If It Ain't Broke...
Don't be too surprised to find a mountaineer or two on the Lexus engineering payroll. For in pursuit of the "light-is-right" ethos embraced by high-altitude climbers, designers of the uptown Japanese marque have gone to great lengths to keep the pounds, in this case kilograms, off.
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| Lexus has gone to great and suprising lengths to reduce the IS 300's overall weight. (Photo: Lexus) |
Consider this item taken from the IS 300 press kit: "A tiny sliver of steel has been scooped from the head of every bolt on every Lexus to reduce overall weight by nine kilograms."
Such high levels of attention to detail have come to define Lexus vehicles over the years, and judging from the 2004 IS 300 sport sedan, the brand's well-earned reputation for well-built, well thought out cars will continue long into the future.
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| To say not much has changed on the '04 model over last year's car is no understatement, unless you get excited about "New yellow-reflector fog lamps". (Photo: Lexus) |
Simply put, the 2004 IS 300 is all any self respecting enthusiast could ever want in a sports sedan. It's nimble, yet roomy. It's quick, yet silky smooth. And it's loaded with features and style, yet at a very competitive price.
To say not much has changed on the '04 model over last year's is no understatement. For the first item under the 'What's New' page in the 2004 press kit it reads, "New yellow-reflector fog lamps." Meaning, Lexus engineers approached the new model with either a "How can we improve on perfection" attitude, or a "We're far too busy with the new RX 330 and mid-cycle LS 430 upgrade to even think about the IS 300" mindset. Either way, few can quibble with the final line on list: "The base IS 300 with manual transmission retains its 2003 MSRP of $37,775."