2014 Lexus IS350 Luxury
This is my third taste of Lexus’ small sports sedan, built on a platform that also underpins the larger GS models. My initial experience of the Lexi was limited and left me underwhelmed; the IS250 was underpowered and not very frugal, the standard IS350 noisy and not that luxurious.
A week in an IS350 with the F Sport package (tested here), even in watered down AWD form, though, had me rethinking my evaluation. It was fast, fun, intriguingly different in style both inside and out, and had better steering feel than any new BMW or Audi. And it undeniably had the coolest instruments of any attainable car I’ve ever reviewed. So where does all this leave the more mainstream “Luxury” trimmed IS350?
First impressions are good; the less extrovert fascias of this Lexus make for a classier, more confident looking sedan, and inside, the high contrast interior is simply gorgeous, with dark dash and setting the light taupe seats off to excellent effect. Highlighted by beautifully rendered strait-grain wood trim and high quality plastics, it is an inviting—if tight—cockpit. The driving position, once you slide down into it, is superb, and the gauges, if a let down from the F Sport’s, clear and precise looking. I still believe the mouse-controlled infotainment interface Lexus is using is inferior to the various German systems in that you spend more time with your eyes away from the road to do some tasks, but it can be configured to display the info you find the most import (music, navigation, etc) and is getting better with each generation.
The IS350 Luxury is very pleasing to drive. The 3.5-liter V6, with outputs of 306hp and 277lb-ft of torque, is rewarding, with ample low-end grunt and a power output that discernibly swells as you rev to redline. It’s fast too, though slower than some of the competition, a legacy of its six-speed automatic, more than anything. In isolation though it is more than quick enough for most conditions. And said tranny is quick shifting (really quick in the Sport mode) and there are paddles for manual changes attached to the well-shaped steering wheel, which aren’t always available on competitor’s more luxurious trims.
The IS350 rides well in Luxury trim too, though it is very prone to road noise intrusion on area highways. That the F Sport is much quieter probably means the tire choices for the Luxury model need to be tweaked or rethought. It also handles well and has the sweet steering feedback that so stood out on all the previous drives. Funny how things change; my spouse so detested our own 2007 GS350’s steering feel that it had to be traded for another previous-generation BMW 335i. The current BMW doesn’t hold a candle to this Lexus in that regard. Brake feel and performance were well matched to the IS350’s performance as well.
Other notes are that the Mark Levinson sound system in the IS350 is turning out to be one of the great bargains in automotive hi-fi, sounding more accurate and almost as grandiose as the $6300 optional Bang and Olufsen one in a recent Audi test car, and that as comfortable as the seats have been in every IS I’ve driven, they may be too confining for those who are larger of frame. Finally, the Lexus’ back seat is still on the tight side. It, along with the Cadillac ATS, really do feel like prior Audis and BMWs, while the newest models are much more commodious for four occupants.
In reaching to reset its image Lexus is taking some risks—just as BMW is by going mainstream and tilting more towards the luxury end of the spectrum—and there are a few areas were it lags behind, notably rear seat room and road noise intrusion. But if a tight, quick-witted sports sedan is what’s called for, this is the better option in many ways than the legacy competitors.
EPA ratings: 19/26; 21mpg combined
Price as tested: $50,355
Here is what Lexus has to say.
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