotations impossible and thus most tires usually only last for 20-25k miles depending on usage. F-Sport brake pads are also different than non F-Sport trims and tend to wear very quickly while producing lots of brake dust due to them being semi-metallic.

As for the IS line in general, being a 17 IS300 owner, I can say that the car does mostly everything well and reliably. It is important to understand what you are getting yourself into when buying an IS, and that is you are not buying it for bleeding edge technology or staggering performance, but rather for its ability to be a reliable, safe, and fun car to drive. That being said, you should look into getting your son a new Toyota Camry as a first car. It has more tech (Apple CarPlay), better fuel economy, more power than the IS300, and is more spacious. Repair costs will be significantly lower and I'm sure insurance premiums will be too as it's "just a Toyota."

Best of luck

Raincitys4

Thank you for the inputs and comment guys. We are currently looking at the 2019 us300 awd non F. Also this is his second car. He’s been driving my 02 Acura tls for the last two years. I have doing doing a research on the IS. I know that the IS250 has problems with the carbon being clogged up vs Is350 has no issue. Does anybody know about the IS300 has the carbon issue

arentz07

The IS 300 benefits from having both port- and direct-injection, and the former helps keep the valves clean. So, no, the IS 300 AWD (and the 350 as well) don't have the issue.

TonyN

iTrader: (1)

no more carbon issue with the dynamic dual injector system. The older smaller v6 of the is250 was phased out in 2016 with the release of the is200t, which was later renamed the is300 for 2018 RWD, it is the 4 cylinder turbo.
The AWD is300 has a detuned version of the is350 motor, you can technically get the Rracing tune for the is300 and match the output of the is350

if your looking for a get in and drive car for your son I would switch out the front pads for longer lasting ceramic pads, oem RCF lower control arm bushings and full alignment. Those two item will address the biggest complaint about the car IMO.
on my RWD, I also added spc camber arms, now I have no abnormal wear and fully expect 40k miles out of these tires

swaangin

The problem you're talking about was fixed in the 2nd gen IS's which was in 2007-2008 I believe.. different fuel injector system used to clear the carbon build up now

arentz07

... And was never an issue on the IS 300/350 anyway.