2014 Is250 Impressions

[denslexusgx470]

First of all, it's been a rough summer for me so excuse my absence from here.

Anyways onto the topic! I dropped my car off for a service ( which should have taken only 2 days MAX but now going onto the 4th day) and I had requested to get the new IS250 loaner this time (I normally opt for an RX but decided to give the 2014 IS a shot).

My Impression? First of all, it does feel a bit bigger (without comparing interior dimensions literally) than the previous IS. We were able to put a car seat in the back seat (my friend's kid, along with his wife) and it fit us just right with 4 people in the car total. Trunk space is actually pretty big since I was able to put a Trek all carbon road bike in the car with the rear seats folded.

Handling does feel a bit sportier than the previous IS. The first time I hit the freeway on-ramp, I took that curve at around 40mph which normally I would do in a BMW without any doubts. Brakes seem to grip better than the previous IS, but still far off from the braking performance of the German competition like BMW and MB.

Power I believe... is so so.. Then again the car only had 559 miles on the clock when I got her so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that maybe the engine is still sleepy.

I love the numerous options available for the driver to see on his center gauges. Whether it's the mpg/mph you want to see, or what gear the vehicle is in, to even having the turn by turn directions show up on the center of your gauges (which I've seen before in the MBs), you can practically display almost anything imaginable!

LED headlights... I do have to admit that I am IMPRESSED by them. :whistles: At first I thought it was just a fad, or a better version of HIDs which eliminates the ballasts that break when the lights are simultaneously turned on and off a lot. Compared it side by side with HIDs and the difference is clearly night and day.

The cross-traffic feature is very VERY useful especially for smaller vehicles who have a hard time backing out of a parking spot because two gigantic Suburbans are covering your view from both sides.

The one design flaw I found on this vehicle is.... the cupholder! The cupholders for the front seats are poorly designed. When there's a cup or bottle in the cup holder, it takes away the arm rest for the passenger. Also, I find it odd that (unless I am unaware of other outlets) there is only ONE cigarette lighter plug inside the cabin for you to charge your phone. There are 2 USB outlets though.... but I find that the cigarette lighter chargers charge better and faster than using your USB cable and charging the phone with the USB outlet (unless it's an Apple product, then the charging is fine. I find that my Samsung S3 charges really slow when using USB. Maybe could be just my phone???)

[13IS250C]

I see they added a face clock like Infiniti.

I'm still out to lunch on that big mouth grill. I guess it will just take some getting used to. I wonder how long it will be before the convertible is released?

Great review.

[LEX-SV]

Yes, they have done a very nice job with the new IS. (I've driven new IS350 F-sports on 2 separate occasions).

I wonder how sales traction is so far. I've only seen 2 or 3 on the street so far.

[pj8708]

denslexusgx470,

Great write up.

So..given your drive with the IS, and comparisons with the BMW and MB, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the IS?

Not Good 1 2 3 4 5 Average 6 7 8 9 10 Verry Good

Paul

[denslexusgx470]

I see they added a face clock like Infiniti.

I'm still out to lunch on that big mouth grill. I guess it will just take some getting used to. I wonder how long it will be before the convertible is released?

Great review.

Same here. This whole "Swindle Grill" isn't really my taste so it will take a little getting used to for me. Maybe getting a black Lexus is now an option because it won't be too noticeable on a black vehicle. :chairshot:

Yes, they have done a very nice job with the new IS. (I've driven new IS350 F-sports on 2 separate occasions).

I wonder how sales traction is so far. I've only seen 2 or 3 on the street so far.

I've seen a couple on the streets here where I live. Then again I saw a couple of loaner 2014 IS250s also. Slow sales? Too pricey now for the size?

denslexusgx470,

Great write up.

So..given your drive with the IS, and comparisons with the BMW and MB, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate the IS?

Not Good 1 2 3 4 5 Average 6 7 8 9 10 Verry Good

Paul

It is hard to say. I have driven an MB C300 (not the C250 yet), BMW 328i (both old body style and current one with the I-4 Twin Turbo, and 335i), and both a 2nd & 3rd Gen IS250. Honestly I would rate each vehicle differently depending on category (handling, ease of use, features, etc)..

If I were to do a general rating of the new IS250 comparing it to its previous generation, C300, and 328i (6 cyl previous body style), I would rate the IS about a 7... not because of sportiness or handling, but the overall quality, luxury feel, and ease of use compared to the German competitors. It definitely could use a little more power even on the IS250 because the new 328i with the I4 twin turbo can accelerate a lot quicker IMO even though they whine and sound like a real 4cyinder. On a side note though, this new IS250 does corner better than it's predecessor IS250. I was able to easily do 40mph on a curved freeway on-ramp which I could do 40mph on with any given BMW.

[SW03ES]

Too early to know for sales, but it takes time for a model to get out into the population enough to start seeing them places...

Great review!

[denslexusgx470]

After putting 1300 miles on that loaner (don't ask me how I was able to rack up 1300 miles within 4 days of driving that loaner), I think I got a good grasp for the vehicle. It's very handy to use especially in tight situations but I still prefer a bigger size sedan (like our 5 series AT LEAST) or an SUV for my needs.

I miss those LED headlights. :cries:

[LEX-SV]

Yes, it's way too early to really gauge sales traction. This car needs to get traction and is expected to be the sales leader for Lexus when it comes to sport sedans in linup, just like the 3 series, C-class and A4 are the highest volume sport sedans for those automakers in US market.

The compact sports sedan class is typically the most "fun to drive" class of sedans, much of it to do with the compact dimensions that contribute to handling twisty mountain roads with confidence. It's nice to see Lexus take the attributes of a drivers car so seriously in the IS sedans.

[SW03ES]

I saw a black F Sport on the road today for the first time....it is a GREAT looking car...

[denslexusgx470]

It definitely caught a lot of attention from people who have not seen a 2014 IS before. Even at the gas station while filling up, I had other Lexus owners trying to catch a stare at the IS without me noticing hehe.

[LEX-SV]

I was looking over a new white IS250 today in slow freeway traffic, it looked good even with the big grill. But my preference is still the darker exterior colors that make the big grill and all the fancy bumper cut lines blend in better.