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Posted September, 2006

Road Test: 2006 Lexus IS250/IS350

By Thomas E. Bonsall

Vividly, I recall my first Lexus press preview back in 1989. The original LS flagship sedan was so incredibly well done even the people at Toyota were intimidated by it. They knew that in several year's time, the car buying public would expect them to offer a successor that would improve on the 1990 car — and they weren't sure they could. The LS was so good that, in important ways, it actually redefined the luxury car segment. You have to go back to the Cadillac Series Sixty of 1936 to find a luxury car that influential.

Since 1990, Lexus has been the one luxury car brand that never made a misstep, never was out-distanced by its competitors. Yet, within the past several months we have tested two new products from Lexus that failed to fully meet competitive standards. The first was the GS 300. Click here for our head-to-head comparison with the new Cadillac DTS in which the Yank machine actually came out on top. The other disappointment from Lexus is the subject of this review, the new IS250/IS350 series. Before we get to its shortcomings, though, let's go over a description of the vehicle:

Three models are available in the new IS family. The IS250 features a 2.5-liter V6 engine with either a six-speed manual transmission (which our test car had) or a new six-speed sequential automatic transmission with Formula One inspired steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters routing power to the rear wheels. The IS250 is also available with all-wheel drive (AWD). The top-of-the-line IS350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine and comes standard with the six-speed automatic.

The IS350 has an EPA-estimated fuel rating of 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway; the IS250 comes in at 24 mpg city/32 mpg highway. All IS models carry the EPA's Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle II (ULEV II) certification.

The IS receives an all-new front and rear suspension, steering and braking systems. The IS250 comes with standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). The suspension designs optimize dynamic wheel alignment to help provide precise handling and maximum tire grip. A performance suspension package with 18-inch wheels is available for even better handling.

Notable standard equipment includes the convenient SmartAccess keyless entry and engine start system, six-disc, in-dash CD changer, driver and front passenger knee airbags and a 13-speaker premium audio system. The IS range also offers premium options such as Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS), heated and ventilated front seats, Pre Collision System (PCS), a power-tilt telescope steering wheel and a new 14-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound Audio System.

The Lexus Premium Audio System is standard in the IS. It offers 194 watts of music power and, as noted above, 13 speakers. The system even includes a convenient mini-jack in the center console to play music from iPods and MP3 players. The IS also offers an optional Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound Audio System. This system offers 300 watts of power, 14 speakers (including a center speaker and subwoofer) and 7.1-channel speaker architecture.

Styling is in the eye of the beholder, but we haven't been terribly impressed with recent Toyota/Lexus exterior designs. The IS series was no exception. The exterior design was OK, but hardly set the hormones racing. The interior was better, and we actually rather liked the way it looked.

The IS250 drove and handled well. The IS350 performed even better. The sound system was pretty decent. So what were our complaints, i.e., the "shortcomings" referred to in paragraph two? In the first place, the IS sedan is SMALL. I'm a bear of a guy — over six feet tall, too — but, even so, I rarely find the cabin of even two-seater sports cars overly confining. Not so with the IS. The first time I climbed behind the wheel and closed the door, I actually felt a wave of claustrophobia sweep over me.

Worse, the B-pillar between the front and rear doors is located to far forward, so that front seat ingress and egress are severely restricted. Being a tall man with long legs, I had the driver's seat moved all the way back. In that position the B-pillar was actually five or six inches ahead of the back rest. So, in order to get into or out of the car I had to pivot around the B-pillar. This proved extremely awkward on level surfaces. With the car on an incline, with the driver's side higher than the passenger side, egress was nearly impossible. My usual parking spot is inclined just that way and I learned very quickly to back into the space so that I could open the driver's door on the downhill side and have Mr. Gravity working FOR me.

Since 1982, we have tested around two thousand vehicles of all descriptions. Never have we experienced a problem such as the IS's B-pillar disaster. WARNING: THIS IS A CAR THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR VERY SMALL PEOPLE. In that, we're beginning to wonder about Toyota (which builds the Lexus), in general. If you want to read about a similar problem, check out our just-posted Toyota Yaris review by clicking here. The short version of the Yaris story is that a man with a normal-size shoe cannot operate the clutch due to the impossibly small clearances resulting from the pedal's location. Are they testing their designs with midgets these days?

Our IS250 test car was the base model with a price of $34,285. Only two options were included: Intuitive Parking Assist for $500 and the Preferred Accessory Package for $194. The Intuitive Parking Assist was those sensors that beep at you to let you know how close you're getting to other objects. We tend to think this is a rather useful device and it seemed to work well on our test car. The Preferred Accessory Package consisted of the trunk mat, the cargo net and wheel locks. Again, well worth the money.

Our IS350 test car had a base price of $35,440, but that was before they added eight grand's worth of options and charges for a grand total of $43,589. The two big options were the Luxury Package for $4,215 and the Navigation System for $2,550. The Luxury Package consisted of a whole laundry list of goodies, from special alloy wheels, to heated seats and wood trim inside, and much more.

In all fairness, we cannot say we do not recommend the IS models. Assuming you like everything else about them, and granted that Toyota/Lexus quality is tops, whether you could ever really be comfortable in one depends on your physical size. My late mother, who weighed 85 pounds dripping wet, might have loved the IS line. I, on the other hand, wouldn't take one as a gift. What is going on with Toyota these days? R&D