How much would you pay for a sporty Lexus?
If you answered $50,000, you certainly know the upscale nature of Toyota’s luxury division. But your guess would be about $15,000 to $20,000 too rich when pondering the tested 2006 Lexus IS 250 luxury sport sedan.
An IS 250 with a six-speed manual starts at 10 bucks short of $30,000. A top-tier IS 250 with all-wheel drive – the tested model – starts at $34,285.
OK, that’s not pocket change. But considering that a Lexus SC 430 convertible goes for more than $65,000 these days, a Lexus bearing a sticker price around $35,000 deserves a close look.
Lexus know this; that’s why it builds the IS 250 and markets it as an entry-level bargain for folks who like the brand but whose budgets might not normally absorb a pricey Lexus purchase.
The IS 250 is a pretty impressive package for the price.
It looks good, with elegant, sporty lines – a classic wedge with an abrupt chop at the back bumper. The car’s exterior skin is flared at the wheel wells, a nice, subtle touch.
On the move, the IS 250 cuts through the air smoothly and almost soundlessly. The comparatively small, 2.5-liter V-6 with variable valve timing generates a robust 204 horsepower.
Nailing the accelerator at a standing start does not produce a dragster-like blastoff – the advertised zero-to-60 mph time is a somewhat sedate 8.3 seconds – but the power plant dishes up performance smoothly and forcefully as the seamless, six-speed automatic runs through the gears.
All-wheel-drive handling in the tester was admirable. The IS 250 took on slalom runs, freeway merges, surface-street scoots and uphill climbs with stability and little jarring of driver and passengers.
Steering had that perfect match of responsiveness and feel. For me, that means it was not so light that the car would jump two lanes right or left if I sneezed.
Brakes are a big deal on this car. The standard offering includes electronic brake force distribution and brake-assist. In the tester, the four-wheel discs stopped the IS 250 on a dime, even on slick surfaces. Very nice.
Inside, an attractive dash/center control stack layout was a source of enjoyment. However, three back-seat passengers had to do a little creative leaning and leg folding to approach comfort.
A lengthy list of standard safety features included side-curtain air bags.
What’s not to like? Here’s where it gets relative.
The purchaser of a basic IS 250 must – horror of horrors – manually adjust the steering wheel. And those heated/ventilated seats are going to cost extra.
In fact, a veteran Lexus customer will find that many of the goodies normally included as standard are listed as optional on the IS 250. That’s particularly true in the comfort/convenience department.
This will likely prompt the veteran Lexus driver to ask: Why buy the IS 250 when I can get so much more on other Lexus models?
Good question. But it misses the point.
The IS 250 is not the poor person’s Lexus; it has too much on it to be in that ballpark. But it is a comparatively economical choice for a buyer who wants some of that well-established Lexus flash, reliability and engineering for the price of an upper-end Toyota Camry Solara.
And if the snobs poke fun at you for getting a “bargain” $35,000 Lexus, you can drive to the bank, smiling over the money you’ve saved.
It’s also worth noting that the IS 250 has a more muscular sibling – the IS 350, equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 with 306 horsepower. Lexus touts the zero-to-60 mph trip in that car as a quick 5.6 seconds.
So if performance matters most, make a point of testing the IS 350 and weighing its manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $35,440.
Outside the Lexus loop, the IS 250 also faces competition from BMW’s 3 Series lineup, which includes similarly alluring prices from a luxury/performance automaker.
But in my experience, that kind of Lexus-or-BMW angst is going to occur in relatively few cases. For whatever reason, Lexus fans seem to turn up their noses at BMW cars – and vice versa.
Don’t ask me why; I flunked Upscale Car Sociology & Related Trends 101 when I was in college.
All I know is that my week in the IS 250 produced two memorable impressions: Nice Lexus, nice price.
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The Bee’s Mark Glover can be reached at (916) 321-1184 or mglover@sacbee.com.
