Recommended for you

Lexus IS Turbo 2.0 F Sport (A) Facelift Review

Lexus IS Turbo IS200t 2.0 F Sport (A) Facelift Review

Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S-tronic Design vs Lexus IS Turbo IS200t 2.0 Executive

Get your car interior revamped at these upholstery workshops in Singapore


This is an old car model that is no longer for sale by the local distributor since Nov 2020.
Editor Review
spacer
spacer spacer
spacer
Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S-tronic Design vs Lexus IS Turbo IS200t 2.0 Executive
19 Sep 2016  |  Audi Reviews
It's German tech and modernity versus a mix of Japanese design anarchism and conventional luxury this month, as we pit the new Audi A4 2.0 TFSI S-tronic Design against the Lexus IS Turbo IS200t 2.0 Executive.
spacer
spacer spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
   Consumer Reviews of Lexus IS 300
spacer
3.5
 
11 Consumer Reviews
spacer
Comfort
3.5 Reliability
4.5
spacer
Handling
4.0 Features
3.0
spacer
Exterior Styling
3.5 Interior Design
3.5
spacer
Value for money
3.5 Engine Performance
4.0

  •   Sort By
  •  spacer 
  •  results/page
Gabdat
4th Gear
23 reviews
555 points
253 forum posts Joined on 15-Mar-2009
Old model with a wonderful ride quality  Posted on 07 Jul 2019
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 3.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 3.0 Features 2.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 1.0
Value for money 2.0 Engine Performance 3.0
spacer

Review
They say it's never too late to drive an old Lexus. This model has been out since 2013 with only a minor face lift and some tweak to the suspension and gear ratios. I just had to try it out.

What I like
-solid interior
-aggressive engine throttle response
-confident ride with it's RWD power-train
-smooth gear change
-comes with Lexus Safety Sense + (2019 model)
-responsive steering at cornering and abrupt turning
-slight, very slight body roll
-sharp exterior design

What I do not like
-aging interior
-does not come with BSM and memory seats
-cramped rear seats. Enough for just 2 person
-poor rear legroom


opgamerkkhk
1st Gear
36 reviews
28 points
63 forum posts Joined on 15-Nov-2016
Good reliable japanese premium car  Posted on 06 Jan 2019
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 1.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 1.0 Features 1.0
Exterior Styling 1.0 Interior Design 2.0
Value for money 2.0 Engine Performance 2.0
spacer

Review
Doors feel solid
Interior dated
Chassis feels dated, a lot of body flex and bumpy suspension
Huge rear tunnel
Good quality materials used

What I like
Solid japanese premium car
Good enough acceleration
Low price

What I do not like
Looks weird(personal opinion)
Lack of newest features
No good feeling like driving A4


shortass
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
-14 points
4 forum posts Joined on 06-Jun-2017
Good turbo and smooth gear change  Posted on 25 Nov 2017
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 5.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
Got a very good price for the car as I did not trade in any car. Love the smooth gear change, the turbo power.
As being a luxury car, the soundproofing is absolutely fantastic, played MP3 music and with built in USB port and the music sounds like a live band in front of me.
Take off from stationary is good as it is a turbo engine, and with 8 speed gearbox, the gear change is super smooth.

What I like
Exterior looks sporty.
Good turbo pick up from stationary position.
Fantastic interior leather quality.
Soundproof.
GPS built in.
No regrets purchasing this car.

What I do not like
Not used to the foot brake instead of a hand-pull brake which is common in most cars. A few times drove off without releasing it, so the alarm sounded.
To save fuel, the engine switches off during stationary at red lights, which I'm not used to it. Thus, I turn off that feature when driving, but it resets every time when I turn off the engine. Wished there was a button that could permanently turn it OFF.


Darylklm
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 10-Aug-2012
Great car to drive in  Posted on 16 Nov 2017
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
spacer

Review
Driven the IS200t Exec for about a year at the time of writing. It's a great car to drive in. Coming from a Ford Mondeo, the IS200t is a huge step up in comfort and driving experience.

The interior is of high quality and it's big enough for my family even though the space is less than what we were used to.

Reliability has to be proven after a few years but so far so good. Additionally, Lexus is known to be reliable so all it's all good.

Styling wise, it's really striking. Personally, it looks great to me but I have seen on forums that some do not like it; It's very subjective.

Price wise, do not be fooled by the listed price. Borneo Motors usually gives pretty good discounts, so don't be too put off by the price. Also, spec for spec with other marques, the IS actually has a price advantage. And because the OMV is rather high, the annual depreciation is competitively priced in this segment

Engine performance is objectively really smooth during normal operations. During hard acceleration from standstill there is abit of turbo lag. But once the turbo lag is over, there is a strong sense of acceleration of getting pinned to your seats (especially when SPORT mode is on). The engine is really potent for Singapore roads.

Being more light-footed, I averaged about 12km/l. Do note that I'm almost on ECO mode with Auto Start/Stop off whenever I drive. 60% Highway 40% City.

The service rendered at Borneo Motors during service is second to none. You are treated really well with good facilities. You get a meal every time you service and the service representative is professional in his dealings. Usually, I would dread going for servicing but with Lexus' Borneo Motors, I actually found myself looking forward to it.

What I like
-Looks
-Power
-Price
-Comfort
-Perceived reliability
-Service at Borneo Motor
-Fuel Consumption (Mondeo used to average 9km/l so this is a step up for me)
-Beefy brakes

What I do not like
-Not enough space to put your barang barang (door pockets are abit small)
-Abit dated infotainment system


Dtchen
Neutral Newbie
2 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 02-Sep-2013
Amazing Ride  Posted on 24 Oct 2017
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
Received the car 2 weeks ago. The drive has been really great. Good power, great handling with a sporty look and feel. All this with the standard Lexus reliability makes owing one a must!

What I like
Good Power - Strong acceleration when turbo kicks in even at high speeds and upward climbs
Handling - Car is responsive and turning radius is excellent
Looks - The sportiest looking Lexus Sedan out there

What I do not like
Turbo Lag - Slight lag from stationary position


xinz
3rd Gear
2 reviews
380 points
152 forum posts Joined on 21-Jun-2017
Pretty and high quality  Posted on 20 Oct 2017
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 5.0
spacer

Review
Great for people looking for Sporty look but comfort drive.

Interior just feel so well made and feel like seating on premium cushy sofa.

Considerably older features but to be fair it is already a few years old.

What I like
Very high luxurious interior. A good representation of top notch Japanese quality.

Smooth and quiet drive with good sufficient power.

What I do not like
Backseat legroom space very much depend on driver's height. If driver is 1.8m and above, either driver or rear passenger suffers.

Same as previous model, very difficult to squeeze in 3 adults at the rear.

Steering feedback rather artificial.

Insufficient equipment for a premium price, No Sat Nav, No Electric Taigate..


Pixel18
1st Gear
3 reviews
51 points
180 forum posts Joined on 14-Sep-2009
Brilliant Drive  Posted on 22 Dec 2016
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 5.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 5.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 5.0
spacer

Review
Took delivery of my IS200t about 3 weeks ago. The drive is simply brilliant and engaging. My last ride was a F10/523i which is a distance behind in drivability compared to the IS. Too soon to comment on the reliability of the IS but Lexus has a "Bulletproof" Reputation and I guess the F10 had also set a low benchmark to begin with.

What I like
Great drive
Quiet and responsive engine
Great interior and exterior design
Very comfortable seats
Very professional/personalised purchasing experience

What I do not like
Seats 2 comfortably in the rear. 3rd passenger has to straddle the hump.


alex976
5th Gear
9 reviews
1,118 points
511 forum posts Joined on 24-Dec-2013
Comfort, Class and Power  Posted on 02 Dec 2016
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 5.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
Japanese made quality and Lexus renown reliability what more can you ask for?

I saw the run-out offer ad, went for a test drive and did my sums before committing to buy it. Test drive was fun and SE was nice to offer the Jervois route. I went along the bends and found it to be extremely stable in corners.

What I like
- 2.0 Turbo quite smooth
- more comfortable than the latest C class
- an affordable luxury sedan
- reliability
- stylish body

What I do not like
- the sliver knob like thingy in front of the car


Kwannie
1st Gear
2 reviews
67 points
20 forum posts Joined on 03-Mar-2016
Strong choice in its segment for its price, quality and performance.  Posted on 28 Mar 2016
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 3.0 Reliability 5.0
Handling 5.0 Features 3.0
Exterior Styling 4.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
The IS200t has a refined ride. Its satisfying power delivery has been well covered in local press reviews. It can easily outrun any C180, C200 or any entry level BMW (which are similarly priced). You will easily cut through local traffic in this. It takes high speed corners flat, despite the comfort oriented Turanza T001s that come standard. However, it under steers at the limit.

There is a noticeable lag when moving off from low gear while stationary or at low speed. Cutting out of stationary traffic into a fast lane requires some caution.

What has not been covered by the reviews: I believe the brakes are upgraded to IS350 grade with 13.1 inch front rotors with 4 pot calipers. It now comes with a Lexus flat card key, which I was told was not available for the IS250, and a Yamaha performance damper to dampen vibrations from the 4 cylinder engine.

As regards its perceived lack of silence, I believe one needs to benchmark the IS200t against its competitors and it is just as silent as, if not more silent than them. The IS250's V6 (which I have driven) is smoother, but the power and torque delivery make this a far superior engine, in my view.

Is this car for you? It depends on your needs. The rear seat can only seat 2 comfortably. It does not have the C-Class's and Q50's level of tech.

The need to switch off the engine start-stop function every time is a constant source of irritation. So is the fact that the side mirrors do not tilt downwards when the car is put in Reverse. There isn't enough interior storage space.

However, at its price point, and unless one is concerned about being seen driving a German car (which may not be German-made), this choice is difficult to beat.


Surveillancevideocamera
Clutched
2 reviews
8 points
23 forum posts Joined on 03-Sep-2013
IS200T has very good handling, fast reving & quiet engine  Posted on 02 Mar 2016
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 2.0
Exterior Styling 3.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 3.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
Test driven the IS200T which has a very responsive engine & quiet cabin.
Handling is pretty good & interior is nicely designed.
GPS is not available for the executive model; Car audio is normal.
Maybe the test route & traffic condition isn't ideal for the test drive, acceleration is below my expectation of a car that can clock 7s from 0-100 km/h. Engine is reving fast but car seems to be lagging behind.

What I like
(1) Car handling - firm suspension offers comfortable ride.
(2) Engine - smooth & quiet, although 4 cylinders.
(3) Interior - good quality material is used & is well designed.
(4) Cabin is quiet - as usual.

What I do not like
(1) Acceleration is slow.
(2) Rear cabin is rather small - good for 2 adults + 1 kid.
(3) No GPS (executive model)


toyotapower
Neutral Newbie
7 reviews
0 points
0 forum posts Joined on 25-May-2015
Head-turning Lexus  Posted on 05 Feb 2016
spacer
 
spacer
spacer
Comfort 4.0 Reliability 4.0
Handling 4.0 Features 4.0
Exterior Styling 5.0 Interior Design 4.0
Value for money 4.0 Engine Performance 4.0
spacer

Review
The new IS Turbo is quite a head-turning car. Really like its aggressive good looks, and it will definitely draw stares on the road. The interior is also very nice and high on quality. I'm a big fan of the dashboard as well, although i suspect some may not be. One thing i did find rather irritating was the mouse-like pointer system. Not a fan.

the drive is, slightly underwhelming compared to how it looks. The engine is powerful, and the handling pretty sharp. But the gearbox could be better. It tends to be sluggish and slow to change gears in full auto mode.

What I like
- good looks
- quality interior
- punchy engine

What I do not like
- weird remote interface
- sluggish gearbox

Lexus IS 300
3.5 stars - based on 11 reviews