Lexus IS 220d Sport
The blow to the pride hurt more than the physical pain. Walking away from the Lexus IS200 on test here, I couldnt resist a glance over my shoulder. Its just one of those cars you get a real kick out of looking at. Id walk away from a Mercedes C-Class, a BMW 3 Series, an Audi A4 or a Jaguar X-TYPE without so much as a second thought but the Lexus engenders a warm glow to your ego.
Youll want to remind yourself of what youve arrived in. Youll feel like youve made it, that people are congratulating you on your refined taste. Right up to that moment when you walk into a bollard.
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Have you been suckered by a rather talented stylist into buying a car thats all show and no go? Although this cars standout feature is its good looks, theres substance beneath the taut surfacing as well. This Sport model joins the existing IS220d diesel and offers a few refinements guaranteed to appeal to keener drivers. The most obvious change is a change in the differential gear ratio in the rear axle from 2.474 to 3.
200. That might sound like technical gibberish to most but it has a real effect on the driving characteristics of this car. In short, it makes the gears shorter, sharpening up acceleration and getting the biggest possible bang for your buck from the IS220ds 175bhp turbodiesel engine.
"The IS220d Sport feels better built than any of its German rivals"
The six-speed gearbox is extremely good and youll be snicking up and down gears just for fun, the pedal positioning making smooth up and down changes easy. The engine does its best work between 2,400 and 3,750rpm, so its not as peaky as many diesel cars but youll need to grab for gears fairly quickly if youre intent on making a quick getaway. The sprint to 60mph is dispatched in just 8.6 seconds.
In case youre wondering why the Lexus is slower off the mark than the less powerful BMW 320d, the answer comes down to weight. At 1,655kg this Lexus is fully 225kg heavier than the BMW. Thats like having Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in the back seat. Like many other perfectly formed things, the IS is on the small side.
The big guys would likely have a few issues with kneeroom and because of the electric adjustment for the front seats, theres little room underneath for Lennox to plant his size fourteens. There can be few grumbles about the standard of fit and finish and the amount of gear you get. As well as those 18-inch rims, theres sports suspension and sports pedals. Metallic trim detailing inside vies for your attention with Cellensia suede-effect upholstery.
The front seats get heating elements for those chilly winter mornings while the eight way electric adjustment ensures a perfect driving position. Theres also climate controlled air-conditioning, a 13-speaker audio system with an in-dash 6 CD autochanger, rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, a push button start, memory settings for the drivers seat, steering wheel and door mirrors. I could go on but by now you probably get the picture. This is a car that takes the sort of equipment youd expect in a top end luxury saloon and crow-bars it into a compact executive model.
Its easy to excuse its somewhat lardy showing on the scales as a result. The ride on the 18-inch alloy wheels and sport suspension set up is firm but composed. The steering is quick and accurate and the on-limit handling, as defined by the VDIM stability control system, is benign in the extreme. This system is a vast improvement over the old VSC stability control system, allowing a little more wheelspin but intervening earlier and less obtrusively when it detects the car getting a little out of shape.
Whats even more interesting is that whereas traditional stability control systems just nip at the brakes to keep things in check, VDIM manages brakes, throttle and even steering, adding a couple of degrees of counter steer crucially early in the event of a slide. Power out of a wet mountain hairpin with the engine right in the meat of the torque and youll feel a mild muting of throttle response and a spot a flashing light on the fascia. No drama, no temptation to counter steer yourself (something that can royally confuse some stability control systems) and a rapid reapplication of full power once the car detects its pointing in the right direction. Top marks.
The interior is an object lesson in how to make complex systems intuitive to access and operate. Its here that Lexus scores its most decisive victory over the BMW 3 Series. The satellite navigation, audio and ventilation systems are all simple to use. Try changing the stereos bass and treble on a BMW fitted with iDrive.
If you can do it within twenty minutes of starting out, without recourse to a manual, mind, youre doing better than me and Ive got a degree in IT. In the IS 220d, youll figure it out within ten seconds the first time and the same goes even for the more complex functions. The second biggest advantage the Lexus scores comes in after sales service. Here the company is second to none and Lexus dealers monotonously rate as having the best service offering year after year.
Judging by other Lexus products, its doubtful youll see much of them other than for routine servicing as, again, Lexus trounces all German rivals when it comes to reliability. Although the engine is by no means the best unit in its class, the rest of the Lexus IS220d Sport package makes up for it. Its not cheap but if you want a car that you really get a kick out of owning, this is as good a contender in this class as any. Just dont admire it too much.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Lexus IS 220d Sport
PRICE: £26,925 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 168g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.6s / Max Speed 134mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 44.8 (extra urban) 52.3 (urban) 35.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
