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Pistols at dawn
Watch out BMW, the new Lexus IS is gunning for the 3-Series. And it's good... very good indeed
It's down to badge snobbery. No longer do you have to opt out of BMW 3-Series ownership armed with a caveat.
You don't need an excuse, any inter-pub conversational armour, because the new IS is the car that will make Lexus a force to be reckoned within the UK market.
Think about it; where the small Beemer has become a subdued and almost awkward design study, the Lexus has blossomed, thanks to the new 'L-Finesse' design language.
Where the old IS200 threatened to make inroads, the new car punches above its weight, only lacking the Pavlovian buying response from the general public that the 3-Series has long laid claim to.
'Where the old Lexus IS200 threatened to make inroads, the new car punches above its weight'
The BMW might have the edge in 10/10ths excitement, but I buy an executive saloon to drive every day and a car that is as near-as-dammit silent will pay dividends 99 per cent of the time. Standard kit is lavish, ride is exemplary and the execution of build superlative.
You could argue that the wheels are too small, there's no diesel option and that bits of it can look a little plump.
In answer, I'll point you towards the forthcoming Sport model riding on 18s, and the imminent release of the IS220d in the UK - a diesel engine more powerful than that in the BMW 320d.
As for the plump bit, get used to it - 'flame-surfacing' and 'new edge' are so last year. It's won a Top Gear award because, after years of trying, someone's made a car that conquers the Three, but not by apeing BMW values. It's gone its own way and it's a better car for it.
Read Lexus IS Car Review
Lexus IS road tests
Lexus IS250 manual - February 13, 2006
Lexus IS250 SE Auto - November 10, 2005
Lexus IS200 Sportcross - December 9, 2002
Lexus IS200 - August 14, 2001
Lexus IS200 Sport - March 1, 2001
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