2014 Lexus IS 350 Sedan
The 2014 Lexus IS 350 feels a lot different than other models. The main theme of this car is to be fun to drive. The new model is longer and heavier than the previous.
The 3.5 liter V6 is a beast when it comes to handling winging its hind quarters back and forth when the powerful fade free brakes comes into action.
The Lexus team has added a lot of body bonding in order to beef up the IS’s new body. Adding more welds would give the impression that the car is heavier, however in reality the car is actually 22 pounds lighter due to the higher cost high-tensile steel and aluminum used in this model.
The wheel size has been increased by 2.7 inches for a smoother and more table drive. The length of the car has been increased by 3.6 inches and the width and height are also increased by less than one inch each.
The new suspension that is incorporated in the car is formally from the GS. Because this has larger distance between suspension towers the trunk space has increased up to 13.8 cubic feet. Both the Lexus IS 350 Standard model and the F Sport model comes with softer springs, however the F Sport model proudly features the adaptive variable dampers.
The driver can only change the dampers into two settings; Normal and Sport. The car is able to soak up bumps in the road with ease giving a very smooth ride for the driver.
The Lexus IS 350 has got an eight speed automatic gearbox. The car comes with paddle shifts and a sporty throttle blips on downshifts. However sometimes the downshift seem a bit resistant as if trying to say “No you are not ready for shift down yet”
The engine comes from the previous IS 250, which is a 2.5 liter V6 that is capable of providing 204 horsepower with a 185 pound feet torque. However the IS 350’s V6 is capable of producing 306 horsepower and 277 pound feet of torque. The IS 350 is capable of getting from a standstill up to 60 mph in a mare 5.6 seconds which is astonishingly quick.
Estimated fuel consumption could be around 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg in the highway giving an average amount of 24 mpg.
Considering the interior of the new IS 350 it is clear that the improvements done to the cabin stand out as one of the main features. The material quality and the workmanship is top notch. The leather seating’s are quite luxurious. The rear seat passengers are also able to enjoy the new interior design due to the 1.6 inch increase in leg space and 0.7 increase in shoulder room. Also the rear headroom is increased by 0.2 inch; still the headroom will not be sufficient for adults.
Lexus seems to have dialed down the IS 350 until it is an affordable car for the biggest share of the market. It is positively evident that the Lexus have softened up some of the aspects in order to do so. This is not evident to most eyes. What will stand out is the improved ride, the reduced sound and more luxurious interior. Also not forgetting the extra space given in the rear seating. The Lexus IS 350 might not be the best driving car in this class however it is quite capable of handling itself in any twisting road in the mean time keeping hot on the trail of a BMW 3 series.
