First Impressions
Though the 2011 Lexus IS Sedan (view photos) is now six years old and reaching the end of its current lifecycle, it is still an appealing car, inside and out. Athletic and balanced in appearance, and equipped with an intimate, no-nonsense cabin layout that appears to adhere to the tenets of traditional European sport sedan design, the IS remains a contemporary choice in the entry-luxe sport sedan class.
The only problem, then, is that the kinds of buyers who may select the Lexus IS for its performance character are likely to be disappointed by the driving experience, while the kinds of buyers who may select the Lexus IS because of the badge on its grille are similarly likely to be disappointed by the level of luxury.
Landing somewhere between sport and luxury, the Lexus IS compromises on both fronts, making it most satisfying to people with low expectations.
Pricing, Trims and Options
For 2011, the Lexus IS is offered in sedan or convertible body styles, and can also be outfitted as the performance-oriented IS F sedan. This test drive pertains only to the IS250 and IS350 sedans.
Prices range between $33,020 for the IS250 with a manual transmission to $41,905 for the IS350 with all-wheel drive. The most popular models – the IS250 and IS350 with rear-wheel drive and an automatic transmission – are $34,190 and $39,445, respectively.
Standard equipment is basically the same for all IS sedans, including the luxury basics such as leather upholstery, 10-way power front seats, dual-zone climate control, a power moonroof, a premium audio system with iPod/USB compatibility and satellite radio, and Bluetooth calling and music streaming. Other features built into base prices include Smart Access push-button start, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel and one-touch operation for the power windows, along with Homelink, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and 17-inch alloy wheels. Models equipped with AWD also have standard heated front seats, while the IS350 models get HID headlights and LED front running lights as standard.
Options, prices, and the way they are packaged can differ depending on what region of the country you’re living in, but suffice it to say that the IS250 with the manual transmission can’t be loaded up with much stuff. To this model, you can add a Premium Package ($640) that includes upgraded semi-aniline perforated leather, Bird’s Eye Maple wood interior trim, and ventilated seats, and not much else. Other items are installed by the dealer, including a bunch of go-faster goodies from the F Sport catalog.
Once you’ve decided that you’re going with an automatic transmission, the IS can be outfitted with numerous other features in addition to the Premium Package. A Luxury Plus Package ($1,320 to $2,635 depending on model) adds the contents of the Premium Package plus a power tilt and telescopic steering column; a Lexus Memory System for the power seats, power steering wheel, and power mirrors; electrochromic outside mirrors with reverse tilt down; illuminated scuff plates; a power rear sunshade; Bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights (IS250 only); and rain-sensing wipers. If you want upgraded 18-inch split-spoke alloy wheels, they cost $830 and can only be added to IS models equipped with the Luxury Plus Package.
New for 2011, the F Sport Package ($2,440) is offered on the IS250 and IS350 with rear-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. It includes unique 18-inch wheels with a dark super chrome finish, a dark chrome grille, a front lip spoiler, and a rear deck spoiler. Inside, heated front seats with microfiber inserts and leather sport bolsters, aluminum pedals, and silver metallic interior trim distinguish the car, along with several F Sport badges inside and out. But the best part of the F Sport Package is likely to the sport tuned suspension and steering.
Lexus offers a hard-disc navigation system ($2,465) with voice command, a color LCD display, and enhanced Bluetooth capability. Bundled in with the navigation system is the Lexus Enform with Safety Connect telematics system. Safety Connect comes on every 2011 IS, and features automatic collision notification service to get rescue professionals to your location in the event of an airbag deployment, stolen vehicle location service, and an emergency assistance button labeled “SOS.” Safety Connect is a subscription service, but is free for the first year of ownership. Upgrade to a Lexus Enform subscription, and enjoy services including XM NavTraffic, XM NavWeather, and XM Sports & Stocks. Lexus Enform is not offered on the IS250 with a manual transmission.
As long as you’ve selected the navigation system, you can also upgrade your stereo to a Mark Levinson Surround Sound setup ($1,340). Equipped with 14 speakers and 300-watts of power, the Mark Levinson audio system includes a six-disc CD changer and the ability to watch a DVD movie on the center dash screen as long as the emergency brake is engaged.
Another feature available on all Lexus IS models is Intuitive Park Assist ($500). Using information generated by the front and rear parking sensors, IPA can display the distance between the car’s bumpers and nearby objects on the center dash screen, coming in handy when parking.
Interior Features
Our favorite thing about this Lexus’s interior is how intimate the IS feels. The driver sits well forward in the cabin, facing a no-nonsense dashboard comprised of simple instrumentation and high quality materials. The driving position is snug, but not uncomfortable, and the intrusive hump on the floor of models with AWD is bothersome only on occasion.
The rear seat, which offers just 31.6 inches of legroom according to Lexus, looks like a torture chamber and is pretty difficult to enter and exit. Once inside, a short cross-town trip is acceptable because the back bench provides good thigh support and foot space is surprisingly generous. Leg space is a problem, yes, but as long as back seat passengers are willing to splay their knees around the soft front seatbacks, you can squeeze four six-footers aboard for short journeys. Likewise, the IS’s trunk is fairly small at just 13 cubic feet, but it’s usefully shaped.
Clearly, this is a car for single people or empty nesters. As long as you’re planning to rarely use the two rear doors and infrequently carry more than luggage for two, the IS should fit your lifestyle just fine, proving itself both stylish and functional as well as comfortable, quiet, and refined.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
Equipped with eight airbags (front, side, side curtain, and knee for driver and passenger), the Lexus IS (view photos) ought to prove itself a safe vehicle. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revised its crash testing methodology for 2011, and had not evaluated the IS at the time this review was written. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says the IS receives its highest rating of Good in the offset frontal and side-impact crash tests, and gets an Acceptable rating for rear crash protection.
The Lexus IS also comes standard with Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), which ties the stability control, traction control, braking system, throttle, and electric steering together so that all vehicle and driver actions can be monitored and evaluated to determine when the IS might be about to skid or slide. When VDIM determines that danger may be imminent, it intervenes by selectively applying the brakes and reducing engine power to get the car under control.
Interestingly, a week after we test drove the IS, we came upon a single-car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu. It was a beautiful, dry, warm day along this stretch of wide two-lane road, and a vehicle had gone off the edge of the highway and impaled itself on the rocks just short of where the surf crashed to a halt against the breakwater. The car was a late-model Lexus IS, the bulk of impact taken by the rear end of the car indicating that it slid backwards off the pavement and short dirt shoulder. Numerous rescue vehicles were present, the driver had survived, and the passenger compartment appeared to be mostly intact. But we wonder: where was VDIM in this case?
Moving on to the IS’s reliability, Consumer Reports gives the Lexus IS its top rating for predicted reliability. In fact, in reviewing dependability data going back to 2006, the year the current version of the IS first debuted, it is clear that this car fares exceptionally well in almost all Consumer Reports evaluation criteria, which means you might want to investigate a certified pre-owned model before popping for a brand new set of wheels.
J.D. Power and Associates is similarly bullish on the Lexus IS when it comes to predicted reliability and initial quality. In 2010, the market research firm claimed the IS rated “better than most” for each measure. However, when reviewing the results of J.D. Power’s most recent dependability study, which evaluates models that are three years old, the 2007 Lexus IS fared “average” in this regard.
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