The Lexus IS 200d Advance
Lexus has revealed a pair of special edition IS models – the Lexus IS 200d Advance & 250 Advance – which undercut rival models from BMW and Audi.
We should cherish the Lexus IS. No, not because it’s a Lexus – although the Lexus fixtures, fittings and build quality do make it score highly on many a car buyer’s radar – but because it’s NOT got Hobson’s choice on the engine front. You can actually opt for a real ICE engine and – shock, horror – a proper gearbox.
So if you are in the market for a 3-Series or A4 you really should let the Lexus IS blip on your radar. Not because it’s dynamically better than the Tuetonic Two, but because it can – if the getting there in comfort is more important than cutting-edge dynamics – offer a viable alternative to the default choices. But, more importantly, it might just make Lexus consider putting proper gearboxes and proper drivetrains in the rest of their range.
And if you are ready to go and consider an IS you’ve just got a couple of extra choices – the Lexus IS 250 Advance and Lexus IS 200d Advance. Based on Lexus IS SE Spec the Advance also gets HDD SatNav, heated seats, parking sensors, Cruise, Auto wipers and parking camera.
Which is a very nice extra chunk of kit and yet only adds £340 to the price of the IS 250 SE and £130 to the IS 200d. Which seems something of a bargain. And something Lexus are keen to point out, advising us that the IS 250 Advance and IS 200d Advance undercut rivals from BMW and Audi.
But don’t look at buying an IS as getting an alternative to a posh German. Think of it instead as a vote for real engine and gearbox choices across the Lexus range.
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