Luxury at an Affordable Price Marks the 2015 Lexus IS

As the luxury branch of Toyota Lexus has been offering its luxury vehicles at a price that undercuts the competition by large margins. This has been achieved without sacrificing quality, equipment or performance at any level and has left many other luxury automakers scratching their heads to figure out how Lexus can offer these great vehicles at the easy to enjoy prices.

The Lexus IS is no strangers to being fully loaded for luxury as it has gone from being a boring entry-level sedan upon its inception to one that is full of style and equipment that is enjoyable to a very large class and group of owners. Having undergone a complete makeover for the 2014 model year the 2015 version offers very few changes to the car which is great news as it is really one that has a lot of style and class already built in. The only changes for the new model year come in the form of adding LED fog lights to the base models, a few minor interior changes, a more available heated steering wheel, the addition of Siri Eyes Free to the infotainment center along with Slacker and iHeart radio apps.

Just as quick as the more expensive competition the IS offers a class leading handling and suspension that helps to make this one of the most fun to drive luxury sedans in the class. The finely tuned suspension glues the car to the road and deflects all road abrasions with ease and masterful skill while the highly responsive steering adjusts to all driver inputs making this a car that would be a pleasure on any canyon run or in traffic.

Power for the IS comes in the form of two different engine offerings both of which are highly aggressive and ready to rumble. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission across the board except the rear-wheel drive version on the larger engine model. Convertibles are available on the IS, but when a convertible model is chosen there is no option for all-wheel drive to be included.

The first engine is a 2.5-liter V6 engine that offers 204 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine mated to the transmission comes in at fuel efficiency numbers of 21 city/30 hwy mpg for the rear-wheel drive, 20 city/27 hwy mpg for the all-wheel drive model and 21 city/30 hwy mpg for the convertible.

Second to the party is a 3.5-liter V6 engine bringing in a massive 306 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission for the rear-wheel drive model offering 19 city/28 hwy mpg of fuel efficiency. The all-wheel drive model shows up with 19 city/26 hwy mpg for the all-wheel drive version and 19 city/27 hwy mpg for the convertible.   All models of the Lexus IS require premium unleaded gasoline to run properly.

The interior of the IS sedan offers a very tech savvy infotainment and control structure that is really easy to use and understand. The infotainment system is controlled by using a mouse-like controller that is a really nice touch. The car is fully laden in comfortable, soft and easy to enjoy materials across every inch of the inside of the car. The two-toned offering of the interior colors adds a bit of interest and certainly a feel of upscale enjoyment that isn’t found in many other cars including other luxury sedans.

From the outside this is one of the sharpest cars on the road today. With amazing angles across the front face that frame out the signature hourglass shaped grill and show off with setback and narrow headlights the front has plenty of sharp and interesting angles to offer appeal and beauty to the car. The hood continues these lines and angles across to the angle that moves up to the roofline and back. The side panels show off some very interesting body paneling shaping to bring an interested eye to a location of curiosity. The final touch for the exterior shows itself as a full set of multi-spoked wheels that are sophisticated and well designed to blend into the overall look and feel of the Lexus IS.

The standard equipment offered for the IS includes a sunroof, HID headlights with LED running lights, LED fog lights, 17-inch wheels, push-button starting, keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, programmable Lexus Personalized Settings, Siri Eyes Free for iPhone users, an eight-speaker audio system, a seven-inch VGA screen, USB ports and auxiliary input ports. This massive list of standard features that are found on even the base model of the Lexus IS make this one of the best equipped cars at the starting price across the entire spectrum of luxury vehicles.

The optional equipment offered for the 2015 Lexus IS include a navigation system that has been raved about, a 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, a power tilt steering wheel, wooden trim accents and plenty of high-tech equipment that are found in the Luxury Package. The F Sport package adds a sportier suspension, larger brakes and added styling cues that make sure there is no mistaking the sporty model of the F Sport equipped IS. With this comprehensive list of luxury and comfort features that can turn an already well-equipped luxury car into one that is a comfort and connected zone on wheels the Lexus Is is really a great car for anyone to choose to drive.

For the base model the IS 250 with rear-wheel drive starts out at a price around $37,500 and the opening price for the IS 350 comes in at $41,000 both awesome opening prices for the car that is included. Adding all-wheel drive to either model will increase the price by $2,500 and the top end version with every option added comes in just above $51,000 which is still a very reasonable price for such a fantastic family luxury sedan.