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2006 Lexus IS Compact Sports Sedan
Lexus breeds a true BMW fighter
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New Car Review of the 2006 Lexus IS Compact Sports Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $29,990 - $35,440
Base Invoice Range: $26,389 - $31,186
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MSRP As Tested: $34,300
Versions: 250, 350
Vehicle Category: Compact Sports Sedan
Engine Location: Front Engine
Drive Wheels: All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive.
Standard Engine as Tested: 2.5-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, V-6,204 â€' horsepower at 6400 rpm and 185 lb-ft torque at 4800 rpm.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, Six-speed manual.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): automatic: 24/32, manual: 20/29.
Optional Engine: 3.5-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, V-6, 306 â€' horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 325 lb-ft torque at 3,400 rpm.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic.
Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 21/28.
Standard Safety Features: Daytime Running Lights, Impact absorbing door and body construction, Driver's and front passenger’s airbag, Front and rear side curtain airbags, Front seat-mounted side airbag, Safety belts including forcelimiting pretensioners, Four-channel Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist, Traction Control, Vehicle Stability Control, Front and rear door side impact beams, Front and rear energy-managing crumple zones, Collapsible steering column, Impact-dissipating soft upper headliner and pillars.
Competition: Acura TSX, Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Cadillac CTS, Ford Mustang, Infiniti G35, Saab 9-3.
Lexus has long been known for building cars that feel like bank vaults on wheels, solid and silent.
That's fine if you want a traditional luxury car, but if you're looking for something a little sportier -- say, more like a BMW -- you're bound to be disappointed when you go to the Lexus dealer.
That is, until now.
Lexus is taking aim at the heart of the sports sedan world by redesigning the new IS to match, and in some ways exceed, the stalwart BMW 3-series.It's a fantastic new car, one that offers the outstanding smoothness and refinement you'd expect from a Lexus with a fun, firm, driver-oriented feel that you normally wouldn't. It's got the whole package.
Depending on how much power you want and how much you're willing to spend, Lexus offers two great versions of the IS. One, the IS 250, is powered by a 2.5-liter V6 engine and starts just under $30,000. The smallish V6 in the IS 250 actually feels like a much bigger engine, making 204 horsepower while feeling buttery smooth in all situations.
If you can afford the $35,440 IS 350, you'll own the fastest sports sedan in its class thanks to a highly tuned 3.5-liter V6 that makes 306 horsepower. It pushes the Lexus to 60 miles an hour faster than even the benchmark BMW, and that's bound to worry the suits in Munich.
The IS's suspension is equally impressive. When you're gently driving around town, the car seems to float over bumps like a Lincoln Town Car, never jostling or shaking you. But when you take it on a winding, twisty road, the car totally changes character and drives like a sports car with virtually no body roll and a neutral, predictable, confidence-inspiring feel. I've never driven a car that has this extreme a split personality.
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