Test Drive: 2012 Lexus IS 350 AWD

By Kevin Harrison

I’ve noticed that I’m being forced to start acting my age. Not that I was excessively immature before, but I just physically can’t do the same things that I used to.

For instance, staying up past 1 am on the weekend takes more effort than a getting a genuine smile from a politician.And with aches and pains in my back and knees (which could partially be blamed on my semi-active lifestyle consisting of running and weights), I’m finding that comfort is more of a priority for me than it used to be.

This is a bit of concern but at least my taste in cars has definitely not matured. I’m still very much dedicated to strong, raw performance cars that chew you up and spit you out should you show a glimmer of a mistake. I’m firmly of the mind that any expense or omission made the name of performance is completely worth it. That’s not to say that performance machines can’t be comfortable and quiet at the same time, I just prefer my cars to not suffer from this sort of bipolarism. I believe that each car has its purpose and, like all-season tires, to blend any more than one purpose in a single product, you just end up with a product that’s mediocre at everything it’s supposed to do instead of being amazing at one thing and terrible at everything else.

Lexus apparently does not believe in that. The brand long synonymous with comfort and luxury claims they can play the performance came too. Their latest offering in the form of the IS 350 promises to blend comfort and performance in the same package. I drove one to find out.

This current body style of the IS getting on in years now but in an effort to keep it looking fresh until the next redesign, Lexus has added new wheels, LED running lights and slightly redesigned tail lights. Overall the design is agreeable, if a bit conservative looking these days. The relatively small wheels (17 inches) and the soft design of the front fascia doesn’t exactly exude sport. However I don’t think there’s anyone that would be put off by the design and it will only be a matter of time before a refresh with Lexus’ new eye-catching corporate grille finds its way on the IS.

Inside the interior attempts to take on a more sporting look rather than luxury. The centre stack is clean and easy to use, however it looks like it’s taken straight out of a Toyota, rather than having a design with its own identity. The digital clock which looks like it was taken from the early 90’s has no place in most Toyota’s today and it has even less business being in a premium marque. With that said, materials feel high quality and it’s very easy to get comfortable with supportive seats and an adjustable steering column. One odd thing is that the tunnel which houses the drivetrain bulges out into the driver’s side foot area. The driver essentially needs to wrap his or her leg around it to access the throttle. Oddly enough it’s not as difficult or distracting as it may seem, but it’s definitely notable. Rear seat legroom isn’t offered in abundance and neither is legroom but adults will feel comfortable for shorter trips. One odd omission seems to be the lack of rear folding seats. Instead there is a rear pass-through.

The IS 350 AWD is powered by a 3.5 V6 engine which makes 306 horsepower and 277 pound feet of torque. This is a very good engine. It’s smooth, quiet and luxurious feeling for normal driving around town, but comes to life with a decent sound when pushed. While the engine makes a decent tune, the exhaust note seemed a bit muted. 0-100 takes about 5.3 seconds. On dry pavement it certainly feels as if you are taking advantage of all that power as it is pretty quick off the line. Official fuel consumption numbers are 11.4 L/100 kms city and 7.8 L/100 kms highway. I averaged about 10.5 L/100 kms in mixed driving.

The only transmission available for the IS 350 is a six-speed automatic and while it is a smooth transmission, it seems as if it is more interested in providing a luxurious feel rather than a performance feel. There are paddle shifters available to switch gears yourself, but since this is not a dual-clutch transmission, the paddles really only offer convenience of not having to take your hands off the wheel.

Handling is one of this car’s forte’s. There was barely any wheels slip when taking corners aggressively, and the IS 350 AWD felt composed. This was likely a result of the all-wheel drive system which kept things in check. In addition to great handling there was a decent amount of steering wheel feedback which gives confidence to the driver. Overall this IS 350 AWD feels well-balanced and behaved, but that’s not to call it tame.

During my week the IS 350 AWD, I came to a startling realization. “I like this,” I thought to myself. I was referring to how comfortable and luxurious the Lexus felt for every day driving, but when I got a sudden jolt of testosterone, the IS 350 kept up every step of the way. I felt as though I could have used the same car to get pick-up business like-minded clients at the airport then gone straight to the track to show some performance cars how it’s done. It wasn’t good at comfort and bad at performance or vice versa, it was quite good at both. The IS 350 AWD proved me wrong, you can have your cake and eat it too. Perhaps I’ve officially crossed over to a new segment of maturity in my life, but it’s good to know that it doesn’t necessarily mean I need to sacrifice performance because of it.