Lexus IS 300 SportCross R&T article
01-21-06 | 11:14 PM
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Lexus IS 300 SportCross R&T article
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....&article_id=72
For the past few years, the vehicles of choice for people with equipment to haul—such as toddler toys, surfboards, skis or mountain bikes—have been sport utilities. They are, after all, spacious. And they express a macho, active-lifestyle image, much more so than minivans and station wagons. But the public seems to be tiring of SUVs, especially because of their trucklike cornering manners and the rising cost of gasoline. So what sort of vehicle do these weekend adventurers turn to next? Lexus seems to think sporty wagons.
With the new IS 300 SportCross, Lexus has created a vehicle that combines the practicality of an SUV with the style and road manners of a sports sedan. Sure, the IS 300 SportCross doesn’t have a luggage compartment as cavernous as a sport ute’s (or other station wagons for that matter), but it has enough to keep most of us happy. A rear hatch makes loading and unloading items, such as golf clubs and large suitcases, easy.
And the car/wagon looks good, much better than some of the crossover vehicles crowding the marketplace today. The sheet metal for the rear half of the SportCross is all new, stamped and styled to preserve the sedan version’s sporty demeanor.
Nobuyuki Katayama, chief engineer of the car, said he wanted to preserve the image of performance with the SportCross. “We felt that a conventional wagon body would detract from that image. But on the other hand, we also knew that IS 300 customers were less inclined to require full utility of a boxy shape,” he said.
The SportCross is roughly the same size as the IS 300, measuring only about a half-inch longer and 1.2 in. taller. But the new Lexus has more than twice the cargo area of its sedan sibling, according to EPA mea-surements (21.8 cu. ft. to 10.1). But you wouldn’t know this by driving the SportCross. Its road manners are virtually identical to those of the sedan.
Press the throttle, and the car reaches freeway speed quickly and seamlessly, hitting 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The smooth-revving 3.0-liter dohc inline-6, with VVTi, produces 215 bhp at 5800 rpm and 218 lb.-ft. of torque at 3800. On the twisty stuff, you’ll find that the SportCross corners crisply with almost perfect balance. Understeer becomes noticeable when the car is pushed hard. Body roll is hardly perceptible through slow-speed corners, and the steering is quick and responsive. Also, ride quality is excellent.
The SportCross, as well as the IS 300 sedan, receives an optional navigation system for 2002. Unlike the systems in the LS, SC and GS, the IS 300’s navigation monitor is mounted on top of the dash. It stays hidden when not in use, and tilts up when a button is pushed. The main controls for the system are located on the center console, away from the dashboard and closer to where the driver’s right hand rests when it’s not on the steering wheel.
For the past few years, the vehicles of choice for people with equipment to haul—such as toddler toys, surfboards, skis or mountain bikes—have been sport utilities. They are, after all, spacious. And they express a macho, active-lifestyle image, much more so than minivans and station wagons. But the public seems to be tiring of SUVs, especially because of their trucklike cornering manners and the rising cost of gasoline. So what sort of vehicle do these weekend adventurers turn to next? Lexus seems to think sporty wagons.
With the new IS 300 SportCross, Lexus has created a vehicle that combines the practicality of an SUV with the style and road manners of a sports sedan. Sure, the IS 300 SportCross doesn’t have a luggage compartment as cavernous as a sport ute’s (or other station wagons for that matter), but it has enough to keep most of us happy. A rear hatch makes loading and unloading items, such as golf clubs and large suitcases, easy.
And the car/wagon looks good, much better than some of the crossover vehicles crowding the marketplace today. The sheet metal for the rear half of the SportCross is all new, stamped and styled to preserve the sedan version’s sporty demeanor.
Nobuyuki Katayama, chief engineer of the car, said he wanted to preserve the image of performance with the SportCross. “We felt that a conventional wagon body would detract from that image. But on the other hand, we also knew that IS 300 customers were less inclined to require full utility of a boxy shape,” he said.
The SportCross is roughly the same size as the IS 300, measuring only about a half-inch longer and 1.2 in. taller. But the new Lexus has more than twice the cargo area of its sedan sibling, according to EPA mea-surements (21.8 cu. ft. to 10.1). But you wouldn’t know this by driving the SportCross. Its road manners are virtually identical to those of the sedan.
Press the throttle, and the car reaches freeway speed quickly and seamlessly, hitting 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The smooth-revving 3.0-liter dohc inline-6, with VVTi, produces 215 bhp at 5800 rpm and 218 lb.-ft. of torque at 3800. On the twisty stuff, you’ll find that the SportCross corners crisply with almost perfect balance. Understeer becomes noticeable when the car is pushed hard. Body roll is hardly perceptible through slow-speed corners, and the steering is quick and responsive. Also, ride quality is excellent.
The SportCross, as well as the IS 300 sedan, receives an optional navigation system for 2002. Unlike the systems in the LS, SC and GS, the IS 300’s navigation monitor is mounted on top of the dash. It stays hidden when not in use, and tilts up when a button is pushed. The main controls for the system are located on the center console, away from the dashboard and closer to where the driver’s right hand rests when it’s not on the steering wheel.
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