Lexus IS 350 F-Sport

FIFTEEN years ago, enthralled by the prospect of a Lexus rival for BMW’s 3 Series, I volunteered to spend a year in the original IS200. Mistake. After 25,252km wheeling it around Europe, I wrote: “[It] left me disappointed because it failed to engage, to stimulate, to entertain and to provide comfortable transport… civilised and charming it’s not.”

But two hot laps of the ride and handling course at Holden’s wondrous Lang Lang proving ground in a third-generation IS in 350 F-Sport guise during last year’s COTY testing convinced me I should try again.

Here was a true compact sports sedan with serious grunt, combined with accurate handling and genuine poise, plus a beautifully crafted interior. Refinement, so obviously absent on the original IS, was superb, like the comfort of close-fitting buckets and perfect driving position.

Now, six months and 6686 km later, the Lexus has returned to its maker and I’m depressed. Whenever I was behind the wheel (which meant I didn't have to look at the overtly aggressive and ugly nose why does the grille use two totally different cross-hatch patterns?) the F-Sport fit me beautifully.

The IS350 F-Sport brings adaptive damping, quicker steering, tauter suspension and 19-inch wheels, so for once the sports hype is matched by the driving reality. The dampers’ default ‘normal’ setting suits Sydney’s suburban driving with its potholes, myriad irregularities and speed bumps. The low speed suppleness is welcome.

For those more testing country roads, dampers set to Sport, the IS hunkers down, the electric power steering adding weight while also subtly increasing resistance as cornering speeds build, for a naturally crisp steering feel.

The eight-speed auto, the top two ratios now excluded, holds the gears through corners, downshifts automatically under braking and is almost always in exactly the right gear. Just occasionally, the tranny is too eager to kick down and the shifts are less than Lexus-fluent.

Understeer contained, the car’s attitude balanced on the throttle, the F-Sport feels utterly composed and up for any challenge. You need to work the 233 kW 3.5-litre V6 hard in the 5000-6500 rpm range, where there is real grunt and, because it delivers full manual over-ride of the transmission, the driver feels in charge. Which is the way it should be on any car that claims to be a sports sedan.

Energetic driving costs at the pump, and not just because the IS demands 95 RON fuel. The combination of a 1685 kg mass and big-capacity normally aspirated V6, which develops maximum torque at a peak 4800 rpm, make for fuel consumption that is higher than its competitors.

Overall, the IS350 averaged 11.3L/100km (the trip computer claimed 10.3L/100km) for a comfortable range of about 500 km. Consumption decreased as the engine freed up, but still struggled to return better than 10.0L/100km at a 110km/h cruise on motorways.

On the other hand, the Lexus has been near-faultless. The hard-earned Lexus reputation for build excellence shines through in every aspect of the IS.

Back in 2000, my IS200 report’s final verdict was born of optimism: “Lexus can and no doubt will do better next time.” It’s taken 15 years and a third generation, but the new IS is now far more than just a worthy rival for the Germans. It is everything that first IS was not: engaging, likeable, fun and refined.