Sunday, 6 December 2015

Car Review: 2016 Lexus IS 200t | Driving

<b>Car Review</b>: 2016 Lexus IS 200t | Driving

<b>Car Review</b>: 2016 Lexus IS 200t | Driving

Posted: 04 Dec 2015 03:00 AM PST

Overview

2016 Lexus IS

Lexus's compact luxury sports sedan goes turbo

Pros Robust turbo engine, sporty handling, smooth eight-speed transmission, premium and quiet interior, aggressive good looks (especially with F Sport upgrade)

Cons Lack of standard and optional luxury features, no all-wheel drive in IS 200t, pricey for what you get, cramped back seat

Value for money Fair

What would I change? Add all-wheel-drive to turbo engine, put in a touchscreen, make back seat roomier

How I would spec it? Just as it is

If there was one major beef about the previous Lexus IS 250, aside from its polarizing looks of course, it was its sluggishness. Sure, it had the appropriate low-slung, aggressive styling of a proper sports sedan, especially after that controversial spindle grille redesign in 2014. And, sure – it had the handling of a sports sedan, especially with the optional F Sport package. But the entry-level IS's aging 2.5-litre V6 engine, with its paltry 204 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, left it stumbling out of the gate against faster luxury compact competitors.

Enter the new-for-2016, rear-wheel-drive IS 200t, Lexus's turbocharged solution. The direct-injected 2.0-litre, four-cylinder mill was first used in the NX 200t crossover, the first Lexus to feature a turbocharged engine. Dropped into the smaller-form IS sedan, the engine pumps out a robust 241 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque – both big boosts over its predecessor and now equal to the power output of one of its main sports sedan rivals, the BMW 328i.

With a new name and new engine, the IS 200t indeed packs a meaner punch, although you wouldn't be able to tell by listening to it – the V6's growl is the only thing sorely missed here. Nonetheless, the forced-induction offered by the new twin scroll turbocharger makes accelerating from stoplights a brisk affair, with max torque available at a low 1,650 rpm. Compared to the previous, rev-hungry V6, which dispensed peak torque around 4,800 rpm, the IS 200t gets rolling in a hurry, with no sign of turbo lag. Power doesn't peter out, either, after initial acceleration, with the engine dispensing good pull through the midrange, and all 241 horses coming online at 5,800 rpm. Indeed, with a zero-to-100-km/h time of 6.9 seconds, you won't have much trouble quickly putting distance between you and the rest of traffic in this car.

Helping matters is Lexus's smooth eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission, which is only available on this base IS (the IS 300 and 350 both come with six-speed autos and more powerful, but thirstier, V6 engines). This transmission is the Japanese automaker's answer to purists who demand a manual transmission in their sports cars. With a shift time of 0.1 second, among the fastest for street legal production cars, this transmission changes gears quicker than any human could ever hope to shift on their own. But, if you are so inclined to take full control, flipping the IS 200t's shift lever to "M" allows you to flap up and down the eight speeds using the IS 200t's standard wheel-mounted paddle shifters. While it was fun downshifting through corners, I mostly left the transmission in auto as it did a very good job of knowing when to drop a gear or two for more power or hold eighth at highway speeds for maximum fuel economy.

2016 Lexus IS 200t

2016 Lexus IS 200t
Paul Choi, Driving

Speaking of fuel economy, the smaller 2.0-litre engine is slightly more economical when chugging back on the premium fuel; the IS 200t's estimated ratings are 10.6 L/100 km in the city and 7.2 on the highway, an improvement over the IS 250's 11.1 city and 7.8 highway ratings. Over the course of some 750 kilometres of mixed city and highway driving, with plenty of spirited stretches thrown in, I averaged a respectable, but not outstanding, 10.2 L/100 km.

Also not outstanding is the IS 200t's value proposition. The car starts at $39,250, a $1,350 premium over the IS 250's $37,900 price tag. But it feels distinctly like a base model.

Don't get me wrong – the IS boasts Lexus's trademark quality, with a very quiet, solidly built cabin (sound deadening is top notch in this car) and premium materials throughout, as well as a good suite of standard features like LED daytime running lights, power leatherette seats, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth streaming, push-button start and a seven-inch colour display. But it lacks many other luxury features that come standard or are available as options in competing cars like the Infiniti Q50, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series.

Namely, there's no standard backup camera here, no navigation option, no heated steering wheel, nor any of the newfangled driver assistance technology (such as blind-spot monitoring and collision detection) you'd expect to find in a luxury car priced close to $40,000. And, more importantly for Canadians, there's no available all-wheel-drive to go with this turbo engine. To get any of the aforementioned features and traction at all four wheels, Lexus wants buyers to move up the scale to the IS 300 AWD ($41,700) or IS 350 AWD ($51,900), with their bigger, less-efficient V6 mills. And even in those cars you'll have to shell out for expensive packages to get a backup camera and moonroof, things that come standard in competing luxury sedans like the Q50, which is priced at $39,950 for the AWD model.

The situation is mitigated somewhat by the only available upgrade on the IS 200t, the F Sport Series 1 package. Our tester was outfitted with the $4,000 option, and carried an all-in price of $45,427. While it's a lot of money, the F Sport upgrade helps differentiate this car from its vanilla form, transforming the sedan into something with more sporting character and visual punch. In F Sport form, the IS 200t features an in-your-face honeycomb spindle grille, a sport-tuned suspension, attractive 18-inch wheels, a beefy three-spoke steering wheel, snug heated and ventilated sport bucket seats up front, a digital instrument cluster (complete with a speedometer/tach gauge that slides over to reveal more helpful info), rain-sensing wipers and a moonroof.

2016 Lexus IS 200t

2016 Lexus IS 200t
Paul Choi, Driving

Thankfully, the F Sport upgrades translate well on the road. If you're someone who couldn't give two figs about driver amenities and is only concerned with how a car handles, the IS 200t F Sport will definitely please.

The car comes with three drive modes, Eco, Normal and Sport (sadly, Sport+ is reserved for the IS 350). While Eco deadens throttle response and is quick to upshift, and Normal feels good for everyday driving, Sport was my default mode of choice. In addition to amping up the throttle response and holding gears longer, the mode adds more heft to the power steering for a connected and sporty feel. Meanwhile, the 200t's F Sport suspension (independent, double-wishbone setup in front; independent multilink setup in rear) makes for a firm ride that eliminates any semblance of body roll while allowing for good feedback from the road. The staggered 18-inch wheels (wider P255/35R18 tires on the back, P225/40R18 up front) are very grippy, and the four-wheel ventilated disc brakes are very responsive without being overly grabby. The car also feels very secure when cornering at high speeds, with no signs of oversteer thanks to the traction control system.

2016 Lexus IS 200t

2016 Lexus IS 200t
Paul Choi, Driving

However, some comfort has been sacrificed for all this sportiness. The IS 200t F Sport can feel a bit stiff, especially going over potholes or road ruts – a soft-riding Buick, this ain't. And if you're looking for a sports sedan that can double as a people hauler, this may not be the car for you. In the past, the IS has been criticized for its cramped back seat quarters, and this model is no different; taller folks will definitely feel the squeeze in head and leg room. Also, the F Sport's bucket seats, while providing plenty of lateral support and a low riding position, are not ideal for long trips. Even with lumbar support, my lower back began to feel numb after about an hour. Another nit is the control knob tied to the multimedia screen; it's not totally clumsy, but it did prove to be distracting to use when driving. A touchscreen option would be nice here.

On the plus side, the trunk is spacious at 306 litres, and the rear seats fold 60/40 for more practicality. The centre stack, while looking a bit conservative with Lexus's trademark analog clock taking centre stage, is intuitively laid out and brimming with physical buttons and dials. There's even a handy holder for your smartphone. Sightlines are also very good throughout, which makes the absence of a backup camera less glaring.

So, the IS 200t may not be as fully kitted out as some of its competitors. And, the lack of an all-wheel drivetrain to go with this new turbo engine is a letdown. But, as it is, the IS 200t feels much improved in the go-fast department. This, coupled with its sporty driving dynamics, makes the entry-level IS finally feel like a true luxury sports sedan. If you're a driver looking for thrills before frills, the 2016 Lexus IS 200t will definitely satisfy.

2016 Lexus IS 200t

2016 Lexus IS 200t
Paul Choi, Driving
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