Lexus IS Saloon (2013 - 2020) 300h (Premium Pack) auto 4d Owner Review

This is my third Lexus IS and the second hybrid version I have owned. Having owned two Jaguiars I switched to Lexus for my first IS which was a 250 V6 petrol. Compared to other cars each of my Lexus (es) are well made,reliable and good value for money. The hybrid is very economical for the size of car and is quiet, refined and well equipped. When I first bought the hybrid version, the driving experience took some getting used to especially the regenerative braking when the electric motor charges up the battery as you slow down. This does make braking feel different but you soon get used to it. Overall the Lexus IS is a great car. Lexus also make exceptionally reliable cars as reflected in their perennial high placings in various surveys. My three have only ever needed routine servicing and the dealers are very polite and professional. For some reason the motoring press seem to go out of their way to find things to mark Lexus down for. The usual moans from the press are that the joystick like device for the SatNav is awkward to use and the car does not have "the sporting feel of a BMW". Personally I have never had a problem with the SatNav it is fairly obvious how to use it. As for sporting driving in the real world most of us do not drive like Jeremy Clarkson but spend our time commuting with the occassional long drive. In this case the Lexus is a nice, refined and comfortable place to be. If you do wish to drive fast, the car can be switched into Sport mode and according to test figures it has a better mid-range accleration than the equivilent Audi or BMW. My only complaint about the Lexus ,which is also true of other modern cars, is that you do not get a spare wheel (even a spacesaver would be good) but get one of those puncture repair kits. Also a printed manual instead of an on-line version would be appreciated. However minor gripes aside the Lexus IS is an excellent car. Having owned three (a 250 V6 petrol and two 300h hybrids) I have not been disappointed. So ignore the biased opinions of some motoring hacks and try a Lexus you will be impressed.