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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
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New Lexus IS250 Facing Some Stiff Competition

Lexus is going after the compact luxury sports sedan market with a completely revised IS sedan, which faces a murderer’s row of competitors in the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Infiniti G35 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The new IS model is a bit larger on both the inside and outside. This time, Lexus is throwing three versions into the fray. The entry-level vehicle is the IS250, our test vehicle, which features a 204-horsepower, 2.5-liter V-6 engine. The next step up is an all-wheel-drive version of the IS250. At the top of the heap is the very serious IS350 with a 3.5-liter V-6 that develops 306 horsepower in a car that weighs exactly 3,527 pounds.

The IS series is built around new V-6 engines armed with the company’s latest technology such as variable valve timing and advanced fuel injection.

To put this power to use, Lexus offers the choice of a six-speed manual or a new six-speed sequential automatic that can be operated by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, just like a Formula One racing car. How’s that for inspiring your fantasy life?

The new automatic transmission has some very interesting qualities. Based on my interpretation of the car’s specs, the sequential seems to be a few pounds lighter than the manual tranny and allows the car to get significantly better gas mileage. Additionally, sequential automatics usually post better acceleration times than the older manuals.

Lexus appears to have divided the IS series into two segments, given that the IS350 is the current horsepower champ in its class and has 50 percent more power than the IS250. At the other end of the spectrum, the IS250 is best thought of as a super luxury compact, while the much faster IS350 should be considered a high-performance sedan ready to duke it out with the best burners in its class.

This product division is an excellent marketing move. While car nuts immediately will want to see if the IS350 can really blow off the BMW 330i, I believe there’s an even larger market , particularly among female executives , for a compact sedan with an upscale reputation that delivers fine ride and handling as well as a whopping portion of luxury and class-leading refinement. So let’s declare the IS250 the compact luxury class leader, a title that it can easily achieve based on Lexus’ world-class fit and finish and the availability of almost every feature imaginable, either as standard equipment or as an option. Just don’t get into any speed contests with the IS250 because the Honda Accord V-6 would embarrass it.

The new IS sedans partake of an all-new Lexus design vocabulary that first saw light with the 2006 Lexus GS midsize sedan. The new GS sedan conveys strength and emotion through a more sculptural approach.

The body surface has been designed to portray tension and movement and to communicate expressive and dynamic elements. While the IS follows in the mold of the GS model, it doesn’t take as well to the smaller form factor offered by the IS model. In particular, the rear-end treatment seems stubby and truncated, which in contrast makes the front end look elongated. On the other hand, while flawed, the design of the new IS sedan is far more distinctive than the car it replaces.

The IS250 is a delight to drive. It delivers a new compact-car standard for the elimination of unwanted road, mechanical and wind noise. The suppression of wind noise is enabled by an outstanding 0.28 coefficient of aerodynamic drag, a very good mark for a compact sedan. While the sedan’s handling is more than acceptable, I would prefer more feedback through the steering and suspension components. On the other hand, the car is agile and can be quickly maneuvered through the multilane expressway slalom or on demanding country roads.

The IS250 also declares the Lexus heritage in its impeccable interior. Lexus has done an outstanding job of integrating first-rate ergonomic principles into its controls and gauges.

You can access all of the car’s major functions out of the box without resorting to the owner’s manual. Our test car had the optional heated and cooled seats, which are not only extremely comfortable, but can overcome the effects of a Minnesota winter or a Miami heat wave.


Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California’s central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@mac.com.


Lexus IS250

Price as tested: $35,718.

Engine:

Type: 2.5-liter V-6.

Horsepower: 204 @ 6,600 rpm.

Torque: 185 foot-pounds @ 4,800 rpm.

Fuel economy, automatic transmission:

City: 24 mpg.

Highway: 32 mpg.

Curb weight: 3,435 pounds.

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