In the merciless world of luxury sedans, you have to admit that the Germans (e.g. Mercedes-Benz and BMW) have a huge market share. The Britons and Italians do offer their own vehicles in this category, but they try to incite art or magic more than anything else.
Regardless of the fact that we're looking at the situation in Paris, New York, London or even Beijing, when there's money, the German saloons are right there. Despite the fact that the Japanese cars were pretty nice in the past, they were never able to reach the same level as our German counterparts, but we can safely say now that the days of the Germans are numbered, the German luxury sedans that is, like the Class C Benz and the BMW 3 Series... and that's all thanks to the IS250 and IS350 by Lexus.
Toyota promised a full frontal attack to prove that they had the know-how and drive to offer high-end luxury sedans in their Lexus range. This brand is already well establised in the USA, but being the future world's number 1 car manufacturer, they had to go beyond that established name and fame and offer something more than Benz and BMW in this domain. The vehicle that is meant to break the dominance of the Germans is the Lexus IS... and that's only a start, because Lexus has a few other tricks up their sleeve.
The Lexus IS replaces the Toyota Altezza in the luxury sports sedan segment, and IS actually stands for "Intelligent Sport". This vehicle doesn't hide the fact that it's a sporty luxury model, and sporty means performance. In Japan, we're lucky enough to have 2 models available, the IS250 (the model we tested) and the IS350. Both adopt a V6 engine, and the difference lies in the number of horses that are squeezed out of the blocks and the size of the blocks itself: 2.5L 204bhp for the IS250 and 3.5L 306bhp for the IS350. These figures place the IS250 a tad below the BMW 325i but the IS350 develops 50bhp more than a BMW 330xi (that is heavier too than this Lexus). Yep, no typo, 50bhp more than a stock Beemer... and yes, you feel that difference immediately!
With performance like this, we immediately wondered whether the handling was up to par, and wholeheartedly I can say YES, the handling of this IS is exceptional thanks to a number of security features and parts that keep this car going where you want it to go. Clearly, speed and power slide purists won't be impressed by the array of electronic assistance systems, but if we look at it in a rational way, we have to admit that if you're looking for that kind of sensations, you're better off getting a Lotus Elise or a new Corvette. As its name indicates, this car stands for intelligent sports driven by a gentlemen that likes a powerful car and does not like to wonder whether the rear will step out if he goes around bends in a more muscular style. Those who are looking for a more or less agressive driving style in a comfortable and silent way, the IS should be on top of their list. The car just wears its "Intelligent Sport" badge well, and the technology it packs, allows every driver to experience the joys of a sporty driving style.
Tastes may differ, but we find this IS very nice from an aesthetic point of view. It marries elegance and sport very well, and it's a few lightyears ahead of the old Merc C Class style and it can't even be compared to the absolutely horrible looking 3 Series from BMW. The styling also sticks with every driver, be it old or young, male or female, everybody looks good in this IS! It's like the car adapts itself to whomever is behind the steering wheel, just like the handling of the car feels like it adapts itself to your character.
So what can we expect on the inside of this super-car? Well, nothing but good things actually. The interior is in sync with what you expect after seeing it from the outside and absorbing the stylish and sporty looks. The dashboard is simple and elegant, the seats are perfect for every driving style (sporty or not), the audio/TV/GPS system is of an exceptional quality and the sound quality is just amazing. The gear change controls on the steering wheel are perfectly accessible and precise, unlike the ones we had on other cars where the manufacturers tried to hide them more than anything else. The seat adjustement system with 3 memory positions was much appreciated by my colleague and me, and they offer you for example the possibility to store two seating positions for the main driver (one for the city and one for the city for example) and one for an occasional driver. An aspect that I really didn't like during this test was the parking brake. It's activated with the left foot, and I really don't understand that a manufacturer can't come up with a batter system in the 21st century, a system that does not destroy your left John Lobb or Berlutti shoe (or worse, a system that doesn't leave scars on your left leg).
Until now, whilst driving around town and crossing all those BMW 3 Series or C Class Benz cars, I couldn't come up with a car that could rival with those Germans. Until now that was, because this Lexus can not only compete with these German vehicles, it can even make me forget those other luxury sedans mentioned before. I'm sure that I won't have to look at a discoloured seat after 6 months or a cracked aircon button after 8 months like on a BMW for example. So, go to the nearest Lexus dealer and you'll understand exactly what the term "compact luxury sports sedan" means!