Lexus versus Bimmer
Forbes pits the Lexus IS350 against the BMW 330i - and finds much to like.
More specifically, what he wanted to know was whether I’d buy Toyota Motor’s (nyse: TM - news - people ) new $35,440 Lexus IS350, or the $36,600 BMW 330i. Frankly, it’s a tough question to answer.
Lexus wanted to build a no-compromises 3 Series fighter, which the previous IS was not. The new IS, however, proves what we always knew: Toyota knows darn well how to make sports cars.
What the new IS achieves without breaking a sweat should make all German luxury-sedan makers nervous. Though it has a couple of minor design issues, the Lexus offers a straightforward and thoughtfully laid-out interior. And this is a Lexus that can be driven like a race car, something you really couldn’t get before from Toyota.
That doesn’t mean that, by default, this is a better car than a 3 Series. The IS350 is a superb driver’s car. But it, like the BMW, has gaps in its repertoire. To find out what they are, read on.