[gangzoom]

Don't worry, the 335i is safe and going no where We have just ordered a brand new Lexus IS300H to replace our trusty diesel Civic as our main family car.

Main reason for getting rid of the Civic was the fact my daily commute is dropping from 100 miles to 3 miles, and the wife now wants something more luxurious than the Civic. Her commute is 6 miles a day, so any diesel would likely suffer DPF problems, as well as not been that efficient.

We thought about cars like a petrol Jag XE or Merc C class but they just didn't do it for her. Given the poor reliability of my BMW, neither of us even thought about getting another BMW. In the end it was the quoted mpg figures of the Lexus that got us interest in looking at one.

I have to say I had my doubts about a car that shares it's roots with the Prius. But after doing a 24hr test drive and some decent milage, in a mixtures of stop/start Xmas shopping traffic as well as M way driving I'm was impressed.

The hybrid engine and CVT drive train is both the best and worst thing about the car compared to the ubiquitous diesel 3 series / Jag XF / Merc C class etc.



As a 'sport saloon', it's awful, the 6 speed ZF box in my 335i is x10 more responsive, but that's not the point of the hybrid drive train, and we not looking for a 335i replacement.

As a main family car, the hybrid drive train/cvt box is so smooth and noise free at town traffic it makes the diesel engine in our Civic feel like something from the industrial revolution. In urban traffic some of the mpg readings it was reporting was frankly astounding, it's the only car I've driven that returns higher mpg numbers the worse the traffic gets!! Remember these mpg readings are for a car that got electric everything, fully loaded with tech, leather, airbags etc...and weighs in excess of 1700kg.



In full EV mode where you can hit 30mph on battery alone it's amazing, and a real head turner. We went to the Jag show room I was surprised to find another Lexus pull in silently under EV mode, and when a £70k diesel XJ pulled in a few minutes later with its diesel engine rattling away, it made me realise just how much more refined the hybrid/EV experience is compared to the traditional internal combustion engine. At that point we decided this was car for us.



I'm now convinced more than ever EV power is the future of motoring, when I can afford it I'll be swapping the 335i for a Tesla S, but for now we'll make do with a hybrid.

So hopefully in around March 2015, we'll be taking delivery of a brand new IS300H in Sonic Titanium with Ivory leather....We gone for the top spec with the advanced safety pack (collision avoidance was the key selling point for me), so it's got more toys than I can remember.

We got a decent 15% discount with minimal hassle and stress through Drivethedeal website, but even than given the RRP of the car is over £40k it's not a cheap, and some £13k more expensive than a base spec model. But it's a car we're likely to hold on to for the next 7-10 years, so I rather we got something that's fully loaded. I also really wanted some kind of active automised braking for collision avoidance since we are likely to start a family soon and the Lexus will be the main mode of transport. At least it will be cheap to run, road tax is £20 per year.

Never of us have ever taken delivery of a brand new car before, so cannot wait

[Squintstream]

Congrats I really do like the look of the new IS!

However, does the dealer teach you the Secret Masonic handshakes, passwords, grips and signs for an Entered Apprentice at the dealership?

[E92Dan]

Can you now get a job with radio Norfolk?! Ahaaaa

[JJ0063]

[baz57]

Very interesting. Thanks for the post. Look forward to hearing more.

My old Toyota Hi ace van is 12 years old now. Just replaced one of the 2 batteries. Oh and the very bad winters a few years ago put paid to the front brake callipers.
But thats all. Nothing else has ever gone wrong with it. Amazing Japanese reliability.

[JJ0063]

I like it, it's very nice.

However, would I spend £34k on a Hybrid which given the progression of technology and the likes of the Tesla, will more than likely be 'out of date' in a couple of years - I wouldn't.

It's like the Prius, people went mad for them when they first came out but nowadays you have a vehicle which is great but once you hit 30mph or travel at 30mph for more than 1.5 miles, it's then a 1.5 petrol which is a terrible engine and not very economical!

As I say, great looking car, lots and lots of spec. But for me I would just fear the technology will be out of date within a year or two with more affordable versions of the Tesla type vehicle being available.

[gangzoom]

I agree the car is very expensive, but you can pick up the middle of the range spec model for nearly £10K less, and even that comes with leather, xeons, bluetooth, DAB etc.

As for becoming 'out-dated' I have no doubt it will be, as all things technological. The IS is running the 3rd generation hybrid drive train that Toyota has been developing for the last 10 years, its an incredibly clear bit of kit, much more than just glorified start/stop as I first though. A lot of the improve efficiency comes from using the Atkin's cycle petrol engine, which makes it rubbish to drive as a 'fun' car but perfect for probably 80% of the public who just want to get from A to B. As a example of how good the hybrid system is: The IS300H actually uses old NiMH batteries (like the ones you find in your electric tooth brush), but it still delivers a better EV/hybrid experience than the Mercedes C class hybrid which use LiMH batteries. The Merc can only at 10mph on EV where as the Lexus can do 40mph, and there if no real difference in overall weight despite the IS having heavier batteries.

The mpg results are interesting, there is a very distinct way to use drive train to extract maximum mpg (apparently called hypermiling) where if your really bored and want to irate all your local motorist you can achieve some stupid mpg figures (>70mpg). I suspect most hybrid driver don't drive the cars in a way to make most use of the system....I doubt my wife will...But the headline mpg figure so sell cars (like to us), I think Toyota have now sold more than 6 million hybrids, and that number is going up as fast as ever.

Toyota are likely to release the 4th generation hybrid drive train in 2015 but it wouldn't be till 2017/18 it'll find its way into a Lexus. So for our needs the IS deliver excellent mpg in urban conditions, good reliability, and all the gadgets/luxuries the Civic was missing.

I should also add I'm not buying this car with my money, I've made a small contribution (mainly to cover upgraded spec which I wanted), its my wife who is paying for 2/3 of it with her money, and unlike me she doesn't have a habit of changing cars that often. The Civic has lasted nearly 7 years, and the IS300H I reckon will keep her happy well into the next decade.

As for me I'll happily wait for the Tesla model 3 to come out, but given the fact the model X has been delayed by nearly 18months, I'm not holding my breath as to when the £30K, 200 mile range EV car from Tesla will emerge, earliest I reckon will be 2018, and I'll be amazed if the top spec model comes in at under £50-55K....But as soon as it's announced I will be ordering one

So as long as my wife doesn't catch the modding bug and turn the Lexus from this



Into this I'm happy .....Ah haaaa!!

[woggledog]

I've had a variety of cars in my life, ranging from my first, a clio, to a rover metro GTa, and, amongst others, three lexus IS200s

NOTHING I've owned before or since has touched the Lexus on quality and toys, ride quality and customer service

Okay, the fuel consumption (35mpg at best), acceleration (9 seconds to 60) and image were never great, but it was lovely to drive in

As this is my first and last BMW, I'll probably follow you, although will probably go for the smaller CT200H

Good luck!

[Kerr]

It'll be interesting to see how it all works out.

Never had much experience of Lexus cars.

[mob17]

Congrats, and glad to hear the 335 is still with you. Thought the worst when reading the title!

Its a good sensible choice for your wife. Im sure she will be happy with it for a while, if she kept the civic for 7 years. Quite a jump up.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by mob17

Congrats, and glad to hear the 335 is still with you. Thought the worst when reading the title!

Its a good sensible choice for your wife. Im sure she will be happy with it for a while, if she kept the civic for 7 years. Quite a jump up.

Don't worry the 335i is very safe, when the Lexus arrives I think my wife will miss the power of the N54 unit....She said to me last night how she loved the way the 335i just 'zoomed every where when you push the accelerator'....and this was after I told her the 335i was costing us £1.3 / mile to run, apparently she tells her work colleagues the 335 is a zoom zoom machine....I also now know why the longterm average mpg of the car has been gradually dropping and rear tyres wearing quicker than before, I think my darling wife has caught a bit of my petrol head bug

I'll let people know how we get on with in once it arrives. It's certainly a very different driving experience from the 335i or Civic interms of the nature of the CVT transmission just wants you to try and drive it every where in EV mode for maximum mpg

Also found out today these things use regenerative braking most of the time when you press the brake pedal, so apparently the normal brake pads can last 100k+!!!