For the good, there's also bad to dish out, but there's surprisingly little to report here. The only considerable fault with the IS is its cramped
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| The only considerable fault with the IS is its cramped rear quarters. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
rear quarters, which are only slightly better than the previous model. Despite the longer wheelbase and overall greater length, the rear has been downplayed in critical areas such as knee and legroom, plus headroom is cut short by the swooping roofline. For cars with sunroofs, subtract another inch. What little time I did spend in the back seat of the IS was spent in reasonable comfort, however, but it trails the competition. This is also probably the reason why the proximity sensors for keyless entry are fitted to the front doors only.
With
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| An entry level IS 250 RWD with manual gearbox and cloth seats starts at just $29,990. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
such a broad range of models, Lexus should have no difficulty reaching a much larger audience with the IS, particularly the younger folks which the brand is striving for. An entry level IS 250 RWD with manual gearbox and cloth seats starts at just $29,990, (automatic starts at $31,160) with the top of the line IS 250 AWD costing $34,285, and can be optioned out with the Premium Leather, Premium Leather with Sunroof, Luxury package, or the Luxury with Navigation package that adds a substantial sum to the total price. Still, even fully loaded, engine upgrade aside, the IS 250 represents better value than all the Europeans.
