Since, all top car manufacturers were making four seat convertibles, Lexus was no exception, as it launched the IS 250c. With the IS 250 saloon as its basis, the IS 250c consists of different, unique exterior work. The three-piece smooth folding aluminium roof can unfold, or be placed in the original position in less than twenty-one seconds, placing it in the category of the fastest folding roofs on a vehicle.
The IS 250c is superbly built, and refined like all Lexus cars. This fine quality comes at the expense of some driving enjoyment. The Lexus IS 250c is meant for superb cruising, and not for sports car driving. The aluminum roof makes it a fantastic coupe. As the name suggests, the IS 250c has a 2.5 litre V6 engine, which produces 205bhp.
The car has an exclusive six speed automatic transmission. With the paddle controls on the steering wheel, the gears can be easily shifted. As compared to the IS 250 saloon, this is a bit slow as it takes a stately nine seconds to go from zero to sixty-two miles per hour. When cruising on highways, it is amazingly quite. Nevertheless, when the gear is shifted down for higher acceleration, the engine becomes noisy, and sounds coarse as well.
It is stated by Lexus that the IS 250c is meant for refined cruising rather than keen driving, and they are very straightforward about this fact. The feature that distinguishes IS 250c from other convertibles is that it does not disturb the driver when driven at high speeds with the top down. Most of the convertibles have this problem.
Even on the bumpy and uneven roads, The IS 250c gives a smooth ride. The body roll becomes evident despite the extra body stiffening used in it, and it does not feel dexterous when pushed into corners. It has a very light electric power steering. The car is heavy and delivers the best performance when driven on the straight or gently unwinding roads. The Lexus IS 250c is a lovely and extremely comfortable vehicle with the top in place.
Even with the roof down, it is very sophisticated, unless pushed to extremes. The climate control system adjusts automatically to top down driving. The roof opens, and closes at the touch of a button. The boot with the roof up is impressively big. With the roof down, it is cut from 583 litres to 235 litres. As with all Lexus cars, the interior is well built, and high-grade material is used throughout.
The driver all round visibility is quite good. With the roof up, the thick rear pillars impair rear visibility when parking. The controls are precise, and within easy reach of the driver. The central control may look complicated, but the touch screen satellite navigation, and audio controls are easy to manage. There are two versions of the Lexus IS 250c, which are SE I and SE L.
Both versions come well equipped with many amenities. Six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, automatic windshield wipers, keyless entry, leather upholstery, premium stereo system with six CD changer, dual zone climate control, cruise control, and electrically adjustable front seats are some of the standard features you will get. The Lexus IS 250c is a premium luxury convertible superbly built. It is also a very safe car, and scored a perfect five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests.
Detailed information about the Lexus IS 250c is availiable. Why not book a test drive now!