Fast Facts

Verdict:
A very well made and highly competent car

Smooth gearbox and engine, well made interior

Feels muted to drive, Toyota parts bin switches and controls, cramped rear seats

…is the route that Lexus takes when updating its IS250

By Justin Lee

LEXUS’ TAGLINE HAS always been the ‘Pursuit of Perfection’ and this drive to make everything perfect can be seen in the brand’s entire range of cars. Tight shut lines, smooth engines and transmissions, quiet well made interiors have all become closely associated with the stylised ‘L’ badge.

But what about driving pleasure? Lexus has never made it a secret that it is going after the BMW 3 Series when it introduced the IS midsize sedan and this is especially so for the second generation car (introduced in 2005) which is very good in its own right. But it just seems to lack something when compared to the BMW. Maybe it’s got to do with the brand’s heritage (or lack thereof) or maybe the car is just so well engineered that it feels clinical and competent to drive rather than exciting.

Lexus in its relentless pursuit to perfect its product has just given the IS250 a second update (the first came in 2007). The BMW 3 Series challenger has gotten the mildest of a refresh for the 2009 model year. It sports blink and you’ll miss it exterior revisions which is so slight only diehard Lexus fans would be able to spot. There is a slightly tweaked front end which includes a new bumper and a new grille. The door mirrors now incorporate side indicators while the rear gets new tail lamps. Oh and the 17-inch alloy rims are new too though they look very much like the ones on the pre-facelift model.

On the inside, there has been some design tweaks but this reviewer just can’t seem to pick out what has been changed. The only thing that is obvious is you can now use the shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel to change gears on the six-speed automatic gearbox when the lever is in ‘D’.

Elsewhere, the driving experience is essentially the same as when the car was first introduced three years ago. It is a fine car to drive rather than an exciting one going round bends well rather than with verve. And as always it is super quiet on the move befitting the Lexus nameplate. The cabin is heavily insulated and every bit of noise that can be heard seems very far away. The six-speed automatic transmission is still one of the best in the business shifting through the gears with utmost smoothness.

The only criticism that can be levelled at the car and which should be eradicated during the facelift is that many of the switches and controls in the interior can be found in your garden variety Camrys and Corolla Altises. It just cheapens the feel of the high quality interior slightly. But other than this there is not much to complain about this highly competent car and buyers who want something other than a 3 Series should consider it.

Need to know

Lexus IS250 Luxury (A)
ENGINE 2,500cc 24V V6
MAX POWER 205bhp at 6,400rpm
MAX TORQUE 252Nm at 4,800rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 225km/h
0-100 KM/H 8.4 seconds
PRICE $152,000 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 100,000km
CONTACT Borneo Motors
TELEPHONE 6749-3288