my friend rented one of these when they were new, we were stationed in germany. we ended up using it for an improvised road trip after his original plans for renting the car fell through, meaning we tossed blankets, beer, and brats into the boot and drove to switzerland "because we'd never been there before" and it turned out to be one of my best memories. 4 guys stuffed in the car, 120mph on the autobahn heading south, camping by a huge waterfall in the Alps, cooking brats on a hot rock over a camp fire. an experience ill never forget, so the 300 will be part of my memories til im dead!
Thank you Mr. Regular for reviewing my car! It was a lot of fun, and I love the video! Kutztown is a great school. After all, the sons and daughters of the tough, mean Appalachia coal miners need to go get a liberal arts degree somewhere, and why not in the middle of nowhere?
This was my first “cool car” in 2001. Those gauges, the hids, factory 17s, so hot. I couldn’t afford it due to a developing coke habit. So it got stolen.
That’s real I always wanted a poor man Supra also this or da sc300 never got one ended up later on in life with a is250 and a es330 I’m proud to own now
I had one of these (albeit heavily modified/engine swap etc), and I have to say, this is the ONLY car where these rear lights are even moderately acceptable. The cars that followed in the mid 2000s... the SUVs, the vans, the sedans, everything that had these type of lights looks so unbelievably ugly and dated that it hurts.
The Japanese C-Class... I remember seeing a lot of this in the early 2000s racing games, notably being one of the starting cars in NFS Most Wanted and the best D-Class Tuner in Midnight Club 3.
I seriously played and beat midnight club with this car and only.using other for club races I needed to. This was used for every story race. Hardest playthrough ever.
One of the biggest jerks I knew in high school drove one of these lmao. He was always telling girls “Yeah it’s got the same engine as Paul Walker’s car from Fast and Furious” and of course they never cared and would just walk away so he would just come make fun of me for my Eclipse being front wheel drive. Thank you for reminding me of all that lol.
its always refreshing coming back to these regular cars. Thats what i love about this channel demonstrating the specialness from a seemingly un-special car
Those headers aren’t OEM; the stock ones are way more restrictive and don’t have runners that look like that. Believe me, I’ve owned three of these things lol
As somebody who has owned 3 sedans and 1 SX i can confirm those are not stock headers either and due to the cats breaking down over the years and millage its common to see those magnaflow oem+ style headers.
Also they most definitely don't handle like any other Toyota - they handle incredibly well - not as good as the contemporary 3 series, but not much behind either.
my friend rented one of these when they were new, we were stationed in germany. we ended up using it for an improvised road trip after his original plans for renting the car fell through, meaning we tossed blankets, beer, and brats into the boot and drove to switzerland "because we'd never been there before" and it turned out to be one of my best memories. 4 guys stuffed in the car, 120mph on the autobahn heading south, camping by a huge waterfall in the Alps, cooking brats on a hot rock over a camp fire. an experience ill never forget, so the 300 will be part of my memories til im dead!
I think comparing it to a 330i e46 would be better (almost a perfect comparison in terms of size, engine, overall layout etc) The 7 series has a different purpose
I think they were comparing it to a 7 series because they reviewed one recently. I’m sure they should have been able to remember that 330ci e46 they reviewed like 6 years or so ago.
These were really popular in the UK. First as company cars you'd give sales reps who cant be trusted with a 3 series then as mini cabs. Sadly 99% of ours are 1G-FE powered so less grunt. We did get the IS300 sport cross but meh they were rare and auto only. The Altezza RS200 did see a lot of imports but like anything rwd and JDM their values are spiking now so it's not quite the budget sleeper any more.
I'm confused. Not a single IS300 came with the 1g-fe, they were ALL 2jz-ge vvti powered and also had a proper LSD. They were all also automatic, we got the saloon and the sportcross, the automatic is also pretty good and shifts fast for what it was. Only the is200 came with the 1G-FE, we got manual and auto versions of those but they are both shit.
My dad told me when these debuted in the US in ‘01 that he saw one on a transporter (he worked at the Toyota dealer, sister to the Lexus dealer) and told his coworker he’d have one in a year. Fast forward, my parents bought one brand new in 2002 at said (and at the time only) Lexus dealership here in Vegas. The car was front and center in the showroom on those period 00’s Lexus dealer turntables. It was silver with the optional all chrome 17’s. My parents always tell me about how when we first saw the car I (at the time 2 years old) hopped inside and starting jumping in the seat changing and calling it “Papa’s car!” The next day, my dad traded in his Milano Red ‘98 Integra GS-R for it and took it home. Fast forward nearly 20 years and 130,000 miles, I’m now 21, and it’s my baby now, has been since about 2018. Easily the best first car I could’ve ever had, nothing but dependable. I could say this about any of the other 5 cars I’ve owned, but this IS300 is truly a forever car.
@@flurpoid Oh, man. Junkman parts made every car so overpowered. It was so fun to go through the entire game with something as underpowered as the Fiat Punto and then smoke Razor with a starter car.
That was a cool car when it came out. The chrono dash was crazy upscale for a 23 year old kid with no money. Oh how I would have stretched my budget to own one then
I guess I'm in the Mr. Regular camp because I DESPISE that cluster for that reason. Why does it need to look like a watch? Because it's fancy?! Ugh. (My comments are in jest and not meant to be hateful)
@@ETHAN2019 They did that to the G35 too? I had a 2005 Q45 and it only had an analog clock, but I figured it was because that was a full-size luxury car and Nissan was trying to class things up
I love the Sportcross as well. No manual option on that though, at least here in the US. Only would get a Sportcross if I could afford a transmission swap to go with it.
Watching RCR at work is one of the reasons I disabled my PC's internal speaker in the BIOS (in case my headphones ever get unplugged during one of Mr. Regular's "ball tightness" tirades).
At first I thought you were talking about a PC beeper speaker like PCs in the 90s used to try to play game music out of, and I wondered what speech would sound like out of a PC beeper
I bought a 2002 5spd manual in 2006. Fast forward today still daily it, best thing I ever spent money on. Never let me down, dependable, fun to drive, I can't ask for more of a daily.
You shoulda thought “I really want a million dollars in cash, small bills, unmarked.” You had ONE chance, Fance. ONE. Still, I thank you, ‘cause this was pretty cool.
I’m on my second manual transmission of these. These cars are timeless and still drive amazing if you get one that isn’t owned by some kid that wants to go slideways..
The red car is a 2nd gen (BL) Mazda 3. Instrument cluster and the little triangular window before the c pillar;) Hopefully a Mazdaspeed 3...or MPS for us europeans
Hilarious. A kid I graduated High School with got one of these in 02. His last name was "Lange" and his custom license plate was "Langer". Of course his rich Dad bought him one brand new for his first car. The Dad is doing 25 years for offering bad loans to groups looking to build in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. His company took ten percent up front and of course didn't have the funds to make good on the loans. His kid the car owner was in on it as well. So, you see who got this kind of car brand new as a 18 year old. Thanks RCR. Cheers
Oh it's finally here! You have no idea how much I was hoping you would review one over the past few years of me watching your content. Unfortunately I live up in Ontario, so providing you my is300 would not have been feasible. Can't wait to see more videos!
The era when each model in the lexus line up had its own design. Now they all look the same. "Is that an ES or an IS? Wait, it's a GS... no an LS right? Oh... it's an RX" 🤦♂️
I always wanted one of these as a first car, but in London they're more expensive to insure than the car's worth. I guess thats what happens to a car when it gets *the drift tax*
@@AidanTEric it's not a literal tax😑. The "drift tax" is a term used internationally to describe the rapid increase of purchase and subsequently running costs of a formerly cheap to buy and run rear wheel drive car. The UK government doesn't actually charge a tax for owning a car capable of drifting, although I wouldn't put it past them considering how eager they have been over the past decade to run the country into the ground.
@@CheapskateMotorsports For some reason this video seems to have masses of British commentators - it feels odd being part of the majority for a change.
So the mystery car is definitely a Mazda, or a Mazda re-badge (you can tell by the door handles, and the red colour supports that). I just can't find a Mazda which has that triangle shape rear window (between the c and d pillar), which you can see in the last intro shot. EDIT: I got it! It's definitely a 2008-2013 Mazda 3 hatchback.
I don’t understand the comparison to the seven series - I have a hard time believing this is anywhere near as plush. Wouldn’t the benchmark be the three?
That’s is correct. This was the same class as the bmw 3 series. Where the 5 series was the same class as the GS and the 7 series was the same class as the LS. Comparing the is300 to a 7 series is like comparing apples to oranges.
@@AhmedAhmed-dh7yd yepp. Lexus IS, Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3series. One class. Lexus GS, Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5series. One class. Lexus LS, Audi A8, Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7series. One class. I don't understand how anyone could get these mixed up. These classes are so different in size and the level of comfort, build quality, etc.
Why'd you keep comparing it to the 7 series? It was much more of a3 series competitor. Lexus had the LS to compete with the 7 series and the GS to compete with the 5 series.
I wanted one of these when I was in college back in 2004. I did end up getting an IS but in 2010 after college and when I had my foot set in my career and ready to get a car on my own. I ended up getting a 2009 Lexus IS250. Entirely different body style but I think the second gen IS has aged more gracefully. I still have my IS and it still looks pretty fresh in 2021.
I never really paid attention to Lexus until my sister got a ‘06 IS350 in 2010. Man that car was sweet; I ended up getting bit by the luxury car bug and bought a e46 330i and that thing stayed in the repair shop. Lexus territory belonged to my sister so naturally I went BMW due to its sportier nature, but in retrospect I should’ve just gotten one of these. Engine was bulletproof, you got a straight 6 with decent horsepower, standard HIDS, yellow fogs, 17in staggered rims and a unique design for around 30k new that would run forever if you took care of it. I’m a Chevy man nowadays, but I’d still buy a low mileage example of these if I ever came across one. Don’t know how that’ll happen almost 20 years later but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Cars were much simpler back then
@@dougedoug2105 I like my 2008 IS250 for many reasons but the last reason you mentioned is so true. Cars were a lot more simple then. I can attest to that as my 2008 doesn’t have too many features that are bound to break. It’s not stuffed with tech that is destined to just stop working. That being said, the second gen IS I have still looks very good exterior wise. What a beautiful car. I just like the overall shape and the sporty look to it. It screams “I’m better than you , look at Me!” Haha just kidding. But it’s a really nice car and the reliability is rock solid. It’s to be expected as Lexus is basically a luxury Toyota, and like Toyotas, Lexus will last forever if you maintain it.
@@KingDrewPhilip I still see these on the road nowadays in Dallas and I always stop to admire them. I’d have to say that my favorite part of this car would have to be the front end. I am also still seeing 2gen IS’s with temporary tags in 2021 too. Even though they’re probably on their 3 or 4th owner by now, I always think to myself that the person bought a great car and they better take good care of it. I’m very protective over these cars for some reason, and I think it’s because they’re just so dam reliable. Good Car you have there man, take care of it. You appear to be Asian so you’re bringing me back to my college days when the campus parking lot had about 20 of these 2gen IS’s in them at any given point in time, mostly for the Asians. These things were so popular and everyone knew your parents had money if you were pushing one 😂😅🤣
@@dougedoug2105 yep Asian. I have a few of videos of my IS in my channel. So, as the reviewer said here… IS … rich kid car. I wish I had a car like this at 17 but my parents wouldn’t get it even if they were rich because they feel I should work hard for the things I want. Strive for my goals. Anyhow, whenever I see a first gen IS, I still think they’re kinda stylish. They didn’t age as good as the 2is but they’re still nice.
I’d argue it’s the best looking cars ever made(along with the lc500). If you install wide fenders, the front skirt and some wide wheels for a flush figment look you’re creating the best cars to ever exist. E46 coupe was also an extremely attractive car so it had big shoes to fill at the time.
This is still my alltime favourite Lexus. Fell in love with it when i was a kid playing Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition. If i were to have a wife and a kid, this would be the family car for me
Finally!! I love my is300, been nothing but reliable with only regular maintenance for a car with 150k miles, fun to drive tons of aftermarket support, overall amazing car I love it
I currently own one and it's amazing. You know how cars this old have that old plastic noise that creaks and cracks, looking at you Mercedes slk, well this car doesn't have that problem at all. It is definitely a nice touring car. It's smooth.
My ex years ago had one of these and it went and went and went, that thing went lol. She wasn’t the best at on time oil changes and maintenance in general but that car was reliable. I always liked the instrument cluster
@@fizzyman1224 Interesting. I'd like to drive one, because to me if a car looks good, sounds good, has a stick and is rear wheel drive, that's about all that's needed for a fun time.
@@Vge21x unfortunately they only came auto which kills it pretty hard. They’re honestly slow as can be too. They do handle pretty decent but performance wise they just make a decent daily
These things have ages well in my eye. Up until I went back to nightshift this year I used to see a yellow wagon version of one of these that sounded quite angry.
At least in Australia these things were kind of invisible really, a mid-size buried in a fairly wide swathe of mid-large sized sedans (along with grey-import Aristos) and it wasn't really held to any kind of 'wealth' associations. It was much like the IS200, sort of a relatively common car. Got a later model IS350 and its been a phenomenally reliable car
I love my IS, though it is manual and with LSD. They still feel super tight 20 years later and with some small modifications they actually handle very well thanks to the double wishbone front and rear and pretty high caster. They also benefit from the JZX chassis aftermarket as they share the same components underneath, so lots of coilovers, sway bars, chassis bracing etc available. It's my forever car!
@@brandonsever2576 stock manual versions that come with the W58 trans fetch for double the price and sometimes triple the price of the auto IS300s nowadays. Cherish and do not crash it.
@@Blakezilla594 And yet its so stupid that that's the case, the w58 is a dogshit gearbox and the a650e auto can be swapped so easily for a number of solid gearboxes saving you all that cash.
This is my favorite car I’ve ever owned and I currently drive an air cooled 911. Handled lighter than it was but smoothed out city bumps very well. Rear drive fun from when I was young and back was good to switch between summer and Blizzak’s twice a year just using the spare tire jack.
So Mr. Regular, since you are talking about Rosemont Illinois this particular weekend, i am assuming you are asuming that they attended Midwest Furfest since that is the only convention going on at rosemont this weekend.
this is quite possibly the perfect car. Not too old, not to new, not too big, not too small, not too expensive, reasonably safe, reliable, fun to drive. I almost bought the is200 variant of this, but went with an accord instead because it was cheaper.
I lived in Seattle for a few years. Reading PA was home turf. Your videos kept me sane when I was out there. You're videos of Rt 61 and 183 called me home. It's good to be back. The SeaTac reference was funny since Im back now, it's like you know me.
So true. I remember back in '03 I was 17 and this rich kid who lived across the street during the summer (his parents were divorced, so he spent the school year with his mom in another town) got one of these as a graduation present. He insisted on getting the manual, even though he had no idea how to drive a stick. I'd been driving a manual transmission since having my learners permit so naturally I talked my way into taking it for a spin with exactly 20 miles on the odometer. I still think back to that day, banging the brand new Lexus off the rev limiter, man handling the chrome shift knob as ferociously as a teenager driving a car that wasn't his can. "It's got the Supra engine" the neighbor kid reminded me as often as he could. Yet, it wasn't the engine that impressed me. Something about the sleekness of the tach that reminded me of a fancy wrist watch, and the way it would chirp the rear tires in second gear. Coming from a fwd Honda it was truly something to behold.
My two favorite cars are the 5th gen Honda Prelude and this IS300. I currently own the Prelude because the is300 seemed even more rare to find, especially as a stick shift, even 5 years ago when I was shopping for either.
@@fridtjofriibe5961 LMAO that's sad. My 1992 and 1994 Benzes don't suffer such issues. But I will say the newer ones are crap and made no better than the next car but with the same star over the hood like mine.
@@fridtjofriibe5961 to get specific the W203 series C-Class was the dawn of that phenomenon. I got a lift from the office manager in 2009 in her W203 C240 to lunch at the deli several blocks away and I look on her door for the power seat buttons same as my W201 2.6 from 1992 (which in a Benz are shaped like the very sections of the seat you want to move) and she is like "Lift up the bar underneath the seat to move it back since you're tall" yeah like every cheap car for decades the world over. Not exactly a bad setup for seat adjustment but given its a Benz you'd think they could keep the seat shaped power door buttons up by the top of the door grip like my car and my current Benz has.
@@fridtjofriibe5961 lol tell that to my 1990 and 1994 W124 and W202. Buttons are smooth as your brain for imagining them sticky and gross same as any Honda, GM or Ford from that era
People who buy the IS300 to show off: 2JZ 2JZ 2JZ! Me an intellectual: I like the IS300 because it fits my needs.. an affordable, reliable sedan that will seat 5 and will be comfortable to drive on the highway as I have to drive an hour either direction just to get to town along with the fact that it’s a nostalgia piece for me as it was my starter car for Need for speed Most wanted which is a game that I remember because I would go over to my cousins house and play it with him on his 1st gen Xbox (the one before the 360)
I had a 2003 with the SportDesign package, which included some very sharp 10-spoke wheels. Such a good car. I loved how smooth the straight six was, and it felt like it had endless torque. I always wished I had a manual though.
I have this exact car in manual. I had 5 autos 1 still remaining and manual just adds to the experience/smooth ride. They are actually 11-spoke wheels.
Crazy funny video.Hey I grew up in reading and spent a lot of Saturday nights at Backstreet night club as a teen 😂. Anyway I live in SoCal now thank god and I’ve owned my is300 for 20 years 220k on the watch 😂 and still kicking ass all over the streets. Best car I ever owned. I’ve gone threw 3, 3 series BMWs and still got my is300 the Goat. Thanks for the video and the laughs
These were cool tuner cars in the eyes of young gamers in the 2000s. I have many memories of driving these on games like Midnight Club 3, Need for Speed Underground and Forza Motorsport as a young kid
The IS300, Lexus SC, Acura MDX, 7 series, and E39 M5, and E46 M3 were true modern gems from the early 2000s. True space shuttles for their time. As well as the S2000!
Had a 3sge manual Altezza for about 3 years a reliable, fun, high revving car! Sadly all the ones left in NZ are now being used for skids since RBs are too expensive now
I wouldn't mind getting my hands on an IS300. They've gotten kinda rare around my parts over the past few years though. I did see a really clean black one not too long ago, enthusiast owned. I would prefer an SC300 or SC400 but I think that ship has about sailed by now. Mid 00s is I believe to be in their sweet spot at current time, so I'm getting on that wagon before they all start to inflate in the coming years. I don't want to miss out like I did when 90s cars were affordable and I didn't have the money for them back then. So far I've picked up an 06 G35 sedan and 04 Forester XT, but I'm out of space now. Had a chance for my friend's 04 STI and another friend's Evo 8 that he was flipping (ran a mechanic shop & bought cars at auction to repair/flip), but my circumstances weren't right and honestly with life stuff that happened after those offers I was better off retaining my money. Oh well, the ones that got away... I'd also like to get into a GTO or a CTS-V.
This is been a car that has eluded me for the past 20 yrs. Hopefully some day I can find one, Very rare in NH. To be specific, it's very rare to find one that isn't beat to hell and looks like it came out of fast and the furious. I just want an nice clean stock example.
I loved this car the minute I saw it. A local dealer had a green 5-spd and, having lived rather simply up until then, I was making enough to afford a sensible amount down and handle the monthly payments. The dealer didn't bat an eye at my youth or that of my friend and tossed us the keys. In the end, I realized I wanted a house more and declined to pursue it any further. I wonder what that car would look like now if it were in my hands for a couple of decades as a daily driver. Still love it.
