2002 is300 in-depth review - manual transmission

Рет қаралды 39,175

6 жыл бұрын

Here is a review of my 2002 Lexus is300 with a 5 speed manual transmission. I have had it for about a year and a half and have enjoyed both working on this car and driving it.
Overall this is decently quick car with excellent steering response, fun driving dynamics, great looks, below average fuel economy, and solid reliability.
If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments section.

Пікірлер: 112

@Toyota4Life 6 жыл бұрын

The best sports sedan for the money. It has endless build potential. Great Toyota/Lexus platform highly underrated chassis.

@camdencampbell6748 5 жыл бұрын

Lol your legit in every manual is300 vid

@Datsun7705 5 жыл бұрын

i’m getting one soon there’s one for sale in my local area

@Rafa_guitars 3 жыл бұрын

E46s drive a lot better.

@Toyota4Life 3 жыл бұрын

@@Rafa_guitars sorry that car is not ass cool.

@cesargonzalez9557 4 жыл бұрын

Just got one yesterday 5speed 94k miles do dash 🤩

@vellyjatt7824 3 жыл бұрын

Congrats

@onlymelo_ 3 жыл бұрын

must be nice😭 i got 150k i just bought it

@DaLuky0ne 3 жыл бұрын

@@onlymelo_ how much did you buy it for?

@dg8676 3 жыл бұрын

Lucky

@dg8676 3 жыл бұрын

I found a manual one owner some old dude here in California. It’s really clean but has 240k. The whole car is in perfect shape so I’m going to get it anyway

@daryl2jz 3 жыл бұрын

I just bought a 2004 sport design II IS300. with 63000KM One owner for 16 yrs. No accidents. Beautiful alabaster colour car! Peace from Canada bro.

@ZachD 3 жыл бұрын

That’s a rare gem right there. Enjoy it.

@mr.cookie7308 3 жыл бұрын

The IS300 was my first Lexus and it spoiled me. Now I have owned 2 other Lexus. Such a great car and brand, minimal maintenance, refinement, world class build quality, comfortable, superior reliability, timeless looks, sporty chasis and so much more. It has been 10 years since my last IS was sold, and I wanna buy another just to play with bc they are so cheap nowadays.....ssshhhhsssss dont tell everyone.

@OldDirtyCollector 5 жыл бұрын

Great video! I’ve been considering buying one for about a year now. This helped! The price for the First gen IS is so worth it

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Really is a fun and reliable platform.

@lesswrong9014 5 жыл бұрын

Best looking sedan in my opinion. I am 17 old and my dream is to get this car. I'm sorry for my english if something wrong.

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Your English is probably better than mine haha. I hope you can get your hands on one...they're around you just have to be patient.

@greggraham2642 3 жыл бұрын

You're a kid with good taste!

@Freezeclangames 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for making this video.

@lunbazz8346 4 жыл бұрын

Thx for the vid man I really wanna get this car when im 18

@jason-le4ke 3 жыл бұрын

Did you get the car?

@7eamGhast 5 жыл бұрын

I love finding videos like this, you shouldn't stop yourself when elaborating or digressing, those thoughts are usually the best(from the soul). I can sense how genuine you are by just your demeanor. Thanks for the review. Just bought my son one of these baddies, doing basic restoration stuff right now, then we will get into the "spirited driving" aspect of things. God Bless.

@ppopovich2847 2 жыл бұрын

Nice review. Great car. One of the best Toyotas ever.

@mrivantchernegovski3869 3 жыл бұрын

Here in New Zealand i just got 1999 totota alteeza rs200 z ,151 kms man 6 spd 3gse beams with a light flywheel nice clutch and tommei one way lsd,goes great,next its a link ecu as they make them just down the road and a full exhaust and wheels and suspension

@AGMella 6 жыл бұрын

Hey ZD great review! I also have a gray IS300 and love it! Just wanted to let you know that the VVT-i in our cars only changes the timing of the intake valves and doesn't have an additional cam profile like VTEC (although it does increase efficiency at high RPM). You might be thinking of VVTL-i, found in the Celica GTS, which does function like VTEC.

@ZachD 6 жыл бұрын

ah thanks for clarifying that makes sense. cheers!

@DRJoe100 6 жыл бұрын

TRD yellow sway bars or Hotchkis Sway bars will drastically help that "float" or body roll and retain that stock Lexus ride.

@chrispeck9941 4 жыл бұрын

Best car on the market but I may be biased

@greggraham2642 3 жыл бұрын

You don't need to add a coil over suspension. It already has one. Just replace the stock shocks with Bilsteins, put Eibach sway bars on it and it will handle like a dream with a firm but not harsh sophisticated sport sedan feel. I have two of these things and love them.

@miguelhxrnandez Жыл бұрын

how does it already have one? genuinely curious.

@greggraham2642 Жыл бұрын

@@miguelhxrnandez The front suspension of the IS300 is a double wishbone type geometry with a damper set up that has an integrated shock absorber and spring held together with a top hat. Sometimes people call the integrated spring and shock a strut in this geometry but it’s not. It’s a factory coil over set up and exactly the same as a Tein or Megan system. Only, it’s not adjustable on the damping and height. I guess what I’m saying is unless you absolutely have to have the adjustability, which most people don't, save your money and just put in some good shocks and springs like Bilstein 4600 or Koni Street. I have two IS300s. One with Eibach Sport Springs and Koni Street shocks. It lowered the car just shy of an inch, is firm without being harsh, and handles like a million bucks. Really good handling around corners and very fun to drive. The other has factory springs and Bilstein Sport shocks. It handles well but is a little more relaxed on the road. Great road trip car. I have some Eibach sway bars to put in one of the two and I’m going back and forth on which. I might put them in the car with factory springs and the Bilstein shocks to improve the cornering. Not that its bad but wanting to get it a little closer to the other. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.

@Dominic_IBM 3 ай бұрын

@@greggraham2642 bro you;re gay just get real coils

@y.s8915 5 жыл бұрын

i want this car sooo bad

@rp17rionda 4 жыл бұрын

Nice driving’ whay part of new york is that?

@BillerProductions 6 жыл бұрын

I have the AEM Intake as well i have a exhaust vids too!

@BillerProductions 6 жыл бұрын

Hey man, i have a 5 Speed 03 Is300 and i put the BC 12k, 10k and i do strongly recommend it! Car corners way more flat. It needs stiffer sway bars though

@ZachD 6 жыл бұрын

Biller awesome stuff. I'm gonna make some moves on the suspension this summer just don't know what yet. Might have to get some BCs. Cheers

@fishingwithvance 6 жыл бұрын

Sweet rig. I want to take a drive in that bad boy. I like the 60 in a 45... haha.. Enjoyed it Z.

@ZachD 6 жыл бұрын

thanks vance! we'll get you rolling in it eventually! cheers my man.

@hassankhan384 5 жыл бұрын

I want one of these lexus is200 or 300 the problem is that is300 aren't that many in uk anyway as they weren't that many here but is200 are quite few for sale and I've seen on roads alot. I'm thinking of getting one soon but only if my Insurnce comes cheap as that's a another problem in uk. As being a new driver I need to get something below 1.8l engine so it's cheap to insure.

@Broadback3504 6 жыл бұрын

Get the jdm cup holder divider. Pricey, but works much better.

@nixsideris2288 3 жыл бұрын

Are the automatic and manual variants the same interior wise? For my 2003 is 300 (automatic, also first car) to start off. Under the armrest if you feel the left side of the cubby it should be a 3rd flip up cupholder (at least my IS 300 has one. And in the front of the same cubby it has another cigarette lighter

@rembodoo46 3 жыл бұрын

I will love to get this car but dont know how

@Gumorisco11 5 жыл бұрын

I have an IS 300 to but its automatic tho with paddle shifters you can add a double din steroe jvc there very good cars I like mine have it 2 years now the only problem is the dash board sucks when its really hot out side the dash starts peeling off

@e_filippo 5 жыл бұрын

So it's an automatic? There are a lot of posts on the my.is forum about getting rid of the sticky dash.

@Gumorisco11 5 жыл бұрын

@@e_filippo automatic bro but has paddle shifters if you want to drive it in gears I looked alot of videos on KZfaq but they all say to paint the dash board but dont work I don't think theres even a way to solve that issue

@e_filippo 5 жыл бұрын

@@Gumorisco11 if it doesn't have a clutch then it's an automatic with paddle shifters. Like I said, tons of people on the forums have done the fix and worked great. I got lucky and the last owner of mine did the fix.

@Gumorisco11 5 жыл бұрын

@@e_filippo lol sorry was getting confused 😅yea its automatic

@Gumorisco11 5 жыл бұрын

@@e_filippo when I got the car the dashboard was already in bad condition and the front seats look nasty I have seats covers lol but going to install new bucket seats

@adoyaben 5 жыл бұрын

Surprised you said nothing about the 2jz

@williammickelson403 5 жыл бұрын

thank god

@KevLex_RCF 4 жыл бұрын

I think at this point anyone looking up an is300 already knows about the 2jz.

@rapufanatyk2196 3 жыл бұрын

probably he doesnt know what his driving

@rapufanatyk2196 3 жыл бұрын

he mentioned about the swap exhaust ,what means he doesnt know for sure about his 2jzGE

@DeNiroBK96 6 жыл бұрын

You had it right with the ralco ss but wrong with the Delrin shift knob its way too light. I know from experience lol. But yeah you want a heavier knob to smoothen the knotchy feeling from the ralco. Theres a counterweight knob from eBay that’s fairly cheapwith the same size threading for the wrx. A heavier knob, ss and maybe some redline in your tranny will give the w55 a sportier feel. Just give it a try you’ll thank me later.

@ZachD 6 жыл бұрын

DeNiroBK96 that's helpful man I appreciate it. High on my to do list is getting some good gear oil in there. I'll probably give the ralco another shot after that. Rock on

@MALO52bitch Жыл бұрын

Do y’all know how hard it is to find an original manual U.S. IS 300? I want one so bad 😢

@e_filippo 5 жыл бұрын

Hey man, I have the same car (had it about 2 years now) and I have the same switch under my dash that you do that you can see at about 3:36 in the video. Any idea what it does? Mine doesn't seem to actually change anything when I flip it and I haven't had the dash disassembled enough to trace the wires. Thanks!

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Wow I never even noticed it really...I have no idea what it does haha.

@ozscorpio7 4 жыл бұрын

Future AE86

@johannlopez4524 5 жыл бұрын

i have a manual is 300 with 140k miles on it for $4500 in my area. Should I consider getting it?

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Johann Lopez yeah if it has been accident free I'd jump on it. I'd see if the timing belt has been done but that could be leverage to get the price down. Wheel bearings are a tough job on these cars too so if they sound/feel questionable id see if you could leverage the price down. Good luck!

@dg8676 3 жыл бұрын

Yes did you get it?

@Kettakelly 5 жыл бұрын

Picked up a IS300 Manual today for only 4800 and 127,000 miles , as I drove it home the cel popped up for catalytic converter ); he has cleared the code before I bought it sucks

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Id say you still did well for that price. I would look into doing a couple of non-foulers to trick the car into thinking the cats are still good. At the very least that can tie you over until you figure out the next play. Enjoy that ride man!

@Kettakelly 5 жыл бұрын

ZD Productions it was a process but I passed smog lol !

@Kettakelly 5 жыл бұрын

ZD Productions used a emission cleaner and just kept resetting the check engine code

@robertpaulson208 4 жыл бұрын

Just gut the cat

@okniceguy 6 жыл бұрын

waiting for user Toyota 4 Life to get here

@Wuanty 4 жыл бұрын

Dammit. Now I want one in manual🥺

@ZachD 4 жыл бұрын

It's a fun ride man! They are still solid in an automatic though.

@elchonkysquirrel 5 жыл бұрын

Quick question to you or any is300 owners. Does anyone have issues with tight steering? I've had the car for about 2/3 years, over 200k miles, got it at 180k used, but the steering seems tough. Not non-functional, but still requires a bit of push and pull.

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

Hmm...I have not had this issue. Power steering fluid at an appropriate level? Im not familiar with any maintenance interval for a power steering fluid being flushed and replaced

@elchonkysquirrel 5 жыл бұрын

@@ZachD Darn, it could be a bushing problem but the fluid levels are perfect, I've flushedthe power steering fluid, hopefully I find a solution but if anyone one has an idea or suggestions, I'm all ears! Thanks again!

@flamuraliu8503 7 ай бұрын

@@elchonkysquirrelmight need a new steering rack. Changed mine on my 01 IS300

@ArkArmy90 5 жыл бұрын

What kind of gas does it take and how is the reliability compared to a honda ?

@SychicGamer 5 жыл бұрын

Kosi Caruth premium unleaded and the is300 is probably one of the most reliable cars you can find. Most examples found online have near or over 200k miles and still reliably run perfectly with little to no issues. My friend even has one with around 250k miles on it and its his daily driver, in much better condition than most cars newer than it with less miles than it.

@ArkArmy90 5 жыл бұрын

@@SychicGamer Thank you for the reply it's hard to leave Honda's reliability but I'm sick of having my cars stolen so reading helps thank you again and please make more videos with the car if you can

@vqkills6609 5 жыл бұрын

Got one for 4500 a Manuel too 110k miles

@mauiboy96768 5 жыл бұрын

Dohc Dohc thats cheap. There’s one here in hawaii for 11k at 100k miles. LMAO.

@vqkills6609 5 жыл бұрын

Maui Boy yeah that’s taxxin I wouldn’t buy it

@Ryanspashai 4 жыл бұрын

How much would you say is a good deal for a 5 speed or auto?

@ZachD 4 жыл бұрын

Federick Quinola most Id pay for a stock 5 speed with lower miles would be 6 or 7. Auto for me would be closer to 3 or 4. Those numbers would go down for higher miles, mods, etc.

@rapufanatyk2196 3 жыл бұрын

washer from the oil filter getting tight by it self dont check this all the time

@JesusMartinez-wx5jy 5 жыл бұрын

Can you adjust the steering wheel?

@ZachD 5 жыл бұрын

tilt only. not telescoping.

@williammickelson403 5 жыл бұрын

i cannot find one with a manual to save my life

@idontpaytaxes6250 5 жыл бұрын

William Mickelson there’s one for sale in my area he wants $2k .. 210k miles

@williammickelson403 5 жыл бұрын

Jesse Mora does he ship? Lol

@johannesoffringa2914 5 жыл бұрын

I swear they never came out factory manual.

@carloscrod_ 3 жыл бұрын

@@johannesoffringa2914 that’s what I’m saying. Anyone who insists that it was are cappin.

@club1fan552 5 жыл бұрын

An IS 300 MANUAL!!! WTF? I thought these didn't exist! In manual, I have only ever seen a 200 which are too heavy for the power (about 115kw) and no low down torque as max torque is not until a ridiculously high 4,800 rpm! Wow. Yours goes like shit off a stick. A compact, rear wheel drive manual sedan are now virtually unheard of. Enjoy it man. Excuse me while I go and have a coronary event from shock!

@dcrocks251 4 жыл бұрын

exhaust setup?

@ZachD 4 жыл бұрын

Stock...tough to find the Megan setup although I think that was the one to get when it was available. I think the only aftermarket that I could find for a reasonable price was some eBay brand.

@markeeesha1895 6 жыл бұрын

Miles?

@ZachD 6 жыл бұрын

Markeeesha 179k

@Dominic_IBM 3 ай бұрын

stock suspension blows

@edwardc.9183 4 жыл бұрын

Sell it to me bro? Lol also in nyc hunting for one

@ZachD 4 жыл бұрын

Haha best of luck to you. Always nice to get a manual, but definitely keep in mind that these have a really good automatic transmission.

@edwardc.9183 4 жыл бұрын

ZD Productions yeha found a couple manuals but either they asking wayyyy to much but the last one i went to see the subframe was badly rusted also 4th gear wasn’t engaging at all good luck you have instagram or something i can follow you

@ZachD 4 жыл бұрын

@@edwardc.9183 Nah man no instagram. I just mess around uploading crummy vids to youtube haha

@adriancygan9391 4 жыл бұрын

Basically it's a 4 door supra

@ronchristella 5 жыл бұрын

Lol ever heard of Bluetooth. Nice manual tranny though. I have an 02 sportcross. My second is. Love these vehicles

@MrRicardo361 5 жыл бұрын

15 min before lifting the clutch into first gear... IS300 is not a Concorde so most of us visiting this video have seen/driven one. We just like to hear your thoughts on how it drives in MT, not all those other details we got for the first 15 minutes of this video :(