Boston.com's view

The problems:

1. Build a car that says speed, sport, and performance.

2. Give the same car the essence and utilitarian promise of a fine SUV.

3. And imbue it, as well, with the aura of a station wagon’s capacity to haul a family.

The solutions:

1. Give it the front fenders, front doors, engine, and platform of the snappy Lexus IS 300.

2. Give it the SUVish lines of the Lexus RX 300, whose lines you see replicated by a host of other small SUV builders these days, Buick and Acura among them.

3. Give it a long roof line that says station wagon rather than chopped, five-door hatchback.

The result:

The Lexus IS 300 SportCross, a peppy hauler of people and gear, a vehicle designed to fill a niche within niches in a world where SUVs, station wagons, and sport sedans are melding before our eyes.

The SportCross is powered by the same 3.0-liter inline-6 that drives the IS 300 sedan as well as the larger GS 300. It produces 215 horsepower and 218 lb.-ft. of torque, all while getting a respectable 22.3 miles per gallon.

While the sedan version comes with the option of a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, the SportCross comes with the automatic only. A nice accompaniment is the electronic shift-from-the-steering-wheel option.

The engine provides the SportCross with a curious blend of high rev power and low- to mid-range torque.

That means it scoots to passing speed quickly with a full blast of revs right up to 7,000 rpms – and the automatic transmission does allow you to redline the engine. Yet it also is a torque monster with great pulling power, even loaded with three hefty golfers and all their gear, with the rpms flickering from 2,500 to 3,800. I guess it’s just part of that SUV/sports sedan meld.

It was a brisk car in commuter traffic, moving nimbly from lane to lane, feeling very much like a smaller performance sedan – feeling very much, in fact, like the IS 300 sedan.

On twisting backcountry roads, it was well-balanced with only a slight hint of body roll. One performance note I found odd in this rear-wheel-drive car was a tendency to understeer when accelerating through a sharp corner. I fully expected the rear wheels to kick out (oversteer), but just the opposite occurred. That’s not dangerous, just something you need to know about your car.

Stopping was sudden and sure with disc brakes nearly a foot in diameter front and rear.

The SportCross is obviously aimed at younger (or older, active) drivers.

That is evident, besides its performance capabilities, in the interior layout. The gauges are a delightful chronograph watch adaptation. The control pod at center dash has silver-edged, notched control buttons (and with the pop-up navigation screen – an option – it has a modern, high-tech edge), and the silver touch is duplicated on the shift knob and the brake, gas, clutch, and dead pedals.

I t is also, obviously, an option for those seeking performance while adding the capability to haul small families or gear for outdoor activities.

The rear seat is a split, fold-down setup, and the front passenger seat folds flat as well for longer loads – skis, snowboards, other gear.

The rear cargo area has a tonneau cover to keep valuables out of sight, a luggage box, a false floor to hide smaller items (potential thieves please disregard), and a flat-topped folding passenger seat that turns into a table for tailgating.

The leather seats – bolstered buckets up front, bench in the rear – are firm and comfortable.

Standard safety features include driver and front passenger air bags; front side curtain air bags; ABS; electronic brakeforce distribution; and Brake Assist (if sensors detect an emergency and the brakes have not been applied firmly enough, it does the stomping for you).

Traction control is standard aswell, though if you want vehicle sk d control, that’s an option.

The performance/utility niche is a rapidly growing segment of the market as folks jump between SUVs, minivans, station wagons, and the performance cars they could drive before the family grew.

The SportCross puts Lexus smack in the middle of this niche, where it will compete nicely with such cars as BMW’s 330 series, the Saab 9-5, Volvo’s V70, Mercedes’s C-Class, and Audi’s A4 Avant.

Picking among any of these vehicles really becomes a matter of individual taste rather than one of good car vs. bad car.

2002 Lexus IS 300 SportCross

Base price: $32,305

Price as tested: $37,000

Horsepower: 215

Torque: 218 lb.-ft.

Wheelbase: 105.1 inches

Overall length: 177.0 inches

Width: 67.9 inches

Height: 56.7 inches

Curb weight: 3,410 lbs.

Seating: 5 passengers

Fuel economy: 22.3 miles per gallon

SOURCE: Lexus Division, Toyota Motor Corp.; fuel economy from Globe testing.

Nice touch

The automatically dimming inside and outside mirrors. Wonderful when an SUV or pickup with glaring fog lamps creeps up on your bumper at night.
Annoyance

Sure wish they’d make the 5-speed manual available in the SportCross. Plenty of enthusiasts would like that as an option.