2006 LEXUS IS 250
ON SALE: October
BASE PRICE: $30,000
POWERTRAIN: 2.5-liter, 204-hp, 185-lb-ft V6; rwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3455 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 7.9 seconds (mfr.)

If you’ve spent any time ensconced in the isolation for which Lexus is famous, we don’t have to remind you it can be a desensitizing—dare we say, deathlike?—experience. Between the coffin-caliber appointments and the tomblike interior quietness (is that engine running?), we’ve come to see products from Toyota’s high-end division as the automotive equivalent of the cone of silence.

The exception, of course, is the IS, Lexus’ near-luxury sports sedan aimed squarely at the class-leading BMW 3 Series. Introduced in the United States in 2000, the first-generation IS 300 won high praise for its Germanic inflection, despite its Japanese upbringing. Though still Lexus-silent and smooth—aided by a sewing machine-precise 3.0-liter, 215-hp, 218-lb-ft inline-six—the IS 300 was a major departure from the otherworldly quiet Lexus space capsules we’d come to know.

With the second-generation IS, in the form of the new IS 250 and the uplevel IS 350, Lexus shows no sign of changing direction, or relenting in its quest for 3 Series prowess—and for BMW’s loyal customers. The latest iteration still treads a fine line between maintaining its Lexus serenity and being an all-out, in-your-face sports sedan, but from the driver’s seat the car is edging closer to fulfilling its mission. Would we like a little more exhaust burble, a touch more engine rumble? Sure, but what we hear in the passenger compartment is enough to know the car’s intentions. For those who need more stimulation, Lexus plans to offer aftermarket exhaust parts through its TRD parts arm. Or you could just roll down a window.

Dropping the side glass wasn’t a viable option for our day of testing at Willow Springs Raceway in the oven-baked desert east of Los Angeles. Temperatures were hitting 108 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived midday and didn’t drop out of triple digits during our several-hour stay, forcing full-throttle settings on the air conditioning as well as the ventilated leather seats.


The new IS, built on a shortened version of the same chassis under the new GS introduced in February, is 3.5 inches longer overall than the outgoing IS 300 and rides on a 107.5-inch wheelbase that is 2.4 inches longer. Lexus says it put the extra inches into the cramped rear seat, but it’s still a tight fit back there. Brakes and other suspension bits also transfer from the GS, with variances to provide a sportier feel over both the bigger GS and the IS’s softer stablemate, the Toyota Camry-based front-wheel-drive ES.

Robert Carter, Lexus general manager, says the company will continue its unique approach to offering the sport-tuned IS as a distinct model from the comfort-oriented ES (alias, the baby LS).

“In the near-luxury segment the tendency is to try to offer comfort and sport in the same car,” notes Carter. “We’ve taken a different direction.”

In other words, they know what their definition of IS is, and it hasn’t changed.

The biggest news for 2006 is in the powertrain department, where the IS now comes with two distinct aluminum direct-injection V6 engine offerings, four different six-speed transmissions (one manual, three automatics), and rear- or all-wheel drive.


The top-of-the-line IS 350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 producing 306 hp at 6400 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. The IS 350 provides a massive power upgrade over the IS 300, but buyers wanting either a manual transmission or all-wheel drive must choose the lesser IS 250, equipped with a 2.5-liter V6 that makes just 204 hp at 6400 rpm and 185 lb-ft at 4800 rpm.

While the IS 350 is available only with an automatic transmission, it is equipped with electronic multi-mode shifting that allows driver gear selection via the shift lever or steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Lexus engineers estimate the IS 350 will be good for 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds, with a top speed of 142 mph. Look for the IS 250 to hit 60 mph in 7.9 seconds (8.3 for awd models), with quarter-mile times around 16 seconds even.

While the IS 250 numbers are sluggish compared to the 350, if the 7.9-second estimate holds up the 250 should be as quick 0 to 60 mph as the outgoing IS 300, which ran 0 to 60 mph in 7.99 seconds in our AutoFile tests (Sept. 18, 2000).


For our money the best value lies in the rear-drive IS 250 equipped with the six-speed manual transmission. Of the 2.5-liter models, it is by far the best performer thanks to gearbox management via a smooth, direct linkage that helps get the most out of the smaller engine. This is also the model that, thanks to its intuitive road feel and balance, most closely emulates the 3 Series. IS 250 buyers who insist on the ease of an automatic or the sure-footedness and stability of all-wheel drive, or both, should plan on a fairly severe acceleration penalty. (Buyers of awd models also would be advised to spend enough time test-driving to decide whether transfer-case protrusion into the driver’s side footwell serves as a leg rest or a pain in the calf.)

At the other extreme, the rear-drive IS 350 running on 18-inch Dunlop SportMaxx performance tires and the optional sport suspension is the hard charger of the lot. Though the car suffers from a touch more oversteer than its stablemates, it remains unruffled and easy to manage thanks to its standard Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system. Unlike the more intrusive and urgent corrections from the IS 250’s Vehicle Stability Control, VDIM provides subtle course corrections and only launches into full-blown beeps and braking when a major incident is imminent.

The IS 350’s biggest shortfall, especially for a car with 3 Series aspirations, is the lack of a manual transmission option. At BMW, in addition to slick-shifting six-speed automatics, 330i buyers can opt for a six-speed manual. And we’re not even talking about the higher-performance 333-hp M3, which comes equipped with a six-speed manual or sequential manual gearbox. (We hear the V8-powered 400-hp M3 may make a concession to U.S. buyers by offering an automatic transmission when it arrives some time next year.)


Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on the IS, with 13-inch ventilated turbine discs clamped by four-piston monoblock calipers providing the front wheel stopping power on the IS 350. IS 250 gets 11.6-inch two-pot front brakes. Lexus adopts new electric-assist steering with one of the best senses of feel we’ve experienced in a non-hydraulic power steering system.

The IS’s taut suspension, regardless of wheels, tires or setup, is the biggest indicator this Lexus has sporting intentions. The GS-derived suspension replaces the outgoing double-wishbone rear with a multi-link setup; front suspension remains double-wishbone. The parts are shortened for the IS to provide a lower hoodline, while monotube shock absorber pistons are larger for better chassis control.

The results are mixed: On the test track and in tight mountain switchbacks, where the suspension is pushed to its limits, body roll and dive are minimal, rewarding subtle, smooth inputs with a driving experience not unlike a 3 Series. But the penalty comes in regular freeway driving where routine pavement imperfections pound into the cabin, a trait unmitigated by the various permutations of tire and suspension options.


Of course no Lexus, not even an entry-level model, would be complete without a full range of electronic gadgetry. Some highlights: hill start assist (automatic models only) that helps hold the car on a steep hill when the driver’s foot shifts from brake to accelerator; radar-based active cruise control; twin-chamber airbags that reduce facial contact and injuries associated with bag deployment; standard smart key entry (with pushbutton start-up); and optional adaptive headlights that track with steering angle, depending on speed.

Lexus tops the package with a sharply restyled wrapper, complete with thoughtful touches like vertical air “kickers” on the taillight lenses that help direct airflow (and dust and dirt) away from the trunklid and rear fascia. The interior remains a clean, functional and comfortable place, with attention given to matching even the grains in various plastic parts. Mark Levinson audio is optional, along with a navigation system.

The IS goes on sale in October. Lexus says pricing will come in close to the outgoing car, $30,000 for the IS 250 and $35,000 for the IS 350. Lexus plans to sell more than 40,000 IS models per year in the United States—a hefty leap for a car that now sells fewer than 12,000 copies annually. Given the disappointing sales of the SportCross hatchback in the United States, the company has no plans to offer different body styles.

But no one rules out higher-performance models, such as the rumored V8-powered IS 430. “Think bigger,” Lexus officials told AutoWeek. We are thinking bigger, and we also think that might be what it takes to pull some of those Bimmer owners out of their 3 Series seats—as long as Lexus figures out how to give an IS driver something to keep his right hand (and left foot) busy.

But the penalty comes in regular freeway driving where routine pavement imperfections pound into the cabin, a trait unmitigated by the various permutations of tire and suspension options.

Given the disappointing sales of the SportCross hatchback in the United States, the company has no plans to offer different body styles

Lexus says pricing will come in close to the outgoing car, $30,000 for the IS 250 and $35,000 for the IS 350.