2006 Lexus IS Preview

Longer by 3½ inches, wider by almost 3 inches, and sitting on a wheelbase that extends 2.3 inches beyond its predecessor, the 2006 Lexus IS 300, with its chiseled good looks and aggressive character appears to be exactly what compact luxury buyers currently want. When the current IS 300 debuted in North America, a rebadged and somewhat upgraded Japanese-market Toyota Altezza, enthusiasts jumped on the Lexus bandwagon. It was small, light and plenty powerful, and soon after its introduction offered a manual transmission just like BMW's benchmark 3-Series.