Lexus IS250C

2009 Lexus IS250C

July 28, 2009

Lexus’s new IS250 convertible does an admirable job of conquering the elements. By Richard Blackburn.

The concept of open-top motoring is at odds with everything Lexus stands for.

Renowned for its whisper-quite cabins, plush ride and refined engines, the Japanese company has become somewhat of a benchmark for refinement in the industry.

So the thought of allowing the natural elements to intrude into a Lexus must have presented some sleepless nights for engineers.

The level of engineering attention to detail that has gone into the new IS250C is impressive.

Only one panel, the bonnet, is carried over from the sedan. The rest of the panels have been strengthened with high tensile steel and re-shaped in an attempt to retain the IS250 sedan’s body stiffness and aerodynamic qualities.

Under the metal, the car’s platform has been reinforced with steel braces to stop the body twisting with the roof down, while the suspension has been re-tuned to cope with the car’s extra weight and the rigours of open top touring.

The end result is an impressive level of refinement, both with the roof up and down.

With the roof in place, the car feels remarkably similar to the sedan. We’ll reserve final judgement until we’ve done a more comprehensive road test, but the suspension tuning provides a good balance between a comfortable ride and impressive composure during cornering.

There is little evidence of undue flexing of the body over corrugations and imperfections in the road surface, while the car soaks up bigger bumps at speed without much fuss. The steering, while light, is accurate and reassuring.

Inside the cabin, engine and suspension noise are well suppressed, while the front seats provide a good balance between comfort and support.

Unfortunately, the rear seats don’t tell as convincing a tale.

The backs of the front seats have been re-shaped to provide more knee room for rear passengers, while Lexus claims the rear headroom is only millimetres less than the sedan with the sunroof in place. But in reality the rear feels claustrophobic. Taller occupants will find their hands touching the roof, while it is harder to get your feet under the seats and knee room is limited. It’s a four-seater only, so shoulder and hip-room are adequate.

Convertibles aren’t renowned for their spaciousness, but the Lexus is below par in its segment.

The other disappointment with the IS250C is the V6 engine. In the sedan it feels adequate, but with an extra 150kg on board, the IS250C feels a little sluggish. Both power and torque - or pulling power – arrive fairly late in the rev range, which means it can struggle to shift from rest with any great urgency. The engine itself is refined and free-revving and the six-speed auto transmission shifts smoothly, but even using the paddles to shift gears, you always feel you could do with more get up and go.

The V6 does, however, produce a pleasant, high-tech growl at higher revs, especially with the roof down.

Unfortunately, dropping the roof highlights another practical shortcoming of the IS250C: the available boot space shrinks considerably.

Lexus claims the boot space in litres is comparable or better than its main rivals, but the long narrow shape of the available areas makes it difficult to get more than a couple of laptop bags in the boot.

Lexus says the target customers for the convertible are empty nesters and young couples without children, so space is unlikely to be a prime consideration, but nevertheless it is a weakness.

The roof itself opens and shuts in 20 seconds, which Lexus claims is quicker than its hard top rivals, but unlike some of those rivals, it can’t be opened and shut on the run at low speeds.

The rest of the open-top experience in the Lexus is impressive, though.

Very little wind turbulence makes its way into the front seat, even with the roof off and windows down. A wind deflector isn’t available as an option, but you could argue it isn’t really needed.

Road noise is also well suppressed, although there is still some tyre roar on coarse chip road surfaces.

The engine only makes its self heard under hard acceleration, while body-flex is well controlled at highway speeds over most surfaces.

At lower speeds on pockmarked roads, the suspension can get a little fidgety, but overall the driving experience is leisurely and comfortable.

Lexus says the IS250 will be appeal to the emotional and rational sides of convertible buyers.

It may not have the instant emotional appeal of its more established German competitors, but the level of refinement, combined with a very sharp price, definitely make a strong rational argument.