Hello,

My wife is looking for a reliable yet sporty commute car since her BMW 328i lease is coming up soon.

I know Toyota/Lexus cars are pretty reliable in general but I want to hear first hand from the current owners of 2016 IS 300 on the car's reliability and what are the common problems we should consider when buying this car.

Also, I would like to if anybody would like to suggest us different IS model/Year for us with taking the following in the consideration:

• Price: under 25K
• Prefer AWD
• Reliability as we plan to keep the car for 10 years or so

I used this website prior to buying GX 470 last year and it was really helpful for us to determine whether to buy or not and I wish to get same support this time.

Any input will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

 

A common problem is the inner tire wear (which has been explained throughout this forum) on the IS models and poor gas mileage. Another thing to consider is the F-Sport models have a staggered wheel setup unlike the non F-Sport models, which means you're able to rotate tires for non F-Sport models since the tires have the same setup - you can go more miles with the same set of tires on a non F-Sport model.

The IS is considered a luxury sports sedan, so you have to pay to play in some cases. But just as with most cars, if you do the maintenance during the specified intervals it theoretically will last a long time.

 

My 2014 IS350 AWD non-F Sport also had staggered wheels, so it's not just the F Sports.

 

+1, I've had the inner tire wear as well. My dealership service department recommended more toe-in at the front, and that seems to have reduced the inner wear so far. You could also install the RC F lower control arm bushings instead/in addition to the alignment change.

Another common question with new owners is the type of fuel. The owner's manual states that 91 octane or higher is required. I personally wouldn't put anything less in the car. It has a high compression ratio and is a more performance-oriented engine, so give it the premium stuff.

Mostly, my 2016 IS 300 has been rock solid. The only other issue I have had has been rattles in the interior, but the dealer was able to fix all of them, and it's been silent since.

 

Does it have to be under $25K? lol. My Blue F Sport has 12K miles on it and is a 2006. Paint corrected and ceramic coated. Needs nothing and wont for a long time.