2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport Review with video

2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport Review (with video) -

BMW displaced more than 140,000 last year 3-Series in America. They do being the most luxurious option or being the best treatment option. (The truth is hard to hear, Im sorry.) Instead, BMW has done this by exactly what customers have asked; buyers of luxury cars want a comfortable ride with a luxury logo on the front, good fuel economy and read reviews extolling the virtues of track day car of their choice. The average buyer will never be on a track, but it is essential to know your car belong there.

What BMW dealers do not want you to know: there are two sedans in this segment are probably better on the track a 328i or 335i and talk about one of them today, the IS 350 F Sport.

outside

exterior styling Lexus used to strike me as graceful, sophisticated and Reserve. Apparently, however, the front end h as no respect on the Autobahn, so the nose F Sport was created. Although I can not say if it commands more respect in Germany, the ginormous rack on our IS 350 F Sport seemed ready to devour little children and subcompact cars similar. While some people said they hate the gaping mouth, I actually love it. Im not a fan of projector are separated and "Nike-swoosh" lamp modules daytime running; I find the look a bit jarring. Whether you like it or not, you must admit this front end is more dramatic than anything on offer from BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Infiniti

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in the back, unless changed, with the rear being more reserved than the front. But it is the side profile where things really turn away. The IS is 3.5 inches longer than the last generation model and most of the increase goes to the rear seat area - well, some of them also goes to the trunk, making it look more IS balanced bef ore. Thank you to the regulatory impact of pedestrians in Europe, the front end has become blunt (as we have seen in the last time the Europeans), which helps makes the 3/4 front view. I think the Cadillac ATS is the most attractive sedan in this segment, but the IS F Sport trim jumps on the scale at number 3, just behind the ATS and 3-Series.

inside

While BMW and Audi have opted for an open interior and expansive topic, the IS feels tight and near the driver through the design with a high waistline and the high center console. F Sport models get a configurable LCD disco dashboard instead of white on black gauges we normally expect from the brand. Similar to the new LCD dashboard Volvo, the display may seem a little lost in the passenger cabin that normally houses a broader traditional pole dial. Since Cadillac has yet to move their large group of LCD instruments down on the market at the ATS, there really is no competition for this display currently.

As you expect from Lexus, we can always get ares stained wood and soft leather, but are not standard. Like most entries in this segment, the leather is reserved for specific packages and wood is an optional upgrade. comfor t front seats proved excellent during my week. The sports seats easily bested the Audi A4, Cadillac ATS and base seats in the BMW 328i or Mercedes C300. the larger people should know that the reinforcement is pronounced and the F Sport trim is not an option to remove the sports seats.

Thanks to stretching the wheelbase, combined legroom is up 2.6 inches inside that puts up the IS group in legrooom total. Nobody expected the BMW 3 Series to grow as much as he did in his last incarnation, which becomes quite evident when you run the numbers. The 3 Series has the second best figures of space for the legs behind the much larger Infiniti Q50. Lexus offers a slightly larger trunk, but I find the overall dimensions of the trunk to be more advantageous in the BMW.

Infotainment

2014 modernization program has made a series of new features from circulation cards on models non- navigation equipped for predictive traffic, improved voice recognition and integration of smartphones. Alas, the Lord giveth and he takes off. With the new software comes input device Remote Touch Lexus, or as I prefer to call it: the Lexus joystick. I find little joy in the mouse-like controller, but is better than the trackpad you find in the NX. The controller is the classic example of the difference between a predictive input method and is optimized for use in a car. The joystick is intuitive, it is simply not well suited to a vehicle because it requires much more time eye-off-the-road. I grabbed some friends and perform a few functions like the Lexus and BMW iDrive with as I watched them. We just have more time for you to find what you need in the Lexus system. Curiously, the same Lexus software without touch screen is one of the least distracting available, but you can not get that in the GX and LX. If you do not buy navigation, you still get the 7-inch screen, but the trade of the joystick to a rotary knob.

Lexus offers no sort of heads-up display is BMW, but you can gadgets like radar cruise control, Mark Levinson audio system brand, monitoring of blind spots and lane departure warning.

engine

Standing a little lonely in this segment is a 100 percent naturally aspirated engine range. While everyone, but Infiniti has moved to a turbo four to fill the lower end, Lexus stuck with their small V6. (I do not count the 2.5-liter four-banger in the ATS database. Why? Who would?) Displacing 2.5 liters and direct injection sport, the IS 250 is good for 204 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque . [ is the least powerful V6 currently for sale. -El ] While many in the industry would once complained about a luxury base model without inline-6 ​​engine, the V6 now compete with four-cylinder engines. While a V6 is not as balanced as I6, it is miles ahead of a I4. The model we tested is the 3.5-liter V6 IS 350. Adding a liter faces power to 306 and torque to 277. For reasons known only to the Lexus product planning team, power 220 IS 300h remains forbidden fruit on our shores.

Lexus tends to be a conservative company regarding the adoption of new technologies and, consequently, the V6 models and 2.5 liter AWD 3.5 liter have to do with ye olde automatic 6-speed Aisin. If you get the RWD version of the IS 350 that we tested, you get a new 8-speed auto with Aisin, a transmission variant used in the Corvette and Cadillacs select.

player

The naturally aspirated engine range is the first thing you notice about the SI road. Like the 3.6-liter V6 t o the ATS and the 3.7-liter V6 in the Q50, the power builds linearly. This is quite different from the C400, 335i and other turbo entries that have generally torque and power "plateaus" with sharp drops on each end. 0-60 acceleration in our F Sport tester came in at 5.6 seconds - not a bad time for a stretch. However, front-wheel drive S60 T6 Drive-E Volvo will do the same sprint in 5.4. The purist myself prefer the pure sensation of sound and a naturally aspirated engine offers but the pragmatist in me realizes the C400, 335i, S4 and S60 T6 beat all the IS in the highway ramp. Opt for the AWD system Lexus improves grip, but the loss of two gears causes the 0-60 time to stretch 5.7 seconds approaching the less powerful BMW 328xi. AWD buyers must also live with a strange lump in the foot-well before caused by the transfer case and transmission shaft to the front axle.

The reactivity of the IS in tight corners demonstrates how long past Lexus engineering of the suspension. Th e old appeared as isolated, perhaps even sloppy, while this frame is sharp and crisp. Each system feels like a team player, suspension to the logic of transmission shifting and revised double wishbone front. The IS offers simply the best feeling in the corners and on the track with each system tuned to near perfection. (Keep in mind that we still have the electric power steering, so its all relative.) The IS actually manages to feel a little more precise, but not as engaging, the E0 3 Series (previous generation). F30 (current generation) exchanged handling prowess for a smoother ride and a backseat ginormous. And here lies the rub: the change has improved sales of BMW rather than stopping the gravy train. Meanwhile, Audi and Volvo as a John Deere plow when they meet a corner and Mercedes feels as you would expect - heavy and sweet. The purist prefers me the crisp handling and impeccable sense of the SI on a track. The pragmatist in me is well aware that the sensation that you get a round a track. Thats where the power comes in. Because of the power deficit, the 335i, S60 T6 AWD, C400 and S4 are faster around your average track. If you talk autocross, the IS has a chance, but even Volvo will beat around Laguna Seca.

contest

comparing the IS 350 with the 335i seems the natural thing to do - after all, they both "3" in the model number - but a more apt comparison is the 328i. The IS 350 locations between the 328i and the 335i both price and performance, but the price is critical. Meanwhile IS 250 performs more like the 320i 328i.

The IS 350 F Sport manages to be a bit less than a comparable 328i M-Sport equipment, which is an excellent start. Despite cost a fraction less, the Lexus offers more refinement under the hood, better acceleration and driving feel more in the twisties. Our F Sport is significantly cheaper than a Mercedes C300 and even when you add AWD to the Lexus, it is always more willing partner in your favorite mountain road.

Audi A4 ends up being about the same price as the IS 350 while the Volvo S60 is the refresh option. Both Audi and Volvo start as front wheel drive vehicles, but add AWD to offset their heavy designs before. Unless you walk to the far more expensive S4, Audi seems underpowered and all versions of the A4 feel heavy nose in comparison. Volvo has a weight problem similar to the front, but the Swedes will gladly drop a powerful turbo engine under the hood, coup led with AWD and sell it for less than the Lexus. The S60 R-Design arising out pace the IS 350 F Sport, but the experience will be different. Volvo will veered madly in corners; SI will feel balanced and poised. Unfortunately, the driver of the Lexus will enjoy the feeling while watching the taillights of the S60.

The Infiniti Q50 is the competitor often forgotten. Nissans luxury arm has never quite achieved the same status as provided Lexus brand perception - perhaps why. Never the less, the Infiniti has good looks and a low price tag on the side. Even the base model starts with $ 37.150 a 328 horsepower 3.7-liter V6. It is still slower than the BMW 335i, but at 5.2 seconds to 60, it is among the fastest options. If you want more power and better economy, Infiniti sell their hybrid version that scoots to highway speed in 4.9. Comparable with the Q50 is about $ 2,000 less than the F Sport we tested, making it the best RWD business in this segment.

After a week with the IS 350, Ill admit I was torn. How IS grows and feels on my mountain road path is amazing. How IS feels on a track is appealing. And the value proposition is undeniable. Lexus reliability deserved reputation and the generally lower operating costs mean the IS will cost less to own. All these things must mean my purist and pragmatic boxes will actually be verified. The Lexus luxury and track-day-cred newspaper to compete with the competition, but the infotainment system in the SI and slower 0-60 time keep the Lexus to be my choice in this segment. If my money was on the line, I live with dubious steer-by-wire system and Infiniti hybrid Q50S get up. You get more space inside, a 0-60 time corresponding to the 335i and 31 MPG. While the IS 350 F Sport is a good value relative to the volume of the model BMW 3-series, they still have nothing to compete properly with the 335i. Yes, the IS 350 F Sport feels better and the road that takes better equipped 335i comparable. But as BMW recently showed, maybe go into a corner is completely not so important after all.

Lexus provided the vehicle, insurance and a tank of gas for this review

Specifications as tested

0-30: 2.2 seconds

0-60: 5.6 seconds

1/4 Mile 14.8 seconds at 100 MPH

economy average observed 20 MPG over 674 miles