It’s almost as if Lexus has captured Denzel in Man on Fire with its fierceness. The IS 350 looks like it can casually leave a scene of fire chaos and look bold while doing so. The front end has a draped black “netting” outlined in a unique shape. Along with air intake ventilation accompanying the grille, the IS 350 also features a checkmark style LED lights underneath the existing headlights. It has a low stance look to the overall vehicle giving a more powerful look. From the backside, the IS 350 has sleek taillights sharply jagged and wrapping around the sides of the vehicle. The exhaust looks substantially larger and produces a decent roar.
The interior of the IS 350 gets upgraded with the F-Sport. Beginning with the bucket seating, you feel one with the vehicle. It also features nice trim accents along the vehicle which is always a nice touch. The display screen gets a sizable upgrade increasing to 10.3 inches, slopped into the dashboard. Features the standard mouse-type control button to operate the screen, which I found to be finicky due to the inconstant ability to click what you want to. Which is severely dangerous when you are driving due to frustration because you cannot scroll through your ABBA playlist.
The Lexus IS 350 also brings forth the Lexus Safety System+, An innovation that pre-anticipates a collision with vehicles or pedestrians. The system uses the camera and millimeter-wave radar to analyze hazards in the wake of the vehicle. If your reaction is slow to vehicle slamming on the brakes in front of your IS 350, it will inflict visual alerts and brake assistance as needed. If no action is taken by the driver the IS 350 will take over from your unsafe hands, and automatically brake itself.
Powering the engine of the IS 350 is a V6 six-speed transmission that has been tuned to produce 306 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft of torque. This topping the IS 300 AWD’s 3.5L V6 engine and the IS 200t 2-litre turbocharged four cylinders respectively. Standard in all models is the three mode selection of Eco, Normal, and Sports adaptation, however, with the IS 350 it features a Sport Plus mode where it tightens the suspension, alters the throttle, and optimizes the driving experience. The fuel efficiency is standard amongst competitor sedans, with a 12.6L/100km City and 9.2L/100km Highway. This, however, can be improved by sacrificing performance and sticking to the Eco-mode option.
The overall drive of the IS 350 was impressive. The handling was sharp around bends thanks to the all-wheel drive. The suspension firmly kept the vehicle tight around corners and minimized the body jolting of other vehicles gliding through corners along the Sea to Sky highway. The IS 350 is recommended for anyone that is a performance enthusiast at a very reasonable cost. This sedan is somewhat spacious but, head and legroom for rear passengers are disappointing. Selfishly the IS 350 is made for the driver’s enjoyment.
An innovative sedan that does nothing but, holds up to the title.
Key Points:
