 In
1999, Toyota wanted to replicate the success of BMW 3-series with its
first generation Lexus IS (and its Japanese version Toyota Altezza).
Although it tried very hard, and surprised motoring journalists by its
sharp handling, it didn't quite succeed. First of all, the IS looked
ugly compare with an European premium car. Secondly, the IS200 was
underpowered, while IS300 was nose heavy (blame to that Supra-sourced
iron-block straight-6). Thirdly, it was less rounded than the BMW, no
matter the way it dealt with road irregularities or high speed
cruising. Lastly, its hardcore character was out of sync with Lexus'
creamy smooth character. Having learned the lesson, the second attempt should be more successful. Rumor has that Toyota hired car design master Leonardo Fioravanti to pen the new IS. If you are a loyal reader of AutoZine, you must remember Fioravanti is my favourite car designer and his masterpieces include Ferrari Dino, Daytona, 512BB and 308GTB. Both Toyota and Fioravanti did not deny that, thus I would say we can believe the rumor. Moreover, Toyota's own stylists seems incapable of creating such a high quality design. Compare with BMW and Audi rivals, the new IS looks sleeker, more civilized yet no less distinctive. If the 3-Series and A4 were musclemen, then the IS would be a gentleman.  The new Lexus IS is noticeably
bigger than the car it replaced. Compare with the latest E90 3-Series,
it is 55 mm longer but 22 mm narrower. The 2730 mm wheelbase is 60 mm
longer than the outgoing car, but still 30 mm shorter than the BMW.
Basically, you can see it as a smaller version of Lexus GS. It shares
platform with its bigger brother, i.e. aluminum double wishbone front
and multi-link rear suspensions, speed-sensitive electric power
steering, 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift, VDIM
vehicle dynamic integrated management program…. however, to save money
and to please keen drivers, the VGRS variable ratio steering rack has
been deleted. But to beat BMW, Toyota understand it must develop better engines. And this is where the new IS really shines. The latest BMW 330i has a 258 horsepower 3.0 Valvetronic straight-6. That's remarkable, but the Lexus has a new 3.5-litre direct injection V6 good for 306 horsepower (SAE) (or even 318 hp at its home market) ! this eclipses Honda Legend to be the most efficient mass production 6-cylinder engine in the world. With over 300 horsepower under the hood, no wonder IS350 can storm to 60 mph in no more than 5.5 seconds, beating all rivals easily. And remember, it does that with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.  Admittedly, IS350 does not have
any manual gearbox on offer. If you insist to shift by yourself, you
can choose only IS250, whose 2.5-litre V6 pumps out 204 horsepower.
This is less than BMW 325i (218hp) and, unfortunately, it is also the
car European market will be offered. Another engine for Europe is a 177
hp 2.2-litre common rail diesel four cylinder engine. It shares with
Toyota Avensis.The bigger V6 is similar to that being used by the American Toyota Avalon, but is turned to mount longitudinally in the engine bay of Lexus. Naturally, it has four camshafts, 24 valves and dual VVT-i. Now added with direct injection to raise compression ratio to 11.8: 1 hence more power. Unusually, the D-4 system has both direct injection and port injection, the latter is useful when air flow is slow. However, the biggest advance of the new engine is weight distribution - the all-aluminum construction makes it lighter than the old iron-block straight-6 while the compact size of V6 allows it to mount closer to the cabin. Overall, the IS350 has 53 percent of weight acted on the front axle. That's no match with the magnesium engine BMW 3-Series, of course, but already an improvement from the old IS300. On the Road  Open the doors, you will be
amazed by how cramped the rear cabin is. Although the car is much
larger than the old one, it is no more spacious inside. Tall passengers
will find legroom and headroom tight at the rear seats. The GS with
equivalent engine is just 40 kg heavier, but it offers a much roomier
cabin. Seems that the new IS does not use space and weight efficiently.
The dash design does not have the elegant feel of Audi, but materials and build quality remains to be the strength of Lexus. Ditto the luxurious equipment such as a superb Mark Levinson sound system, high-spec color monitor and navigation system, voice control and countless of airbags. Also match your expectation for Lexus is the refined ride quality and excellent noise insulation. The V6 idles in silence and spins silky smooth in any rev. The 6-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly. At high speed, the slippery (Cd 0.28) body generates little wind noise, while the liquid-filled rubber bushings isolate NVH from the suspensions to the cabin very well. In terms of mechanical refinement, Lexus is still the leader. That's for the IS250, but the combination of 204 hp, 185 lbft and 1570 kg result in a rather leisure performance, while the soft-set suspensions cannot excite its driver in the same way as BMW 325i. That's why you need to try the IS350 with Sport package, which is very different.  The big V6 is still very smooth
and quiet, probably too quiet for a sports sedan. Nevertheless, when
you ask from it, its flat power band delivers storming acceleration so
effortlessly. The sports suspensions with aggressive rubbers keep the
body well controlled. The big brakes (come from GS430) provide
excellent stopping power. However, apart from performance, the Lexus in no way matches BMW 330i. First of all, the sports suspensions are overdamped and transmit too much shocks to the cabin. This mean it is not an all-round package like the BMW. Then you will notice the driver interface is far from intimate: the electric power steering is too light and lacks feel, while the paddle shift gearbox reacts slowly. But worst of all is that it succeeded the biggest failure of GS430: VDIM. The electronic stability management system intervenes too early and too eagerly to protect its baby. And it cannot be switched off ! this mean the IS350 can never exploit the limit of its aggressive rubbers and suspensions. Will the car understeer heavily at the limit? can it play throttle oversteer? these questions suddenly become silly to the IS350, because VDIM will stop the party before you get the answers. The new Lexus IS350 is such a ridiculous car. It set out a target to beat BMW, but it turned out to be even less driver satisfying than the first generation IS. It seems to be engineered by some people who don't know what made BMW 3-Series so successful. Although Car And Driver ranked it second to the BMW, I would say this is one of the most disappointing cars of the year. |
| The above report was last updated on 4 Oct 2005. All Rights Reserved. |
The answer is again no. First
to take the responsibility is the diesel engine. While the spec looks
good (aluminum block, 16 valves, 1800 bar piezo-electronic
third-generation common-rail injection and variable vane turbocharger),
and the ultimate power is strong, the engine is rather weak below 2000
rpm. There is a slight turbo lag that rarely associate with a premium
diesel engine today. Ditto the booming noise at hard work and the
vibration through the pedals. You won't see this in BMW, Mercedes and
Audi's diesel engine, but you will see exactly the same things at a
Toyota Avensis and Corolla Verso diesel, because they actually share
the same engine. This is undoubtedly a disappointment to a brand
traditionally so strong at refinement.
