My 350 weekend tester was outfitted in a Smoky Granite Mica (or
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| Shimmering and beautiful - Crystal White paint is stunning on the IS. (Photo: Kogodos) |
as I like to think of it, charcoal) business suit, but I later had a 250 for a couple days, and it was dressed up in Crystal White Pearl, or some such moniker. Whatever... It was a liquid white that shimmered blue and made the skin of that IS come alive, and it made all the difference. It got looks at almost every stoplight, I saw guys at Subway (the restaurant, not the public transportation), craning their necks and asking their buddies, "Hey, is that the new Lexus?" and even the staunchest "cars-are-appliances" guy at work flagged me down and asked, me: "Hey, what kind of car is that?" "Why?" I said. "It's nice." I never get more than an "egh" out of this guy usually, even for 300-horsepower sports cars and massively grilled trucks. He also nearly flipped out when I told him the gauges were light-sabre inspired--he's a card-carrying Star Wars geek (should that be light-sabre carrying? He really owns a light sabre...) I'm almost tempted to say that this is the only colour it should come in, but hey, you gotta' let people make their own mistakes, I suppose. Or perhaps not.
That
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| Yes, it's that photo again: Chief Engineer Suguya Fukusawa doing donuts... (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
brings up what I like to think of as the 'Lexus compromise'. Despite its ridiculous, and I do mean ridiculous, performance capabilities, Lexus has maintained its grasp on the vehicle in certain signatures that a Lexus always delivers, such as ride comfort, quiet composure and safety over downright hooligan fun. Part of my complaint is that I wished I had more time to explore the ability of VDIM, to go where no other Lexus goes (graceful powerslides, written in rubber on pavement by the IS's Chief Engineer Suguya Fukusawa at its press introduction) and to become more familiar with the superb transmission that does, as promised, hold the redline without bumping a gear or cutting off throttle. There was too much awkward fumbling that a new couple experiences in their quest to get to know each other's limits and the minute feedback that will help you learn the proper nuances and inputs that make for a rewarding 'relationship'. Relax, I'm still talking about the car.
Lexus has seamlessly integrated so many relevant, useful
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| Light gray leather makes for good contrast with the high-gloss (real) wood. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
technologies into a tastefully designed interior that the IS quickly became a personal favourite. From never having to take out the key fob (Smart Entry and push button start), to the "light-saber" sweep of the needle before the super-clear Optitron gauges illuminate upon ignition, and from the easily accommodating multi-adjustable power seats to the clear and colourful touchscreen navigation system that doubles as a backup camera, the IS did all the little things right, making it so easy to live with that such luxury features even began to feel like necessities.
And
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| Most everything is controlled through this easy to use touchscreen. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
beyond necessity, everything in the cabin was kind to my fingers, eyes, ears, nostrils and even the taste buds. Uh, I'm just kidding about the taste buds, but all the materials were buttery soft or creamy smooth, there was no 'leather-stink' that some cars, even premium ones, are prone to. Every bit of the console, gauges and interior trim were a feast for the eyes with contrasting elements of soft leather and satiny, metallic-look plastics done impeccably, and real wood trim for emphasis. Oh yeah, Lexus has arrived.
For day-to-day duties, the IS 350 is more than enough, with light, accurate steering at low speeds that stiffens up measurably as you gain speed. However, it never entirely loses its low-speed demeanour and the steering felt connected by rubber bands even up to highway-plus speeds, a slightly less than reassuring sensation to say the least. The brakes certainly don't lose composure at any speeds, or at least any speeds that I achieved, and while I didn't crawl around checking them out too thoroughly, it didn't surprise me at all to see that the front ventilated discs were over 13 inches in diameter. Massive!
