Lexus IS250 Reviews

...preservative-free beer; roasted pork knuckles served with dumplings; the city of Berlin. Stuff like that.It's also home to the compact prestige sedan. In its ideal form, this is powered by a six-cylinder engine and driven via the rear wheels.Since 2005, the Japanese, with their genius for emulation and improvement upon the original design, have also produced a healthy example of the species in the form of the Lexus IS250.Unlike the Germans, whose six-pot models are prohibitively expensive, the V6-only Lexus is priced from just under $55,000 — the cost of a top-end Commodore.There's now an “X”-badged edition of the IS250, giving us the excuse to not only revisit a favourite car but see what its rivals bring to the table for a similar sum.Fans of the Deutsch diesels though we are, we're sticking to petrol choices out of fairness to the Lexus, whose oiler variant isn't available in Australia.  LEXUS IS250 X from $64,790Although this limited edition of 450 begins at $64K, the IS manual's action is awkward. Far better to go with the $67,390 six-speed sequential auto.A major attraction of the Lexus is its standard equipment list. Even the $54,390 Prestige model looks lavish next to the nearest-priced Mercedes or BMW.The limited-edition IS250 — distinguished by X badges in punkish cursive — cops sports suspension; a 14-speaker Mark Levinson stereo system; a sunroof; satnav; a rear-view camera with rear guide assist; a Bluetooth hands-free telephone system; sports pedals; metallic scuff plates;and unique five-spoke, 18-inch alloys.Nice colours, too.Pound for pound, the IS is the best current Lexus and easily the most enjoyable to drive.Its 153kW/252Nm V6, with direct injection and variable valve timing, isoften unfavourably compared to BMW's in-line mills.But, like so much about the IS, it suffices just fine in the real world, ticking over at 2000rpm at the 110km/h limit NSW motorists areprivileged to enjoy.Low-down response when the lever is left in drive isn't the most adroit — due partly to tall gearing and partly to a hefty 1600kg kerb weight — but can be enhanced by leaving the stick in sport and using the steering-wheel paddles.Mildly annoyingly, there's no temporary manual override.Sports-suspended and equipped with low-profile rubber, our test 250 rode tersely but with compliance bested only by the Mercedes.Its touch-screen multimedia set-up (with an excellent reversing camera) left the Bimmer's costly, optional-extra i-Drive for dead.PROS: Highly satisfying RWD dynamics; light but informative steering; four-year-warranty; striking looks; superb value.CONS: Poor rear three-quarter vision; space-saver spare; it'sstrictly a four-seater;foot-operated parking brake. MERCEDES-BENZ C200K AVANTGARDE from $62,820YOU still need $86,000 to buy a C-Class with six pots, but the C200K is no longer a try-hard's car. Using the E-Class's version of the supercharged, 1.8-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, it achieves respectability if not rapidity.With 135kW and 250Nm (30 more units of each than previously) driven through a five-speed automatic, the C-Class gets to 100km/h from rest in a claimed 8.6 seconds. A similar time to the V6 Lexus, actually.The Merc's response, especially when set insport mode, is backed by dynamics and bodycontrol that are altogether sharper thanin days of yore.The C-Class isn't 3 Series-keen, due in part to its heavier 1490kg kerb weight, but the Mercedes rides our raddled roads with the aplomb of a native son. The BMW doesn't.PROS: That badge; the best ride; the best retained value; the best value C-Class ever.CONS: Options not cheap; tight in the back seats; engine note sounds crook (as opposed to sick).  BMW 323i from $65,000IF we seem to be Bimmer-bashing, we do so with a heavy heart, because the entry model of the Three Series sixes is the driver's choice of this trio. In certain circumstances ...Running a version of the 325i's 2.5-litre in-line six detuned to 140kW/230Nm, it remains a glorious thing — especially when mated to the crisp, six-speed manual. The benchmark ZF auto ($67,600) is still a good thing, though. Unlike the Lexus, the latter will not hold a gear at redline inmanual mode, but it's a good deal more adroit in drive. On smooth surfaces, the 323i has the edge on the others. Butthis is NSW, not Bavaria, and such stretches of bitumen areever more elusive. The run-flat tyres that afflict all but a few current BMWs are a deal-breaker. Do any real damage to your tyre any distance from the metropolis and, sorry, but you're stuck there until a new one can be delivered. That may not happen often, but the tramlining, skittering ride run-flats can provide is a constant. The stylised cabin, which may have seemed cool to the designers, looks austere to anyone shopping across the marques. Only three years after the E90 was released, it already looks dated. As for options, try $1600 for metallic paint.PROS: Inspiring engine, emotionally appealing and still thedriver's choice ...CONS: ... but only in ideal conditions; rotten ride, especially with M sports kit; run-flat tyres; spartan cabin; costly options. 

Indeed, the sheer weight of its standard kit list is part of the reason the various IS250 models weigh appreciably more than the similarly priced — but under-equipped and underpowered — four-pot 3 Series, C-Class and Audi A4.Of course, we knew that 15 months ago, when the new-generation baby Lexus arrived to thrust a thorn into the side of this smug and complacent bund.Revisiting it is also to be reminded — refreshed, even — by the IS250's amiable daily disposition and its ability to step up in recreational driving.No matter the price ($54,390 for the manual Prestige model up to $79,000 for the Sports Luxury), every IS250 has the same 2.5-litre, quad-cam, multi-valve, direct-injection V6.With 153kW and 252Nm, it's an adequate unit that gets the fully fruited Sports Luxury we drove to 100km/h in a respectable, if not rapid, 8.8 seconds.Lighter, lesser versions shave almost half a sec off that.The choice between six-speed manual or Aisin auto is no choice at all, given that the working quality of the former rhymes with "shift", exacerbated by an awkwardly placed gearstick.So if it's an automatic choice, it is so by default, because, left in Drive, movement off the mark is sluggish. The tall-geared box will hunt before kicking down with a lack of grace that really isn't in keeping with a luxo six-speeder.And so the manual mode comes into its own. You can't override Drive with the steering wheel-mounted paddles — a la the systems used by Audi — but when the gearstick is shifted into sport mode, the Lexus respects your gear selections, holding to meltdown.With most of the IS250's bulk placed between its axles, you have balance and rear-wheel-drive dynamics to rival BMW's 3 Series — aspects that are readily appreciable when pressing on.Its appetite for bends is keen, with steering that firms up nicely when it most needs to and a feeling of agility in keeping with something lither and smaller.Aurally, the usually subdued engine acquires some throatiness in the upper rev range, though you could live without the beeping of the traction control, one of rather too many censorious sounds the Lexus is apt to make if you displease it.If the quick part of the IS250 equation isn't what is attracting buyers, it isn't hard to see where its charms lay.It drew more admiring comments and enquiries than anything we've had this side of exotic or mad money.Save for some slight awkwardness around the C-pillar — where it's more Hoffmeister Klutz than Kink — this least Lexus is the marque's sharpest looker.True, it's tight within, but far from intolerably so. DINKS or those with smaller offspring won't be bothered by the rear accommodation, nor that it's more cockpit than cabin up front.Actually, it's the inside story that persuaded us that the less you spend, the more convincing a buy the IS250 is.There are no options at all on the Sport Luxury version, and those on the cheaper variants aren't indispensable.On NSW goat tracks, you don't want bigger wheels — 16s would be fine.As good as the the touch-screen multimedia/satnav system is, it's hardly vital, and I'd pay extra not to have the headroom-eating sunroof.So far as options go, though, it's tough not to love seats that can blow either cool or warm air where the sun don't shine ...

Yes, it's disappointing that Lexus did not opt for a larger engine when it consolidated the IS200 and IS300 into one model.And yes, if you look closely, some parts are branded Toyota (everyone knows it's really a Toyota under the skin).But having said that, it still stands as one damn fine piece of machinery that can hold its high in more fancied company.The IS250 has by default become Lexus's entry level model with the demise of the rather ugly, bloated and front-wheel drive ES300.Prices for the car start from just under $54,000 rising to $78,500 for the whole box and dice before on-road costs.More than anything else the IS250 marks a turning point for Lexus with its distinctive coupe-like styling and a strategic move away from straight six power plants.It has evolved into a car in its own right, rather than some BMW copycat, compact in dimensions but certainly no 3-Series clone.The 2.5-litre Quad Cam V6 develops 153kW of power at 6400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4800rpm, with variable intake and exhaust valve timing, replacing the previous 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre straight sixes.This compares with the IS300's 157kW of power at 5800rpm and 288Nm of torque at 3800rpm.You can see the difference lies mainly in the torque figure and the way both power and torque are developed higher in the rev range.It gives the car less low down grunt but this is partly compensated for by a switch to a six- speed tranny, with its wider spread of ratios.The smaller IS200 meanwhile developed a lack lustre 114kW of power at 6200rpm and 195Nm of torque at 4600rpm.So, why didn't Lexus opt for a larger, more powerful engine?Well, it argues that the new car delivers significantly better fuel economy while providing higher levels of performance, safety and comfort as well as lower levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).The alloy 2.5-litre V6 is 33kg lighter and shorter than the superseded 3.0-litre six, so it can located further back in the car for better weight distribution.It is matched to either a six-speed manual or six-speed sequential automatic that allows the driver to change gears like a manual.Our test vehicle was the Sports model with optional six-speed auto. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, adaptive xenon front lights, sunroof and sports pedals.Fuel economy for the auto, an important consideration in these times of rising fuel prices, is rated at 9.1 litres per 100km, better even than the manual at 9.8.In fact, the new model achieves eight per cent better fuel economy than the previous 2.0-litre car and 14.2 per cent better economy than the 3.0-litre six.Premium unleaded is recommended and we got 8.2 litres per 100km from the 65 litre tank.IS250 is available in three different grades: IS250, IS250 Sports and IS250 Sports Luxury.It's jam packed with technology but fortunately it doesn't get in the way of the drive experience.The car is 175mm longer, 75mm wider and 5mm higher than the previous model.Drive is to the rear wheels with double- wishbone front suspension, multi-link suspension replacing rear wishbones and electric power-assisted rack and pinion steering.It has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the previous model and the Sport rides 13mm lower, with different front and rear tyre sizes _ 225/40 front and 255/40 back.Some motor noters have found the stability/ traction control system intrusive, but we like the way it kicks in progressively, allowing the driver to keep feeding in the power, even in fastest, wettest sweeping bends.The auto also includes steering wheel- mounted gear change paddles, but they are not fixed to the steering column and not to our liking.The white on black instrumentation is sharp and easy to read, but lacks a digital speed readout.Eight airbags are standard, including driver and front passenger's knee airbags.Active safety features include Vehicle Swerve Control (VSC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Lexus Brake Assist (BA), with adaptive front headlights on Sports and Sports Luxury models.We're a big fan of Lexus sound systems in general and the IS250's does not disappoint, with a 13-speaker premium system standard.

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.

The Toyota off-shoot was established in the early '90s to sell luxury vehicles in the United States, hence the name: Luxury EXport to the US.The brand was so successful, they began exporting to other countries, including Australia, and last year it became a separate brand in Japan.Lexus carries with it the reliability of the Toyota brand and has become known for its low cabin noise, with Hyundai even using the GS model as its benchmark in that category in its new Grandeur sedan.Over the past couple of years, new styling has helped Lexus overcome its boring looks and confront the stylish German marques head-on with products such as the GS, which is a stylistic cross between the gorgeous Mercedes-Benz CLS and the Audi A6.Lexus sales for 2005 were 6005, almost 1000 up on the previous year, which puts it about 1000 ahead of Audi, but still a long way off BMW (15,910) and Mercedes-Benz (17,661).To truly tackle the Germans that dominate the luxury market with their sporty compact sedans, Lexus needed a quality competitor.The previous Lexus IS200 small sedan was too doughy at 114kW, beating only the BMW 320i four-cylinder, some Audi A3s and the Benz C180 K for power.The IS300 was a genuine contender with a beefy 157kW, which put it close to the 325i and better than some V6 C-Class models and all four-cylinder A4s.But they lacked sparkle both in the styling department and driving dynamics.The two-model range has now been swapped for the one-model, three-spec IS250 line.Power is slightly down to 153kW, but it's not all just a power game, otherwise you should try a Subaru Liberty GT.Driving dynamics in the new IS250 are now far better and styling is a quantum leap forward.British TV motoring show Top Gear named the 3 Series as its ugliest car of the year so, in the styling stakes, the compact Lexus with bulging muscular wheel arches has a head start.I recently drove the IS250 Sports Luxury, which is a real honey. And finished in white pearl paint that resembles the inside of a clam shell, it highlights those muscular bulges. In the sun, it is gorgeous beyond belief.Inside, you are cocooned in a high-sill, low-seat, high-dash, low-roof cabin that can be a bit claustrophobic, especially in the rear behind the high head restraints of the front seats.However, you are surrounded in luxury with a touch of sportiness. There is plenty of tasty woodgrain, the simple-to-use touchscreen Satellite Navigation and on-board computer, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, active cruise control, and the best stereo on four wheels — the 14-speaker sound system designed by Mark Levinson.The Sat Nav screen also shows images from the reversing camera, a feature which should be in every car and SUV, and is now available in all Lexus models except the big LX off-roader, but it is coming.The new Sat Nav also features a recording function called "bread crumbing" which can find its way back on a route it has previously taken.Add all these features to the comparable German car and watch the price go through the roof.The sportiness of the cabin is in the six-speed auto with paddle shifts on the stylish saddle-stitched leather steering wheel. This feature is available only in the Sports Luxury model.But it is in the driving dynamics that this car now competes with the Germans.The Sports Luxury model does not have the lowered suspension of the Sports variant, but takes corners flat with a neutral balance.If pushed hard, the rear-wheel-driver shifts weight to the back under that creamy on-demand torque before the driver aids, including swerve control, come into play.The steering is sharp, responsive and precise. So precise it takes a little getting used to, especially around suburban "traffic calming" chicanes.Ride is smooth, without being plush. If you hit a sharp bump, you will feel it, but it won't upset you or the car, even in a brisk corner.The GS and IS models are now taking on the Germans at their own game — style, power and driving dynamics — and the LS460 luxury saloon will complete the sedan passenger range makeover when it arrives later this year.Then Lexus will become a serious consideration on the luxury shopping list.

Ultimately, it fell short on cabin space, outright performance and a manual gearbox that was nowhere near good enough.Even so, it was good enough to outscore the all-new BMW 3-Series with our judges and picked up points for design, value, equipment and driving enjoyment.No matter how you score it, the new IS250 is the best thing yet with a Lexus badge.Its style and techno tweaks will give it showroom appeal to the thirtysomethings who are expected to dominate sales.The starting price of $53,890, just below the critical luxury tax cut-off that is essential with many leasing customers, makes sense.You can spend closer to $80,000 on a new IS, but the starter car is expected to dominate sales in Australia.The IS250 comes after Lexus first entered the compact prestige class in the 1990s with an IS200, which was too small and gutless to stand out in a field dominated by the 3-Series BMW.But this time around the brief was different.The IS was set for a best-in-class development. And that meant 500 individual targets for everything from safety to comfort and equipment."This car is brand new, and my child. The new IS is most like me," Sugayo Fukusato, one of the first Lexus-specific engineers, says proudly.And that's good news because he drives a Porsche 911, rides a one-off mountain bike and has a costly custom-made sound system in his home.The result is a V6 engine, rear-wheel drive chassis with big brakes and fully-independent suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, tilt-and-slide steering adjustment, six airbags, anti-skid brakes with brake assist and "light sabre" pointers on the instruments.Lexus lists a total of 18 IS250 models, from the basic car to a Sports Luxury model with automatic transmission.The flagship comes with all the fruit: leather seats, a moonroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, six-speed auto gearbox and Mark Levinson sound system.But Lexus does not have the IS350 sold in America. It says the car cannot be certified for local sales, though that could be a stalling excuse to get the 250 out of the blocks and leave space for the 350 — and eventually the IS500 with V8 power — to slip in above the current car.The new IS has definitely killed the Camry-cloned GS300, which looks anything but special in the current Lexus family. The new baby Lexus is a top drive. It is much tighter, more together, and more rewarding than the earlier IS.It even felt good after the Audi S4, which is one of the best cars we have had through our test garage in a while.The IS is responsive and youthful, two things BMW has lost with the growth and extra refinement in the latest 3-Series.The German car is still very, very good but falls short of the Lexus when you want to play.Not that you have to flog the IS to enjoy yourself.Our test car, admittedly with all the gear and that $80,000-ish price, had almost everything you could want in a new car: great sound, top-drawer quality, plenty of luxury touches.But the basics are the best. The seats are comfortable and supportive, the touch-change paddles for the automatic gearbox are well placed and made, you can get the wheel where you want it, and the dash is clean and user-friendly.The car could still do with more rear-seat space, even though it's better than the original IS and there is room for two adults, but the cabin is an excellent place.The IS250 also gets along pretty well, though its V6 engine needs encouraging to give its best. It's not a stop-light star, and taxis can take it, which is a big failing.Lexus says 153kW is plenty for the car, but its the torque — only 252Nm in a heavy car — that lets it down, even with the six-speed gearboxes.The manual change is plain awful, with too much slop in all directions, and we would recommend the IS only as an auto.But it is easy to talk up its ride and handling, which is as good as anything in the class: more responsive than the 3-Series, more taut than an Audi A4, and more youthful than a Benz C-Class. And it makes a twisty road fun.The car is just about neutrally balanced, with great turn-in and feel through the steering, which makes it easy to push.It also has great brakes, and the paddle-change auto gives you plenty of options and a gear for every situation.Lexus set tight targets for the new IS and got a bullseye on most of them.It is a terrific car that will do a lot better than the original and make life much, much tougher for the Europeans and more enjoyable for owners.The best Lexus yet is a top car and a responsive drive, but only with an automatic gearbox.79/100

It's baby of the range, the IS250, is a gorgeous looking thing, cast in the current mould towards sedans that look like hatches.It gives the car a sportier, raked stance and more importantly some personality, which is no doubt part of the plan.With the release of the IS250, the range has been culled to just the one model with just the one engine, although it is available in three different trim levels.The engine is a 2.5-litre V6 as opposed to the previous 2.0 and 3.0-litre straight sixes that powered the IS200 and IS300.In other moves, the Camry-based, front- wheel drive ES300 has been axed.The changes signal a more aggressive marketing drive by the company and create some points of difference from the market leading BMW 3 Series.BMW is of course renowned for its straight sixes.As we have come to expect from Lexus build quality is first rate and the car comes jam packed with the latest technology.Lexus claims 13 world firsts in this department and reckons it's the best thing since sliced bread, in fact the best car to come out of Japan yet.Eight SRS airbags as standard equipment, including driver and front passengers knee airbags.Active safety features include Vehicle Swerve Control (VSC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Lexus Brake Assist (BA) on all grades, and Adaptive Front Headlamp System (AFS) on IS250 Sports and IS250 Sports Luxury models.For our money, however, the best bit of gear in the car is the high-end Mark Levinson 5.1 sound system on our sports luxury test car which is one of the best we've heard.It comes with a grand total of 14-speakers including a subwoofer and has built in MP3/ WMA compatibility.IS250's V6 delivers 153kW of power at 6400rpm and 252Nm of torque at 4800rpm and is hooked up to either a six-speed manual or six-speed, sequential auto.That's significantly more power than the 2.0-litre engine but not as much as the 3.0-litre straight six that it replaces.It's a high revving engine and doesn't start to perform until about 4500rpm and can easily be caught napping.Our test car was the six-speed manual and we found for best results it is necessary to stick with a lower gear than usual.We suspect the auto would doing a better job of smoothing out the gaps better.The car employs a keyless ignition system with a button provided for stopping and starting.The key can remain in your pocket if you prefer.Sports suspension as fitted lowers the ride by 13mm and is combined with 18 inch wheels with 225/40R18 front tyres and 255/40R18 rear tyres.The steering is also more direct in the sports model, with a different ratio.As a package however the IS250 is more of a tourer than red light special.Lexus claims the engine is more fuel- efficient than the two engines it replaces.Fuel economy is a claimed 9.1 litres per 100km for the auto and 9.8 litres per 100km for the manual.The Lexus IS250 is priced from $53,890 which puts it well under the luxury car tax threshold.The Sports model with options as tested retails for $74,000.