Lexus is test drive since 2005 sedan

All photos of Lexus IS since 2005

Step of perfection

Previously, it was difficult for me to understand the nature of the Lexus: the cold perfection of these cars leaves too little space for emotions. But in each product there is a particle of its creator.

The chief engineer of the IS250 project pure Fukusato Personality is certainly extraordinary. If a person is passionate about a mountain bike and music, be sure that a car will appear under his leadership that perfectly understands the driver and possesses, perhaps, the best audio system. Of course, this is not enough for the application for leadership also excellent quality and modern units. But Lexus never had problems with this.
Auto Strack
The winter day even in Italy ends early. And Lexus got black. And with a diesel engine. Unlucky?
Also lucky! One touch to the pedal, and on a speedometer 180 km/h instead of 130! This is in the fifth gear, in the sixth acceleration not much longer. Very little. The first Lexus diesel did not come out lumpy: with 2.2 liters of a working volume of almost 180 forces. The working range turned out to be narrow, but memorable: from 2000 to 3500 in any gear can be argued with much more powerful machines. The main thing to switch in time, fortunately with the exact drive of the gearbox, this is easy.
The reasonable question is what diesel Lexus is capable of in the performance of sports, which has the main pair not 2.47, but 3.27, hung in the air. There were no such cars on the test, and in general only the Lexus IS250 gasoline will be supplied to Russia. We’ll sit down for his steering wheel tomorrow. In the meantime, the brisons of the latest stabilization system on a specially prepared highway.
Marble ice

Marble meat is expensive Japanese treat. Marble ice delicacy for lovers of lateral sliding. Polished tiles were assembled in a dense path and carefully watered with water, it turns out a murderous ice at a positive temperature. They offer to try a snake with VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Mana-Gement) that is the name of an advanced stabilization system of lexus.
For comparison, the first trips driving the previous IS200 model. Everything works: grunts, grunts and interferes with spinning in a waltz, despite the gaze drowned in the floor. Now for a new steering wheel is the same, but without extraneous sounds. However, not only large sliding angles are allowed. This allows a beginner to feel like an as and at the same time not get out of the road. But the most curious of all the reaction of the system to an attempt to shove the car into a turn with a sharp discharge of gas. In this case, Lexus does not reset speed, even if you removed the leg from the pedal! So the machine allows you to maintain control and cope with the crazy brake moment of the diesel engine in lower gears.

That is, it remains an obedient steering wheel without risk to go into uncontrollable rotation. I note, without gross brake intervention, like others.
There are also new products in the field of passive safety. Firstly, a pair of knee pillows. Secondly, the Wil (Whiplash Injury Lessen-Ing) system to soften the consequences of the hit in the back (it does not bring the headrest closer to the back of the head, like most automakers, but, on the contrary, fails the lower back). Thirdly, the front pillow of the front passenger has become double and looks better look at the drawing. Thanks to this feature, she perfectly catches the passenger’s head even with a braid of impact.
Morning sprint
A hundred kilometers by Russian standards is a sprint race. Especially if it is allotted for three hours with a photo shoot. Faster in the mountains, meet the dawn. Unlike a diesel counterpart, the Lexus IS250 gasoline is impressive not so much by the tangible speed of acceleration as its smoothness. A six -speed machine does its job so imperceptibly that it is best to follow the tachometer for switching.

For lovers of accepting a more effective participation in management, switching petals on the steering wheel is provided. However, in real life, most drivers are boring in a couple of days. Only useful functions of turning on reduced transmission before overtaking and braking by the engine on protracted descents remain. By the way, Lexus claims a lesser acceleration of to 100 km/h for the machine and even less fuel consumption than for a machine with a manual gearbox. How to believe in it?
With calm, but rapid movement, even on mountain serpentines, it is possible to hold consumption within 10 l/100 km. On the plain highway, having limited itself to 130 km/h, you can count on eight.

Roads of Northern Italy are winding and present impressive requests for the chassis. Perhaps the Lexus IS250 is not a record holder in terms of lateral overloads, but its abilities allow us to enter the upper league of sedans. The electric power amplifier here was clearly used not out of savings, he perfectly copes with the most sharp maneuvers and does not force to look for a trajectory in a bend. By the way, on Lexus, the amplifier was first placed not on the steering column, but in the Reye itself.

Apparently, the power of the electric motor is very impressive if the designers preferred to nourish it with a tension of 42 volts all the rest of the electrician 12-volt.
RUSSIAN SIZE
In Russia, the sales of Lexus-SiS250 began on November 25, 2005. Domestic customers only have an rear -wheel drive gasoline version with an automatic gearbox. Neither diesel from Europe, nor an all-wheel drive transmission, nor a six-speed mechanics, nor a 3.5-liter 306-horsepower engine from America from America will officially supply the manufacturer himself here.
Prices for small Lexus from 41,600 dollars for basic configuration comfort with 16-inch wheels and fabric upholstery of the cabin. Seventeen -inch wheels of different widths in front and back, leather seats with ventilation and electric drive will raise the price of up to $ 46,200 this is an ichesecutal option. The most expensive premium for $ 49,700 includes an additional rain sensor, parking sensor, bixenon adaptive headlights, rear -view electrochrome mirrors, thresholds, natural wood inserts in the interior and an automatic rear window curtain.
Connoisseurs of sports controllability can sacrifice comfort and 15 mm road clearance for the sake of equipping sports with 18-inch wheels and a special interior design. This equipment costs $ 47,700.

Translation difficulties
What cars do you compare Lexus IS250 with? A colleague, the journalist, apparently, wanted to get a non -standard answer, but his question turned out to be banal in English. The answer was the listing of traditional stamps of the European premium segment: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi. A colleague has dangled the press conference is not a discussion about the intricacies of the translation. It was my turn to ask a question:
Mr. Fukusato, do you have a car standard?
No. The standard is in my head.
Benchmark is in my head, if literally.

Candidate for winners
A six-cylinder V-shaped engine with a direct fuel injection is not a capacity champion, but a champion in pressure of gasoline injection 13 MPa.
In Russia, diesel engines are still made with such pressure. Why do you need so much? Basically, for the sake of ecology, new toxicity standards should provide the engine immediately after starting, and not after warming up. Hence the highest requirements for the distribution of fuel inside the cylinder for this and such a high pressure was needed.
Of course, the angle of the collapse of the cylinders is the right 60 degrees, and not 90, like those who make the six on the same equipment as eight -cylinder engines. It is better only in a sized six, but it is painfully a long engine is made specifically for the IS250, these are not found on other lexus. Variable phases of gas distribution, adjustable intake pipeline of a thing of granted
We add to this economy, quiet voice, flexible character and we will get a clear candidate for the title of the year of the year.