Lexus IS300 and GS300 Owners

dragr1 · 10-06-2005, 09:30 AM

As you know from my previous threads I've been looking at cars for the wife. I was hoping to get into an econo car with super gas mileage but after she started saying no and I drove some and didn't like them we have both settled on liking the IS300. I'm also considering a VW Jetta 1.8T, Mazda 3 five door, but for just a little more I can have the Lexus-although it will have a few more miles and get the worst gas mileage of the three cars by far.

Anyway, we drove an IS300 yesterday and I must say that it was probably about the nicest car that I have driven. It most definitely had the smoothest engine of any car I have driven. I'm not crazy about the gas mileage- 18/23, but hey at least that Yota inline 6 should last forever and most importantly the wife will be happy.

My questions are who has had an IS300 or GS300 and what problems have you had? I know about the TSB for the ecu for the '01 IS's for the shifting. Are the auto tranny's good for as long as the motor? Anything else?

Any advice or experiences will be much appreciated. Thanks.

This ad is not displayed to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Yotatech!

BT17R · 10-06-2005, 10:23 AM

I had an '02 IS300 M/T car. Absolutely bulletproof with about a half-dozen road racing track days, twenty autocross events and a few evenings at the drag strip over one Summer. I once blew a 3-4 upshift at 90 miles per hour, dropped into 2nd and buzzed the engine to (calculated) 10,000 rpm momentarily. Didn't even throw a CEL. I've never heard of an A/T failure on that car. Expect 16 mpg on premium. Try to find an '02 with the optional Torsen diff. It comes in handy in the rain with all that low-end torque. Look around over at is300.net (redirect to myis).

dragr1 · 10-06-2005, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

I had an '02 IS300 M/T car. Absolutely bulletproof with about a half-dozen road racing track days, twenty autocross events and a few evenings at the drag strip over one Summer. I once blew a 3-4 upshift at 90 miles per hour, dropped into 2nd and buzzed the engine to (calculated) 10,000 rpm momentarily. Didn't even throw a CEL. I've never heard of an A/T failure on that car. Expect 16 mpg on premium. Try to find an '02 with the optional Torsen diff. It comes in handy in the rain with all that low-end torque. Look around over at is300.net (redirect to myis).

Thanks, I have been looking on my.is

16 mpg in town I hope? Man, that still sucks. I was hoping that my wife could average closer to 20 in mixed, but mainly city driving.

BT17R · 10-06-2005, 10:51 AM

Yes, worst case conditions: Short haul, twisty mountain roads, almost no freeway, fun! BTW, there are simple mods that turn the IS into a BMW 330 (any model) and G35 beater. Light weight more than compensates for a small HP deficit. Terrific car, lousy residual so good deals are easy to come by. Check eBay completed listings and print out some lowballs for negotiations.

89macrunner · 10-06-2005, 12:13 PM

Ive driven a GS400 and it is an AMAZING car...it is the smoothest thing ive ever driven...not as smooth as rotary.....but its still AWESOME....i would exapct the same or similar from the 300

ive driven a jetta 1.8t and they are a fun car to drive with a manual....not really the fastest thing out there but still not boring to drive....i also drove the same one with a chip which made it run at 13psi of boost compared to 7stock....that was fun...

shiftless89 · 10-06-2005, 12:22 PM

the new IS250/IS350 is supposed to come out this month (at least they tell me anyway) so wait until they do then the resale will reduce some on the IS300. aslo if you find one, I'll run a service history for you. just send me a PM
Good luck
Mike

BT17R · 10-06-2005, 12:34 PM

Nice offer there, Mike. Mind if I hit you up for one soon? I'm looking for an LX470 and am narrowing down the choices now.

dragr1, get your TRD Race sway bars from Mike. Best handling improvement mod out there with no effect on ride quality. High quality, hollow and come with firmer urethane bushings. Install in an hour.

dragr1 · 10-06-2005, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiftless89

the new IS250/IS350 is supposed to come out this month (at least they tell me anyway) so wait until they do then the resale will reduce some on the IS300. aslo if you find one, I'll run a service history for you. just send me a PM
Good luck
Mike

Oh, I'm sending you a pm right now b/c I have one in mind. Thanks!

dragr1 · 10-06-2005, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

Nice offer there, Mike. Mind if I hit you up for one soon? I'm looking for an LX470 and am narrowing down the choices now.

dragr1, get your TRD Race sway bars from Mike. Best handling improvement mod out there with no effect on ride quality. High quality, hollow and come with firmer urethane bushings. Install in an hour.

Cool, but it will most likely remain bone stock b/c it will be the wife's car unless I can talk her into a little autocrossing! I used to do a lot of that when I had a heavily modded '92 Sentra SE-R. The only 3 cars that ever beat me at the autocross (including all the classes there) were a little Fiat, a heavily modded '85 RX-7, and a heavily modded Miata with a nut at the wheel. Usually I would go toe to toe with the Miata (win some, lose some) and I would always get beat by almost exactly 1 second by either the RX-7 or the Fiat.

Back on topic, in mostly town driving with not too much traffic I could expect maybe 18-19 mpg with a light foot? Maybe 23-25 mpg highway if I stay under 80? I will be getting the automatic so the wife can drive with the baby.

shiftless89 · 10-06-2005, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

Nice offer there, Mike. Mind if I hit you up for one soon? I'm looking for an LX470 and am narrowing down the choices now.

dragr1, get your TRD Race sway bars from Mike. Best handling improvement mod out there with no effect on ride quality. High quality, hollow and come with firmer urethane bushings. Install in an hour.

Turns out now lexus is releasing the new IS first 1/4 of 06! sure I can help out just send me the VIN

BT17R · 10-06-2005, 03:58 PM

Thanks Mike!

BT17R · 10-06-2005, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragr1

Cool, but it will most likely remain bone stock b/c it will be the wife's car unless I can talk her into a little autocrossing! I used to do a lot of that when I had a heavily modded '92 Sentra SE-R. The only 3 cars that ever beat me at the autocross (including all the classes there) were a little Fiat, a heavily modded '85 RX-7, and a heavily modded Miata with a nut at the wheel. Usually I would go toe to toe with the Miata (win some, lose some) and I would always get beat by almost exactly 1 second by either the RX-7 or the Fiat.

Back on topic, in mostly town driving with not too much traffic I could expect maybe 18-19 mpg with a light foot? Maybe 23-25 mpg highway if I stay under 80? I will be getting the automatic so the wife can drive with the baby.

Auto-x is so much fun. The year I ran the IS, my class often had up to 10-12 competitors, but mainly four of us slugging it out. One was an '02 Sentra SE-R that I usually handled by a half-sec, another was a Subie WRX and the other was an Integra Type R driven by a former national champ who luckily only showed up for half the events. The WRX guy was the defending champ and we went back and forth all season long. The championship came down to the last run of the final event where I finished the course sideways through the lights and took the trophy. \shameless bragging

Oh yeah, fuel economy. Given your mild climate, those numbers are realistic. The 2JZ responds well to synthetic oil and a fresh air filter. I picked up about 1 mpg with Mobil 1 0W30 and a fresh OEM filter. Optimum tire pressures for handling are 38FF/35RR, and those have little effect on ride comfort. You'll love an IS, they're such a solid platform and the iron block 2JZ will last forever. I'm sure you know they're based on the last Supra and do everything almost as well. Someday I'll have another.

***Strap22*** · 10-06-2005, 06:59 PM

My wifes GS300 is one of the finest vehicles we have owned.

DH6twinotter · 10-07-2005, 07:00 AM

The IS is a great car. One thing that may offset the price of you extra gas over the other 2 cars would be that the IS is far more reliable. So, you may have to pay a bit more for gas, but I doubt you will have to pay as much for repairs on the IS. I bet with proper care, the IS could go 100,000 miles farther than the other 2 cars mentioned. The 2JZ is probably one of the best engines ever made. It's a perfectly balanced engine.

Oh, they have really cool gauge clusters as welll. When I decide to buy a 4 door car, the IS would probably be my first choise (or the new GS).

Well, that's my $.02.
Have fun all.

Daniel

dragr1 · 10-07-2005, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DH6twinotter

The IS is a great car. One thing that may offset the price of you extra gas over the other 2 cars would be that the IS is far more reliable. So, you may have to pay a bit more for gas, but I doubt you will have to pay as much for repairs on the IS. I bet with proper care, the IS could go 100,000 miles farther than the other 2 cars mentioned. The 2JZ is probably one of the best engines ever made. It's a perfectly balanced engine.

Oh, they have really cool gauge clusters as welll. When I decide to buy a 4 door car, the IS would probably be my first choise (or the new GS).

Well, that's my $.02.
Have fun all.

Daniel

The gauge cluster is what first caught my wife's eye, she fell in love with the car before she ever drove it.

dragr1 · 10-07-2005, 01:45 PM

Mike (shiftless89) has been a big help. It's great to have a Yotatech crew watching out for each other!

I'm going to talk to the dealer again and we'll see how bad he wants to sell it.

BT17R · 10-07-2005, 02:06 PM

The new IS250/IS350 rollout is October 17th. I imagine you'll find a far more cooperative dealer come October 18th. If you wait another month or two, the off-lease and trade IS300's will become plentiful and cheap.

dragr1 · 10-07-2005, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

The new IS250/IS350 rollout is October 17th. I imagine you'll find a far more cooperative dealer come October 18th. If you wait another month or two, the off-lease and trade IS300's will become plentiful and cheap.

Yeah, I'll try to keep the wife patient. The dealer doesn't want to sell too bad right now. He made me a ridiculous offer and I told him what I would pay and left him my phone number. I doubt he'll call b/c we're a long ways apart. But who knows, he's the same dealer that came off what he was asking $5500 on my 4Runner back in '02.

Biohazard · 10-08-2005, 03:31 AM

picked up a 99 GS300 with 55K on it a few months ago for the wife. she had been driving a pathfinder until then and I drive my truck, so for us the car rides like a dream. it corners good for a semi-luxury car and good lord it's fast

jrallan26 · 10-08-2005, 06:55 PM

If you are already looking at a Jetta 1.8T, think about a Jetta TDI or Passat TDI? They get awesome mileage. The HP is not the same but gets twice the amount of torque.

dragr1 · 10-09-2005, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrallan26

If you are already looking at a Jetta 1.8T, think about a Jetta TDI or Passat TDI? They get awesome mileage. The HP is not the same but gets twice the amount of torque.

I've pretty much ruled out the VW's due to longer term reliability issues. Right now it's Lexus IS, GS, or Mazda 3 five door.

shiftless89 · 10-11-2005, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT17R

The new IS250/IS350 rollout is October 17th. I imagine you'll find a far more cooperative dealer come October 18th. If you wait another month or two, the off-lease and trade IS300's will become plentiful and cheap.

Supposedly its been pushed off untill first 1/4 of 06

bamachem · 10-11-2005, 08:47 AM

Brett:

When you pick what you want, go to Atlanta for a weekend and you'll drive your new car home. We saved about $3500 on Val's '03 TL by going from B'ham to Atlanta to get it.

BTW: I'm on the same wagon.

We were thinking of a LC or LX470, but gas sucks. We are really looking at the GS300 and GS430's now. We can still take the runner on long trips where we need more cargo room and then take the GS when we pack light. The 3.2TL that we have now is an AWESOME car, but the seats don't fit my 6'5" frame well and the upper rim of the seat has some funky padding that hits me squarely in the shoulder blades. It gets uncomfortable after about 100 miles.

Any advise on the GS300 compared to a GS430? is the 4.3L really necessary?

BT17R · 10-11-2005, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiftless89

Supposedly its been pushed off untill first 1/4 of 06

Pricing was announced about an hour ago. The article confirms that the cars will be in dealerships by this Friday.

Price cut, added $5,000 in content

dragr1 · 10-11-2005, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamachem

Brett:

When you pick what you want, go to Atlanta for a weekend and you'll drive your new car home. We saved about $3500 on Val's '03 TL by going from B'ham to Atlanta to get it.

BTW: I'm on the same wagon.

We were thinking of a LC or LX470, but gas sucks. We are really looking at the GS300 and GS430's now. We can still take the runner on long trips where we need more cargo room and then take the GS when we pack light. The 3.2TL that we have now is an AWESOME car, but the seats don't fit my 6'5" frame well and the upper rim of the seat has some funky padding that hits me squarely in the shoulder blades. It gets uncomfortable after about 100 miles.

Any advise on the GS300 compared to a GS430? is the 4.3L really necessary?

I don't think the 4.3 is really necessary. I am yet to drive a GS, but the IS had tons of power (Brandy couldn't keep it under the speed limit on the test drive). I know the GS is heavier, but I don't think that much heavier. I think the GS300 will be about ike your TL, unless you have the Type S.

I have called around within 300 miles about used GS's and IS's and I'm finding that they sell for close to retail. The resale value of them is unreal. I'll be paying cash and on past vehicles where I was paying cash, I'm used to getting the vehicle for just above trade value. If I want a Lexus I'm gonna have to pay a little more. Right now, I'm trying to decide if it's worth paying $16-$17k for a GS300 with 60-70k miles that is an '01 or '02, when I could get an '03 Maxima with about 25k miles for the same price. I'll have to hink about that for a while. Brandy hsan't driven the GS yet, so she may not like it b/c she tends to like smaller cars that have a tendency toward sport. I'm not convinced that the IS has enough room to do much, even though we have the 4Runner like yo do for vacations and such. I would like to be able to take the Lexus most of the time though b/c of the 4Runners gas mileage and b/c it drives so dang nice!

10-06-2005, 10:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,673	I had an '02 IS300 M/T car. Absolutely bulletproof with about a half-dozen road racing track days, twenty autocross events and a few evenings at the drag strip over one Summer. I once blew a 3-4 upshift at 90 miles per hour, dropped into 2nd and buzzed the engine to (calculated) 10,000 rpm momentarily. Didn't even throw a CEL. I've never heard of an A/T failure on that car. Expect 16 mpg on premium. Try to find an '02 with the optional Torsen diff. It comes in handy in the rain with all that low-end torque. Look around over at is300.net (redirect to myis). __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T

10-06-2005, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,673	Yes, worst case conditions: Short haul, twisty mountain roads, almost no freeway, fun! BTW, there are simple mods that turn the IS into a BMW 330 (any model) and G35 beater. Light weight more than compensates for a small HP deficit. Terrific car, lousy residual so good deals are easy to come by. Check eBay completed listings and print out some lowballs for negotiations. __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T

10-06-2005, 12:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
89macrunner Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 2,062	Ive driven a GS400 and it is an AMAZING car...it is the smoothest thing ive ever driven...not as smooth as rotary.....but its still AWESOME....i would exapct the same or similar from the 300 ive driven a jetta 1.8t and they are a fun car to drive with a manual....not really the fastest thing out there but still not boring to drive....i also drove the same one with a chip which made it run at 13psi of boost compared to 7stock....that was fun... __________________ Daily Driver: 2007 Windsor "The Hour" Fixed Gear 250 miles Crouch Rocket 2005 Felt F80 1100mi (purchased new in Jan 2008) 2006 Mazda3 GT 2000 TRD Tacoma..Bought back and crushed 1988 4Runner SR5 V6 5 speed..sold

10-06-2005, 12:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
shiftless89 Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: fairhope, al Posts: 1,321	the new IS250/IS350 is supposed to come out this month (at least they tell me anyway) so wait until they do then the resale will reduce some on the IS300. aslo if you find one, I'll run a service history for you. just send me a PM Good luck Mike __________________ 1989 SR5 V6 5sp 4RUNNER. -> MOST VIEWED 1ST GEN ON YOTATECH! www.toyotatrailriders.com Wheeling Texas Style

10-06-2005, 12:34 PM	#7 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,673	Nice offer there, Mike. Mind if I hit you up for one soon? I'm looking for an LX470 and am narrowing down the choices now. dragr1, get your TRD Race sway bars from Mike. Best handling improvement mod out there with no effect on ride quality. High quality, hollow and come with firmer urethane bushings. Install in an hour. __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T

10-06-2005, 03:58 PM	#11 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,673	Thanks Mike! __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T

10-06-2005, 06:59 PM	#13 (permalink)
*Strap22* Sponsoring Vendor Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 1,328	My wifes GS300 is one of the finest vehicles we have owned. __________________ *Phil* Toyota & TRD Parts Wholesale www.FJCruiserOffroad.com www.trdparts4u.com www.toyotapartsales.com Authorized ARB/OldManEmu Dealer Authorized *OASIS* Air Deflators Dealer

10-07-2005, 07:00 AM	#14 (permalink)
DH6twinotter Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Posts: 1,676	The IS is a great car. One thing that may offset the price of you extra gas over the other 2 cars would be that the IS is far more reliable. So, you may have to pay a bit more for gas, but I doubt you will have to pay as much for repairs on the IS. I bet with proper care, the IS could go 100,000 miles farther than the other 2 cars mentioned. The 2JZ is probably one of the best engines ever made. It's a perfectly balanced engine. Oh, they have really cool gauge clusters as welll. When I decide to buy a 4 door car, the IS would probably be my first choise (or the new GS). Well, that's my $.02. Have fun all. Daniel __________________ ------------------------------------------------ 1990 4Runner: SR5, 2wd, 3.90 rear, 3VZ-E, auto. 15x8 MT classic II rims, 31x10.50 Bridgestone Desert Duellers ($50!), Cobra CB, 3' firestick Planned stuff: Pre-runner light bar with Hella 500s, small lift Stuff I'd do if I went crazy: SAS, 7mgte or 1UZ swap, and as much offroad goodies as $$ will allow.

10-07-2005, 01:45 PM	#16 (permalink)
dragr1 Contributing Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Auburn, AL Posts: 3,627	Mike (shiftless89) has been a big help. It's great to have a Yotatech crew watching out for each other! I'm going to talk to the dealer again and we'll see how bad he wants to sell it. __________________ 1985 4Runner Dual e-lockers, dual cases, yada yada 1996 4runner, lifted, 2 lockers, 315 KM2's, IFS and more '00 Suburban 2500 4x4 '07 Tacoma Double Cab 4wd TRD '02 Lexus IS300 1991 Tiffin Allegro 31' Class A

10-07-2005, 02:06 PM	#17 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,673	The new IS250/IS350 rollout is October 17th. I imagine you'll find a far more cooperative dealer come October 18th. If you wait another month or two, the off-lease and trade IS300's will become plentiful and cheap. __________________ '07 FJ Cruiser TRD SE 6M/T

10-08-2005, 03:31 AM	#19 (permalink)
Biohazard Contributing Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 292	picked up a 99 GS300 with 55K on it a few months ago for the wife. she had been driving a pathfinder until then and I drive my truck, so for us the car rides like a dream. it corners good for a semi-luxury car and good lord it's fast __________________ Nate 99 4WD Tacoma SR5 Ext Cab TRD V6 5SPD

10-08-2005, 06:55 PM	#20 (permalink)
jrallan26 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Urbandale, Iowa Posts: 1,548	If you are already looking at a Jetta 1.8T, think about a Jetta TDI or Passat TDI? They get awesome mileage. The HP is not the same but gets twice the amount of torque. __________________ My Profile

10-11-2005, 08:47 AM	#23 (permalink)
bamachem Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 0	Brett: When you pick what you want, go to Atlanta for a weekend and you'll drive your new car home. We saved about $3500 on Val's '03 TL by going from B'ham to Atlanta to get it. BTW: I'm on the same wagon. We were thinking of a LC or LX470, but gas sucks. We are really looking at the GS300 and GS430's now. We can still take the runner on long trips where we need more cargo room and then take the GS when we pack light. The 3.2TL that we have now is an AWESOME car, but the seats don't fit my 6'5" frame well and the upper rim of the seat has some funky padding that hits me squarely in the shoulder blades. It gets uncomfortable after about 100 miles. Any advise on the GS300 compared to a GS430? is the 4.3L really necessary? Last edited by bamachem; 10-11-2005 at 08:49 AM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Is the Hunter GSP9700 necessary for a 2000 Lexus GS300?	LSUMatt1514	95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners	5	08-22-2005 07:46 PM
Lexus IS300 HID conversion(sealed beam)	2001Millrunner	95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners	29	01-12-2005 10:33 AM
Lexus GS300 headlights	humanoid	Off Topic Talk	2	09-04-2004 09:02 AM
2006 Lexus GS and 2005 Lexus RX400h	BT17R	Off Topic Talk	12	01-16-2004 09:08 PM
6/21 Toyota & Lexus Owners Meet Part 2!	Flipside909	Off Road Trip Planning, Expeditions, Trips, & Events	7	06-16-2003 11:09 PM