You'll find contradiction, balance and "moments" in Lexus' latest sports/luxury sedans.
My first look at the new IS250 and IS350 luxury sports sedans from Lexus was outside the trendy Le Germain hotel on rather mean Mercer Street in downtown Toronto.
That initial glance, at a silver IS250 -- a moment, if you like -- brought the instant reaction: great-looking car. A gem that, like the hotel, sparkled despite a rather rough setting.
A little later I was in the passenger seat navigating through high-rent Rosedale and poking the car's nose into the contrasting neighbourhoods that form Toronto's fabric. Between instructions there was time to look around an interior that is functional and comfortable, but also very stylish, and, well, Lexus-like, highlighted by myriad details, which are much like moments fixed in place rather than time.
After lunch and some back-roading, we were in a part of Toronto that definitely doesn't appear in the tourist brochures, the derelict hodgepodge of weathered buildings and tired tarmac at CFB Downsview.
This time, my eyes were focused through an IS250's windscreen on a number of orange cones arranged to create bends on the bumpy taxiways. The car had its shoulder firmly into the corner as we arced through a long moment to the accompaniment of a duet sung by the high-revving V-6 and the tires.
From the driver's seat, all the painstakingly shaped sheet metal and the finely formed interior materials had disappeared and we were down to the essence of the automobile. The stuff, or lack of it, that justifies the word "sport" in a car's description, or gives it the lie, sensations experienced through eyes and ears, hands and backside. And the 204-hp IS250 was delivering the goods. The IS350, with 306 hp, does so with an even bigger kick in the latter area.
The contrasts in the cars' nature reflect those of the man responsible for overseeing their creation, chief engineer Sugayo Fukusato who counts among his credits the latest Corolla and Matrix.
Fukusato plays electric guitar and builds his own audio equipment, but is also an avid gear-head and car racer. He performs in traditional Noh theatre, yet practices the ancient martial art of archery from horseback. Some see these as contradictions; he sees them as part of his life's balance.
The new cars, which have just arrived in dealerships, are billed as sports sedans first, something of an about-turn for Lexus, which has built its reputation with the emphasis firmly on luxury. With this pair, however, Lexus is avowedly and avidly targeting Euro-rivals such as BMW's 3-Series and Audi's A4 as well as Infiniti's G35 and Acura's TL.
The cars are in fact step two in a strategy, launched earlier this year with the new GS sedans, designed to move the perhaps too conservatively viewed Lexus brand towards a more "dynamic driving experience."
The 2006 IS250 and IS350 replace the IS300, which arrived for 2000 as something of a mixed-message model that just didn't get the job done. Only about 400 were sold last year, adding to Lexus' 2004 tally of 8,400 sales. Lexus Canada director Stuart Payne says the overall number should climb to 10,000 this year and with an estimated 2,600 IS250/IS350's factored in, to 11,700 in 2006.
To help realize this ambitious increase, Lexus has priced and equipped the new models aggressively.
The IS250 with rear-wheel drive and six-speed manual starts at $36,300 ($37,900 with six-speed automatic) and an all-wheel-drive version, only available with automatic, is $41,900. The IS350, which is available only as a rear-driver with six-speed automatic and is comprehensively equipped, is priced at $48,900.
Compared to the IS300, the new cars are about 25 mm wider and longer, ride on a wheelbase extended 60 mm and have a 25-mm wider rear track. The bodywork draws inspiration from the larger GS sedans and was painstakingly air-tunnel-tested (even the taillight lenses contribute) to produce a drag coefficient of just 0.27.
It's a good looking, but more importantly given the message it's supposed to send, vigorous and muscular shape, particularly in the hind quarters.
The interior will seat four in comfort, with good head and shoulder room and the trunk, hidden under that ultra-short rear deck, is quite generous. Seats are well-shaped and the wheel is too.
The base IS250 comes very well equipped with high-tech goodies that include smart key access with push-button start and a great sound system; the IS350 considerably more so with things like navigation and rear backup camera systems also available. Safety features include front, knee, side and side-curtain airbags.
The IS250 is powered by a new 2.5 litre, twin-cam V-6 with direct-to-the-cylinder fuel injection and a variable intake system. It's rated at 204 hp at 6,400 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. This is a very smooth, quick-revving motor that delivers an entertaining level of performance with great civility and drivability.
The IS350 has these attributes too, but pumps out a third more horsepower. This also-new, 3.5 litre V-6 benefits from both direct injection and port injection, a combination that delivers both economy and power -- in this case, 306 hp at 6,400 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. Enough to get the car to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.
Both have a double-wishbone front suspension with a multi-link system in the rear. The IS250 has 16-inch wheels with 17-inchers optional, while on the IS250 AWD and IS350 17-inch are standard and 18-inch available.
Steering has electric power assist with a pleasingly natural feel and brakes are discs all round --really big ones on the IS350. Electronic driving aids abound. Ride is decidedly firm.
The IS250 provides an exceptional balance of value, style, luxury and performance. The same can be said of the IS350, but with the prefix "formidable" in front of performance.
Specifications
2006 Lexus IS250
Type: Luxury sports sedan
Price: $36,300 base/$37,900 with six-speed
Engine: 2.5 litre, DOHC, V-6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Output: 204 hp/185 lb-ft of torque
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): N/A
Alternatives: BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, Acura TL, Infiniti G35
Like: Exterior and interior styling and a great mechanical package
Don't like: After only an hour or two in the car, nothing really stands out. Oh all right, the side mirrors protrude like jug handles
