Lexus IS

Mechanical excellence combined with disgraceful interior and cosmetic parts failing – I've had this car for over 5 years now, I purchased it from a stint of European cars, with the intention to have a sensible and reliable car whilst I save for some important things. At the tail end of owning this car, it has been absolutely rock solid mechanically. I loved getting it back from each service with a generally minimal list of repair… Read more

notes. Apart from expensive rear tires, (F Sport 2012, $500+ AUD a pop) it's been a breeze. It has one of the best sound systems that I've heard. In terms of costing me for essential things such as keeping it roadworthy, it's been a gem.

Driving wise, it's a relatively smooth ride. The brakes are good, the seats are comfy and most of the interior is a nice place to be. Performance wise though it's uninspiring. RWD is lovely however the engine, whilst very smooth, is thirsty as all heck and is by no means fast. The car can barely hold country speeds up a hill, without having to shift in to a lower gear and hit 3500+RPM. The transmission I will comment as excellent. Very smooth and relatively responsive however spoiled by a boring engine. This is the IS250.

Now onto the annoying things. It kills me that this list is so high for what was a relatively expensive Lexus. Some of these issues should not exist, especially on one of the final years of this generation of Lexus.

-4 out of 4 door lock actuators failed. This is a well documented issue that Lexus refuse to accept. The front actuators I bought 3rd party for roughly $100 each and installed them myself. The rear ones were going to be over $250 each so I did some research and found that it's just a tacky motor that almost always failed. I have since pulled apart the rear actuators, replace the motors and got them working again. I will highlight here that if I was to do this in the dealer, I know that the actuators went for at least $400 a pop and that's minus labor.

-The F Sport spoiler has abysmally thin paint. Whilst the rest of the car has stood up great to the WA sun, the spoiler was an eyesore and I ended up repainting myself.

-The sunroof has 2 separate rattles. I was quoted a simply hilarious $5,000 to repair this. Seriously, Lexus?

-The leather seats are a joke. Both front seats have major tears and require re-upholstering. A local leather shop is doing this and commented on how many F-Sport's he sees with this exact issue. This should not be happening in a car as prestigeous as Lexus. Note I maintain my seats religiously, the car came to me with the seats in decent condition too.

-Sticky Dash. Yep. On a 2012. This was supposed to be fixed. This is a recent issue that has crept up and Lexus are refusing to acknowledge that their "Fix" dash is also a pile of garbage. Feel free to give this one a google, it's widespread.

-Typical crap Toyota grade headlights. Be ready to have to de-cloud these every few months. They are garbage.

To sell my car for what it is truly worth in good condition, I've had to invest nearly $3000 on repairs that shouldn't be happening in the first place. I totally get that this is not a new car but some of these issues are just unacceptable.

I did reach out to Lexus of Australia with the above list, to which I was promised a "reasonable quote" to rectify the issues by Lexus of Perth. That was promised 2 months ago and now they are dodging my emails.

I'm now jumping back to team Europe for my next car. I'm aware that I will likely be going back to spending more money on maintenance and repairs however I'm OK with this.

terrible car – I bought an is200t 2016 three days ago the car suddenly slowed down and cant accelerate The PCS system engages in the engine lights on for no reason, there is no car in front of me and the car stop on the middle of the road contacted 1800 Lexus centre and been advised to bring the car to dealership to have it diagnosed with $200 out of pocket… Read more

fee even there is a recall on the fuel tank leak

for anyone one who think Lexus is reliable and good customer service, don't dream of it

Legendary Lexus Luxury – The time came to replace my aging (2002) Rover 75 and I wanted a compact, stylish sedan that was as comfortable, quiet and refined but also more reliable, cheaper to service/maintain and more fuel efficient for my 100km round trip to work and home each day (combination city/country drive). I settled on the Lexus IS300h because it met all the… Read more

criteria. I managed to buy a 2016 IS300h with only 28,000km on the clock from Lexus of Southport delivered interstate to my door for $35,000.

So far, in the 10 months of ownership I have covered a very relaxing, quiet, stress free and faultless 20,000km. The car is both a pleasure to drive and be a passenger in. In that time the 'worst' fuel consumption has been 6l/100km with the best being 5.1l/100km and averaging 5.5l/1000km (brim to brim method) for the 20,000km. For a compact, luxury sedan to achieve those figures in the real world without having to rely on diesel, which was not a consideration for me, is exceptional. Because it is a hybrid and uses regenerative braking, the brake pads are virtually brand new still (confirmed by dealer at service below).

The overall build quality and fit and finish (particularly the paint finish) is very high. The seats are beautifully comfortable and supportive and the overall driving position fabulous. I love that they are not only heated, but air conditioned too, and that is standard across the range. Most switchgear is good and where you would expect them to be. Overall cabin ambience is one of serenity.

My only real bugbears are the lack of a spare tyre (not even a space saver which in Australia is almost unforgiveable), a lack of any real storage space in the cabin and a constant thrumming at highway speed when the moonroof is fully open.

I have just completed the 3 year/45,000km major service at Lexus of Adelaide for $750. While for me that is certainly on the steep side, they did provide a brand new Lexus loan car and wash and detail my car on return. Although I bought the car second hand from another dealer, Lexus aftersales service and customer care is excellent.

I would certainly recommend a Lexus to any of my family, friends or colleagues.

Pros: Legendary reliability Lexus luxury Fit and finish Paint finish Quiet, smooth, relaxing ride Exceptional fuel economy Lexus customer care After sales service Tight turning circle

Cons:

Smallish boot Interior storage very limited No sunglasses holder No spare wheel Thrumming when moonroof is fully open

Does everything right and it's a Luxury car you can trust – It does everything right. The 2.0 Turbo is a strong little unit with decent pull, it behaves like a small N/A v6 rather then a 4 cylinder which is quite unique. The only thing is that there is a bit of lag between 2500 and 3000 RPM in first gear, after that it hits boost. Fuel economy is excellent, 7.9 - 8.5 Urban, on highway I can get it to 4.5… Read more

to 6 litres which is brilliant.

One thing that lexus seems to understand, with a luxury car comes a premium drive train, every IS is rear wheel drive no matter what trim you go for. Unlike most German brands that are stuck on a FWD layout and you have to pay a ridiculous premium to get AWD system...

The Gear box is very quick on upshifts, the Aisin 8 speed is ZF like in how quick it is. However it can be a bit lazy on down shifts if you've been nannying it for a bit.

Front brakes are 4 piston soft compound rotors, car will stop at a dime but beware that this type of rotor and pads can wear quickly and create a lot of dust on the rims. Most luxury cars have this Rotor type whether it being a Lexus or BMW in general.

IS has a lot of standard features that most brands would have as an option. Interior is good quality and the leather seats are very soft. Infotainment system is a bit of an acquired taste but you do get used to it.

Lexus is really the only luxury brand for long term ownership, you have a luxury car with good fit/finish and with heaps tech that's built by Toyota so you can always trust it.

Positives: Fit and finish Strong turbo 4 Good quality leather seats Interior is plush Fuel economy Rear wheel drive Long list of standard features. Impressive sound system, Subwoofer shakes the seats.

Negatives: Transmission is a bit lazy on downshifts Infotainment system needs a bit of getting used to Lexus forgot to add a digital clock so your stuck with an analogue one Turbo lag in first gear is noticeable. Fsport matrix headlights are much better looking then the luxury.

What a Car – All, I have the IS350 version of this car and after 7 years of using it I seriously cant fault it. I look after it in terms of servicing on scheduled intervals and I do wash it at least once a month, however what has impressed me the most is its reliability. After 7 years the only thing I had to change on it is the original battery that has… Read more

lasted almost 6 years (this is daily drive with on average 12-15k a year). No squeaks, no rattles, no mechanical issues the car just works day in and day out. Its the top upmost model but the only difference between it and the sports or prestige models are the extra luxury features. Mechanically both cars are identical. The engine is superb (3.5L naturally aspired), 6 sp gear box works very well (the new model has 8 speed). Speed wise its fast, I have clocked 5.8 sec on my watch but ready any reviews and reviewers can easily get 5.6 without too much effort. My reaction times might not be that quick lol. The car is also small to mid size, I like that as I don't need roomy car for big family. Saying that it fits comfortably 4 average adults. If you are after a 2nd hand, luxury, sport performance car that will not cost you a bom this is the car for you. Stay away from the 2nd hand germans esp twin turbo 335 from the same generation as is350, they will cost you more to fix then the cost of the car... this is from mates personal experience (he wanted a fast german car), he should have listed to me.

Great car shame about the rip off servicing – We bought a 2003 Sydney suburban dealer demo IS200 automatic with 1,000Kms. It's nearly 20 years old now and only done 103,000kms. Nothing to complain about except deterioration of the dash and centre console. A known problem. If you were lucky and parked the car in the sun for the problem to be revealed early you may have had it replaced under… Read more

warranty. Unfortunately ours was garaged & mollycoddled all its life so the problem only surfaced after 15 years. $3000 to replace or $500 to repair by specialist on the Gold Coast who'd done 6 by the time he got our car. The other issue is rip off dealer service costs. Charged little old lady for new air filter but they never replaced the old is but one example. Apart from that, I love the car which is why we still have it.

IS350 F Sport 2011 is the best & most reliable car – Lexus IS350 F Sport is an amazing car. combines luxury, comfort, power and safety. Extremely reliable and long lasting car no matter how many klms it has it will just keep going and going with no issues and will hold its value and from what I have seen its actually going up in price than the current market value. Show details

Phenomenal car – I purchased this car secondhand and have had it now for a month… in a word… PHENOMENAL. I love it. Everything from handling , build quality, styling and all the options … it’s so good. The spindle grille does make it look sleeker than the Luxury variant. Love the moveable digital dash. Took it to my mechanic and showed it to him and he was… Read more

impressed. He said I’ll be even more impressed when he sees the service bill in the future whilst secondhand Audi and BMW owners will be crying. My car has the Rioja Red leather seats … stunning. Also, the a/c front seats are so good on a stinker Aussie summer day.

Luxury car with sub-standard parts, don't get trapped! – I purchased brand new IS 300H F Sports and after driving around 22000 KMS, disk rotors need machining/replacing and break shoes were 90% remaining. Contacted Lexus Australia and I have been advised that this is normal wear and tear and they can't do anything about this. I have been given quote to replace the rotors and breaks for $880 including… Read more

labour. I am driving cars from past 25 years and never had to replace/machine the rotors before 80000 KM. I own 2 Lexus's and if I knew this before hand would have not recommended this car to any of my family & friends.

I got trapped and so are my family & friends, writing this review to save people their hard earned money.

Not worth the Money – Purchased a Lexus IS 250 F sport, first week I had it my heater core went, 3 months later the sat Nav stopped working. I also had issues of the car not starting. Lexus could not find the fault. 6 months later the cooling fan in the seats was eating the foam had to have two new front seats. Mirrors would not fold in after this issue. Then my sat… Read more

Nav went again.. traded the car in after 10 months later got $34,000 for it.. While trading my lexus in my sensors stopped working. Will never buy another Lexus again. Dealer was not helpful.

Lacks grunt – I am writing this review honestly after owning a sports IS250 for 3 years with what I considered a well option fun sporty car. For anyone looking to purchase one here are my points of interest: The car is a nice ride but lacks a little power for a small 6. Definitely buy the 350 with the larger motor. I purchased the car for $66k and just… Read more

over 3 years sold it for $25k. Car was like new, pearl white. They don't hold value well.

Seats are slim so if you have a wide torso you will certainly feel hugged. Built for Japanese framed people.

I enjoyed the car but I wouldn't buy another one.

The three items above meant that Lexus didn't get me as a repeat customer but they are a well put together machine and if I had the 350 I would have given 4 stars.

I keep going back – I’m not kidding, I’ve just purchased my 3rd is300h. I first got one around 2015 and ‘upgraded’ to a Tesla. When it was time for the Tesla to go I ‘downgraded’ back to an is300h. I just lost that one in a divorce and guess what I replaced it with… an is300h, 8 years old with 100,000 km on the clock. I don’t know what it is about this car but I just… Read more

feel it’s the best made sedan for every day comfort, reliability and efficiency whilst having the right amount of power. It’s just perfect in my opinion. I’ve even gone to the effort of doing a product review. So there you go, I’ve gone back to this car 3 times over 8 years. Enough said.

Maddest car I love it – The car has power good control and for a convertible 2 door you have lots of room and the seat heater is necessary also the stereo goes off with its 7 speakers  Show details

Lexus IS250 2007 – I bought this car in 2014 so it was 7 years old when I took ownership, It had done ~70,000 Km. I have owned for 7 years and in that time I have not had any mechanical problems with it all. It had a Toyota recall for some component in the motor , but at no cost to me. Good on Toyota. The car travels beautifully, has plenty of power and is very… Read more

economical. It actually is as economical as my company Toyota Corolla 1.8 when highway cruising. It runs very smooth and quiet, handles well , maybe not as well as my old BMW 320i but has a far more softer compliant suspension than the BMW. I have to say it is the most reliable car I have ever owned, and I have had dozens of cars of various makes and models. One thing the dashboard vinyl has cracked in a couple of places from being out in the sun for 14 years, I probably wont bother fixing it. All other upholstery is just fine.

My perfect car – I have owned this car since new, 16 years. I have been intending to update but I love it so much that I have yet to find anything I like as much. In that time, very little has gone wrong and even those things that have required maintenance have been minor things. In terms of Lexus, I cannot fault it; so impressive that my daughter bought a RX last… Read more

years and I’m intending to buy a UX next. Comfort, safety but mainly that I feel the driver and the drive are one.

A luxury like no other – You can see the luxury before you sit in it. And once you sit in it, you can feel it. It's an amazing drive. I've own it for two years now and will definitely upgrade to the next model. Show details

A very good, well made car – Bought secondhand with 141k on clock, with full Lexus service history. Daily drive. The good: Totally reliable, has now done 210k Comfortable, smooth, quiet and reasonably quick Ride and handling well sorted Good auto box Interior quality still as new e.g. leather in great condition, seat bolsters still good Lexus service very good indeed -… Read more

sticky plastic dash and door panels replaced at no cost (on a 9 year old car!) - Lexus are serious about quality and customer satisfaction Inexpensive to maintain with sensible 15k service intervals

The bad: Tight rear seat leg room - not a big deal Low beam lights fairly ordinary Paint marks rather easily (water based?)

Would I buy another? Absolutely. But this one has plenty of life left in it. A quality, well engineered car.

Excellent workmanship, great value for money – After not a particularly good experience with a Mercedes C class I decided to see if the legendary reliability of Lexus is justifiable. Bought the IS 200t basic luxury model for a very good price and after one year and 20,000 km am happy to say that the car is performing extremely well. Some standard features such as the refrigerated seats are… Read more

very handy on hot days, but this basic model doesn't have other potentially useful options so paying more for the upgrade is worth considering. The service is very good and they provide a complimentary car.

Most reliable car ever – Great design, good handling. Also the most reliable car ever. nice color and interior room is good. Very classy dashboard and great service after sales and pre sales service from Lexus. Fuel consumption is slightly above average. Backseat legroom is good. Boot space is huge and wide for this size sedan.  Show details

Excellent vehicle – The Lexus IS200 sedan discontinued 2005, 2 litre 6 cylinder engine great vehicle, 12 years old never a fault, nothing replaced no running problems, serviced twice a year $300 per service non dealer, handling is great, quiet and plenty of power, all instruments easily accessible while driving, good quality is expensive initial costs when new but… Read more

worth the money, look to purchase two year old dealers vehicles and save $25000 off price at only 30000 km on clock. Will look to getting another Lexus car but am satisfied this vehicle could easily last twenty years.

Ps. Known problems with Toyota/Lexus dash board damage (sticky dash) was remedied by using product 3M from Victoria (see your tube under sticky dash repair.)

IS300 in red looks amazing – Clearly we opted for red because it goes faster! Anyway, the car is very smooth and quiet to drive. The active cruise control is also a wonder in peak hour. Heated AND cooled leather seats are fantastic in the middle of winter, or just when you want to keep your food warm. The back seats are a little too cramped for space, though. The front is… Read more

spacious, it's just the back could use some redesigning.

It is expensive to run with the current prices of fuel as well, given that it takes 98, but 95 only if you HAVE to. It runs on between 7-9/100km

Very Good Car Could be Better – I like the look of the car, love the way it sticks to the road and the steering feel. Eight speed Auto is smooth and easy to use. I took every factory extra and it only added 8k to the price, same exercise with Mercedes would add 35k. Engine is now dated although "grunty" loves petrol 11.9 average per 100k. Panel fit and finish very good and it is… Read more

very quiet. The mouse system is stupid and saved only by a great voice recognition system. There is no more room in the back than a Mazda 2, best sit in the front. Based on my other Toyota products car should be super reliable and easy to service, cheaper than the German "3". In the whole 4 year warrant period I only had I parking sensor replaced. The original brake pads feel great but will make the wheels filthy in 20k downhill and do not last. Dealers spoil you with loan cars, great golf days etc. I do like this car and will keep it longer than I normally do.

Can't complain – I like how smooth I can handle this car. I have got a second hand but thanks to the previous owner it was maintained beautifully. The biggest difference to me between budget car and premium car is stability on high way. No matter how fast I go, mine just goes smooth as if nothing happens. I would upgrade to a new Lexus when it gets old, I am a huge Lexus lover now!  Show details

Pretty happy with it – Bought it second hand from Toyota, so the price is a little on the pricey for its vintage. But what I get is a peace of mind. I like the luxury trimmings like electric heated seats, satnav, reverse camera, proximity key sensor, push start-stop, electric sun roof, etc. What I don't like is that the car feels underpowered at 2.5L for its size.… Read more

The only saving grace is that it has a V6 engine. I tend to floor it a lot and because of that have very bad fuel economy.

But because of its weight, it does feel really stable at high speeds and engine is pretty quiet.

Overall I do enjoy driving it.

Perfect for my needs. Comfortable, excellent amount of standard features – Handling and cornering is well balanced, noise is well suppressed at any speed. Performance could be improved for a 2.5L V6 engine. But Engine is extremely smooth and engine noise is well suppressed in cabin Do not like the fact that you have to adjust fan speed via the touch screen. Legroom is reasonable for anyone up to 6ft. Sunroof does… Read more

intrude a bit into roofline. Very quiet cabin overall with little/no rattles except over heavy bumps.

So far no reliability issues and smooth transmission and engine. Running costs are average for a luxury car and is comparitively cheaper to service than equivalently Merc C Class or BMW 3 Series. Lexus of Perth service is 2nd to none to any other dealers in perth i have encountered at any price range of cars.

Modern and Good Quality Car – Easy to drive, fuel efficient and excellent service. Driving experience is excellent: the handling is smooth and responsive. The car performs very well in a surburban setting, and is very low noise. The interior design is sleek, with an intuitive dashboard and plenty of leg room. The car is reliable and overall would recommend.  Show details

love driving – I really enjoy this car. beautiful to drive. I always wanted a Lexus and I worked so hard to be able to purchase it. Its exactly how I expected it to be! Just Awesome I would definitely class not as a luxury vehicle and the interior is beautiful. Mine is caramel coloured and I have noticed its hard to keep clean. I wish I got black as it would be less cleaning but the caramel does look more luxurious  Show details

Comfortable and fun car – I have an IS200 auto and rate this car very highly. My last car was a Wrx sti and I enjoy driving the Lexus so much more. It has been very reliable and good on fuel. The engine note also sounds fantastic. I think these cars have potential to reach classic status one day.  Show details

Perfect – Luxury, quite and cheap on petrol. It's just Toyota and it's really reliable. The best thing is that if won't cost you lots when you go the service. The interior looks good and the heated seat is awesome for winter. Cannot live without it now. Over all it is a great car.  Show details

Prestige Prowess without Petrol Paralysis – My IS300h hybrid is one of the best looking, economical and reliable vehicles on the road. As an Uber Black vehicle you couldn't pick a better match. Performance and handling from a rear wheel drive that is whisper quiet, great turning circle and super economical real world figures of 5.9 litres per 100 kms, it is hard to beat. I love it and you would too.  Show details

Great car – Never really thought about a Lexus as a sporty car, Had a few other brands in the past, Mercedes SLK, VW R32, Audi S3 etc. Wanting to get away from the newer turbo models I started looking for normally aspirated cars with sports variants. Happened upon the IS 350 F Sport and after a drive went looking for one I could afford. Had it for 6 months… Read more

now, great car, goes very well (233kw) big brakes, tight suspension but still comfortable compared to my Euro cars ;) Average l/100 10.4 commuting. Even saw 7.9 on a long cool trip one day.

The sound system is superb (ML)

Mine is even Red like the original reviewers car :)

https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/lexus-is350-f-sport-2010-review-10630

Fantastic car – If you are looking for a quality/reliability and performance you cant go past IS350. Lexus does everything right. The car was mid size back in the 2011 but is probably small by today standards (its a bit bigger then 3s and C of it day). It drives well, but due to its weight its a slow starter via the gentle foot, plant the foot down and you will… Read more

get 5.6sec to 100. Its faster then a WRX!!. The stearing is a bit heavy (coming form non performance sedans) but once it gets moving it offer good feedback. Another item to love about the lexus is that parts are cheap, service is only a bit more costly then Toyota and the thing just keeps going. The car is now 6 years old, 80k on it but the only thing (apart form the 12m services) was a dead factory battery and that has only happened in Feb 2016, Taking with mechanics and other mates who have endless issues with E90s (plastic radiators\hoses) and post 2011 C200/250s (7 speed gear box issues). This car is a dream. The 2nd had examples from 2011 can be had for under 30k (70-85k when new). Sure if you can afford new German cars every 3-4 years go for them but you would want to dispose of that 320/C200 after 5 years max.

Would not drive anything else now – This is the 1st lexus I have owned and I will not drive anything else now. The quietness of this on the open road is bliss. The comfort of the drive and the leather seats are the best I have sat in. I am surprised with the fuel economy getting an average of around 7.8 lites per 100 km in the city. This drops down to around 6.9 when driving in the country. The sound system is great with the 13 speakers.  Show details

IS350 Sport Luxury has all the bells and whistles – The IS 350 has all the power you will ever need, all the safety features and a styling you either love or hate. The dash is at best functional without being flashy but the reliability is unquestionable wit Lexus consistently topping the global J D Power reliability ratings. The only criticism is the suspension that can be little jumpy on uneven… Read more

road surfaces. Put it in sports + mode and it comes alive. Blipping on the downshift the 8 speed gearbox works to perfection. This is my third Lexus and would not choose anything else!

2004 Lexus IS200 - automatic sports Luxury – The most reliable car I have ever owned. Absolutely never had any issues. Serviced it semi-regularly and those were relatively cheap at about $120 for a standard service. petrol consumption was 650km per full tank. full tank was about 70 litres. If I could afford the upgrade to the newer models I would stick with Lexus again.  Show details