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Lexus IS250 Vs. BMW 3er (My review)
Well I went to test drive the new IS250 yesterday. My uncle has placed an order for his car now which will be here by the end of January (*Shock* a lexus with a small waiting list..lol). Just to make sure I got a great back to back impression of the two vehicles, I drove there in my aunts new 320i.
Well when I first laid eyes on the lexus, the first thing that came to mind was,
"Is that It?" I expected so much more from the pictures, but before me was an attractive enough vehicle, but with nothing particularly beautiful to note. Also, I think the Toyota DNA is still alive and well in Lexus designs, which isn't a good thing. The rear has a great squat stance, the front was pleasant enough, but nothing too exciting, and the profile was very so so. The kink rising from the door to the C pillar was a very unnecessary style element. So overall the design was nice, but the 3 was is nicer.
The interior also gave me mixed impressions. The materials seemed to be of a great quality, but they still felt very Toyota. Especially the shiny silver bits on the door grip which is also used around the transmission tunnel. What really grated my nerves was the CRAP layout of the climate control and audio controls on the entry level vehicle. Lexus, once a benchmark for ergonomics, has seriously stumbled. I think for the sake of style, the arrangement of the controls has ended up all too ad hoc. Mind you the situation in the cars equipped with the touch screen navigation system was vastly superior. It’s just so easy to use .With complaints about the rear seating in mind, I adjusted the drivers seat so I would be comfortable, Keeping in mind I am a real shorty at only 175cm
and then jumped into the back. Knee room was fine, but where was I supposed to put my feet. The bulky base of the front seats takes up so much room, you simply can't put your feet under there. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me back there lol. So the materials were good, everything felt beautifully damped and moved with an oily precision. But then another area where I really felt the IS was a let down, especially considering how well put together their other vehicles are, was the build quality. The shut lines in the interior were nothing impressive, and the door trim meeting the dashboard actually showed a bit of inconsistency when comparing the two sides. Things I loved about the interior were the armrest compartment design (yes a very small thing I realize) and the instrument display. It was far more comprehensive than the 3 series and looked high-tech beautiful. The 3ers look rather staid and cheap in comparison. But when I jumped back into the 3 later on I realized, neither of the two have interiors that are particularly special.
For the test drive then. Fired up the engine, what was that a felt? Slight vibrations? This from Lexus brand new 2.5 V6. I always expected to feel absolutely nothing from a Lexus engine, as my past encounters proved, but this one was less refined at start up. Perhaps their quest for output figures to match the Germans has finally taken a very slight toll on refinement? Anyway, on the move the engine was a complete gem, blending seamlessly with the transmission. But I did note, despite its on paper advantages in no way was the 3ers 4 cylinder disgraced. Also their claims that the car will do 0-100 in 6.9 are completely overstated. There is no way this car will achieve those numbers.
The roads we drove on were excellent, nice and windy, smooth, but with enough ripples and bumps to test the suspension out. The steering was very precise, but much lighter than the MEATY feeling of the 3. Some will prefer the effortlessness of the IS's steering, but I like the 3. There was a little more body roll than the 3, enough to notice, but the ride was incrementally more refined and composed. A tough choice here then. The purists will prefer the 3, but those looking for something slightly more refined will no doubt prefer the Lexus.
As expected, the rest of the car was very good. I did note the leather quality of the Lexus absolutely blows the 3 away, and even cars costing twice as much. Also, the value proposition of the Lexus is outstanding. The car my uncle will be getting has sunroof, keyless go (which is standard across the entire range), distronic cruise control, pre safe, airbags in all four doors, window curtain airbag, front and passenger airbags (obviously) and knee bags! It also has Mark Levinson premium audio system (which sounds superb but lacks a bit of bass), navigation system (which makes a mockery of all the German navigation systems I have tried), reverse camera with parking guidance assistance and climate controlled front seats which actually don’t just blow air, but actually cool the air down. Basically everything is standard on the top of the range IS250 at a price no German could ever dream about matching, perhaps up to Aus$30G cheaper than a loaded 325i. Heck it has stuff included standard, that aren't even available as options on the 3.
So in all, I don’t know which car I would prefer. 3-er has the looks, better interior packaging and the slight driving edge. The Lexus has the slightly better quality interior, the seats edging it over the 3, and an unbelievable amount of equipment. Actually putting it that way, I would take the Lexus. I’m a sucker for electronic gadgets, and a black car with some nice alloys will make it look that slight bit more special than what it does. The build quality is nothing outstanding, but then neither is the 3ers. I just expected more from Lexus in this respect. In all, a very very close call, but if the 3er wasnt as sexy as it is, the decision would have been much easier.
Well I went to test drive the new IS250 yesterday. My uncle has placed an order for his car now which will be here by the end of January (*Shock* a lexus with a small waiting list..lol). Just to make sure I got a great back to back impression of the two vehicles, I drove there in my aunts new 320i.
Well when I first laid eyes on the lexus, the first thing that came to mind was,
"Is that It?" I expected so much more from the pictures, but before me was an attractive enough vehicle, but with nothing particularly beautiful to note. Also, I think the Toyota DNA is still alive and well in Lexus designs, which isn't a good thing. The rear has a great squat stance, the front was pleasant enough, but nothing too exciting, and the profile was very so so. The kink rising from the door to the C pillar was a very unnecessary style element. So overall the design was nice, but the 3 was is nicer.
The interior also gave me mixed impressions. The materials seemed to be of a great quality, but they still felt very Toyota. Especially the shiny silver bits on the door grip which is also used around the transmission tunnel. What really grated my nerves was the CRAP layout of the climate control and audio controls on the entry level vehicle. Lexus, once a benchmark for ergonomics, has seriously stumbled. I think for the sake of style, the arrangement of the controls has ended up all too ad hoc. Mind you the situation in the cars equipped with the touch screen navigation system was vastly superior. It’s just so easy to use .With complaints about the rear seating in mind, I adjusted the drivers seat so I would be comfortable, Keeping in mind I am a real shorty at only 175cm
and then jumped into the back. Knee room was fine, but where was I supposed to put my feet. The bulky base of the front seats takes up so much room, you simply can't put your feet under there. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me back there lol. So the materials were good, everything felt beautifully damped and moved with an oily precision. But then another area where I really felt the IS was a let down, especially considering how well put together their other vehicles are, was the build quality. The shut lines in the interior were nothing impressive, and the door trim meeting the dashboard actually showed a bit of inconsistency when comparing the two sides. Things I loved about the interior were the armrest compartment design (yes a very small thing I realize) and the instrument display. It was far more comprehensive than the 3 series and looked high-tech beautiful. The 3ers look rather staid and cheap in comparison. But when I jumped back into the 3 later on I realized, neither of the two have interiors that are particularly special.For the test drive then. Fired up the engine, what was that a felt? Slight vibrations? This from Lexus brand new 2.5 V6. I always expected to feel absolutely nothing from a Lexus engine, as my past encounters proved, but this one was less refined at start up. Perhaps their quest for output figures to match the Germans has finally taken a very slight toll on refinement? Anyway, on the move the engine was a complete gem, blending seamlessly with the transmission. But I did note, despite its on paper advantages in no way was the 3ers 4 cylinder disgraced. Also their claims that the car will do 0-100 in 6.9 are completely overstated. There is no way this car will achieve those numbers.
The roads we drove on were excellent, nice and windy, smooth, but with enough ripples and bumps to test the suspension out. The steering was very precise, but much lighter than the MEATY feeling of the 3. Some will prefer the effortlessness of the IS's steering, but I like the 3. There was a little more body roll than the 3, enough to notice, but the ride was incrementally more refined and composed. A tough choice here then. The purists will prefer the 3, but those looking for something slightly more refined will no doubt prefer the Lexus.
As expected, the rest of the car was very good. I did note the leather quality of the Lexus absolutely blows the 3 away, and even cars costing twice as much. Also, the value proposition of the Lexus is outstanding. The car my uncle will be getting has sunroof, keyless go (which is standard across the entire range), distronic cruise control, pre safe, airbags in all four doors, window curtain airbag, front and passenger airbags (obviously) and knee bags! It also has Mark Levinson premium audio system (which sounds superb but lacks a bit of bass), navigation system (which makes a mockery of all the German navigation systems I have tried), reverse camera with parking guidance assistance and climate controlled front seats which actually don’t just blow air, but actually cool the air down. Basically everything is standard on the top of the range IS250 at a price no German could ever dream about matching, perhaps up to Aus$30G cheaper than a loaded 325i. Heck it has stuff included standard, that aren't even available as options on the 3.
So in all, I don’t know which car I would prefer. 3-er has the looks, better interior packaging and the slight driving edge. The Lexus has the slightly better quality interior, the seats edging it over the 3, and an unbelievable amount of equipment. Actually putting it that way, I would take the Lexus. I’m a sucker for electronic gadgets, and a black car with some nice alloys will make it look that slight bit more special than what it does. The build quality is nothing outstanding, but then neither is the 3ers. I just expected more from Lexus in this respect. In all, a very very close call, but if the 3er wasnt as sexy as it is, the decision would have been much easier.
have you tried 325 or 330i?
But I don't think BMW offers all the equipment lexus does on the IS. Do they have a reversing camera with guidance, seats with condensors built in? 
Certainly they dont have presafe.
