U know, I have to say I just finished driving the absolute snot outta it for 10 minutes and I think they just sold me a car.

And this is the 250

This car has surprised the snot outta me. Full review to come in a couple days

A couple things.
1. The best steering/handling on any Lexus ever.
2. Surprsing punch, 1st gear feels the most lethargic but not bad once at speed
3. I am 6"5 220 and there is just TONS of room up front. To hell with the backseat passengers
4. The freaking LEDs all over at night= ****!!!
5. I still am not head over heels on the looks. The windows are too small for the body.
6. Best steering wheel in any lexus. Thick, smaller diameter than usual. (some girls like it that way)

 

Go SICK!

Way to blow off steam after enjoying the 'sights' at the office all day

Look forward to reading your review

TripleL

 

Have fun Sick. I know that you'll enjoy the IS even it's an 250, but still a lot of fun around the corner. The 250 is pretty peppy after all and will give you a surprise from a 2.5 liter engine. I know Amy drove one a few weeks back and she loves it.

 

Nice seems like your really enjoying it. I assume you have it as a loaner. Must be tempting.

 

So what's the chance of it being your next Lexus

 

You are going to get it in stick right?

I drove my wife's friends AWD one the other day - a bit pokey off the line (like you said) - I can only imagine how much fun it would be with a stick (and something tells me you do not need AWD in Atlanta!)

Let us know what you do - hint, get the red one

 

I'm glad you liked it. How about the 350?

 

Alright just got home. First HUGE thanks to Hennessy Lexus of Gwinnett, the ES is getting some work done, so an IS loaner it is.

Image
8 outta 10. When i texted some of my pals I would be meeting them in an IS, my phone started beeping with text messages with interest. Lets me know people give a fock and like the car. If they didn't they wouldn't have said a thing. T.I has a party at visions downtown and Two-Times in his highly modded GS 400 was following me and we both were getting looks, even though there were some nice cars out there. I didn't see one other IS or GS except a new 3GS (though I saw 500 Altimas, 300Cs, Escalades, Tahoes, everything looks the same). Overall a pleasant surprise, the 1IS never gathered the looks this car has gotten in one night though I might actually PREFER the 1IS looks. In talking about this car, people KNOW what an IS is and is very interested in what I think.

Luxury
9 outta 10.
I know what your thinking. A 9? Let me tell you from slamming the door to the feel of the leather to the *****, this feels like its built out of granite. And it should being based off the GS. YOU do feel the HEFT of this car and it FEELS luxurious. The gauges probably cost more than Nissan spends on all their interiors. Details galore. LEDs, outlets here and there, the airbags are well concealed, the fit and finish was SUPERB. For the ENTRY LEVEL Lexus, this is a $31,000 car, they don't come much better built than this. It makes you FEEL worth the money. The Stock stereo does SUCK to me, better than most but subpar to me. The older Lexus stock systems were better to me. No wood inside, the aluminum, looked good. Teh Doors are sculpted nicely, I mean people put some damn THOUGHT into this car. The rear is cramped as I sat in the back when I had my sister drive but this is a small car (180" long). Front seat room is ABUNDANT. I am
6"5 220. True, there is no room behind me when I sit in front but who cares. TONS of legroom and headroom
Walking in and out without touching a thing but the start button=priceless. The way the gauges light up b/c you set the orange light to go off when u go over 80mph or rev over 6000rpm=priceless. That is luxury.
Performance
FUN to drive. Because this car has only 204hp and about 180lbns of torque, you have to paddle shift in teh right gear CONSTANTLY to be in the power band, which makes things VERY interesting. This car is fast enough for most people. Compared to teh 350, CLEARLY its much slower but the 350 is fastest in class.
The steering is teh best on any LEXUS ever made and I've driven them all. Not even close. Better than the 1IS. What makes it feel a lil less tossable is teh WEIGHT. You can feel the weight of this car. The 1IS was very light, very tossable. This car did inspire confidence in corners but you can feel it pushing hard. On teh highway, great crusier, 2000 RPM at 70mph about 2400 RPM at 80mph. I mean, this car had me grinning and its the 250!!! I kept saying to myself "i can drive this all damn day". The seats were GREAT, on par with the SC 300/400 with best Lexus seats. Your IN the seat, not the typical Lexus ON the sit.
Though these are not 4 piston brakes like the 350, they held up VERY well, I never felt like the brakes were overburdened and I experienced no fade.


Review/Conclusion

No NAV, this car is probably 31k out the door. And A BARGAIN. I mean, you feel llike its a 60k car. It looks GREAT to people, I am still not in love with the looks. I like the size, smaller than the GS, bigger than the last IS (I am not a fan of giant cars). I do hate the windows, too small and like EVERY DAMN car today, you sit so low b/c the side doors are so tall, its hard to hang your arm out the window. If you sat in a 350Z, you know what I mean. Also, no HIDs stock is kinda lame.

Its one thing to drive the car at the Lexus performance event. Now having it all night, this car is WONDERFUL. It makes you want to drive. I kept thinking "damn I bet the 350 is NUTS on public roads".

I averagaged about 13mpg in 1-2 gear hard driving and about 26 mpg on highway/city driving, pretty damn good.

I give it a 9 outta 10.

 

This car was an 6 speed auto, RWD sedan. Another cool thing is you can either shift with the paddles (my favorite, PUT THAT BACK IN THE DAMN GS LEXUS!!) or on the center console like on Acuras. Pretty cool.

 

I' ve tested the paddle shift in my test drive of the IS350, & frankly I don't like it. There's no substitute for a real manual with a clutch.

 

Yea Mike, get the stick! If you are getting the 250, you have no excuse! Come on man!

 

Please tell me it had a manual tranny?

N/M, saw it was an auto

 

Thanks for the heads-up on this car..good job as usual.

You mention the 6000 RPM light. I take it that since this was a dealer loaner it had enough miles on it ( more than 1000 ) to where you could safely do 6000 on the engine? Otherwise that would screw up the break-in.

I plan to write a review the IS250 AWD shortly, both because of interest in it here at CL and also because I already have an AWD car with similiar 2.5L displacement.......the Outback.
Thanks to your good report here, I won't have to drive the RWD version.........you've already done that.

I have sat in some 2006 IS models and looked them over but have not test-driven one yet. My preliminary impressions of the new model was, first, that is was basically a more-or-less scaled down version of the new GS, and, second, that the interior, with its wood paneling and conventional dash, is much more luxurious and Lexus-like than the last IS300 with its chronograph gauges, chrome-ball shifter, and rather cheap-looking dash. The last IS, though, felt to me like it had more solid-feeling doors and interior hardware. I also don't like the fact that unlike the last IS300, the new one no longer offers the 55-series all-season tire option...you are stuck with the rougher-riding and shorter-wearing 45-series.
I'll save most of my comments, however, for my full review....coming up.

 

Funny, while the IS350 is more fun because it's more powerful, I thought the IS 250 was the better driving car as well. Some reviews have said the same thing.

 

Great review, especially for someone who is ready to pull the trigger on a new one. I am waiting for the 5ES to arrive as I want to compare that to the IS250. My 3ES has been a great car, but it's time.

I know the two cars can not be compared, but it's good to hear some good things about the 250. I've noticed as each year passes, I feel the need for roadway speed less and less....

Not to fret though....it's time to dewinterize and splash my go fast!