2009 Lexus IS250C Reviews

Later, the Mercedes C-Class was also in Lexus’s sights as Mercedes quietly moved it from the boring sedan into the sporty sedan segment.All Lexus are immaculately finished inside and out in a tradition that has been with the marque since day one in 1989.The quality of materials and workmanship not only makes the car a delight to look at and sit in, but also makes for high level reliability.Interior space is good for a rear-drive car, but the little Lexus has less room than a front-wheel-drive of this size would have.Try the back seat for size if adults will be frequently using it.The quality of materials and workmanship makes the car a delight to look at with high level reliability.In its earlier iterations, it’s possibly best to regard it as being a two-plus-two rather than a four-seater for adults.Later models are better but still nothing special.That’s for the sedans, the IS hardtop convertibles, launched in July 2009, are very tight in the back seat, as is generally the way in this class.The first Lexus IS generation used straight-six engines, for smoothness; and rear-wheel drive for precise handling balance.Later it changed to V6 powerplants to free up space at the front.Power for the IS200 originally came from an engine with a capacity of just 2.0 litres, hence the ‘200’.While many praised the car others said it didn’t have enough grunt to match the chassis so a 3.0-litre IS300 was introduced in 2001.Splitting the difference is the IS 250, (yes, 2.5 litres) which replaced both the 200 and 300 with the introduction of the second generation IS Series in 2005.The third generation Lexus IS retained the 2.5-litre V6 in uprated format and added a 3.5-litre V6, to the lineup.Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F.Things became interesting in the powerplant field with the introduction of a hybrid powertrain, the Lexus IS300h, in the gen-three car in July 2013.This time around the engine is a four-cylinder petrol 2.5-litre assisted by an electric motor.The ‘300’ indicates the hybrid provides the sort of performance normally requiring a 3.0-litre unit.After years of competing only against the mainstream models of BMW and Merc, Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F in October 2008.With a 5.0-litre V8 engine and semi-race suspension, steering, brakes and serious aerodynamic enhancements it’s something right out of the ordinary from a Lexus point of view; deliberately so, the Japanese marque really wants to make a statement.Note that the Lexus F shouldn't be confused with the Lexus F Sport, which is a far tamer model, sold from 2010, with the same engine output standard IS 250 or IS 350 on which it is based, but with uprated suspension, steering and brakes, as well as a sportier look in body details.Spare parts and servicing are reasonably priced for a car in this class.Lexus dealers are fairly limited in number, particularly in rural areas, though that situation has changed in recent years as major country cities are now being serviced.Some senior Toyota technicians are trained in most aspects of the car. Toyota is, of course, the parent company of Lexus.Insurance is generally moderate in price for a car in this price and social class and we haven't noticed any worthwhile variation between the major companies in normal premiums.Look for damage to the bodywork and the interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all areas.If not it may have been mistreated by an uncaring owner.During your test drive check for anything out of the ordinary in the way the car drives, sounds and feels.Look over the complete vehicle, preferably with the owner’s handbook in front of you, these are complex cars.At the very least, test each of the functions on the stereo, climate-control, windows and door locking.Make sure the engine starts virtually instantaneously, idles so smoothly that you can barely feel it and doesn't hesitate when accelerated.The automatic transmission should operate almost imperceptibly and not hold onto any gears unnecessarily.A manual gearbox should be smooth and light not baulk on any changes, no matter how fast you make them.Unless you’re very confident in your technical ability it’s silly not to call for a professional inspection.Don’t rush into specific details of a car when checking it out - rather do an overall walk around to get a big-picture of its condition.

Mr Zo is interested in buying a used Lexus ISF, but because they are quite expensive he wants to be careful and know what he's getting into. He wants to know about common problems, servicing expenses, and the cost of parts etc. NEWThe F is to the IS what the M3 is to the BMW 3-Series. It's the seriously quick model that gives a tinge of credibility to the rest of the range.Since beginning with a single luxury model in the 1990s Lexus has grown into the fully-fledged prestige marque that holds its own with the acknowledged prestige brands from Europe.Like the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class the IS gives the masses the opportunity to participate in the dream, or at least aspire to be part of it.Much of the development of the IS was done on racetracks around the world. Indeed the F is said to stand for Fuji, the Japanese track where much of it was carried out. The result is a car with real sports credentials.One look at the compact sedan tells you it's conceived for speed, with a wide airdam, sweeping lines, and bulging wheel arches full of massive alloy wheels, low profile rubber and huge brakes.The sporting feel carries through to the stylish cabin with its real sports seats, carbon-fibre accents, leather trim and F badges.But it not only looks the part, it has the performance to back it up.Lift the bonnet and you discover the dual-injected double-overhead camshaft 5.0-litre V8 that delivers the punch. It's related to the V8 in the LS luxury saloon, but has been enlarged and enhanced with unique heads, conrods, pistons, intake and exhaust. With all that working in unison the result is 311kW at 6600 rpm and 505Nm at 5200 rpm.A new 8-speed auto transmission processes the engine's output and sends it back to the rear wheels. It features paddles on the steering wheel to change gears and boasts quick-fire shifting.In addition to the normal driving modes there's the F sports mode, which locks the torque convertor in second to eighth gears and changes the throttle characteristics, steering assistance and chassis settings.The IS F brought a new feeling of freedom to the otherwise staid Lexus brand, one with an impressive performance edge heralded by a throaty roar. NOWLexus has a well-earned reputation for the quality of its build, which is a great start to a long and reliable life of driving.There is the odd report of a problem with the IS F, but there are no serious problems we can report.If pressed some owners complain about the firm ride, but that comes with the territory, the F is a performance car and the suspension settings reflect that.For anyone contemplating buying one it's important that they carry out a test drive to thoroughly familiarise themselves with all aspects of the car and reassure themselves they can live with it.The one issue that does often crop is the life of the brakes. Again that is one of the things that can affect a performance car, and it seems that it does with the IS F. Most owners accept that it's a part of the ownership experience. When conducting a pre-purchase test-drive listen for squeaking rear brakes, it's a sign the brakes will soon need replacing.Like all cars servicing is crucial to maintaining reliability, and regular oil and filter changes are necessary to help keep the engine firing in fine fettle.Check the service book to make sure your potential purchase has been serviced as per the Lexus recommendation.There was a recall in October 2014 to rectify an issue with the gasket between the fuel pressure sensor and fuel delivery pipe that could result in a fuel leak with the possibility of a fire.

A small slice of spring sunshine cuts through the winter chill this week.It comes from the Lexus IS 250C, a droptop with a difference. Or two.For a start, it has four roomy seats. And it is relatively affordable with pricing from $79,900. And it proves again that Lexus really can do good cars, even if they don't have a BMW or Benz badge, when it moves away from Japo-bland.The hardtop convertible is surprisingly taut and enjoyable to drive, even if it could do with a bit more punch. And some extra boot space when you're running top-down.The C is the second stretch from the Lexus IS, following the grunty, V8-powered IS-F. It should have been the second and third, because the original plan was to build both a coupe and a cloth-roof convertible from the basis of the four-door sedan.But smart thinking, a bit of customer research _ and a second look at the budget _ showed Lexus that convertible customers really want a coupe which can do an origami transformation to open for the sun.So the 250C got the go-ahead and project boss Kiiechi Yoneda, a body expert who is also responsible for the carbon fibre work on the upcoming Lexus LF-A supercar, decided immediately to go for an inhouse roof job with three panels and electric operation. And an overkill on stiffening."Our development concept key word was 'open'. And we wanted to maximise the driving pleasure with the roof down," he says in Australia this week."As you would expect, we started the design from the top down. And all exterior parts, except only four parts - bonnet, headlamps, door mirrors and door handles - were designed exclusively for the ISC."So the second Lexus after the SC, a lamentable soft cruiser, is intended for people who enjoy driving and not just parking or posing.That's why it has - count them - seven body strengthening panels below the floor, a tail end set to minimise cabin buffeting, and a suspension system which has been comprehensively tweaked from the basic IS.There is a weight penalty of around 130 kilograms over the sedan, with 60 down to the roof, another 60 in reinforcement, and 10 kilos in things like the luggage cover and folding rear headrest.The mechanical package is familiar and proven, from the 153 kiloWatt 2.5-litre V6 engine to the six-speed sequential automatic gearbox and rear-wheel drive. Suspension is fully independent and there is anti- skid braking, ESP stability control and more.There are three models in the ISC lineup, starting with the Prestige and moving through Sports to Sports Luxury at $99,900. The numbers give the car at least a $15,000 edge over its realistic rivals, led by the BMW 3-Series convertible, and Lexus is talking tough despite only aiming for around 25 sales a month."I like to think our competition is just over-priced. Our pricing is not apologetic, it's realistic," says Lexus boss, John Roca."Unlike our rivals, we've long believed that consumers need simplicity in their ownership and purchase experience."DRIVING The ISC is a good car. It drives well with the top up and with the top down there is almost no shaking or wind rush.This comes as a major shock after the SC _ which makes the hairdresser's Celica look like a muscle car _ and because Lexus could easily have shortcut and cashed-in a price advantage over its European rivals from Audi, BMW, Benz, Saab and Volvo.Instead, the car looks different enough from a regular IS to turn a few heads, the quality is right on the button, there is good space inside and the droptop conversion is seamless and effective.The attention to detail even runs to an electric passenger seat which operates twice as quickly as a four-door IS, to make rear-seat access quicker and easier. And the back seat really has space for two adults.The car was even tested in Australia to check its dust sealing and rigidity, on a trip last year when Yoneda learned that blowflies do not taste good.Still, the roof will only fold when you are completely stopped and the top-down storage is not good. It might be as good as its rivals but it looks like you're short-changed when you lose so much from the top-up luggage space, and when Lexus admits there is a package for luggage in the back seat.The ISC gets along well enough, with a neutral handling balance and solid brakes, although the ESP steps in far too early in corners and the automatic gearbox still wants to take control with automatic upshifts when you want to hold a gear for corners.Sporty drivers would appreciate the 3.5-litre engine, which could be coming, but the 2.5 makes it a well-balanced package.The ISC feels like a coupe with the roof up and loses very little in strength when it is down, with just a minor tremor through the body over corrugations and zero loss of suspension control through bumps and undulations. There were a couple of minor creaks in the press preview car, but nothing which could not be cured with a visit to a Lexus-style technician.Best of all, when you put the top down there is only very minor wind ruffling up to 110km/h and you don't have to shout at your passenger.The new Lexus is a match for the best in its class on all the important convertible points and, for the price, it is a clear winner.Lexus IS 250C Price: from $79,900 to $99,900Engine: 2.5-litre V6Power: 153kW/6400revsTorque: 252Nm/4800revsTransmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drivePerformance: top speed 210km/h, 0-100km/h 9.0sEconomy: 9.3L/100kmEmissions: 219grams/km

And, given the push-button convenience of the latter these days, the car's upper garb often comes off quicker.Spring is also, of course, the time when Carsguide preaches to the convertible.It's a task made easier by the ever-expanding range of topless four-seaters _ cars that combine a decent degree of utility with a goodly serving of desirability _ so that now ever more are converting.The facility to have it off and on at will (most such lids fold up or down in around 20 seconds and some can do it at 30km/h) is worth a lot more as a selling point than all the kilowatts and cornering force figures in the world combined. Otherwise, just buy a coupe.Not that BMW's 125i (priced from$63,755) lacks a means of propulsion or is in any way reluctant to address bends.Even detuned to 160kW/270Nm, this three-litre jobbie is a classic example of the Bavarian's trademark in-line six _ which, combined with rear-wheel-drive dynamics, is unique among current compact convertibles.Contrary to the hairdryer image of this genre, the only thing soft about the 125i is its roof which, in a world increasingly given to folding metal numbers, is of fabric construction.For a car that, even by the compromised norm of this type, is knee-crushingly cramped in the back, it's starting to get bloody dear _ though even that's relative, given it's $30K easier on the wallet than the identically engined 325i.Equally, the Volkswagen Eos TFSI (from $49,990) offers value _ indeed, allure _ that would necessitate spending maybe $40K extra on a more prestigious badge.The VeeWee also boasts the best top of all these sometimes-roofless Germans: one with a number of variations, all of which enable it to be completely convincing as either a convertible or as a coupe. In either guise, it looks great.The TFSI shares the Golf GTI's platform and drivetrains: a slick, six-speed manual or a twin-clutch auto driving that sublime two-litre, direct-injection turbo four-potter.If you tick the optional sports suspension with 18-inch tyres box, it can do a fair dynamic imitation of this now-ubiquitous warmish hatch.So can Audi's A3 2.0 TFSI Cabrio (from $54,900) _ as it should, given that it has the same underpinnings and go bits as the allegedly humbler Eos.But although perceived prestige badges can have a disorienting effect on some punters' sense of proportion, the Eos's trick roof is enough to see it shroud out its soft-topped cousin.It used to be that to go topless in traffic, you had to be Swedish; time was, indeed, that Saab's 9-3 was synonymous with this sort of behaviour.But that was 10 years ago. Today, a 9-3 Convertible is an unreliable and outclassed alternative to simply wearing a T-shirt that reads: “Clueless”.Fortunately for Scando enthusiasts, there's Volvo's C70 T5 (from $79,950). No, it doesn't get up and go anything like those mentioned above (despite a worthy 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo), much less handle.But it does have visual presence, GT composure, a smart folding metal roof and _ perhaps more to the Swede-lover's point _ a perceptible quality of having been hewn from something extremely solid and ever-so safe.Just as Lexus's IS sedan chucked a spanner into the compact prestige segment by doing a rear-drive/six-pots-up-front package that undercut the Germans for value, so too will the Lexus IS250C coupe/convertible.Seen at the Sydney motor show, this folding-aluminium-roof number is due in these parts in the second half of 2009 _ no doubt priced at a point to cause the Europeans maximum discomfort.The IS250C has a rear overhang some 50mm longer than the sedan, and Lexus claims class-leading boot space even with the lightweight, three-piece lid folded.Roof up, it looks better still, with a coupe sleekness that becomes the IS more than the four-door shape.The IS250C shares the sedan's 153kW/252Nm 2.5-litre V6 and six-speed, paddle-shift automatic.At $1.19 million, the ultimate convertible costs 20 times more than the least expensive car here, but the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is quite possibly the world's best car _so this seems only right and proper.We mention it mainly to have an excuse to run its exquisite likeness, because next to none of us is ever going to get into one.But it somehow helps to know that those who do have the wherewithal aren't wasting their dough on rubbish.Besides, as the stock market goes at the moment, a Rolls is probably a better investment than shares.