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 We've
written before about the 2010 Lexus IS 350C, the two-door, retracting
hardtop-becomes-convertible version of Lexus' entry-level compact sedan.
That
article was based on a brief driving impression at the vehicle's press
introduction.
But now we've had
some time with the IS C, time in the form of a road trip from Phoenix
to Los Angeles and back.
Here are our further
impressions:
The 2010 Lexus IS
350C is a comfortable cruiser. Exit the driveway, enter the Interstate
and sit back and enjoy the drive. The leather seats are supportive but
nicely cushioned. Satellite radio is standard equipment - and a very welcome
feature when you're crossing a desert where you're fortunate if your earth-bound
car radio can pick up anything but static.
You're not going
to carry a lot of luggage if you want to put the top down, but for blasting
along the Interstates, you'll probably keep the top up anyway.
But once you reach
LA, it's a simple and quick push of a button to put the top down so you
can see and be seen driving a very stylish vehicle. Speaking of which,
you'll be proud to step forward when the valet delivers your car after
dinner or in the morning when you're leaving your hotel.
The 306-horsepower,
3.5-liter V6 is almost V8-like in its power delivery. There are stretches
on I-10 where you face long climbs - long enough and steep enough that
there are warnings posted about the potential for overheating. The big-rig
trucks tend to crawl up those slopes, but the Lexus' engine and six-speed
automatic respond nicely, zipping you around those rolling chicanes.
Among manufacturer-installed
navigation systems, we've already thought Lexus/Toyota's is the best.
Not because it has better maps - nothing beats Nissan's bird's-eye view
- but because it's the quickest to respond, and when you miss a turn,
it doesn't start screaming "make an immediate U turn," but simply
and quickly finds you an alternative route to your destination.
The nav system -
part of a $3,890 option that includes a Mark Levinson premium audio system
-- in this IS C proved that again - with one exception: When we first
arrived at the hotel in downtown LA, it didn't tell us whether the building
was on the left or right-side of the street. It simply said: You have
arrived. We had to figure out for ourselves that the hotel's front door
was around the corner.
On the other hand,
the nav system features real-time traffic information and did a great
job of warning us of construction zones and congestion. The system also
recognizes speed limits and puts an orange circle inside the speedometer
to warn you that you're nudging at the posted limit.
We'll mention it
here, though Toyota isn't the only automaker that has this problem: Why
don't on-board computers give you accurate fuel economy numbers. According
to the trip computer, we were averaging between 30 and 31 miles per gallon
throughout the trip. But when we refilled the gas tank and did the math,
we'd averaged 22.7 driving to LA and 27.9 on the way back. The IS C is
EPA-rated at 18 city and 25 highway.
Base price on the
Matador Red Mica-painted IS C we drove is $43,940. Bottom line on the
Monroney sticker read $51,860 and included $875 in delivery charges, $100
for heated windshield wipers, and $3,055 for a Luxury package that included
things such as bi-xenon headlamps and ventilated front seats, and $3,890
for the Levinson package.
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