Hybrid is gaining popularity, the differences in the cars though, is tremendous. Some can be very good, others are getting better and some it seem are really getting it right. This car is well priced, targeted squarely at all things German, but there is no feeling with the IS 300h that buying hybrid is a penalty.

Lexus, the luxury arm of Toyota has built a very likeable car here as a company they have consistently performed in the JD Power customer satisfaction surveys, once smitten, a lot of Lexus owners buy Lexus again.

“A Fine Luxury car from the Masters of Hybrid”.

The IS 300h is beautifully put together, it looks superb from a lot of angles and the F Sport model styling adds to the looks inside and out. I really enjoyed the looks, especially from the front and side angles and the grill. Bold, powerful and elegant. For my seven day review, I have been to London and back, down to the South Coast and now back to West Berks, I have easily covered an enjoyable 500 miles.

The F Sport is the higher spec sport model in the range, it does bring a more sporty drive, but economy and emissions do suffer a little compared to the other IS models. The F Sport still has a good ride combined with the attractive 18″ wheels and tyres. This car was fitted with the Lexus Drive Mode Select which enables you to select an ECO mode for better fuel consumption and emissions, or a Sport mode which sharpens up the cars responses. This F-Sport model does suffer a slight penalty on C02 emissions, but still a very good 109g/km. There is another model with narrower tyres that will achieve the sub 100g/km.

These days I tend to be more of an Eco warrior when driving hybrid, economy and low emissions is the name of the game. I tend to drive them on the ECO settings for some of the time and do the best I can with what they were designed to do.

I cannot underestimate how peaceful it is to drive this car, the hybrid system works well and the engine cutting in and out is hardly discernible. It is really quite satisfying as you are driving to see the EV symbol appear on the dash, running on pure electricity regained and recharged from the previous miles. You can actually trickle along for a bit on EV mode, if you are gentle on the throttle. In heavy traffic on motorways the EV mode really works well. The car is  a lovely long distance car and it is a refined and civilised motorway express.

The interior of this Lexus, really is a pretty sumptuous place to be. Sitting in the excellent sports seats, the interior doesn’t feel overly huge, but offers premium levels of comfort. If you you are from that gadget loving generation, there are more than ample enough ways to configure the dashboard display. The instruments can be quite animated, appearing quite complex at first, but as you dig deeper, well thought out and easy to use. The display for energy and consumption is pretty clear and concise. You can easily configure the dash to display in front of you on the instruments or throughout the sizeable SatNav audio display controlled by the Lexus joystick controller.

Soft touch finishes abound, well chosen materials for the dash seating, visors, centre console. All have the premium feel and are very well made. The IS 300h as with most Lexus, very well specced as standard, the premium sound system, would probably be a worthwhile upgrade.

The 2.5 litre engine, gives the car reasonably swift performance with 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds and a top of 125 mph, more than adequate. If you are after out and out performance, you would be missing the point of this very good hybrid and economy will suffer badly. The stiffened F-Sport chassis adds to the sharp and precision steering, body roll is minimal and the ride is overall pretty good if not a little firm. If your driving is motorway, fast A roads and city driving this car is very good.

Fuel consumption on the IS300h is very good, with gentle…ish driving you be rewarded even more. This is probably one of the the reasons you are driving this car and it is easy to achieve very acceptable mpg. This car will always make you feel proud of buying and driving, Hybrid.

Car Reviewed: The Lexus IS 300h F Sport

Price £33,495 with options not this car £37,500 options included Metallic Paint, Leather Seats and Premium Navigation
0-62mph 8.30sec
Top speed 125mph
Fuel economy Combined 60.1mpg
CO₂ 109g/km

Hybrid System
Type Lexus Hybrid Drive
System output 220bhp

Engine 4 cyls, 2494cc, petrol
Gearbox Electric CVT
Power 178 @ 6000rpm
Torque 2210 Nm @ 4200rpm – 5400rpm

Electric Motor
Power Max Voltage (v) 650
Max Power 141bhp
Max torque 300 Nm

Read More Lexus News and Reviews at Drive.co.uk/LEXUS

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