Lexus USA Announces 2016 IS Sedan with Three Engine Options

[PTien]

Lexus fan boys to the defense! Engine bay looks like a total plastic mess! You know what looks fine? A RB26DETT, SR20DET, 2JZ-GTE, 3S-GTE VR38DETT, and excuse like it doesn't get opened so it doesn't have to look nice are total BS! Lexus should know that a premium car should feature a engine bay with neatly concealed hoses and wires and preferably have a metal valve cover and not a big piece of cheap plastic to cover up their cheapness!

If you surveyed premium car buyers on their must-have features, I wonder where the appearance of engine covers and underhood dressing would rank.

Oh right, it wouldn't.

Why don't you let that go and talk about something that buyers are going to care about?

Moving on to more productive conversations, I have a feeling the IS 200t is going to be 0-60 in somewhere around 6.2 seconds, perhaps less. Still waiting for weight, which I have not seen released.

You're probably right that no one thinks of the engine bay as a purchase reason, but that's still not an excuse. Part of owning a luxury car is attention to details. Things that you wouldn't have thought about. When you are a proud owner its those fine details you point out to your friends.

I perfect example I like to use is the water replant/UV coated side windows which no other Luxury marque has.

Its all in the details.

 

[Axel]

Lexus fan boys to the defense! Engine bay looks like a total plastic mess! You know what looks fine? A RB26DETT, SR20DET, 2JZ-GTE, 3S-GTE VR38DETT, and excuse like it doesn't get opened so it doesn't have to look nice are total BS! Lexus should know that a premium car should feature a engine bay with neatly concealed hoses and wires and preferably have a metal valve cover and not a big piece of cheap plastic to cover up their cheapness!

If you surveyed premium car buyers on their must-have features, I wonder where the appearance of engine covers and underhood dressing would rank.

Oh right, it wouldn't.

Why don't you let that go and talk about something that buyers are going to care about?

Moving on to more productive conversations, I have a feeling the IS 200t is going to be 0-60 in somewhere around 6.2 seconds, perhaps less. Still waiting for weight, which I have not seen released.

You're probably right that no one thinks of the engine bay as a purchase reason, but that's still not an excuse. Part of owning a luxury car is attention to details. Things that you wouldn't have thought about. When you are a proud owner its those fine details you point out to your friends.

I perfect example I like to use is the water replant/UV coated side windows which no other Luxury marque has.

Its all in the details.

Well lexus knows they don't or no longer have to make super good engine covers for base model. Lexus customers trust that engine bay, to lexus customers as long as they know it won't break down it good enough. I bet you most lexus owners doesn't even know what that engine bay looks like. On the other hand BMW must make good looking covers because at one point that lady owner must go look as the machanic point the cost repair price

 

[Axel]

If you buy second hand toyota or lexus, you simply start the engine if it sounds good then it is good. Who cares about engine cover

 

[PTien]

Well lexus knows they don't or no longer have to make super good engine covers for base model. Lexus customers trust that engine bay, to lexus customers as long as they know it won't break down it good enough. I bet you most lexus owners doesn't even know what that engine bay looks like. On the other hand BMW must make good looking covers because at one point that lady owner must go look as the machanic point the cost repair price

Like I said still not an excuse. In most markets globally, Lexus does not have the brand prestige levels of the German, so as long as Lexus continues to make decisions on "no one cares about that" then they will never be considered on par.

I've owned BMW's, Mercedes, Audi's and Lexus'. I agree the cost of ownership on the Lexus was cheaper but to me a BMW N54 engine is worth the extra cost of maintenance for an amazing engine.

Lexus should be innovating and paying attention to the details, providing their "guests" the best product on the market.

 

[Och]

Here in NE nearly all Lexus sold are AWD, because this is what dealers stock. Very hard to find an RWD version of IS/GS/RC. I guess we are going to get a lot of IS300's here.

 

[PTien]

Here in NE nearly all Lexus sold are AWD, because this is what dealers stock. Very hard to find an RWD version of IS/GS/RC. I guess we are going to get a lot of IS300's here.

Its the same in Canada as well.

 

[mikeavelli]

I think it has more to do with the engine design than the cover. The NX has I believe a very similar small cover which made me stare for a second. The IS F originally was talked about over the internet for the same thing, have crappy the engine looked with the cover off. Seemed to be an internet talking point. To PTien's point, unfortunately, some people do see something like that and think its inferior. Lexus is usually pretty good at details.

Will it stop a sale? No, hardly anyone opens the hood or does their own maintenance. Will it be another dissing point for Lexus on the internet. Yup, lol.

 

[mmcartalk]

Will it stop a sale? No, hardly anyone opens the hood or does their own maintenance. Will it be another dissing point for Lexus on the internet. Yup, lol.

I diss sometimes (as you know from my reviews) on manual prop-rods and big plastic engine covers for the hood from any automaker....not just Lexus.

Sometimes you need to get underhood for non-maintenance reasons, like if you live or park near shedding trees that get crap down below the windshield-wiper crevasses into the back of the engine compartment or firewall. On most cars I've owned, I've had to open the hood regularly, especially in spring and fall, and clean out the mess. And, if the car has a dipstick instead of a oil-level indicator, one should check the oil a least once every several tankfuls if not at each one.

(I'd love to have a garage, BTW, but unfortunately live in a town-house condo without one).

I bet you most Lexus owners doesn't even know what that engine bay looks like.

Sadly, you're probably right. The average car owner, today, does little else but put gas in the car and drive it.

 

[IS-SV]

I went back and looked at the new turbo4 pics, nothing alarming, nothing to bother me or make me dread opening hood.

It's like the engine cover is too big, or it's not a big hunk of metal, or engine cover is too small or not at all and I can see so many hoses, etc. Wonderful but my concerns/priorities with engines today are different I guess.

Would it impact my purchase, no way. Just another Internet (non) concern.

I probably open hood on my cars more often than average owner (whatever average is, like anyone knows), I can handle it.

 

[Bulldog 1]

My parents were fiercely loyal to Buick. We were at a dealer a few years ago and the salesman left us alone. I popped the hood and when my older mother saw the overwhelming amount of plastic, she immediately lost interest and off to Lexus we went to get an ES350.
On the other hand, the eye pleasing (and i assume noise cancelling) engine cover found on her previous 2006 ES330 had long since disappeared on that 2013 ES350.
It didn't stop the purchase but it sure got my attention and I brought it up to the salesman who had no real explanation for why it was missing.
The cover probably had nothing to do with it, but I did note our current 2015 ES350 sounds significantly quieter at idle and rides so much smoother than the recently traded off 2013 ES350. The '13 seemed to have a louder idle like a low decibel diesel when cold.
No, it won't stop a purchase but when you start noticing little changes all over from one model to another, it's not hard to realize they're making the car a little cheaper each update, but not cheaper in price.

 

[mmcartalk]

My parents were fiercely loyal to Buick. We were at a dealer a few years ago and the salesman left us alone. I popped the hood and when my older mother saw the overwhelming amount of plastic, she immediately lost interest and off to Lexus we went to get an ES350.
On the other hand, the eye pleasing (and i assume noise cancelling) engine cover found on her previous 2006 ES330 had long since disappeared on that 2013 ES350.
It didn't stop the purchase but it sure got my attention and I brought it up to the salesman who had no real explanation for why it was missing.

Were your parents looking at a LaCrosse? That is usually the Buick model cross-shopped with the ES350....which is what Buick intended.

but I did note our current 2015 ES350 sounds significantly quieter at idle and rides so much smoother than the recently traded off 2013 ES350. The '13 seemed to have a louder idle like a low decibel diesel when cold.

I noticed the same thing. That's not your imagination. The 2013 model did have noticeable shortcomings in the NVH department. The 2015 does seem noticeably better, without a major redesign. Toyota is addressing those same problems in the 2016 Avalon (related to the ES) without a major redesign.

The cover probably had nothing to do with it,

Correct. Plastic, BTW, really doesn't do much in absorbing NVH, so the presence of a plastic engine cover, in my experience, doesn't make much difference either way. I agree with you in that department.

 

[mmcartalk]

I went back and looked at the new turbo4 pics, nothing alarming, nothing to bother me or make me dread opening hood.

If you want, without depending on pictures, you can see the same engine live, up close, with all the details, in in the NX200t. The NX's engine compartment, though, isn't as confining is that of an IS, so there will be a little more room to reach some things.

It's like the engine cover is too big, or it's not a big hunk of metal, or engine cover is too small or not at all and I can see so many hoses, etc. Wonderful but my concerns/priorities with engines today are different I guess.

Agreed there. Most buyers of the new IS are more likely to be more concerned with how the engine goes than how it looks.

I probably open hood on my cars more often than average owner (whatever average is, like anyone knows), I can handle it.

Most car owners or reviewers can handle it, under most circumstances. But having built-in struts or springs is still nice for those with weak arms/shoulders or other problems which would make it difficult or painful for them to use the manual prop rods. In general, though, the IS doesn't greatly appeal to older buyers and/or those in that physically-impaired group. I myself owned an IS when I was 50, but that was unusual (especially in bright yellow), and I was (and still am) in generally good shape.

One thing that has definitely helped in this department has been the use of aluminum and other non-steel hoods. That has noticeably (drastically, in some cases) cut down on the weight.

 

[IS-SV]

If you want, without depending on pictures, you can see the same engine live, up close, with all the details, in in the NX200t. The NX's engine compartment, though, isn't as confining is that of an IS, so there will be a little more room to reach some things.

.

The turbo4 NX (versus turbo4 IS) engine looks very different because of the tranverse mounting and very different engine cover, the pics on page 1 show both reasonably well. The transverse versus longitudinal mounting is biggest factor in how the engines look in these 2 applications.

Note: IS has better battery placement in engine compartment being near firewall.

 

[mmcartalk]

The turbo4 NX (versus turbo4 IS) engine looks very different because of the tranverse mounting and very different engine cover, the pics on page 1 show both reasonably well. The transverse versus longitudinal mounting is biggest factor in how the engines look in these 2 applications.

Note: IS has better battery placement in engine compartment being near firewall.

OK...Good point. You got me on that one. I had forgotten the transverse-vs.-longitudinal engine placement between the NX and IS. The basic block and head going to be the same, but, yes, a 90-degree switch could affect some other components.

(Might even affect the NVH levels, since a transversely-mounted engine usually has more drivetrain components up front spinning around under the hood, and the engine mounts are sometimes in different places)

 

[IS-SV]

OK...Good point. You got me on that one. I had forgotten the transverse-vs.-longitudinal engine placement between the NX and IS. The basic block and head going to be the same, but, yes, a 90-degree switch could affect some other components.

(Might even affect the NVH levels, since a transversely-mounted engine usually has more drivetrain components up front spinning around under the hood, and the engine mounts are sometimes in different places)

Visually and the underhood layout-wise, huge differences.

Good question. Maybe some with automotive engineering backgrounds can chime in on some of the technical differences, because some do exist including those affecting efficiency (I can't remember the details).

 

[spwolf]

Sadly, not much to be excited about. The two entry engines and awd only being available on the V6 is a sign of careless, sloppy engineering effort - not to mention that Lexus awd system is pathetic. Someone in my neighborhood bought a RC350 awd, and that thing with AWD has such a ridiculous lift that it looks like an SUV.

I don't have much faith left in Lexus.

It is a lot to be excited about if you were looking to buy IS... weak 250 gets replaced with 2.0t RWD and 3.5l AWD, for lower/same price. In my mind it (and in the mind of any serious purchaser) goes from never considered to excellent base power train choices.

 

[Och]

It is a lot to be excited about if you were looking to buy IS... weak 250 gets replaced with 2.0t RWD and 3.5l AWD, for lower/same price. In my mind it (and in the mind of any serious purchaser) goes from never considered to excellent base power train choices.

Something tells me these "excellent" power train choices won't affect sales much at all. The current drivetrain in the IS, as well as these new base drivetrains, are pretty much for people that don't care about drivetrain.

 

[mikeavelli]

Wish there was an IS F

 

[Lexus Cohen]

Wish there was an IS F

The IS should have the RC F engine instead of the GS. I am somewhat disappointed, but what can we do bud?

 

[CIF]

Wish there was an IS F

Isn't there a chance of one coming in the future? IS F owners won't all migrate to the RC F or GS F.