Re: Taste of IS250
Ok fello BengMW-ers :nehnehhh: This week I am doing nothing as it is school holidays, so it is a test driving week to be, as I search out the potential candidates of a second car [shld I decide to eventually get one more car ]. Went down with my little boy after breakfast, reached Borneo at alexandra at 10am and tada....test drove! Field report in BENG style:
Greeted by 3 gals at the reception, "toyota or lexus sir""..."errhmm, LEXUS arh":screwedu: "sir lexus pls turn to yr right"...Ok turn lor :yikess:
Met a SE who was playing cat and mouse with me around the 2 displayed IS250. Took a good look all round the car. Had to say the frontal view is OK, the side profile isnt very nice to me. The ass profile looks a bit like 3 Series somehow. In fact further checks of its interior revealled that LEXUS seem to try to copy on MERCEDES n BMW in certain ways and come out with somethg of a combo....well not unexpected as the SE frankly pointed out the IS250 is to compete agst the C-class n 3-series.
Sat in the test drive car[std version]. chrome n titanium colour fishes with grey /biege finishes, nicer than the walnut wooden trims on lux version I felt. Seat very soft, with littles to cool yr back n bantak bcos aircon goes thru the seat. Dash board very mercedes like, nothing exceptional to me.....many things it has the MB n BMW also already have. The centre console n gear lever is the greatest setback to me. The console is raised so high[unlike the BMW for eg] it actually divides the driver n front passenger as seats are almost 4 inches lower than console height. the speedmeter and front gadgets are quite nice. The gear box also has that zig/zag movement from P to D/S.....somethg I personally dont like. The steering had softy leather feel.
Press the start button, vrroomm......yes very quiet engine. but too quiet to me as when u drive on u kinda feel like someone has covered yr ears with both palms....my E90 is louder, but I like it. THE IS250 has a very light steering, thru out the test drive i used one hand, or literally only 3 fingers to drive the car. The is some lag in response when u try to push the car from stationery, and altho the SE keeps telling me the car is 100kg heavier than the 3 series, I didnt feel much of it. probably bcos the steering is so light, feels like my previous nissan sunny, very japanese indeed. Tried the sports mode and didnt notice too much difference from D mode. Road handling wise I wld say a definite winner for merc and BMW, the IS250 feels too 'light'.
The std version is $125,888 and comes without rain sensor, no front parking sensors, a simpler Stereo system, 16 wheels with cheapo rim covers that u wld definitely need to change[ the SE tells me so far all the cust feels the same :singsing: ]. Also have no sun blind in the rear.
So whats my conclusion, sounds like a dissapointment? Not really, after going there in my 320i, driving teh IS250 back to back, and then driving my 320i back home again. the feeling is the IS250 [no matter what the manufacturer say] to me is built very differently vs a BMW. The IS is built to be 'LIGHT' and quiet. The BMWs have better traction n much better road handling. What would score for IS250 is the supposedly comparably cheaper price tag vs 325i. It is still a fairly good car but I still feel cant compete with merc or BMW yet. the best simple description would be it is has a combo of feeling of HONDA VTEC for smoothness and comfort of a Camry. But wait, price tag? THE IS for eg doesnt come with GPS system which the 325i has. I would do a apple vs apple comparison later, ie strip out items which both cars dont have as a good comparison needs to take into account all accesories n items, then work back the differences to get the 'dirty price' off the 'clean price'.
I also went to view the Merc B-class B200 Turbo........now that car is nice n a closer competitor to me agst the 3 series.
