2001 Lexus IS300

As objective as reviewers like myself try to be, experience tends to establish certain biases along the way. In my case – and in many others, I might add -- one such bias is that the Germans define the compact sports sedan. That’s not to say other carmakers don’t make great little four-doors, too. BMW and Audi, however, set the benchmark on sport as far as I’m concerned. That sentiment is not lost on other manufacturers, either. Nowhere is that more evident than in this new Lexus IS300. From its inline six-cylinder engine to its rear-drive setup to its every dimension, clearly a BMW 3-series was the artists’ model for this car. And why not? When you want to be great, you start with a great teacher. The Good News
When I think of Lexus, I think plush, cushy, remote. Because none of those three words compliment a sports sedan, Lexus worked hard to make this IS300 anything but.

From its edgy exterior with silvery taillights to its (dare I say it?) cold interior with taut seats, racy brushed aluminum accents and instruments arranged like a high-tech watch, this car certainly dresses the part of a competitor.

And that’s no put-on. Supplied by the larger GS300 sedan’s able twin cam 24-valve six-cylinder engine, this IS300 boasts 214 horses and 218 foot pounds of torque. That’s 31 more horses than a comparably priced BMW 325i and 25 more than an Audi A4 2.8.

To twist a cliché, if you want to join them, beat them.

Equally impressive are this Lexus’s 142 mile-per-hour top speed, its sharp reflexes, sure-footed stopping power and rewarding ride. It has no problem being flogged over back roads or following the yellow line around tight curves. Unlike some other models that share its first name, this IS300 responds instantly and accurately to a driver’s whim, with good feedback in the process.

The Bad News
My staunch complaint against this IS300 will be remedied shortly. That is the 2001 model is only available with an automatic transmission.

While it is a strong automatic transmission that has a manual mode with shift buttons on the steering wheel (think Tiptronic), and while the IS300’s 0-60 performance doesn’t suffer much thusly equipped, any self-respecting sports sedan needs a manual shift. Lexus will introduce that very thing for 2002. In addition to a five-speed, this new model will feature “slightly firmer suspension tuning” than the automatic-equipped IS 300.

Elsewhere, although I applaud Lexus’ attempts at in-your-face styling inside and out, I can’t say I love the results. Except for the tall tires and taillamps, its exterior fails to grab my attention, a must for a sports sedan. Inside, I find the chronographic instruments cool to look at, but hard to read.

Lastly, there is more road noise here than I would expect or like. Relative to most cars, however, it’s not an issue.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 18 mpg city/23 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $30,805;
Price as tested, $34,600

Is it worth it?
The IS300’s basic package includes a lot of the upscale extras we expect in sport sedans named Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Audi. Here, options included leather seats ($1,705), power moonroof ($1,000) and heated front seats ($440).

I like this IS300 a lot. Lexus set out with “youthful and fun to drive” as priorities here and fulfilled those admirably. Its stats verify this compact intends not only to compete with the Europeans, but to win.

Do I admire what this IS 300 has to offer? Absolutely. And it is priced right in line with the market, meaning the cost is fair for what you get.

Do I prefer it to a BMW or Audi? Absolutely not. The IS300 feels too silky, sounds too timid and doesn’t quite connect like a German sedan does.

But, again, that’s my bias at work. Those who embrace the Japanese driving experience would find no such complaints. For them, and certainly for Lexus, this IS300 represents a veritable hot rod compact and a more affordable magnet for the sport sedan buyer than Toyota’s upscale arm has ever had.

No doubt about it, the IS300 is a formidable addition to an accomplished class.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.