Lexus IS 250C 2009 Review

Lexus IS250C

What we liked
>> Looks good, elegant roof-folding system
>> Sharp starting price, well equipped
>> Safety and overall quality

Not so much
>> Small boot when the roof is down
>> Limited rear-seat room
>> Both of the above criticisms are normal for this type of car

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 4.0/5.0
Price, Value, Practicality: 4.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW

The Lexus IS250C will likely do two things for the company: attract customers who've not considered a Lexus before, and erode some of the sales from the European brands.

At first glance it looks like a fairly straightforward conversion: turn the IS250 sedan into a two-door coupe with a three-piece folding metal roof. But in fact although the convertible's appearance is similar to the sedan's it is largely an all-new vehicle. Only the bonnet, headlights, door mirrors and dashboard carry over from the sedan. Oh, and the engine and gearbox.

Even the front bumper is new, although you've really got to look closely to pick the difference.

It's a well executed design likely to win fans instantly, not least among the people who sell the cars. The IS250C is the most affordable Lexus convertible after the $174,000 SC430; no doubt Lexus executives and their partners will be most delighted with the arrival of this vehicle on the company-car fleet. However, with limited supply for the remainder of this year, they may have to wait in line as paying customers take precedent.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
>> Undercutting the Germans
There are three models in the IS250C convertible range, which mirrors the sedan line-up. They are: Prestige, priced from $79,900; Sports at $84,900; and the $99,900 Sports Luxury range-topper.

As is the case in this price range, each model tends to be loaded with all available safety equipment (see SAFETY), so you can take that as a given. All models come with a rear view camera, as well, but they also come with a touch-screen navigation system, heated seats and parking sensors (front and rear).

The Prestige model is distinguished by 10-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, the Sports and Sports Luxury models come with five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels. A space saver spare comes standard on all variants.

The high grade model is distinguished by High Intensity Discharge headlights, a premium audio system, credit card-style key (replacing the bulkier proximity key), unique alloy wheels and cooling for the front seats. Check out our news coverage of the IS 250C for more details.

The extra mass is comprised of 60kg in body reinforcements (seven under-body braces, four internal floor reinforcements and three different grades of high strength steel), 60kg in the roof and motors, and 10kg in extra equipment such as folding rear head rests, roll over hoops and a luggage barrier. It's even got slightly bigger rear brakes than the sedan to cope with the extra kilos.

There's also 15 electric motors (no hydraulics!) to control the roof operation.

What all this means is that the unchanged 2.5-litre V6 (153kW and 252Nm) engine has to do more work.

Yet, incredibly, the engine doesn't seem underdone (see drive impressions below). And nor does it use much more fuel. According to the fuel rating label, the IS250C has an average consumption of 9.3L/100km whereas the IS250 sedan with a six-speed automatic transmission has a rating of 9.1L/100km.

Interestingly, however, according to the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide, the IS250C requires premium unleaded (minimum 95 RON octane) whereas the sedan can run on regular (91 RON octane).

PACKAGING
>> You look familiar
The dashboard and controls are of course straight out of the IS250 sedan, but the seats are unique (the fronts need to fold forward and the two pews in the rear have been custom made for the convertible).

None of the vehicles in this class have acres of back seat space, but the IS250C is pleasant enough for short hauls. Truth is, none of the four-seater convertibles are brilliant in this regard.

Boot space is adequate compared to its rivals (only the new Audi A5 would be better) but limited when the top is down. Enough room for a weekend getaway but not much else. Shopping binges will have to mean commuting with the roof up darl...

SAFETY
>> Safety's not an option
Standard equipment on all models includes front airbags, knee airbags for both the driver and front passenger, and large, head-protecting side impact airbags mounted outboard of the front seats. Then, of course, there's stability control to prevent the crash in the first place, while the two most expensive models also gain radar cruise control and "pre-crash", which detects an impact is imminent and takes up the slack in the seatbelts well before the airbags deploy.

You're unlikely to see an NCAP test on this specific car (or its rivals) because the independent crash test program tends to focus on mainstream models, or vehicles that have ample room for improvement.

That said, the IS250 sedan was tested when it came out and did score a five star rating. Lexus has since added more airbags to -- and increased the body strength of -- the convertible version of the IS250. So while there may not be a publicly available star rating for the IS250C it's fairly safe to say it is indeed a safe bet.

COMPETITORS
>> Germans, Swedes
The IS250C's starting price of $79,900 makes the Lexus IS250C between $18,000 and $23,000 cheaper than the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz outgoing CLK convertibles respectively. The new E-Class cabriolet is still six months or more away.

Only the Volvo C70 undercuts the IS250C with a $69,950 LE model, but matches the IS250C's starting price with a $79,950 TS model. Saab's convertibles are also attractively priced.

ON THE ROAD
>> No shake, rattle and roll?
This was by no means a back to back test but early impressions of the IS250C are extremely positive. Indeed, having driven the Audi A5 convertible since testing the Lexus IS250C I'd like to hazard a guess that the Lexus feels more taut, more refined and better built.

Such conclusions are dangerous without driving the two vehicles side by side, but motoring colleagues who also have tested both vehicles independently came to the same conclusion.

The car buff magazines may say that the engine needs more grunt, or that the Lexus isn't quite as good "on the limit" as, say, a BMW 3 Series convertible, for example. But they'd be missing the point. If the Lexus IS250C is about creating a fuss-free, beautifully made cruising and posing machine, then the engineers have succeeded.

There are faster cars in a straight line, and perhaps some slightly better around the bends, but in terms of putting it all in one comfortable package, the Lexus IS250C has plenty to recommend it.

The biggest problem that I can forsee about this car is simply getting one. With such modest sales forecasts and limited supply, Lexus dealers may well have a revolt on their hands.

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