Lexus IS300h, road test (Equipment, price and opinion)

Today we put the final touch to the road test of the Lexus IS300h, a premium saloon that does not give in to diesel engines to win over buyers, but instead uses an efficient hybrid system made up of a combustion engine and an electric motor that together deliver 223 CV.

Everything about the engine, the performance of the Lexus IS300h or its consumption, we have told you in detail in the first part of the test. In the second part we analysed the very sporty exterior design, as well as the interior and boot.

Now, in the third part we turn to the equipment, which is quite complete, by the way, and where you don’t have to resort to a long list of extras for our IS 300h to be well equipped. We will also review the safety features fitted as standard from the base trim, and we will finish the test with our personal opinion of the car, assessing it from our perspective.

Equipment

As a good premium saloon, safety is important, and the Lexus IS300h offers a whole arsenal of standard equipment aimed at our safety behind the wheel. From the base trim it comes with: front, side, curtain and knee airbags, stability control, ABS with emergency braking assistance, active brake lights, the Vehicle Advanced Stability Control system, tyre pressure monitoring and active head restraints on the front seats, among other features.

According to the Euro NCAP rating system of 2013, it achieved five stars, with good adult occupant protection of 91% and child occupant protection of 85%. Euro NCAP has since changed its criteria for the 2014 tests, but the result could perfectly well be extrapolated.

Now we turn to the base (ECO) equipment of any Lexus IS300h, which includes as standard features such as: xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, electric heated mirrors, 16-inch wheels, alarm, push-button start, air conditioning, leather steering wheel and gear knob, 7″ Lexus Display Audio screen, two USB ports and one AUX, six speakers, among other features.

The F Sport trim is the third level of equipment (ECO, Executive, F Sport and Luxury). Standard features in this trim include: exclusive exterior design (bumpers, grille, LED front foglamps, etc.), 18-inch wheels, light and rain sensor, front and rear parking sensors, sunroof, sporty electric heated front seats, cruise control, adaptive variable suspension, six-CD changer, digital instrument cluster, among other features.

Among the equipment items we found odd is the Active Sound Control system, that is, a system that simulates a V8 engine under the bonnet by playing a similar sound through the car’s speakers. It is unnecessary: if the sound were projected outside it might still make sense to fool the occasional pedestrian we pass, but being only for the interior it makes little sense; it is better to hear our engine’s own sound rather than a simulation.

The navigation system is controlled with the joystick on the centre console, as if it were a computer mouse. The operation has been improved and is now simpler and quicker when moving between the different menus of the multimedia system. A practical detail is that the air conditioning has a full set of physical buttons and is not controlled from the screen as in other models of the brand.

The sound system in our unit was not the famous Mark Levinson with 15 speakers, but it did have 8 speakers (including the subwoofer) and very high quality, not surprisingly, as it is signed by Pioneer.

Prices of the Lexus IS300h

• Lexus IS300h ECO €35,900
• Lexus IS300h Executive €38,950
• Lexus IS300h F Sport €46,700
• Lexus IS300h Luxury €52,500

Opinion and general assessment

The premium saloon market is dominated by diesel propulsion; it is the most preferred engine and there are few premium saloons with hybrid systems. The Lexus, however, bets on the hybrid engine with 223 CV to compete in this tough segment.

Compared with a 200 CV diesel engine (or one close to it), the hybrid keeps similar consumption figures (slightly higher on open road or motorway and lower in town). Power delivery is sufficient with its 223 CV, although it lacks the same sense of instant push as a diesel saloon, but it has more than enough power to handle all kinds of situations.

That said, in the IS 300h’s favour are the smoothness of the powertrain, lower maintenance and several driving modes with which to get the most out of the hybrid combination. As for handling, we liked the IS for its comfort on board and the rigidity of its bodyshell. It conveys a sense of calm and composure at all times and on all kinds of roads. Even when we ask for a bit more dynamism, the stability control is always on alert so that it doesn’t leave the path by a millimetre (personally I find it very intrusive).

Inside it is a car with quality finishes, it doesn’t stand out for its sense of space (partly due to the dashboard design that wraps around the driver), but it is comfortable, and on long journeys is where the comfort is most noticeable.

The starting price may seem high, but it must be considered that the price is for a fully equipped car, that is, you don’t have to add a single extra. Perhaps the most balanced equipment level is the Executive, although the F Sport offers you everything with a sporty look at a reasonable price.