Lexus IS 300h promises unrivalled ownership costs

The new Lexus IS - launched at Detroit in January and costing from £26,495 for the IS 250 in the UK – actually offers ownership costs that eclipse diesel offerings from the likes of Jaguar, BMW, Audi and Mercedes, say Lexus.

Despite the logical assumption that the complex hybrid powerplant in the IS 300h would cost more to maintain, Lexus say the opposite is true. Because it has no clutch and the starter motor and alternator are integrated they require no servicing or replacement and Lexus has fitted a timing chain instead of a timing belt, so it won’t need regular replacement either.

Lexus also say that their regenerative braking system is less demanding on pads and discs and that the higher tyre pressures on the IS mean lower shoulder wear on tyres.

When it comes to taxation, the IS 300h offers official economy of 65.7mpg and 99g/km, figures that will save most company car drivers a chunk of BIK costs each year in comparison to rivals, and residual values are strong at 37 per cent after three years and 60,000 miles.

It’s a strong argument for the good-looking IS 300h, especially as it’s essentially a petrol car rather than a diesel so the performance will be more linear and the smoother running appealing. But ultimately, it all depends on how it drives.

The Lexus IS 300h goes on sale in the UK in July starting at £29,495 for the SE.

By Cars UK