2010 Lexus IS250/350C

It is going to be summer soon....an there is nothing like a drive in a convertible...so I thought that a beautiful convertible would be in order today. In Southern California that means a ride down Pacific Coast Highway with a beautiful view of the ocean.

The Lexus IS 250/350 is entry level luxury car that competes against mainly against the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Mercedes C-class, Cadillac CTS. Infinity will introduce a G37 convertible, which will be covered in another post. The IS stands for Intelligent Sport per Lexus. Today's post is on the IS 250/350C which is a new convertible for 2010....which will be in dealer showrooms by end of the month.

The IS25/350C features a three piece aluminum hardtop roof that requires 15 electric motors and 37 sensors to fold into the trunk...which takes approximately 21 seconds.

The engine choices are a 204 hp 2.5-liter V-6 in the IS250 and a306 hp 3.5-liter V-6 for the IS350. Performance times 0-60 are approximately 5.7 & 8.3 seconds respectively.

The transmission choices are a six speed manual in the IS250C and a six speed automatic in both models. As expected, the IS convertible features Lexus fit and finish and, somewhat less appealingly, Lexus dynamics.

Pricing starts at $39,365 USD plus options for the IS250C and $44,815 USD for the IS350C.

Summary:

Both of these cars are great convertibles to drive! The Lexus models should have exemplary reliability, fit and finish. The Lexus models do not quite match up to the best in the category in the driving dynamics, which is a BMW 328 Convertible. The BMW is also costs $6000 over the IS250C. So if cost is a factor in the decision then the Lexus models deserve a look.