| The winner of the Best Prestige Car category in the 2007 Australia's Best Cars awards, the Lexus IS250 is a great value alternative to base model four cylinder German brand sedans. |
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Value for money
Pricing
The IS250 six speed manual costs $53,890.
The IS250 Sports costs $67,400; the Sports Luxury, tested here, is $78,500.
A six speed sequential auto adds $2600 to the base and Sports models; it's standard on the Sports Luxury.
Warranty
Four years/100,000 kilometres, which is above average.
Standard equipment
Keyless entry/starting, automatic, dual zone air, Data Dot security, eight airbags - including front knee airbags and a new twin chamber, V shaped passenger's airbag, claimed to better distribute a crash impact to the shoulder and upper torso - and leather upholstered front seats with heating and cooling are included on all models.
Radar cruise control, pre safe crash preparation and swivelling, bi xenon headlights are also fitted to the Sports Luxury variant.
Sixteen inch alloys are used on the base model. The Sport runs 18s (with 225/40 front/255/40 rear tyres) while the Sports Luxury is fitted with 17 inch wheels, shod with 225/45-245/45 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres.
Retained value
The IS200 retains approximately 49 percent of its new price after three years, which is below average. However the IS250 should perform better than this.
Design and Function
Ergonomics
The IS250's dash layout is efficient, restrained and shows obvious attention to driver safety and convenience.
Permanently illuminated instruments, for example, are brilliantly clear day or night; perimeter rings on the speedo and tacho can be preset to change colour according to speed and engine rpm.
Lexus' touch screen navigation/audio/bluetooth/air con (standard on the Luxury Sports, optional on other variants) is easier to read and use, on initial acquaintance at least, than cursor-based systems like BMW's iDrive. Its DVD based navigation has greater functionality, and more sophisticated, legible graphics, than these competitors.
Lexus also does the best sound in the business, with a 14 speaker/in dash six stacker Mark Levinson system standard in the Sports Luxury.
Long driver's seat travel, and a height/reach adjustable wheel are provided. Headroom (with the standard sunroof in the Sports/Sports Luxury) is sufficient for most - but not all - drivers.
A high waistline, and thick rear pillar, restrict rear vision; this is compensated for by large side mirrors and, in the Sports Luxury, a reversing camera, which should be standard in all variants.
Innovation
The 2.5 litre V6 uses direct petrol injection. It produces 153 kW of power at 6400rpm and 252 Nm of torque at 4800 rpm.
The longer wheelbase (than the IS200), shorter, lower V6 configuration, and location of the fuel tank under the back seat, has helped concentrate the car's mass between the axles, balance its weight distribution and lower its centre of gravity.
However, the IS250 is heavy for its size. At 1570-1625 kg, it weighs at least 200 kg more than the previous IS200, and about 100-150 kg more than a six cylinder 3 Series.
The 2006 IS also uses MacPherson strut front/ multilink rear suspension (lowered, with a firmer tune on the Sport model) and electric power steering. The brakes have emergency full power assistance. Stability control is standard.
Safety
The IS250 scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, plus four stars for child protection.
Security
The IS250 scored 101.5 points out of a possible 120 in NRMA Insurance's security ratings.
Comfort
You sit low and stretched out, in a sumptuously padded driver's seat. Upper body support is insufficient when cornering, though. The backrest needs more side bolstering.
Space and practicality
The back seat is comfortable and nicely shaped for two, but space is tight if tall occupants are in the front seats. Access and footroom under the front seats are also restricted.
The big boot has extra storage and a space saver under the floor, shopping bag hooks, a first aid kit and a small porthole for carrying long objects.
Build and finish quality
Lexus produces the highest quality cars in the world according to independent surveys.
It's worth noting that Lexus customer service is also the industry benchmark. It includes pick up and delivery of your car for servicing.
On the road
Fuel efficiency
Direct petrol injection produces excellent economy - around 10 percent better than port injection - albeit on premium unleaded. The Lexus used only 6.9-7.5 litres/100 km on the highway and 10-12 litres/100 km in the city. Some four cylinder cars are thirstier.
Performance
The 2.5 litre V6 is still not the most tractable device, especially under 3000 rpm, where performance is dulled also by the car's weight. It works (and sounds) best from 4500 rpm-6500 rpm.
Still, it cruises in silence, with absolute smoothness, and never feels like its working hard.
Tall gearing in the auto is a bit too ambitious for the engine's revvy nature, as is the adaptive programming's lazy response to the pedal when you (frequently) require a downshift or two. These are occasionally accompanied by a slur and lurch, particularly the third to second shift.
Manual mode, using the lever or wheel mounted paddles, is the preferred method. Shifts here are crisp and quick; lower gears run to the redline and are held there until you upshift.
Ride
The ride, though compliant and acceptably comfortable, is quite firm around town. Bump absorption improves with speed.
Handling and steering
Its extra weight has cost the new IS a measure of its predecessor's dynamic sharpness and agility, but it's still a taut, responsive, finely balanced handler, with a level of car-to-driver tactility and enjoyment other Lexus models lack.
The steering is light, and has little on centre feel, but when pointing the IS through a series of bends it's direct, pin sharp and communicative.
Braking
The test car's brake pedal was touchy; otherwise, the brakes are powerful and fade resistant.
Smoothness and quietness
No problems here. First class refinement is a Lexus given.
Summary
Lexus has always built high quality, competent cars, but the IS250 adds something the brand has until now lacked: it's actually fun to drive. Against its four cylinder German rivals, it is also outstanding value for money. No wonder it's an Australia's Best Cars winner.
The writer of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the NRMA and this report is provided for you as an alternative to our own NRMA car reviews.
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