Road test review: Lexus IS 300

Thursday, 18 March 2021

• LEXUS IS 300

• Base price: $70,900

• Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol V3, 180kW/350Nm, 8-speed automatic, RWD, combined economy 8.2L/100km, CO2 188g/km (source: RightCar).

• Vital statistics: 4710mm long, 2027mm wide, 1435mm high, 2800mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 480 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.

• We like: Standout looks inside and out, quality interior, superb value

• We don't like: Transmission slow to engage, Toyota kit detracts from the luxury somewhat

Lexus New Zealand gave its smallest sedan quite a comprehensive update earlier this year, along with a price adjustment that should have BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi feeling a little worried. But does the rest of the package challenge the German frontrunners?

What’s the rest of the package?

The new IS isn’t entirely new as it rides on a revised version of the previous model’s platform with the same engines too. In this case, that means a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four fuelled by petrol with no electrification, making 180kW/350Nm paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. More on that in a bit.

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**

Actual changes include new bodywork with an overall more aggressive look, a slick LED light bar across the rear, a refreshed spindle grille and new headlights. The IS 300 comes standard with a new 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 18-inch alloy wheels, a tyre pressure monitoring system, LED lights all ‘round, a leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and synthetic leather upholstery.

There’s also a 10 speaker audio system with an 8 channel amplifier, embedded satellite navigation, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Every model also comes standard with the Lexus Safety System suite that includes autonomous emergency braking with day and night pedestrian detection (as well as daytime cyclist detection), lane departure alert and steering assist, lane centring, dynamic cruise control, automatic highbeam and road sign recognition.

And that makes the IS better than the Germans how?

For starters, the IS is clearly not a German four-door sedan. The BMWs, Mercs and Audis of the world tend to sort of blend together, particularly when viewed from the side, but the Lexus manages to remain unique at all angles.

The headlights are now a single unit, as opposed to the even more individual split casing from the last generation, but the tick-shaped slash of the DRLs combined with the spindle grille keeps the Lexus identiy strong up front.

Lexus has softened the edges of the grille, which makes it look a bit like a droopy cowboy moustache, but it’s less intense than before. Given the amount of flak Lexus copped with its other spindle grilles, the change makes sense and it suits the car.

Around the back, the flat-top bootlid might look a bit odd at first but it does suit the styling of the car overall. Personally I think it would look better with a slight ducktail spoiler, but I tend to think that of most bootlids.

It goes really nicely with that LED strip spanning the width of the rear end too. That’s probably my favourite new styling cue, it really gives the IS a modern flavour.

What about the powertrain? The 300 in the name must mean it’s pretty powerful?

The IS 300 isn’t exactly slow, but I wouldn’t say it’s powerful. The 300 part of the name is probably more a marketing tactic (300 is a hundred more than the Mercedes-Benz C 200, although it’s twenty fewer than the BMW 320i…) than an indication of output.

To be honest, Lexus’ turbo four is a perfectly fine engine; what lets the thing down is the transmission. More specifically, it’s the transmission’s calibration.

It feels like the gearbox starts in second gear when getting off the line, which translates to a lethargic and slow getaway. Putting it into Sports mode helps a bit, but you tend to compensate by applying more throttle than you otherwise would and dealing with the subsequent lurch as the turbo kicks in.

When you’re moving, though, everything is fine. In fact, it’s superb – the engine will happily flex between 4000 and 6000rpm and at these speeds the transmission is fine. I will say that Lexus’ habit of letting the gearshift paddles change the numbers on the instrument cluster but not the actual gears unless you’re in Manual mode is frustrating, however.

The suspension is simple – non-adjustable steel springs paired with double wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear – but it works nicely. The IS 300 is predictable at speed while still maintaining plenty of comfort.

I’m a badge snob and this is just a rebodied Camry. Why should I care about it?

Well, it’s not, because the IS is rear-drive and the Camry is front-wheel drive.

There are some hints of Toyota around the new IS though, like the convoluted infotainment system, the circa-2002 cruise control stalk that comes straight from the Hilux and the buttons on the steering wheel.

They do detract a from the IS’ luxury credentials a little but Lexus’ designers have gone to other efforts to recoup the losses. The leather interior is soft and, particularly in this shade of brown, quite gorgeous while the analogue clock and slidey touch-based AC controls make up for the Toyota switchgear.

As for the second part, you should care about this because it’s not German, which is a bit of fresh air. Odd interior things and the annoying low-speed transmission calibration, the IS 300 remains an attractive high-quality car. Plus, it starts at a hair over $70k, a healthy amount less than its rivals.

Any other cars I should consider?

These days, the premium small sedan market is, well, small. The IS 300’s primary competition comprises the Mercedes-Benz C 200, BMW 320i and the Audi A4, all of which cost at least $10,000 more than the IS 300.