I absolutely love my 2001 Is300!! I do the majority of the work on it myself. The only “con” in my opinion is how arduous the simplest task. Ex, replacing the side marker light bulb w/o taking off the bumper. Oil filter in the most awkward spot? The “easy” …Not easy stuff
YES finally someone stated how reliable it is. if you do the bare minimum maintenance (and dont take it offroading like i did) it will run absolutely great. i have 245k miles on it and have only replaced the alternator and a few hoses, along with timing belt
I've owned a lemon 2001 with 158000km its ignition went, radiator cracked, powersteering pump went, catalytic converters (yes all three) crumbled clogging my exhaust causing it to bog, all inside of 6 months. That aside I fell in love with the characteristics of it and since have owned a 3sge 6spd altezza and currently own a five speed 2002 IS and can firmly say these are my favorite car. Sick car loved the vid
Just bought my '02 manual back in March. Great car. Eventually will put a Cube speed short shifter in it. They say it changes the whole feel of the car for the better.
@@rareeddie7221 2 of my friends got theirs at 160k and had no issues they both had to get rid of them around 185k for personal reasons but they said they were both still running great, hope that helps
They’re actually sport design wheels. Sport designs are extremely rare but if you ever come across an L-Tuned is300, snag it as fast as possible, they are more rare than the sport cross which is the wagon version and were VERY VERY LIMITED in number. It was a test car that started Toyota “TRD”
Ben Ila Yes... they made them in red.. buy it without thinking twice. If it needs repairs, just repair it. They are worth a fortune depending on where you sell them
Didn’t take hard to look that you almost collided with another car. The worst part of a bad driver pulling out likely not anticipating how fast you were going by that you didn’t flinch, adjust or slow down, nothing. It was as if that incident never occurred from the way you held conversation, acceleration and eye contact and not even mention it which tells me the type of driver you are and why your MPG’s are also horrendous
I have a 2001 IS 300. Never had a breakdown or left me on the side of the road. I now have 290,000 miles on the vehicle. Also as reliable as the engine, the transmission is also going as strong! I'm betting at least 500,000 for this car. I can't sell it because I've become attached to it, lol. Definitely one of the best cars ever made!
I bought an '01 Is300 with only 132,000 miles on it (clean and unmodified). I'm gonna drive it forever, even if I have to do an EV or hydrogen fuel swap one day lol. It's such a solid vehicle and brings me joy every time I drive it. I thought about putting a turbo in it eventually, but I don't even think I need to (it has just enough power and torque to be fun). I also have a V6 LE 2004 Camry with 200,000 miles on it, Toyota's reliability is truly unparalleled.
@@kenji_1240 Still going and no end in sight. We're at 312,000. It's funny I become so attached to this car, it's like a part of my family, 20 plus years now.
Can't say my IS300 owner experience has been the same. I bought mine for $1400 with a snapped timing belt, about a thousand dollars later it's still a work in progress
i own my is300 since 2009 used. the clutch lasted 13 years since brand new in 2004, I've changed the clutch to a two stage Centerforce and a light flywheel in 2017. changed both of the catalytic converters. Just changed my timing belt to a Gates racing timing belt in 2020 and new Cam gears, cam seals, and water pump, no more engine oil leaks because of the cam seals. The engine still runs like a champ, accords it needs a new paint job but as long as you keep up with the maintenance and don't floor the gas pedal to the max every time you drive, your is300 will keep driving like a champ. Maybe a R154 transmission next, im going to get a paint job first.
Bought a 2002 certified pre owned in 2004 from lawrenceville lexus in nj. I was homeless for a short time and lived out of my car, with that said it never once let me down, only thing bad was the ac compressor died in 2019!!!! Its 2023 with 127,000k and going strong
@@chrispeck9941 You can get the case for the key for $10 on Amazon. The key itself has the chip in it and as long as it hasn't been stripped out or the metal isn't bent then you can put your key in the new case and done! I replaced mine pretty quickly after I bought it from my buddy.
These keys break very easy when people hold them on the back end of the key to start the car. If you grab the key closer to the front while turning it they last forever
Got mine 3 years ago, no issues. My 05 auto (swapped the rear diff to the Auto LSD DIFF) smokes 3 series BMW'S all day, THIS CARS FAST AN FUN, and highly capable of being modded. I idk what your issue with MPG, I get above 20mpg's on mine but I'm not stomping on it at every stop sign/light like an idiot try taking your foot out of it like your drag racing all day long. This cars highly reliable, it does have some imenities that. Oukd have been better but its an older car not a new one (take that in consideration when purchasing).
Diego the Lexus is300 is extremely reliable,specially 2003-2005. Mine is a 2004 with 308000 miles and still has the timing belt that was replaced at 90000 miles service.
All the people say "you have to replace the timing belt every 90000 miles or it might mess up your engine if it brakes " but believe me, Toyota uses extreme high quality parts that takes forever to brake apart!
Sport Design Wheels, not all 02+ IS300 come with LSD, you need to check the sticker in the driver's side door well, if it says something like "B02A" then it doesn't have LSD, "B02B, B02C" means you have LSD, the first 3 digits may vary but if it ends with an "A" it doesn't have, "B and C" does have LSD.
I mean I could also be looking at this car because personally I think it's better than its successors being that it has a 2j in it 🤷♂️ lol 2JZ-GTE swap for the win!
I have a 07 IS250 MT, thinking about trading for a 02 IS300 AT, not sure if its a good trade or not, this is my first MT transmission car and im undecided on it, in some ways its fun but at other times its a hassle and I hate hills lo Im also terrified of the clutch messing up and me having to spend 1500-2000 to fix it lol I kinda miss AT and I absolutely love the look of the IS300 in and out. So 07 IS250 MT good condition vs 02 IS300 AT Decent condition.
It’s really more a matter of preference. Both are damn solid cars that hold their value for sure when taken care of. If you traded for one you just want it to be about equal value.
I have a 2001 is300, the fuel gauge dropped and the gas light is blinking it’s so annoying I have replaced the fuel pump and nothing. Any recommendations on what I could do? Thanks
If you want a manual you may have to pay more due to the higher demand of them and the difficulty of finding one. May get lucky enough to get a good deal on a manual though - that is what i meant.
About bad gas mileage. It's just a trade-off. It's better to visit the petrol station a bit more often now and then, rather than claim excellent gas mileage, and leave equivalent (or usually larger) amounts of cash at your local mechanic, which is usually the case with premium German brands. I prefer to spent my money on the car in a predictable way, and my 2001 IS300 SportCross delivers just that. Only thing I have to take care of is a couple of rust spots near the rear wheel arches. It's a common issue with them in climate with severe (salty?) winters. But other than that it's just regular maintenance, plus changing some worn-out seals, rubber gaskets and suspension bushings (remember, those cars are now 20 years old or so, and rubber doesn't get any younger).
I don't know what's going on. We both have the same car, yet my '02 IS300 manual is: - Great in snow (Blizzaks on 16s all winter) - Gets fair gas mileage (23 mixed on 89 octane gas) - Fast (0-60mph in 6.2 secs, 0-100 in 15.9 w/simple, bolt-on mods) Get to work on that thing!
I always hear about how bad they are on gas. Yeah. Compared to some cars from then that get 30+ mpg only getting 15-20mpg seems low and for sure wish It was higher. I grew up around trucks and v8 cars. So getting 20mpg is decent gas mileage IMO.
Jesse Snyder definitely agree with you. It’s not bad at all considering the car is from the early 2000’s. Just thinking about how such a slow car can get as low as 15 mpg which a modern muscle car could do much better lol
They're relatively easy to work on if you have some knowledge in working on cars. Engine bay has good amount of room due to inline 6 design. Parts are not that expensive if you know how to look online. Just remember to use quality parts as it will be worth it in the long run. I learned that the hard way.
One problem I see is most people that own these beat the shit out of them and drive them super hard, while doing pointless mods instead of more important maintenance.
I disagree with 0:39 my Sportcross does good in snow, you need winter tires and you’ll be good. Otherwise this video was great and you had some really good points.
I did a bit of research as well, and I heard that adding weight in the trunk will help the traction with the wheels and the snow too. I'd still be very careful though. 😅
Try adding the Royal Purple MAX-ATOMIZER I use to get 15 to 16 mgp on my 2002 IS300 now when I fill up the tank I get 295 to 300 miles when the gas light turns on. Oh and for some reason chevron gasoline gives me really shitty gas mileage on my IS300. Arco gasoline gives me better gas mileage.
