iossarian

A month ago I purchased my first Lexus, a 2021 Lexus IS300 AWD, Grecian Water with a black interior. Before this, I had a Genesis G70 3.3T AWD, and a Cadillac CT5-V that were both lemons, and were bought back by their respective manufacturers. Those experiences have made me a Lexus customer for life.

I chose the IS300 AWD over the F-Sport for a few reasons:

1. The F-Sport only comes with staggered, 19 inch wheels with low profile tires. Chicago's streets are awful, and I didn't want to deal with blown tires.
2. They use the exact same engine (2GR-FKS), except its detuned to 260hp on the IS300 AWD. I contacted a chip/modding company popular on this forum, and they said a tune should be ready in a few months to get close to, if not more than the 311 hp on the F sport.
3. I really like the standard suspension, and saw no need for the adaptive suspension.
4. It was a lot less money. I paid $43k for mine, and will gladly throw in $500 at a later date for more HP.

The F Sport does have a way better engine sound inside the cabin, though. Oh well.

Anyway, it is immediately apparent that the car is extremely well made, way, way, way beyond the standards of Genesis or Cadillac. The panel gaps are actually consistent, everything fits inside, and there is only one mildly annoying rattle that comes and goes. That's not something I could say about the other cars. The Lexus feels super solid. Oh, and the paint doesn't swirl or scratch if someone breathes in its direction (looking at you, G70).

Anyway, I feel happy to be back in the Japanese car fold, as before those two lemons, I actually drove a 2003 Corolla into the ground, and that never had issues, except rust later on

If anyone has any questions on the 2021 IS300, or an opinion vs the G70 or Cadillac, I'd be happy

Misterjim

I can understand where you are coming from. I have 5 cars counting my daughters Camry, and all, but one, are Toyotas (including my beloved 1991 MR2 turbo of which I am the original and only owner). All the Toyota’s have been super reliable. The only non-Toyota is a BMW 335 convertible (manual tranny) that my wife and I love. It’s the “other” summer toy (my wife is the main driver). The engine is a work of art, however, repairs are another matter. I put up with it since it’s such a joy to drive, and I considered buying another BMW as a daily driver, but I tend to keep my cars a long time, and I don’t need the headache. So my next purchase for my daily is going to be an IS 350 f-sport. The driving dynamics are just as good as the BMW, though the Lexus auto tranny is not as good as the ZFs in the BMW. Still though, the IS is a fun car to drive, and as reliable and well made as it gets.

GaryJG

how did you get a 2021 fsport in the 300 models? Fsport is only exclusive to the 350's. Only in Canada or Australia is where they produce the 300's in the fsport option. Just asking...

iossarian

I didn't get an F Sport. I got IS 300 AWD.

HOMER350

The design and build quality are why I'm a Lexus fan, and Toyota reliability. I like how you mentioned the panel gaps being consistent...someone who appreciates things like that likes Lexus.

Tried to explain those kinds of points to a couple coworkers recently who were looking for a new car...they looked at me like I was a bit nuts. Just didn't get what I meant or why it was Important.

Even little things like the glove compartment, solid latch and smooth quite operation.

My IS had zero rattles at 100k miles. Ive been in newer $75k cars by other makers and it felt like something made by fisher price.

I remember switching from a Mitsubishi i bought 1 year old to an 8 year old Lexus (then my 2nd car i ever had)....it was remarkable the difference in build quality. Driven several brands since and convinced Lexus just does it right.

GNS

If I remember correctly, your CT5-V had steering issues. Did they ever find out what the issue was? What was the lemon issue you ran into with the G70? I was looking at those (and the Kia Stinger GT) before going with the IS350 AWD F-Sport because I felt that it was already more than fast enough for street driving, and it'll have Lexus build quality / reliability. Also, the AWD system on our cars is a more reliable and robust system than the Magna-built xDrive in the Genesis and Kia.

With respect to the annoying rattle, do you hear it from the window area when it is cold out? If so, it's most likely the door and body seals that need a bit of silicone oil (ie. 3M wet type silicone spray, or WD-40 Specialist Silicone spray), or Einszatt Gummi Pflege.

iossarian

@GNS I used a ton of gummi pfledge on the seals, but that hasn't fixed it. I think it may be in the seatbelt area? It's inconsistent and not too bad. Not enough to mention to a dealer or anything. Otherwise the car feels super solid.

With the CT5-V, they didn't figure out what it was. As far a I know, the car is being torn down in Warren, Michigan right now. All I can say is, 3 power steering racks later, and the steering issue was not solved. It also had bushings that wore out super early.

For the G70, it was the dreaded sunroof rattle that it, and the Stinger suffer from. It happened whenever the roof was exposed to direct sunlight, or if it was over 70 degrees out. They could never fix it, and the sunroof replacement made it worse. The body shop that did it said that it was the most difficult job they've ever done because the sunroof and the hardware around it was never meant to come out.

GNS

If it's the passenger side, it could just be the seatbelt buckle knocking against the inside of the B pillar. Buckle up the passenger side and see if it goes away.

I'm not a big fan of the G70/Stinger GT's moonroof design where the whole glass panel slides up and over the top. That type of sliding mechanism might have something to do with the rattling noises you heard.

iossarian

@GNS its next to my left ear. Trying to isolate if its maybe glass moving, the seatbelt height adjustment mechanism, rubber on rubber somewhere. It's inconsistent though. If it ever becomes 100% reproducible, it will likely be not so bad to find and fix.

tofuprod

Welcome.

Driving the IS in Chicago isn't so bad, I also have a S2000 that is pretty low and haven't had issues. Angles are your friend, but I get it, sometimes you can only do so much.

Welcome to the world of (for the most part) reliability. You'll find a great home here.

leos6604

Mind if I ask which chip modding company that is? Also how does this effect warranty?

Thanks

arentz07

While I can't speak for the company who makes the tune, I can say that a tune has the potential to affect warranty. Any issues with the engine or drivetrain would most likely not be covered unless it was, beyond a shadow of doubt, due to a manufacturing defect.

E46CT

+1 I would absolutely stay away from any chipping. It's not worth it.

CarlitoIS

Congrats on your IS. It seems to me you made the right choice. And about the chip for more HP, is it really a huge difference between the IS 300 AWD and 350? The 0-60 is basically similar. I have the 350 and I'm good at how quick it is. The 300 AWD isn't far behind. If anything, get the F Sport exhaust, your warranty will stay intact as well.

arentz07

Just my two cents. I drove a 2018 IS 350 AWD before hopping right back into my 2016 IS 300 AWD and didn't think the power difference was very noticeable. I imagine the "260 horsepower" is a bit conservative. However, I will say that the power delivery in my 2021 IS 350 generally feels a bit more consistent/smooth at high RPM than it did in my 2016 IS 300 AWD.