Lexus IS250 Car Review

Overview

Driving the car is absolute pleasure, especially in the faster speeds. When the car is shifted into Reverse, the LCD screen lights up with a real-time image from the rear of the vehicle. There is an unbelievable Mark Levinson sound system included in the vehicle if you pay the extra $6,600 that easily surpasses the sound system in any other car in comparison. Like most all Lexus vehicles, the Lexus IS250 Sport was a fine looking automobile. There are three different options available with the Lexus IS250-the Prestige, the Sports, and the Sports Luxury.

Details

Driving the car is absolute pleasure, especially in the faster speeds. With a 2.5 Liter V6 engine, it does not perform at its best in lower speeds. Luckily this is improved by giving the pedal a full push, which takes it to its full potential and is quite impressive, I might add. The really nice thing about the IS250 is that it has just enough power to control it to a tee. It may not have as much power as other vehicles, but it has an adequate enough amount to make you happy. One particular feature of the IS250 Sport that is also in my mother's Lexus is the reverse camera. While most cars depend on the rear view mirror or the driver to look back through the back window, the Lexus has a system in place to help with reversing. When the car is shifted into Reverse, the LCD screen lights up with a real-time image from the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the system gives recommendations on possibly reversing directions so that any obstacles behind the vehicle can be avoided, which is very nice to have. Amazingly, rear fender benders are still unavoidable. There is also a feature in place to assist with parallel parking. This gives similar parking suggestions that are calculated by figuring the distance between cars, angles, etc. to give the best reversing directions. The more you use both of these systems, the more you will know how to use them to their fullest.

Getting into the vehicle, you notice that the interior is not any less pleasing than the exterior. As you sit down in the Alcantra suede seats that hold you in like a car seat and take a grip on the perfectly sized steering wheel, you automatically have a feeling of comfort and luxury while feeling the sport capability as well. There is an unbelievable Mark Levinson sound system included in the vehicle if you pay the extra $6,600 that easily surpasses the sound system in any other car in comparison. In addition to being able to play CDs, you can put in a DVD and view it on the screen-this sound system is alone worth the $6,600. Like my mother's Lexus, the IS250 Sport has the elegant feature of not needing a key. The driver or even a front seat passenger carries a key-type device that alerts the car that the owner is in the vehicle, and then the ignition can actually be turned to the on position without a key in the ignition. This is a highly technological system that can take a while to get used to, and like other new technologies, it has its glitches. Often times my mom stands there pushing the unlock button attempting to get in the vehicle with no success, but she has no had as many problems with turning on the car. There is a touch screen in the vehicle with the Lexus symbol that comes on when the car is turned on. This screen can be used to view basic speed and mileage information. In addition, the screen can show navigation information that gives quite distinctive directions and for the most part can be depended on for its accurateness. Unfortunately, it is not smart enough to choose paths that might have less traffic during certain times of day, etc., so keep that in mind when using it.

Like most all Lexus vehicles, the Lexus IS250 Sport was a fine looking automobile. The design of the overall vehicle was well thought out and aesthetically pleasing. There are three different options available with the Lexus IS250-the Prestige, the Sports, and the Sports Luxury. The Sports has a price tag of $67,400. The standard features available in the IS250 Sport are definitely adequate-a moonroof, power and heated seats with memory in the front seat, great suspension, automatic windshield wipers and headlights, and more. For an additional $6,600 you can have features such as Bluetooth, a Reverse Camera, satellite navigation with a DVD player, and a fantastic stereo system.

This car would be a fun ride for a road trip, and has plenty of space in the trunk for any luggage you might bring along. Already included in the trunk are a spare tire and medical and repair kits. Keep in mind that this spare tire is not a full sized tire, and you should not drive on it for long before getting a new tire. You will want to limit it to four people for sure. Though it is advertised as a car capable of seating five people, it is really only intended for four adults. If you try to squeeze taller individuals into the car, you might have some difficulty. You might be able to convince a child to sit in the middle seat in the back, but the older the child, the less likely it will be that they want to ride in that seat. Not only is the seat itself not comfortable, but like other sports cars, there is simply not adequate space for your feet. However, if you stick to just four moderate sized adults, even a longer road trip would be enjoyable. Not to mention the fact that you will get an approximate fuel efficiency of 10.2L/100KM.

One thing that I found strange is that this car has been said to be easier to drive with an automatic transmission than with the six speed manual transmission. This is not usually the case, as manual transmissions generally provide smoother more accurate shifting and provide a lower amount of fuel usage. In this car, the manual transmission does give that tight driving that is expected, but it is not as pleasant as you would expect. The clutch can be quite tricky and takes some time driving with it to learn how to manipulate it to its best ability. No matter what type of road you are driving on-a straight stretch or a curvy road, the car can handle it with ease. Since it is a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicle, you don't have to worry about falling into an oversteering situation, which is common throughout turns with quite a few sports cars. If oversteering does occur, there is the Electronic Stability Program in place.

In conclusion, if you get into the Lexus IS250 Sport, there is a good chance that you will not want to get out of it. You will want to drive it every time you need to go somewhere and may even want to go places just so you can go drive the car! It is sporty and attractive, and has plenty of options-both standard and optional. Of course there are negative components such as the lack of space for bigger passengers and some of the actual driving characteristics, but if you have the money to purchase a $67,000 to $75,000 car, depending on what options you want, you should look into the IS250 Sport. It has plenty of great options that outweigh the negatives and make it a viable contender.