Jared Syrenne

2018 Lexus IS 350 – Automotive Review

September 30, 2018

The 2018 Lexus IS 350 is a perfect example of Lexus’s commitment to today’s newest generation of luxury buyers. Already a strong player in the entry luxury segment, the IS 350 offers drivers a balance of power and handling with a more unique and eccentric Japanese styling. Aggressive lines and angles that stand out from the more common and traditional European luxury sedans.

The IS lineup is produced in the Tahara Toyota Motor plant, which is one of the most computerized and robotized automotive plants in the world. The plant is spread out over four million square meters, and it even has direct port access for more efficient international shipping. The Lexus brand represents the pinnacle of the already well-respected Toyota brand, with track like performance added to the top of the line quality and reliability expected from the company often quoted as the inventor of many of today’s manufacturing processes and standards.

Test driving the Lexus IS 350, was quite enjoyable. It was exciting and responsive which helped bring some joy to what is normally a dreary commute. Our car came with the F Sport package, which included some further refinement in styling such as the dark mesh front grill and larger and more functional brake cooling ducts. The interior was also heightened with some sportier vented and heated front seats, a 3-spoke steering wheel, and fancy aluminum brake and gas pedals. The 10.3 display is controlled by the annoying Lexus Remote Touch input, while the haptic feedback was nice, I found myself continually overshooting the chosen icon and having to fiddle with it more than I would have liked too. The available 15-speaker Mark Levinson® Surround Sound Audio system provided home theater like quality, and the IS 350 includes all the features expected from a luxury sedan. The F Sport package also included some performance features like Sport S/S+ modes providing faster gear changes, with reduced body roll through Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) damping the force of the shock absorbers.

The Lexus IS 350 is powered by a 3.5L V6 producing 311 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of peak torque. The AWD models use a six-speed automatic transmission where the RWD model uses an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission. While this is plenty of power for the average daily drive, at this price point on paper the IS 350 does fall behind some of its direct competitors.

Competition – Entry Level Performance Luxury (50-60k)

INFINITI Q50 Red Sport 400
- Producing 400-hp from a 3.0-litre V6 capable of doing 0-100km/hr in 4.5sec
BMW 340i xDrive
- Producing 320hp from a 3.0-litre V6 capable of doing 0-100km/hr in 4.9sec
Cadillac ATS Premium Luxury
- With a 3.6L V6 335 hp engine capable of doing 0-100km/hr in 5.6 sec

Key Features:

Starting from $53,100 CND
3.5L V6 with 311hp and 277lb-ft
12.3/9.1/10.9 city hwy combined
Lexus Safety System Plus+
Heated and Air-Conditioned Front Sport Seats
Dimensions
- Height 1430mm.
- Length 4680mm.
- Width 1810mm.
- Gross Vehicle Weight 2125 Kg.
- Cargo Capacity 306L.

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Andrew Harwood

2017 Lexus IS 350 – Review

September 18, 2017

The new look of the 2017 IS models being that of the new rear-wheel-drive IS 200t, the all-wheel-drive IS 300, and the almighty IS 350 is that of both swagger and sleekness.

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:

Sticker Price: $53,350
V6 engine with 6-speed transmission
Lexus Safety System+
10-year/100 000 km warranty

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West Coast Canadian: Automotive Everything

Tag: Lexus