Jalopnik drove the IS Convertible

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[ffpower]

The 2010 Lexus IS Convertible shares only the hood and dash with its four-door sibling, with the rest re-purposed for the singular task of open-air grand touring. Can Lexus finally get a convertible right?

The Lexus IS is a car which probably doesn't have the following it deserves. Call it the last remaining bastion of brand snobbery, but the Germans simply garner more respect and accolades in the sport sedan segment. While the IS sedan doesn't have the pedigree of a 3-series or a C-Class, it actually has a more sports-biased chassis than either, but it's still something of an also-ran largely because there was nothing in the convertible and coupe segments.

There's not a whole lot of structure in the IS Convertible in common with the IS sedan. The 'vert gets beefed up in nearly every way, with side sills 50% taller, cross-vehicle beams under the rear seats and behind the rear seatbacks, a heftier A-pillar and substantial cross bracing underneath, in total the car is actually two inches longer than the sedan and 340 Lbs heftier. Despite all the reinforcements, the folly of adapting a closed car chassis for convertible duty is apparent in a bit more open-top cowl shimmy over rough pavement than we'd expect in a Lexus product.

Despite the transition to the two-door layout and the additional weight, the chassis is still a peach, it's easy to toss into a corner and control with the throttle, easy to catch as it transitions to oversteer and a hoot to throw through sweeping switchbacks. Unlike the sedan, the additional grunt from the 306 HP 3.5-liter V6 is much appreciated over the smaller 2.5-liter with 204 HP mostly due to the additional weight. The steering wheel-mounted manual-override paddle shifters work, but they're pretty pointless unless you've got transmission control anxiety. The canned programming does an admirable job of predicting your intentions. We did enjoy the snappy stops delivered by the F-Sport package and its giant cross drilled brakes and more aggressive wheels and tires, they also bring a dash of excitement to the look of the car.

With the three-piece aluminum top closed, things are fairly solid, quiet and conservative, while being as luxurious as the segment demands. The front seats are unique to the convertible and feature a new, thinner frame to maximize rear legroom, but unless we're talking a full family of midgets there's only room enough for two up front and bags in the rear. The only reason you'll ever use the power forward folding seat option would be to access the back seat storage shelves. A neat new trick in the audio system is the option to stream music from Bluetooth equipped handheld devices. One of the few flaws we found was the LCD touch screen tends to get washed out a bit by the sun with the top down, otherwise everything from the leather to the most inconsequential switches are top notch. After the 20 seconds it takes to fold the tin top away, trunk space is a bit snug, with room for a single golf bag, in top-up mode the trunk is comparable to most large sedans.

Much like every other Lexus on the market, this new convertible doesn't really have any glaring faults. Unlike the sedan, the IS C is a competent grand tourer, but not a sports car. It may look the part, but the lack of a more rigid body relegates it to cruiser status. Most importantly, the IS Convertible is a raging deal for the segment. It starts at $38k and the fully-equipped $43k model is still cheaper than the base 3-series convertible.

Source: Jalopnik

ffpower says: Wow, I never knew that the IS has a more sports-biased chassis than the 3-series, good to know though... As for the IS C I think it's obvious now that it doesn't handle as good as the sedan and is not as fast as the sedan either. However, it's good for what it is: a very good entry level luxurious open-top cruiser.

[schwarz]

I have to say that after seeing a white ISC at the local dealer, I am very unimpressed with the interior.  It looks great from the outside, has fairly comfortable seats but the door panels and dash have WAY too much plastic on them for my tastes.  It just seems like Lexus cheaped out on it.  Didn't get to drive it as the car was already sold (sold before it was delivered but was on display for a month for customers as part of the 'undisclosed' deal).  If indeed it drives like they say, then by all means, it's a great buy but for a Lexus, I expected much more (first impressions go a long way with me).   

[ffpower]

Schwarz, in plastic were you referring to those gray pieces on the center stack?

If so then that's just the way it is now-a-day, BMW, MB and even Audi are also doing the same thing for their entry level products.

Let's not forget that the IS is the entry level Lexus and that's including the convertible.

[schwarz]

those too but the dash itself and the upper half of the door panels just feel like cheap plastic that maybe you'd find in Toyota.  Yes, I do realize it's an entry level car but I guess I'm used to the Lexus leather-like vinyl and wish they had used that instead.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a car I would be proud to drive but it's definately not a car I would buy new.

[ffpower]

those too but the dash itself and the upper half of the door panels just feel like cheap plastic that maybe you'd find in Toyota.

Not really, Toyota plastics are much lower grade than the Lexus, including the IS, you should check out the new Camry, yikes...

I know what you are talking about and I agree, even my old '97 Honda Accord has better feel dash than the IS but Lexus isn't the only guilty party. Everyone in the auto industry is doing this because they have to use "environmental friendly" materials these days. Same applies to the new paint, it is thinner than the old Lexus and has more orange peel as well as easy to chip but overall Lexus still has one of the best paint in the industry. You should've seen those new BMW paint, can you say... MASSIVE orange peel...

Audi, who used to have the best interior in the industry is also cheapening out its interior. I've been inside the new A4 and material wise it has NOTHING on the IS2/350.

I have been inside Peter's SC300 and several other 2GS and I agree that the new Lexuses, at least the IS, is a step below in terms of material quality.

[schwarz]

Not really, Toyota plastics are much lower grade than the Lexus, including the IS, you should check out the new Camry, yikes...

yeah, it looks and feels like a kids toy rather than a car...and it's thin plastic to boot.  It creaks when you touch it and just feels like you're going to break something if you touch it too hard.  Even my 86 Corolla had thicker and better quality plastic.

I know what you are talking about and I agree, even my old '97 Honda Accord has better feel dash than the IS but Lexus isn't the only guilty party. Everyone in the auto industry is doing this because they have to use "environmental friendly" materials these days. Same applies to the new paint, it is thinner than the old Lexus and has more orange peel as well as easy to chip but overall Lexus still has one of the best paint in the industry. You should've seen those new BMW paint, can you say... MASSIVE orange peel...

I completely agree with this...my factory paint has virtually NO orange peel but the new Lexus' do have a little...nowhere NEAR what MB and BMW have though (and MB is MUCH worse than BMW to my eyes)...sad really.

Audi, who used to have the best interior in the industry is also cheapening out its interior. I've been inside the new A4 and material wise it has NOTHING on the IS2/350.

never been in an Audi...ever...but I don't doubt it.

I have been inside Peter's SC300 and several other 2GS and I agree that the new Lexuses, at least the IS, is a step below in terms of material quality.

And maybe this is why I feel the way I do...I guess I am used to my SC4 interior which is much better quality (to me at least) than the ISC.  Either way, I would still be proud to own an ISC but if I could afford that, I would do a custom interior on it.

[schwarz]

Oh, and Louis, you probably think that I hate all 2nd gen IS's since I'm so critical of them but really, I love them.  It's one of the best models Lexus makes and I would be honored to own one.  It's like the first child syndrome to me.

[ffpower]

Oh no buddy, I like it when people are critical about cars because I am very anal about them too, especially on the interior.

I especially like to discuss when people use "constructive criticism" like you did with the 2IS (which all I agree with) rather than just saying xxx sucks, yyy is better or something like... why can't xxx just be like yyy.

You know what i am talking about right?

[schwarz]

oh definately...and the interior is probably the single most critical part for me since that's where I spend most of my time with the car.