Car Tech – 2015 Lexus IS 250

These days lexus is working a two-prong strategy keep its luxury-oriented mercedes alternative audience happy and go after a younger audience is looking for something more urban more sporty and more affordable let’s drive a key part of the strategy the 2015 is-250 and check the tech now this 15is is the second year of a dramatic new redesign the swoopy sporty new

Styling is a carryover from 14. some improvements now we’ve got led fog lights on the 15. siri eyes free is supported you can do remote telematics via the n-form app now not just infotainment apps and they’ve improved the rear camera with some better trajectory lines let’s get inside now inside the is the first thing i like is this lay back console they’ve been

Doing lately everything is just so beautifully laid out ergonomically i give them great props on this really well thought out and very comfortable we’ve seen that head unit before i wish i was happier to see it not much has changed it’s a little crunchy looking but it gets the basics done but pretty is not one of its attributes nor is widescreen voice command is

Very logical on this car from just about any screen you can issue a command for any other function please say a command navigation go to navigation please say a navigation and as you can see you can enter addresses in one gulp i like that we have app support through lexus enform a basket of apps as well as remote telematics my one big gripe is this controller

Now that’s not a touch screen you couldn’t reach it anyway but you’ve got this sort of upside down puck that lexus likes i just find it to be a festival of overshoots and undershoots i’d kill for a knob and a click right now or even a touch pad but this thing is like an upside down mouse and i hate it now up front an is-250 is a baby v6 two and a half liters

The numbers are kind of compact as well 204 horsepower 185 pound-feet of torque those are not overwhelming by today’s standards you’re looking at this car getting up to 60 in 7.7 seconds respectable but no one’s going to call that super fast your mpg is not bad 21 city but 30 highway you should get in the mid 20s reliably and your only drivetrain choice base is a

Six-speed automatic rear-wheel drive is your standard setup but you can also get all-wheel drive first thing i noticed in the is-250 is it’s a little more hat than cattle which is to say it’s more suspension than it is powertrain the car looks like a barn burner on the outside but at least in 250 configuration those numbers don’t lie it’s just a little short on

Power especially by today’s standards of cars on steroids the handling is really nice the cornering is fantastic and the ride quality it’s the lexus is silky so it’s a good everyday driver shifts are a little sleepy though is about a heartbeat and a half even when i’m here in sport mode before i get a reaction to the paddle it’s definitely a step behind the game

Driver assist is all optional on this car you can get passive blind spot and lane departure alerts also a pre-collision option that just amplifies the brakes but doesn’t stop for you and that’s bundled with adaptive cruise control overall the is250 is a really nice daily car it’s not going to be the one you take to the autocross track though and get the best time

But i love driving it the handling is outstanding the powertrain is enough pricing is about 37.5 delivered levinson audio and navigation is another three grand that’s going to roll in a number of other desirable tech features luxury and tech package is how you get to lane departure warning that’s about 4 000. the pre-collision technology is a la carte 500 typically

Special order and you have to get 18-inch wheels to get the rest of this stuff all in about 46 000 loaded up cnn style

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Car Tech – 2015 Lexus IS 250 By CNET