Lexus IS250 2006 review: snap shot

The Lexus IS250 is a case in point. Lexus strives for its own vision of perfection: benchmark noise, vibration and harshness levels, quality of the highest order, technology at the cutting edge. These are targets the company is becoming increasingly adept at achieving. Yet for all that, Lexus cars are rarely involving.

Often their brilliance is in the manner of a sublime personal aid, making certain all runs smoothly while keeping the recipient composed and unruffled ... and a step removed.

Not so the IS250. From first glance the little Lexus looks the goods. There are business-like lines aplenty in the compact styling, yet overall the impression is of balance.

It is this impression that flows through to the behaviour of the car. The previous model's well-loved straight six makes way for a lightweight 60-degree V6, which, it is claimed, both lowers and balances the car's centre of gravity. The 2.5-litre double VVT-i (variable timing on both inlet and outlet) engine produces a handy 153kW at a free-spinning 6400rpm with a very usable 252Nm of torque. Much of the car's appeal and character is the fact that drive is to the rear wheels. In the Sports Luxury test car that drive is through a six-speed Aisin-supplied automatic with a set of shift paddles sitting behind the sports wheel.

In full automatic the car tends to be a little on the dozy side, with the engine mapping getting to the top gear as quickly as possible and staying there with grim determination.

Use the manual shift option whenever you can — it has a huge fun factor and is really the only way to make optimum use of the car's mid-range torque. This is a car that must be stirred, not shaken. When it is, the IS250 has both poise and punch in abundance. The use of speed-sensitive electronic steering assistance keeps the feel nicely weighted with feedback an improvement over the usual lightweight Lexus offering. It is not benchmark, and feedback can be a little on the reserved side, but it is sharp and a huge improvement over the previous offering.

The suspension architecture — double wishbone front and multi-link rear — is not unique, nor even particularly unusual.

It is, however, well sorted and produces a nice balance between ride comfort and sporty capability. Body movement is well damped and isolation from the shortcomings of Sydney's roads is at the better end of the scale - even when the IS250 is pushed.

The foot-operated park brake, used on the automatic models, is not a personal favourite. Throughout the cabin, quality and luxury is underscored at every turn. The upgraded leather in the Sport Luxury is superb, while the 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is one of the best in the market.

For front-seat passengers the feeling is one of being encompassed, for those in the rear it may be a little less enthralling.

In true Lexus style the IS250 comes with eight airbags — including a knee bag — as well as stability and traction controls.

The keyless entry and push-button start are a nice luxury touch as are the heated and cooled seats, climate-control airconditioning and Lexus Encore post-sales privileges program.

So does the full experience of the IS250 fulfill that initial promise of magic? Sadly, no. But there are moments — enough of them to have the European big boys in a sweat.