Lexus make some of the most polished luxury cars on the market, but the Japanese brand knows its market and has sprinkled in some old school charm to appeal to those who like a higher quality audio experience.
Here are five things you need to know about the Lexus IS350.
It’s well screwed together
The cabin of the IS350 oozes quality, from the heated and cooled perforated leather seats to the soft touch surfaces throughout. Then there’s the clarity of the high-resolution digital displays on the dash and in front of the driver. The doors close with a reassuring thunk and the attention to detail extends to chrome surrounds for the audio speakers and padding where your knee typically rests. It’s impressively quiet at highway speeds, although rougher road surfaces elicit a hum from the low-profile tyres. It’s a pity the controller for navigating the centre screen is so fiddly. It mimics the mouse and cursor on your computer but you’re continually missing your intended target when trying to find a radio station or telephone number.
The feature list is long
The IS350 F Sport costs roughly $81,000 on the road but you’re compensated with dual-zone aircon, satnav, digital radio and Mark Levinson audio, an absolute cracker. The best news for audiophiles is that Lexus retains a CD player — now an old school feature quickly disappearing from new cars — allowing you to extract the best possible sound. Lexus also adopts a refreshing approach to extra-cost options — the only one on our test car was premium paint for $1500. The warranty, four years/100,000km, is less than most mainstream brands but better than the main luxury rivals.
The approach is old school
Lexus has embraced hybrid technology and has a petrol-electric variant for al models but the IS350 is a little old-fashioned. Instead of the efficient turbo fours adopted by its German rivals, the sedan uses a naturally aspirated six-cylinder that has been around in various forms since 2005. On paper the outputs are impressive — 233kW of power, 378Nm of torque and a 0-100km/h claim of 5.9 seconds — but it’s an engine that needs to be revved to produce its best. With that comes a less than impressive average fuel consumption claim of 9.5L/100km — Falcon and Commodore territory. Having said that, we easily managed low 7Ls on the open road.
Active safety is well covered
It hasn’t had an update since 2016 and is nearing the end of its life cycle but the IS has kept up pretty well with the latest driving aids. The list runs to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, auto high beam, blind spot monitor, active cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning with steering assistance. As with many such set-ups, the Lexus waits till the last minute to steer you back into your lane and can miss road markings when the light is dappled. If a crash is unavoidable, 10 airbags protect occupants.
The “Sport” badge isn’t for decoration
F Sport versions get distinctive styling cues such as bigger wheels and meaner looking front and rear designs but there are genuine performance tweaks beneath the surface aimed at keener drivers. Adaptive suspension allows you to choose between comfort and more cornering control, while the Sport + setting also adjusts steering weight and throttle response. The end result is a car that cruises comfortably but can more than hold its own on a twisty back road. The steering is sharp and the car feels balanced and composed when changing direction. To add to the sporty character, the engine amplifier in the cabin delivers a throaty exhaust note.
Originally published as Luxury car’s shock old school feature
