2002 Lexus IS 300 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

supermech2001 · #1 01-20-2003, 05:45 AM

Does anybody know anything about the Lexus IS 300 cars? Pros/Cons...they have a nice look to them but are they reliable?I have seen a number of them on the road and some have said Alteeza on the rear.Is that a special model or a aftermarket company? Do the cars come with more power (option) than the 215 hp...218 lb feet of torque that is advertised by the mfg?Any feed back on them is appreciated.
Thanks for your time
Phillip
Calif

The Godfather · #2 01-20-2003, 06:04 AM

Lexus is Toyota's luxury division here in the USA. In japan, the Lexus IS300 is called the Toyota Altezza. People who badge them Altezza are usually the younger crowd who are into tuning and who wants to badge it properly as it was meant from the factory.

The car here in the US only comes w/ the 3 liter engine. In europe and asia, it can be had w/ a 2 liter (4cyl I believe), aka IS200.

The car is nice and is selling well with the young buyers, it's sporty and nice, but at the end of the day, it's just a higher end toyota.

supermech2001 · #3 01-20-2003, 06:15 AM

Thanks a zillion for taking the time to give me a reply..very much apprciated.
Phillip
1992 MBZ 300Ce
85,400 miles

engatwork · #4 01-20-2003, 06:45 AM

I'd like to add that there seems to be quite a bit of aftermarket "tuner" stuff available for this car. I have seen quite a few of them at NOPI shows with turbos, NOS and such. They are nice looking little cars but in my opinion are too small on the inside.

blackmercedes · #5 01-20-2003, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by w126
I've read that the 5 speed autos are prone to slipping and the lowest quality ratings of all Lexus products.

The IS ranks "average" in quality, the lowest of Lexus products. I've seen a few examples with sub-par build quality. A friend of mine has one with the infamous slipping automatic. To date Toyota has done nothing to fix his car.

The 215hp seemed okay when it was introduced, but Japanese sport sedan fans can now pick up a TL-S with 260hp or 270+hp in the G35.

jsmith · #6 01-20-2003, 10:26 AM

R&T reviewed this car and they ran into that transmission problem. If I recall, it wasn't even fixed to their satisfaction. I would stay away from the auto...

TTaM · #7 01-20-2003, 12:46 PM

The one thing about the IS is, if you live in a climate where it snows, you'd better have another car to drive. These cars are HORRIBLE in the snow. Even w/ snow tires, you will be slipping and slidding all over the road. I still think they look good though...

bobbyv · #8 01-20-2003, 01:27 PM

the IS300 was targetted specifically against the 3-series BMW, with the following elements:
* 3liter inline-6, with available manual transmission
* front-engine, rear drive
* dimensions very near those of the 3series; this is evident in the wheelbase and placement of the wheels - i.e., stretched out into the ends of the car

though it is good for a first try, it still does not approach the level of handling precision and refinement that is the 3series's claim-to-fame.

with regard to the target market however, this is apparent in the design of the instrument cluster and the taillamps.

Jr. Benz · #9 01-20-2003, 11:04 PM

With the exception of a few Mazdas, Japanese cars suck. They sell you an engine with a bunch of poorly made parts in order to allow you to replace half the engine with aftermarket parts. Initially they are less expensive than a C-class or a 3-series, but if you are hoping to keep pace with a C320 or a 325is, you end up with an engine full of parts available at Wal-Mart that costs more than a Mercedes or a BMW. Why go through all that trouble for something that won't last you 200,000 miles when you could just drive one off the lot jacked up from the start. Or save for a few more months and get serious with an AMG C32 or an M3. And the only reason why I give Mazda any credit as a japanese car company is because they don't copy everything European car manufacturers do. They are also the only car company that offers the very cool, very unique, Wankel/Rotary engine.

STORMINORMAN · #10 01-21-2003, 02:35 PM

Jr. Benz: Not trying to start an arguement, but...
Perhaps you really meant to indicate that "in YOUR opinion" some Japanese BMW 3 Series "clones" are less than 100%successful in their real world application? I agree.

There are quite a few fine cars from Japan, from both an engineering & performance standpoint. Subaru leaps to mind as a manufacturer who doesn't copy everything the Europeans are doing.

From just a flat RELIABILITY standpoint there are quite a few more that are absolutely superior to the European & American manufacturers, including (gasp!) Daimler Benz. In my opinion, of course.

You will have to go pretty far to find a more reliable & economical vehicle than a Toyota Corolla, or a Honda Civic or an Accord. The small pickups from Toyota & Nissan will just about run forever if given even the most minimum of attention from a maintenance standpoint. Notice that the European companies don't even attempt to compete in that segment.

Mazda is innovative but their Rotary engine has never had much of a reputation for reliability...

Just a thought (or two) to ponder upon...

blackmercedes · #11 01-21-2003, 03:05 PM

Right now, Japanese quality is probably among the best you can get, especially if you're looking at 3-5 year reliability.

Long term, MB products do tend to hold up very well, thanks to rock solid structures, high quality interior materials, and long product life cycles.

My own experience is that the WORST car we ever owned for reliability is a tie between an Acura Integra and a Mercedes E300. The best for reliability is also a tie, between a Mazda 626 and a Mercedes C230. Go figure.

Who buys engine parts for a Honda at Wal-Mart? I am SO confused! The six in the Honda Accord makes 240 ponies, making the C/E320 look like a wuss. The G35 Infiniti six pot mill makes V-8 style power. The Acura 3.2TL-S engine also out churns any German six. Too bad Acura chooses gear ratios the way they do, as the TL-S could be a real stormer.

Park a Honda Accord next to a C-Class. The paint is as good, if not better. The panel fit is tighter. The interior materials are as good, if not better. The engine is as smooth and more powerful by far. The only real disadvantage I see is the cruddy front wheel drive I hate so much. And here in Canuck-land, the Honda tops out at $32,500 and the C320 starts at $51,000. A G35 is $39,000. A TL-S is $41,000. Equip a C320 like a G35 of TL-S, and it's a $60K+ machine.

So, what about dealer experience? Well, the dealers I have bought from haven't done any better job than any Honda dealer.

Check my siggy. I'm dyed-in-the-wool MB nut. But, that does not mean that I don't recognize the quality of competing machines. Driving experience does it for me. If I wanted a low price, low operating costs, and appliance like reliability, I'd buy a Civic. I want RWD and MB feel.

Jr. Benz · #12 01-21-2003, 03:26 PM

IN MY OPINION, the 240D is by far more reliable than any Honda or japanese car for that matter. I think that people tend to defend japanese cars and stand behind their reliability simply because they see so many on the road. I have never seen an Accord or a Civic from the early 80's, plenty from the late 80's to early 90's. I have seen many 240's from early 80's and even late 70's. The "older" Honda Accord/Civic body style is almost identical from the late 80's to the early 90's. The Accord has been the best selling car by far in America for an awful long time. The problem I have with defending these cars is that there are so many out there still running, with a shopping list of problems that people neglect, that we don't pay attention to how many die and end up in a junkyard. I would bet that there are more Accords stacked up there too. The majority of people who buy Honda Accords and Toyota Corollas are people who don't who don't have a passion for cars. They drive it to a quick lube every 8,000 miles and pay someone to change there oil because they don't know how and nor do they care to. It gets them from point A to point B and that is what they care about.
The other major problem I have with these cars is that they appeal to a very young crowd who worship "The Fast and The Furious" and take any cheap Japanese car they can afford, steal and exhaust pipe from a school bus, and throw it on the back of their HONDA! I can't stand kids who slap Altezza's, Japanese stickers they can't even read, and ridiculous body kits from Wal-Mart on there vehicle if it can be called that. Just another reason why I hate Rice Burners.
And lastly, I was not giving Mazda credit for producing an engine that was reliable in any means. I simply give them credit for being different. They know just as well as anyone else that the Wankel is probably the most unreliable engine. I have two friends who have both owned an RX-7. One was an older model 91', and the other was a 97'. A routine trip to the dealer was always part of their annual (monthly) agenda due to the tip seals going bad. After having the engine torn apart 4 times over the course of 2 months, the 91' was donated to another friend's driveway, where it still lies today, RIP. And to address the Subaru issue, I simply don't like them period. Cheap, unsafe, and I find them rather ugly. I would buy a Mazda 6 over a WRX any day. The only positive aspect of owning a Subaru is that they are relatively rugged and they also have some of the most advanced technology incorperated into their design, i.e. transmission and suspension.

That concludes my rebuttle.

blackmercedes · #13 01-21-2003, 03:46 PM

Valid points, but...

If we could jet back in time to 1981, you'd find that the Accord was a better car than most "domestic" makes, but far inferior to a Mercedes 240D. That said, the 240D carried a price about three times higher, and it darned well should have been better!

Today, the quality gap has not only been closed, but erased.

Now, what Honda does in their factories with regards to build quality has nothing to do with the "Fast and the Furious" market.

If you don't like the Japanese cars for their customer demographic (I doubt all 400,000 Accord buyers are shopping for body kits at Wal-Mart), then that's fine.

Your comments about how people (don't) take care of their cars extends to customers of every marque. I know more than a few late-model MB customers that do not take care of their cars. This is not unique to Japanese makes, and again is an attribute of a customer, not a product.

I don't like Subaru products either. I find their interiors uninspired and too plain for me. The exterior "tough" look is okay, but I prefer a little more subtle look. The price is too high,and that's the real killer for me. Now, your comment about them being unsafe puzzles me. Subaru cars do very well in crash tests, including the more real-world offset tests. I don't think they are unsafe when compared to their Toyota or Honda competition.

One place the Germans have the Japanese beat is in seat design, and may still have this edge.

Every make except for Volvo, MB, BMW and VW have seats that collapse when you are rear-ended. Not good. This may have changed, but I just plain don't know.

Also, MB and BMW are the ONLY two makes that have not recorded an unintentional air-bag deployment.

Jr. Benz · #14 01-21-2003, 03:54 PM

Acura 3.2TL Type-S : 0-60 in 7.6 seconds, 1/4 Mile in 16.0, Braking 70-0 in 192 feet. EPA = 19 mpg
Mercedes-Benz E430 : 0-60 in 6.0 seconds, 1/4 Miles in 14.5, Braking 70-0 in 174 feet. EPA = 18 mpg

Infiniti G35 : 0-60 in 7.1 seconds, 1/4 Mile in 15.6, Braking 70-0 in 191 feet. EPA = 19 mpg
Mercedes-Benz C320 : 0-60 in 7.6 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.9, Braking 70-0 in 172 feet. EPA = 19 mpg

Jr. Benz · #15 01-21-2003, 04:15 PM

Subarus may be safer than most other Japanese cars, but that isn't saying much, and they don't come close to that of Mercedes and most other European car manufacturers. Not since the 1960's would you be able to find a Mercedes-Benz that didn't have four-wheel disc brakes. Who was the first to incorperate airbags? Mercedes-Benz. I don't think it is fair to compare Mercedes or BMW to Japanese cars because they both thave their stengths and weaknesses. The many things that Mercedes and BMW do well, Japanese cars do poorly in. The few areas that Mercedes and BMW do not do so hot in, Japanese cars do well. That said, I have a problem with a company like Lexus, who tries to imitate and compete with Mercedes and BMW. They are just nicer Toyotas that cost a lot more. An IS 300 is just a pampered Toyota Camry with more attention to detail. It is NOT a car that should be compared to a Mercedes or BMW. It is a good imitation. I tip my hat to the man who drives a loaded Toyota Avalon. He parks the same car in his garage for $10,000 less than the man who buys the LS430.