Lexus IS250 2009 Review

And Toyota’s luxury brand would like to see that keep happening in its bid to position the badge more firmly in the premium traffic. But it has struggled against the perception that the European marques are the ones to aspire to in the higher price ranges.

Drivetrain

The IS 250 is powered by a 2.5 litre DOHC V6 petrol engine that puts out 153kW at 6400rpm and 252Nm at 4800rpm. A six speed automatic sequential shift transmission with lock-up torque converter gets power to the wheels.

Economically, the IS 250 burns a little less fuel than the average for its size at 9.1 litres/100km.

Exterior

Starting with the newly styled front bumper and grill arrangement, it’s clear Lexus have made more than a token effort to improve the IS 250 aesthetically.

Long flowing lines from front to back and short front and rear overhangs show that when designing the new 250, Toyotas luxury cousin has aerodynamics and sport in mind.

Sixteen inch alloys, plus twin exhausts, high intensity Discharge headlamps and optional rain sensing wipers and parking sensors, ensures the car is given every chance at competing with others in its class.

Interior

Inside, the IS 250 matches its exterior for design quality.

Leather bucket seats, a sports steering wheel, pushbutton start and an elegant instrument cluster, compliment the sleek, tactile dash and intuitive, centred control panel.

As expected for a car in this category, you also get a trip computer, power windows and mirrors, cruise control and the option to include a reversing monitor camera.

There are plenty of storage areas with map holders, cup holders and a large centre console bin, throughout the cabin.

Safety

A five star ANCAP crashworthiness rating heads up an impressive safety list for the IS 250, including a substantial airbag package, ABS, EBD, brake assist, vehicle stability control and traction control.

Pricing

The Lexus IS 250 starts at $54,490 for the Prestige manual, up to $79,500 for the Sports Luxury automatic.

Driving

Generally we feel that Toyota’s luxury brand falls short when compared to its competitors in terms of build quality and performance. This is still the case with the IS250 but to a lesser extent. It’s the best looking car Lexus makes and has been for years. This latest edition is an agreeable combination of sport and prestige with its aerodynamic lines, short overhangs and spoked alloys.

The interior is refreshingly simple too with the multi-function steering wheel taking care of unnecessary clutter on the dash, making room for a good sat nav and a great MP3/WMA compatible stereo system.

The supple pale leather seats – climate controlled - felt a little flat and could have been a little more supportive but they were still very comfortable.

We made good use of the reversing camera, inching our way out of the frustratingly tight car park at work, and onto the open road.

The IS250 was an easy drive around the city. The quad cam V6 engine delivered immediate and jerk-free throttle which came in handy merging in peak hour.

On stretches of freeway the engine performed well but we did find there wind noise off the side mirrors, and the tyres tended to follow long gouges and ruts which was a little unsettling at high speed. Conversely the multi-link rear suspension ate up bumps and potholes.

The driving position was the best we’ve had and the light steering and fuel economy – true to what the spec sheet reads – had us fairly close to climbing out of the car to make sure the badge actually did say ‘Lexus’.

This iteration of the IS250 is a great example of what Lexus can do if they don’t try too hard and may give Mercedes, BMW and Audi a little nudge, but its still a way off from making them nervous.