[fa22_raptor]

2006
Lexus
IS250
Prestige (2.5L V6 - 153kW, 252nM)
Driven from 1st of Feb till now

Likes:
- Looks fabulous
- High quality materials used throughout
- "Smart entry" system. No need to touch the key at all - just open the door and press the button to start the car!
- Satisfying clunk when closing the doors
- Awesome dash layout and lighting
- Throaty exhaust sound at high rpm
- Quietness and comfort
- Great leather seats(!): comfortable, supportive, heated/cooled, electronic control
- Solid brakes
- Sensitive and precise steering with surprisingly little body roll for the weight
- Moonroof control - very intuitive and smart
- Boot (trunk) size
- Good ergonomics
- Quality 13-speaker sound system and 6-stacker MP3 compatible CD player (yay, i can burn my own mp3s onto CD now!)
- Automatic headlights
- Heated external mirrors (completely unnecessary, but cool nonetheless)

Dislikes:
- Limited rear headroom
- Very bad rear vision due to high waistline of the car
- Awkward positioning of handbrake and stiff mechanism
- Heavy manual transmission
- Clutch isn't very progressive
- Little torque at low rpm (peak torque at 4500rpm) especially in a heavy car
- Acceleration is restricted by weight of car
- Stiff suspension means bumpy ride on rough surfaces
- Only uses premium petrol which is especially bad given the ridiculously high petrol prices at the moment.
- Not as economical as expected (maybe due to being heavy-footed )
- Prestige model misses out on awesome 18" wheels on Sport version.

Issues:
- Rattle behind air vent under acceleration. Brought it into the dealer and it was revealed that the cause was a loose plastic clip behind the dash. Wasted my time

Overview:
This is a great little car in nearly all aspects! However the rear vision, strange manual transmission and lack of torque are significant blemishes in an otherwise awesome car. I would definitely recommend it over the new BMW 320i and 325i, as it represents far superior value and uniqueness (well, in Australia anyway). Shortcomings aside, it's one of the best cars I've been in and certainly driven.