2006 Lexus IS 350 consumer reviews

I tested BMW, 350Z, GS35C, Z4 and many more automatic & stick. I came back to the IS350 because it is faster! 0-60 in 5 sec. beats all the competition until you pay $20K-$30K more. Rev limited to 149 mph, I believe the numbers are real. 6 speed AT does excellent job 95% of the time with option to shift via 'paddles' or console lever. Handling with the Sport Package and 18 inch low profile wheels/tires is precise, immediate and sticky enough to accelerate through ramps & corners instead of slowing down. Will change the Bridgestones when the time comes for better performance, tread wear. Super small turning radius, Feels like tires are at all 4 corners of a skateboard with 306 HP! Brake stopping distance and power are excellent, but dust the front wheels excessively. Driver/passenger seats are 6-way adjustable, very comfortable. Excellent 13 speaker stereo sound quality, plays MP3s and WMAs. Fit & finish of interior is excellent as you expect with Lexus. Reliability is so high that extended warranty was much less money than all other cars I considered. Commuting 22 MPG, trips 28-30+ MPG. Put it on cruise control and the six speed only hits 2000 RPM for 70 MPH. Quiet, comfortable ride. If you want softer or quieter, switch tires or go to a different tire/wheel design without the low profile penalties. I'll take performance, handling and safety. This is a sports sedan = small back seat, small trunk, no floaty-soft ride like a Lincoln. Test drive all the competition, like I did, and you will come back to the IS350 as the fastest, best choice in a sports sedan. A good radar detector might be a good add-on choice. And I'm still investigating a 'kill' switch for the always on headlights that really bug me. This car is great fun to drive. I keep looking for reasons to go somewhere and always enjoy every mile of the trip. As gas prices continue to rise, cars like this may become more difficult to find in the future.

I've have nearly 50,000 mi on mine, purchased Nov. 2005. I tracked the car from 2004 concept. The year following I became the "Lexus rat" while waiting for teh car to hit the showrooms. Once a month I would visit the local Lexus dealership shooting the breeze with the younger techies, trading tips with those who had a chance to drive the car on the test course and talking tech specs before the vehicle was public. Blue, w/ black leather Sport package including 18" summer tires. Put deposit down in Sept 2005 and had to wait until Dec. 2005 to get the car spec'ed to what I wanted. Best performance and interior/exterior design on the market, w/ most features for the price. I tested all comperable sport sedans, 330i, A4, G and M (M was a great car but step up in price!), RL & TL, and C350. None had the power, the features, the handling (note: turning radius is awesome!). I had real concerns that the VDIM would take over my car and not let me have fun, I was mistaken! The car is fast! Put it in sport mode and you will be glued to the seat. When pushed hard I have "confused" the transmission causing a momentary delay in gear shift, but rare. Backup camera w/ nav. is very useful since the the rear deck is high. Could use light in the trunk. Trunk is smallish but appropriate for this small sport sedan class car. Rear drive thought to not be good in snow, especially w/ all the power of the 305 HP, but w/ a good set of winter tires such as WinterSport II and the VDIM in snow mode, you will not slip. I know I tried in snow and ice covered parking lots! The car tracked as if it were on dry pavement. Tail does not swing out. (Note: in really bad conditions VDIM will cut acceleration to limit spin causing hesitation which could make it difficult to get into moving traffic). I get +/-25 mpg (20 city & up to 30 hwy) when driving conservative, but push it and the mpg drops to 15-20mpg. Note: this car gets noticibly better mileage running in warm weather, summer milage +/-27 to 30 mpg and that drops to +/- 20-24 mpg winter (New Jersey seasons). Most fun - interchange ramps at high speed, it rides like its on rails! Get one, drive it, you'll love it, I do!

I love this car. The acceleration is outstanding and is the most simple "floor it and go" type acceleration out there. 0-60 in 5.0 is consistent and doesn't require anything but turning the A/C off. You don't actually have to use the paddles or even switch to Power mode or anything. Just push on the gas and gooooooo. Other than Mercedes AMG cars this is one car that you actually get a nice constant press back into your seat as the car hits its torque, (and it does that early, long, and right away I might add) The interior is immaculate and the Mark levinson audio is great! This really is the best car I've owned and I've owned 2 BMW's (530, 528) and 2 Audi's (TT, 90) Before this car. The backseat is pretty small, ok for a quick lunch trip but not good for a long ride. The traction control can get annoying but if you preplan your tire smoking you can learn a quick "hack" with the emergency brake and brake pedal at startup. Check the forums!

Maybe it's just me, but the driver's seat does not adequately support my lumbar. It has a lumbar inflation system, but it is too high on the back, causing me to lean over. Transmission is a bit jerky taking off from a stop...drops me into first on a rolling stop sign when it should stay in second. I got 18" wheels, which I love...but may make the interior a bit more noisy and the ride a bit more bumpy. For a 6'1" person they could make this a bit bigger...my head is less than an inch from the ceiling. Those are my nitpicks. Overall, I love the car and will always want a lexus. I love the engine, the styling, stereo, the GPS (better than any on the market), the refined styling inside and out. I test drove a new Infinity and the engine/transmission combo, smoothness, refinement didn't come close. I hate BMW, so there's nothing left. It's not perfect for me, but it may be the closest I will come in this price range.

I have had this car for 4 months and 5,000 miles. It is by far the most fun I have had driving a car. It is luxurious yet exilerating to drive. The biggest downside is that there is nowhere to go to let it run. The backseat is small but I rarely drive with more than one other person in the car. I have the luxury package and the touch screen controls and navigation system are easy to use and work great. The Mark Levinson audio is increadible. The only bad featue is voice recognition system. I can't get it to work with my voice. It was also a surprise to learn I needed winter tires which are quite expensive since I also got wheels and pressure sensors ($1500). But they work great especially for rear wheel drive.

I had been watching this Lexus since it came out...stalking it, more likely. Test drove it 4 times. Then made the move and put down $40k for a white Lexus with Nav and ISP wheels. Love the look. Love the 305 horsepower, the handling, the stereo, the AC, the Navigation (bluetooth phone is great and reverse camera). Love the keyless entry. Delighted with the styling, handling and performance. Not delighted with: - Air out of the perforated seats should be stronger - Getting in and out of the car for a 6 footer or above may be tough. Small doors...I have a strategy for getting in and out of my car now without hitting my leg on the door frame. - Road noise is more than expected...but the stereo overtakes the noise. In fairness, I think the 18" wheels (less rubber) are noisier. - Gas mileage...it said 21 city, 28 highway. I'm getting 20 in mixed driving. But in fairness, I'm sure all cars' EPA are overstated, and I'm always running my AC. All in all, I still love the car and don't regret the purchase. I'm still in honeymoon period though...so I'll have to visit again in a couple years!

I fell in love with this one. Absolutely superb car. I traded in my 2002 BMW for this car. The BMW was a dinasour technologically compared to this marvel. So you're reading this because you want to know the bad huh? Well here it is: Navigation system has safety lock outs that are annoying. I was not too keen on the overly plastic center console. Poor font choice. Can't bypass Dynamic stability control. Bridgestone tires on my car are a bit sensitive. Follows grooves in road, pulling the car from one side to the other. Options are VERY expensive. Make sure you get a good discount if you get options. They are obviously trying to make up costs with these.

Great car. Lexus has thought of everything. If you need it, this car has it. Great styling. Navigation system has a "learning curve" but they all do.