Lexus IS 300h Hybrid

Managed to test drive both the IS250 F-Sport and IS300h F-Sport and below are my findings on both cars.

1) Exterior has aggressive styling and pictures does not do justice to the car. You have to view it in person to appreciate it. The IS250 has the dual exhaust exposed while the IS300h has it concealed by the rear bumper.

2) Interior is a heaven to be in. Very luxurious feel and neat placement of controls. However, the placement of the mode dial (eco/normal/sports) was rather awkward as I had to stretch my left arm further back to control the dial comfortably. The "sports" front seats are rather hugging and bigger sized passengers (>1.7m & 70kg) may feel "squeezed" in it. Afterall, this was designed as a sports sedan.The rear sits 2 very comfortably but the middle rear passenger may not have enough headroom due to the raised centre seat. Controls on centre console was well placed and easy to operate, even with the new electrostatic aircon temp control. The sliding Wiper arms are well concealed to be out of view.

3) Power is linear and predictable. However, there is a lag during WOT. For the hybrid version, this was not noticeable as it had a electric motor with high torque and coupled with the CVT, it gives a extremely smooth ride. The Intake Sound Generator on the IS300h is additive but gets noisy if you like to travel quietly. (Volume is adjustable and can be switched off)

4) Very comfortable and quiet ride when in normal mode. With Adaptive Variable Suspension, S and S+ mode controls the suspension to achieve better road handling. But not to the extent of a FD2R. Fuel consumption could not be commented during the short drive.