Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013) Review
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Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013) At A Glance
Incredibly refined. Barely any top-down turbulence. Metal-folding roof retracts smoothly. Effortless performance.
Thirsty and expensive to run. Soft handling means it's no sports car. Lacks the feelgood factor you'd expect of a convertible.
When I first read the price of the Lexus IS250C, I have to confess my jaw dropped a bit. I was expecting an entry level of £28,000 to £30,000. So £34,550 came as a bit of a shock. And that doesn't even include satnav. For the Navigator version you are asked to hand over a cool £36,750.
Lexus justifies this with a list of standard equipment as long as your arm (see below). Enough to pull the price of its closest competitor, the BMW 325i coupe convertible, way south of £40,000. So it's actually quite brave of Lexus to quote an all-in price rather then tempt buyers with a low list price, then keep adding to it to put you into the specification you really want.
Lexus IS250C 2009 Road Test and Video
Reviews for Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013)'s top 3 rivals
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Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013) handling and engines
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 29–36 mpg
Where the Lexus scores highest is in refinement. From the seamless 6-speed automatic transmission that cushions gearchanges beautifully, whether left to its own devices or summoned by the steering wheel paddles, to the astonishing lack of wind noise and buffeting with the top down, this is a seriously smooth convertible.
Even on 18" wheels with 225/40 and 255/40 tyres front and rear, the ride quality was fine. Steering feedback was good, handling surefooted. The rigid body has extra strengthening underneath so none of the dreaded scuttle shake.
And, the car has a pleasant, relaxed nature, making it the perfect open-topped cruiser. It's smooth, sweet and undemanding, yet powerful enough when you need it to be. Driving normally on normal roads, you simply leave it in auto. Ascending or descending the Col de Vence, you use the paddles. But even if you don't, that excellent transmission makes sensible decisions, rarely dropping a cog half way round a bend or getting flustered on an uphill hairpin.
It isn't an economy car. Combined economy is a mere 30mpg. But neither is it a car that encourages you to rag it, so I suspect that many owners will at least equal and probably better that combined figure.
And economy is still not bad for a car that makes you feel so good.
The Lexus IS250C is a true all year round car. It's exceptionally refined. It's a genuine four-seater. And it has an enormous boot. It's a summer car that doesn't need a winter car as back-up.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250C | 31 mpg | 9.0 s | 213 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
104%
Real MPG
29–36 mpg
MPGs submitted
11
Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013) interior
- Boot space is 235–583 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4635 mm |
| Width | 1800 mm |
| Height | 1415 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2730 mm |
The Japanese design and engineering team, lead by Keiichi Yonada seems to have thought of everything. For example, with the top up the cavernous trunk can take up to 583 litre of luggage. And with the top down, instead of leaving a letterbox through which to post a slim briefcase, they have left a broad 235 litre expanse right at the rear of the compartment, still capable of taking two golf bags laid across.
Instead of rear seats suitable only for legless dwarfs, 5' 9" of me could happily sit behind myself.A huge difficulty in creating a four-seater convertible is preventing top down turbulence. Most manufacturers, including Audi, BMW and Peugeot, counter this with windbreak arrangements that fit over the back seats and prevent anyone from sitting there. But that wasn't good enough for Keiichi Yonada's team. Instead they have used a windtunnel to refine the shape of the screen and body, so the airflow passes smoothly over the top. As a consequence, very little external noise feeds into the car and there is no buffeting at all, even for rear seat passengers.
As well as that the engineers organised the aircon so you can be cooled while the sun is on your face. The SE-L version even has built in seat coolers. Conversely, if you choose to drop the top in mid winter, seat warmers that extend all the way up your back to keep you nice and snug even if it's below zero outside.
Lexus IS 250C (2009 – 2013) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4635 mm |
| Width | 1800 mm |
| Height | 1415 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2730 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1750 kg |
| Boot Space | 235–583 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 10000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £36,836–£45,986 |
| Insurance Groups | 29–31 |
| Road Tax Bands | K |
| Official MPG | 30.7 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
| Open Car | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Advance 2dr Auto | £36,836 | 30.7 mpg | 9.0 s |
| SE-I 2dr Auto | £36,836 | 30.7 mpg | 9.0 s |
| SE-L 2dr Auto | £41,886 | 30.7 mpg | 9.0 s |
| SE-L Multimedia 2dr Auto | £45,986 | 30.7 mpg | 9.0 s |
Model History
October 2008
New Lexus IS 250C convertible
Engineered to combine sporting elegance, top-down driving pleasure and uncompromised driving dynamics. Three-part lightweight folding aluminium roof opens in world-best 20 seconds. Ultra-compact roof design ensures large boot space and generous accommodation for rear seat passengers. One-touch fold and slide action on front seats allows easy access for rear passengers. Styled for minimum wind disturbance during top-down driving. Powered by 205bhp (208 DIN hp) chain cam VVT-I V6 petrol engine with six-speed automatic transmission. Enhanced torsional stiffness, with noise and vibration levels on a par with IS saloon. On sale in the UK summer 2009.
4,635mm long x 1,800mm wide x 1,415mm high.
IS250C (2,500cc) 24v V6 petrol 6-speed automatic: 152kW (205bhp) at 6,400 rpm; 252Nm (186 lb ft) torque at 4,800 rpm. Euro IV. 6-speed automatic: 0-60 8.7 seconds; top speed 130 mph; combined mpg: 30.4; CO2 emissions: 219 g/km (VED Band K 2009/10: £215pa; 2010/11: £245pa), Emissions Group Euro IV.
IS 250C SE-I automatic £34,550
IS 250C SE-I automatic Navigator £36,750
IS 250C SE-L automatic £39,540
IS 250C SE-L automatic with Multimedia Pack, PCS and ACC £43,250
Extremely well equipped SE-I Navigator likely to be most popular at £36,750.
August 2010
- All IS powertrains meet Euro 5 emissions standards
- Exterior styling changes including headlight and rear light designs, revised front grille design, new exterior colours and alloy wheel designs
- LED daytime running lights added to high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights
- Revised equipment specifications
- On-the-road prices remain unchanged
- Available to order from 26-8-2010
Power and torque are unchanged from the super-smooth V6 are unchanged at 205bhp and 252Nm, but combined cycle performance improved to 30.7mpg and a 6g/km reduction in CO 2 emissions to 213g/km.
January 0001
IS 250C
prices
| MODEL |
OTR PRICE |
VED BAND |
|
IS 250C SE-I |
£35,996 |
K |
|
IS 250C SE-L |
£40,941 |
K |
January 2011
Final model was the IS250C Advance at £36,836. Taking the SE spec as a base, the Advance additionally had a hard disc drive sat nav, rear parking camera, heated seats, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.
What to watch out for
"The only fault (with my 2009 Lexus IS250C) is the out-of-alignment folding roof, probably due to shocks from our dreadful West Sussex B-roads - solved by removing a suspension-tower plastic cover in the boot, to avoid paint scratches. Lexus dealers quoted 8 hours work and £1k to reset the mechanism but could not guarantee the fault's re-appearance. I'm not impressed, for other reasons, by Lexus Hedge End and use a local independent garage."
28-07-2018:Report of red airbag warning light coming on in aLexus IS250C (passenger airbag recall had already been done). Investigation found that a sensor part for the airbag needed to be replaced. None available in UK. Dealer they sourced one in Europe.
