Lexus hasn't relied only on the IS 350's performance appeal to lure inwould-be buyers, but rather delivers all that luxury the brand
 |
| Chrome and titanium-coloured brushed metal surfaces are nicelyfinished, while the woodwork covering the centre console is exquisitelydetailed. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
is knownfor. Chrome and titanium-coloured brushed metal surfaces are nicelyfinished, while the woodwork covering the centre console is exquisitelydetailed and leather wrapped over seats and door panels soft and supple, infusing the IS with a rich Jaguar-like ambience - an ideal mixture of sumptuous indulgence and high-tech wizardry.
The most magical element about the IS, mind you, are the paddle shifters hidden behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel rim. These are as close to perfect as any I've tried, and I've tested most of them, from Ferrari's F1, Maserati's Cambiocorsa, BMW's SMG and Audi's class-leading DSG sequential manual paddle-shifters, to Bentley's Continental
 |
| This is an automatic transmission that really deserves praise, as it does everything I could want and more than I would have thought to hope for. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
GT, Pontiac's Grand Prix GTP, Volkswagen's Jetta and Passat, Acura's RL and CSX, and Mercedes-Benz's paddle-like buttons, plus many others. The IS paddle-shifters mirror Audi's DSG the most, my favourite design and the quickest shifting of any rival, and despite being mated to a conventional automatic rather than a state-of-the-art sequential manual, changes gears almost as quickly.
This is an automatic transmission that really deserves praise, as it does everything I could want and more than I would have thought to hope for, with a level of smoothness achieved by Audi's six-speed Tiptronic, BMW six-speed Steptronic and Mercedes' seven-speed Touch Shift automatic and rapidity that only top-tier sequential manual's can match.
