Lexus Nerd

Park Assist (sensors and monitor) is standard on IS 350. ACC and LDW are available in Enhancement Pack 2. As noted above, a spec'd-up F Sport would only miss the sunshade, fogs and rear airbags in Sports Luxury. along with cosmetic differences. But if the Missus prefers the SL, then get the SL, make her happy and miss out on nothing but F Sport cosmetic trim! :D

It's not quite obvious (due to different specifications overseas, and overseas media reports online outnumbering Australian ones) but the Sports Luxury in Australia, like the F Sport, actually has the Sports S+ mode with Adaptive Variable Suspension and Variable Gear Ratio Steering. So you *can* own the Sports Luxury and still have the sports-oriented performance of the F Sport - although it will cost you more. The main differences between F Sport with Enhancement Pack 2 and Sports Luxury are: - SL has the less aggressive grille with foglamps - Different exterior paint selection - The usual differences in interior trim - metallic garnish and pedals in F Sport versus woodgrain (now faux in 3IS) in SL - SL has an electric rear sunshade - F Sport has perforated leather accented sports seats - F Sport has the LFA-style meter - although it's functionally much the same as the Sports Luxury - SL has two rear seat airbags - SL costs an additional $4000 + stamp duty

Check out Lexus Australia's "IS Reactions Wall" at http://www.lexus.com.au/static/ISreactionswall Driven the new IS lately? MAKE YOUR IMPRESSIONS KNOWN! 1. Post your reaction in this forum thread 2. Click on the link at the top right-hand corner of your post to bring up the "Share post" box, then copy everything after the "?" to your clipboard. (For example, if your link is ...au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/12019-3is-first-drives/?p=42454, copy: ?p=42454 2. Go to http://www.lexus.com.au/static/ISreactionswall/reactionsForm.html and enter your details 3. Click on "Or add a URL" 4. Enter the URL: http://au.lexusownersclub.com.com/lexus3is/ Then paste from clipboard (e.g. http://au.lexusownersclub.com.com/lexus3is/?p=42454)

IS F: 0.2s to think about your upshift input, followed by 0.1s to actually do it. Total 0.3s. (So most positive marketing will just say, "upshifts in a tenth of a second.") Downshifts in 0.2s. IS 350: Official press from Lexus Australia also confirms downshifts in 0.2s. I couldn't find much about upshifts, although a non-verified source also suggests 0.3s on upshifts, and that the only difference between the IS F and IS 350 8-speed transmission is the addition of G-AI in the 350.

Subby, I know, this is a really late reply, but ... I'm not aware of any way to adjust the two chimes. I see our forum "how-to" for disabling the seat chime didn't work for you, either. As for the third matter - your dealer was talking fiction. Press the Setup button then, on the screen, press General. Toggle the Auto screen change option to On, then press Save.

Hi Subby, I believe you can adjust the lines on the screen by first accessing the secret menu on the EMV screen, and then selecting from the options that appear in that menu. To access the secret menu for your 2010 IS: http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/8150-howto-access-the-secret-diagnostics-menu/?p=25273

With the IS launch phase passed, I've closed this topic. For Club members' test drive impressions (and recent questions aimed at test drivers), go here: http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/12019-3is-first-drives/

Good point! Somebody upload some photos next time they're at a dealership ... or maybe FrankyX can share some pics ;-)

The upshifts are reportedly 0.3 seconds - the same as an IS-F. You ask how the third-generation IS 350 engine compares with the second-gen IS 250 ... I assume that isn't a misprint. One would assume that a larger capacity V6 is going to offer better acceleration over a much smaller-capacity V6 at any given engine speed ... but let's look at some figures to prove it. Regardless of the transmission, the new 350 has the same engine as the previous IS 350. So the relationship between revs and power will be the same, although acceleration will be 2-3% slower due to added weight. That means we can rely on any power curves published for the IS 350's 2GR-FSE engine, no matter how old they are. In those power curves, it can be seen that at, say, 2500 rpm, the 350's engine produces 110-120 kW of power, making it more powerful than the 335i's powerplant (although much the same acceleration due to a 100 kg weight penalty) and slightly more powerful than the supposedly "torquey" Audi 3.0 L TFSI engine (and accelerates faster with the 350's lighter weight compared to the A4). This is in comparison to the IS250's engine, which produces ... um ... around 45 kW at 2500 rpm. But the faster shifts and G-AI mode in the new IS 250 definitely improve the experience over the previous generation IS 250.

It is understood that a production car based on this concept will be released - but I'm not sure when.

What's the best way to remove old, bubbling film from a car's rear window?

Goosie, it's a very pertinent question. I'm sure there a quite a few 2IS owners facing the same dilemma. Which is the better buy? The short answer is that it depends on what you're looking for in a car. You first asked whether the new IS250 is significantly better than the 2IS. If you are OK with the new styling, both inside and out, then the 3IS is definitely as good, or better, than the 2IS in almost every aspect. On the racetrack, even LEX51S and I thought that the new IS 250 is more responsive than the 2IS. Perhaps it was a case of The Emperor's New Clothes, but at least we can say the new 250 doesn't "feel" slower. But is it significantly better? Consider what matters to you, and what bothers you about the 2IS. Outdated (or missing) nav system? Fixed. Poor rear leg room? Fixed. Not enough boot space? Fixed. Perhaps you want better steering and handling? Well, the 3IS has a stiffer body, revised suspension and smoother, more accurate power steering. What else is new? If you have the 2IS Prestige, well, consider that 17" wheels, HID headlamps, daytime running lamps and ventilated front seats are now standard. Add the most comfortable seats in its class, split-fold rear seats and improved Bluetooth connectivity ... if most of that appeals to you, then perhaps it's worth the upgrade, at least to the Luxury grade. Then there's quite a number of improvements in the higher grades and options. Now, let's compare the new IS 250 with the IS 300h. The standard equipment in the Luxury grades for both IS 250 and IS 300h are identical. If you love silent luxury cruising and fuel efficiency, then go for the IS 300h. It will cost you $3000 more, but might save you $1000 or more per year in fuel. But the fact that you even thought about the IS 350 means that you probably love the way your 2.5 L engine, small as it is, can outrun most vehicles and do it with a smooth engine note to boot. Weigh up which one really matters to you, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

For Lexus fans who are aware of the third generation IS, the IS 350 F Sport is the clear winner. It's the first model they want to test-drive, and sales and showroom queries clearly favour the 350 over the IS 250 and IS 300h. But after five drives of the new IS 350 myself, I had to find out ... What about the IS 300h? What's it like to drive? Lexus IS' Chief Engineer, Junichi Furuyama, promised a line that's "fun to drive" ... Does this extend to the new IS? Thanks to Jake Kelsey and the team at Sydney City Lexus, I had the opportunity to check it out. On suburban roads, the IS 300h feels and behaves much like its stablemates. The ride comfort is superb, and the drivetrain is oh-so-refined, despite the electric motor being paired with a four-cylinder petrol engine. The car even responds well to brief pumps of the accelerator, a tribute to the instant torque available from the electric motor. The most surprising part for me was the brake feel. A lot has been written about hybrid vehicles' brake feel, and how they seem disconnected to the way the car is actually slowing down. After driving the IS 300h for the first time, I had forgotten that hybrid brakes are supposed to feel that way. To me, the 300h brakes felt like normal brakes; slightly different to the IS 350 and IS 250, but still very normal. A cruise along Sydney's M4 shows how pleasurable the IS 300h can be to drive. It was truly effortless driving - particularly since the Luxury model I drove was equipped with Active Cruise Control. It's the first time I've used ACC, so I wondered whether I had accidentally turned off cruise control whenever the speedo dropped under 110 km/h. But then I realised that the radar had detected a vehicle in front of me, and automatically slowed down. I only wished there was something on the LCD between the speedo and tacho that could have informed me of that fact. As a driver, I also found the cabin super-quiet, even at highway speeds. Despite the car being equipped with run-flat tyres, I didn't find the road noise any louder than what should be expected. But, as a passenger in the back row, I did find a problem. At highway speeds, there is loud wind hiss emanating from not the A or B pillars, but the C pillar behind me. It wasn't until I got out of the car that I learned that there is an air vent positioned in the rear door jamb, above the wheel well. This is only present in the IS 300h, to provide ventilation to the battery pack positioned below the boot floor. It was an unexpected annoyance as a back-seat passenger - at least there was plenty of room compared to the 2IS! Okay ... but is it fun to drive? It took a few laps at the Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek, to find out. Having driven the IS 350 F Sport before driving the 300h, and the IS 250 Luxury afterwards, it didn't take too long to find out whether 164 kilowatts of peak petrol-electric power translates to punchy straight-line performance. Basically, it doesn't. On a racetrack, the IS 300h feels like riding in an Airbus A380: It's quiet, it's comfortable, and you're surrounded by the best tech of the age. But as the vehicle accelerates from 40 km/h to takeoff speed, you wonder why it takes so long to propel forward. It became clear why some people will favour the IS 250 - just $3000 less in showroom price - over the hybrid. Having said that, the handling of the IS 300h F Sport on the wet and twisty 1.2 km track was impressive. I knew it couldn't possibly accelerate as fast as the IS 350 I just drove, so I deliberately braked late into most bends. The steering was direct and had great feel; the suspension was impressive; and the safety systems all worked in concert to make sure I stayed on course despite the slippery conditions. The handling actually encouraged me to take the car to its limits, and that was rather clear when I got out of the car. One of the professional drivers pointed out that the brakes were smoking ... the rear brakes, meaning that the Traction Control was kicking in a lot of the time. To call the IS 300h "fun to drive" might be an exaggeration. But I will say it's definitely pleasurable to drive. It is not only quiet and frugal, but it handles well too. (It would probably do rather well on a slalom course.) If you prefer long drives to the traffic-light dragway, this is the IS for you. If you're an empty-nester, you may even prefer this rear-wheel-drive hybrid to the up-and-coming Lexus ES.

Have you driven the 2014 Lexus IS recently? Post your drive experiences here - we'd love to know!

Lexus Australia has revealed their TV ads: (Music: "Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hives) There's also a (very salesy) video about the history of the Lexus IS on the same page.

Ok, so this is a revival of an old thread, but I think this could be interesting to some ... Bowen's invoice shows that "Lexus Motor Oil" - a fully synthetic oil - is used at his dealership. It is suggested in the blogosphere that the "base oil and additive package" is produced by Mobil for Toyota. Furthermore, Toyota have tuned the additive package especially for Lexus engines. How similar Lexus Motor Oil might be to Mobil 1 is a secret (as you would expect with any white-labelled product). But consider this: you could buy Mobil 1, or you could buy Lexus Motor Oil, which is potentially very similar to Mobil 1, but more optimised for Lexus and yet cheaper!

Here's a press release from Lexus Australia when the IS 350 was released. Bear in mind that the IS 350 was released at the same time as the MY11 facelift for IS 250, and everything tech gadget you can find in an IS 250 should be found in an IS 350: http://www.pressroom.com.au/press_kit_detail.asp?clientID=3&navSectionID=6&categoryID=1000&kitID=297#3296 There is no reference to Bluetooth audio; just Bluetooth phone capability. So it's pretty clear that late 2010 vehicles weren't expected to support A2DP. I wonder whether your Lexus service centre can flash the latest version of the audio firmware, and thereby provide A2DP? (Note: - A2DP is just a software profile on the Bluetooth stack. I wouldn't expect the Bluetooh hardware receiver to have been upgraded between 2010 and OzBoy's Sep 2012 model, so a more recent software update should be all that's required to get an MY11 model to implement A2DP. - Consider not even asking the service centre for the "update to support A2DP"; perhaps they'll just look at you strangely, or disagree with you, or insist that no 2IS has ever, ever supported Bluetooth audio. Perhaps just say your EMV is acting really strange, like resetting unexpectedly; they will then predictably give you the latest update, hoping that that will fix your "problem".) As for the motor sound: I'm not sure whether it's coming from the central locking system or the nav DVD player or CD audio player, but it's definitely normal. It happens every time I open the driver's door on my MY10 IS 250, after switching off the engine.

Welcome to the Club, Alexis! I'm sure the folks at Chatswood will continue to provide good after-sales service too.

Welcome to the Club, Col!

I did a bit of desktop research in my lunchtime ... The second-generation IS 350 had an official 0-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds. This has stretched to 5.9 seconds with the 3IS. But the official 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) times for each car remain unchanged, at 5.6 seconds. Using stock tyres, the 2IS could (theoretically) redline in second gear and reach exactly 100 km/h. In comparison, the 3IS redlines in second gear at about 98 km/h. So you either have to change to third gear to hit 100 km/h, or rev past 7000 rpm, when you've already passed peak power at 6800 rpm. I suspect the final drive ratio for the new 8-speed transmission has been chosen for revheads in the US, who prefer to measure acceleration using 0-60 mph times. Using stock tyres, you can comfortably hit 60 mph (96.6 km/h) without redlining or changing into third gear. This is, of course, desktop research, and an extended test drive might be able to prove me right or wrong ...