2005 Lexus IS300 Reviews

The Lexus IS has had such a major facelift that the company would like us all to think that it's substantially new. But with the same engines behind the fresh, bolder face, the Luxury is perhaps the one that is most like the old.

The range opening Lexus IS 2021 model is the IS300, which used to be known as the IS200t. That name would have been more fitting, because it has a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine.The outputs are decent at 180kW and 350Nm, and it has an eight-speed automatic transmission sending drive to the rear wheels. Fuel consumption is claimed at 8.2L/100km.The IS300 can be had in Luxury or F Sport grades. The IS300 Luxury opens the 2021 model range at $61,500 (MSRP). It comes as standard with 18-inch alloy wheels (with a space saver spare), auto LED headlights with auto high beam and LED daytime running lights, proximity keyless entry with push-button start, a 10.3-inch touchscreen with sat nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus a 10-speaker sound system. There are eight-way power-adjustable front seats with heating (plus memory settings for the driver), power steering column adjustment, dual-zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, and adaptive cruise control.Need more? The $2000 Enhancement Pack adds a sunroof, while the $5500 Enhancement Pack 2 (or EP2) sees the addition of 19-inch alloy wheels, an excellent 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, cooled front seats, high-grade leather-accented interior trim, and a power-operated rear sunshade.Want a sportier looking IS300? The F Sport model, at $70,000 (MSRP), is your go. It has a body kit, 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, sports front seats with cooling (plus heating and electric adjust), sports pedals, and five drive modes, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster and leather-accented trim.Buying the F Sport Enhancement Pack for the IS300 costs $3100 and includes the sunroof, 17-speaker sound system and rear sunshade.Safety kit has been enhanced across the IS range for 2021, including AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking, lane keeping assist, intersection turn assist and new Lexus Connected Services for emergency backup.

The Lexus IS 2021 model is a major overhaul of the existing model. What's good about that? It's got a new look front and rear, is wider and longer, and has also been made to look more, well, appetising than before. Plus there's new tech and safety spec. But while it may look all-new, it's actually pretty old - and it's feeling its age, too.

The IS300 is now the sole Japanese answer to the might of the three German premium manufacturers and Jaguar's XE. It's getting on a bit, but does the way it consciously does things differently still keep it in the game?

The Lexus IS300 was a nameplate that stood out all those years ago, and then came the era of turbocharging. Lexus didn't think IS200t was a fitting badge - so it renamed the 2.0-litre turbo model.

Then you open the boot of the Lexus IS300, still cursing that wretched screw that lodged itself in the tyre, and a ray of sunshine shines through: the Lexus valet pack.Gloves, a mat, a towel and even soap may seem a little extravagant but in these conditions are a godsend.With the tyre changed it was time to put the new (only 230km on the clock), up-specced IS300 sports luxury through its paces.The IS300 Sports and Sports Luxury come with a three-litre VVT-i engine that delivers 157kW@5800rpm of power and 288Nm@3800 rpm of torque.The two models are part of an overall specification upgrade of both the IS300 and IS200 ranges.The IS300 Sports, with a $65,000 tag is designed to appeal to younger buyers: the four IS models provide customers increased choice within the Lexus line-up.The three-litre engine is coupled with an electronically controlled five-speed auto box and gear changes are silky smooth.While the automatic is smooth there is no option to hold revs or utilise the large tacho.The E-shift option allows the fun factor to be increased and held a little longer.The IS300 suffers from an unusually high amount of tyre slipping in the dry (on take-off) which makes the car feel it does the 0-100km sprint a lot quicker than close to nine seconds.The traction control light also seemed unusually active, enough to make a precautionary stop to check another screw had not sought refuge in the rubber.The orange light also made its presence known over a few bumps.While you can turn the anti-fun button off, it never really goes away and will add its input even when not wanted.The IS300 has all the engineering, and more, you would expect in a $75,000 car but even with its advanced electronic stability control, 17-inch alloys and limited slip differential it falls a little short of the "sports car" feel.The steering feels solid at first but is a little on the vague side, has a bit of play and requires more turn than one would be expecting.While the IS300 handles quite well it's handling capabilities are compromised by the softer suspension that gives it such a luxurious rideThe IS300 is just like its LS430 stablemate. When you get out you don't even feel like you have driven anywhere.Anyone who leaves the city and heads north after 5pm knows peak period traffic.Nestled in the IS300's beautiful Alcantra leather seats as the double wishbone suspensions soaks up the bumps, and comfortably cocooned by the cabin's superior noise dampening, you feel more like you are sitting in your lounge room.Combine this with the crystal clear sound of the eight-speaker, six-disc, in-dash CD player that pumps out the base of the Black-Eyed Peas without distortion and you have an extremely pleasurable driving experience.The IS300 Sports features numerous air bags, snow mode, climate control airconditioning, power windows and mirrors and an alarm with immobiliser.Driver and passenger have electrically-operated and heated seats (no, they did not forget the passenger) with leather seat trim. Also provided are drilled sports pedals and scuff plates, an anti-glare electrochromatic interior mirror and a smooth, leather-bound gear-shift.The self-levelling headlights work a treat, making night feel more like day.The Sports Luxury adds satellite navigation, polished alloys, full leather interior and a moon roof.The IS300 Sports Luxury is not a "sports" car in the true sense of the term, but it is a luxury sedan that has plenty of go, handles good and offers a lot for the price tag.

They do not, however, apply to the road manners of the bigger-engined IS300, even though the latter shares its body with the former.In a peculiar -- and, I'm told, strongly resisted -- switch of Lexus planning, Australia ended up with both the European IS version (the IS200) and the American model (IS300).For this, I'm immensely happy. The sweet 2-litre IS200 has the sugary on-screen temperament of Britney Spears while the 3-litre IS300 is the body and soul of Shakira. Your choice.Ostensibly, the move to satisfy Australian demands for power was completed by slotting the Lexus GS300 engine beneath the IS200's bonnet.There was a tad more to the act than that, but you get the drift.The result is sufficient engine performance to match the baby Lexus's remarkable handling.After 600km in the IS300, it's clear that this could seriously embarrass some European sports sedans.The sedan -- which is sold in Japan as the Toyota Altezza with engine choices including a 157kW 2-litre four-cylinder -- doesn't compromise performance for cabin roominess.In an age when carmakers are absorbed in maximising interior space while minimising the exterior, the Lexus puts performance above packaging.The car is rear-drive (like BMW), with its long engine slotted low and hard up against the firewall. The suspension is double wishbones front and back with coils and gas shocks. And the steering is powered rack-and-pinion with the directness of a go-kart.All the right ingredients are here. On the road the package is practically unbeatable, though the $73,534 price tag is pretty steep.This is a car that enjoys brisk driving and especially rewards the driver through the sweeping and undulating country roads around Chittering and Bindoon.The five-speed auto comes with a semi-manual mode so you can lure more horses out of the paddock -- in fact, there's 157kW (210 horses) under the bonnet to test the car's roadholding.And I think the driving position is the best of any car. A tiny leather-rimmed steering wheel, supportive leather seats and excellent pedal location make it exceptionally comfortable both on long cruises and fanging through the hillsides.But there are a few niggles. The rear-drive layout and the small dimensions of the IS series make it a bit cramped in the rear for adults.The instrument panel is a dog's breakfast -- with overlapping gauges inset with unreadable smaller dials -- and the centre console is efficient but messy. Considering the enthusiasm shown to the accelerator pedal on test, fuel economy wasn't bad at 11 litres/100km. Lexus claims 8 litres/100km for the highway average.Features include climatic airconditioning, electric windows, mirrors and sunroof, four airbags, heated front seats, eight-speaker CD sound, ABS vented brakes and 17-inch alloys.VALUESLexus IS3002001 (new $73,960) Now $65,500 with 20,000km2002 (new $73,534) Now $67,500 with 15,000km* Retained value: 3-year -- 88.5 per cent; 5-year -- n/a

America’s need for speed has given us the baby Lexus as it should have been.  Toyota's luxury division tried to take on the mighty band of the BMW 3-Series range with a one-man show, the IS 200. But critics said the tight chassis needed a more-powerful engine than the 2.0-litre six cylinder that arrived first.So, with such high demand in the US, Lexus rushed back to the drawing board to slot the 3.0-litre six from its 5-Series' rival, the GS300, into the nose of the IS and created the IS300.  At the same time, it created a 3.0-litre-powered sports wagon IS to broaden the car's appeal in Japan and America, though the cargo-carrying wagon is off the cards for Australia at the moment.With the entry-level prestige segment in Australia in the middle of a boom, thanks to new arrivals such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and recently updated Volkswagen Passat, Lexus is hoping the IS300 will be competitive.Available only as an automatic, the IS 300 comes with a 3.0-litre straight six with variable valve timing, which Lexus claims helps the engine deliver 80 per cent of its torque from as low as 1400 revs.The motor, which is a normally aspirated version of the engine from the Supra sports car, actually produces 157kW of power at 5800 revs and its maximum pulling power of 288Nm comes in at 3800 revs.  It has a ``fly-by-wire'' throttle to maximise engine efficiency and reduce harmful exhaust emissions, which Lexus claims are 25 times lower than the rate required to meet Australian Design Rule regulations.Like the BMW and Benz, the Lexus is a rear-drive sports car with the power delivered through the same five-speed automatic transmission from the GS 300 and LS 400 luxury sedan. But the IS gearbox has a manual-shift option which is controlled by F1-style steering-wheel buttons.To change up a gear, the driver pushes the buttons on the back side of the wheel, and to change down uses the buttons on the front.  Other than the engine and transmission, there are few differences from the IS200. The 300 comes with all the luxury gear from the top-of-the line IS200, including leather trim, high-intensity headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, sun roof and a rear spoiler.A Lexus hi-tech DVD-based satellite navigation system is now an option on all IS models. And as part of a mid-model upgrade, all IS cars now have curtain-style airbags, brake-assist function and a larger brake booster.  There is also a range of new exterior and interior colours, a revised grille, chrome exhaust tip, upgraded dash layout, a new centre arm rest and a pollen/dust filter in the automatic airconditioning system.The minor improvements add to an already comprehensive list of standard safety and luxury features, which include anti-skid brakes, traction control, dual front and side airbags, CD sound, cruise control and full electrics.DrivingThe latest Lexus is a hit-and-miss car. The 3.0-litre engine hits the bullseye, but the auto-only transmission misses the target.  The suspension upgrade is another win, and so is the value upgrade over the IS200, but the timing is all wrong despite the recent tune-up of the whole Lexus line-up.The IS300 first showed up at the Detroit Motor Show nearly two years ago, and even that was well after the debut of the IS200 in Australia.  What that means is that the IS was built to compete with the old BMW 3-Series, which makes it cramped and a bit outdated when you line it up against the latest Three and other recent arrivals, including Mercedes' great-value C-Class Coupe and even the new mid-sized Volvo.The step up to the IS300 package answers most of the shortcomings in the original IS200, which was -- and is -- a really sharp sports sedan with an engine that's not strong enough for the job. It's a baby six, but held back to just 2.0-litres, at least partly to hold down the cost.The IS300 comes, naturally enough, with a 3.0-litre six that has a five-speed gearbox to take drive to the back wheels the old-fashioned way, but it's only an automatic.  There are touch-change buttons on the wheel, but the powertrain was set for the US -- where manual is not a priority -- and the limited number of cars which will be sold in Australia meant there wasn't enough in the fighting fun to engineer a manual choice. Lexus Australia said it was the complaints of local journalists who triggered the arrival of the IS300, but that's not true. Even if it is a big ego boost.  The real story is that the father of the IS family, Nobuaki Katayama, always wanted to build a car which was bigger and quicker. He's even played with a full-house V8-powered IS400, to rival the BMW M5, but it has been delayed because of difficulty fitting the bent-eight engine on the production line.The bigger new engine has more than enough go for most people, with a grunty bottom end and a solid top-end thrust. It can take a while to hook up from a standing start, and you must work the auto for the best overtaking, though it's a sweet motor with excellent response.  But the touch-change buttons on the wheel are too small and fiddly.The 157kW output drops it into the mid-ground between BMW's 325 and the super-classy 330. Economy is good, especially at a cruise, when it can do a lot better than the 12.1-litres/100km average on test.  Lexus has done a lot of suspension work for the engine upgrade. The back end has been reworked and strengthened for the job.The result is a car which rides much more smoothly than the IS200, as well as transferring added power to the ground more effectively.  We had originally expected the IS300 -- with a manual box -- to be a four-star contender. As it is, and as it comes, it only deserves three, but it is still a car that proves Lexus is on the right track with the IS.LEXUS IS300Price as tested: $79,990Engine: 3.0-litre six cylinder with overhead camshafts and fuel injectionPower: 157kW at 5800revsTorque: 288Nm at 3800revsTransmission: Five-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveBody: Four-door sedanDimensions: Length: 4400mm, width: 1720mm, height: 1420mm, wheelbase: 2670mm, tracks: 1495mm/1485mm front/rearWeight: 1505kgFuel Tank: 70 litresFuel Consumption: Average on test 12.1 litres/100kmSteering: Power-assisted rack and pinionSuspension: Fully independent with front double wishbone and multi-link rear with anti-roll bars.Brakes: Four-wheel anti-skid discsWheels: 7.0x517 alloysTyres: 215/45 ZR17Warranty: Three years/100,000kmRivalsBMW **** (from $90,7000),Mercedes-Benz C320 **** (from $99,990),Alfa Romero 156 V6 *** (from $56,900),Jaguar X-type 3.0**** (from $77,950)