Lexus IS 250 AWD

Lexus IS 250 AWD

Everything You Need and Then Some   

    When Lexus debuted the IS 300 way back in 2001, it was love at first drive for me. It was fun and quick, and as a watch collector, I especially appreciated the chronograph-style speedometer. It was a peppy little rear-drive sport sedan that had a lot of character.

    The IS went through some changes here and there, taking on a more elegant, Lexus-type look. A 4-cylinder engine was added to the lineup, and it lost the chronograph.

    Then, for 2014, the IS got a major makeover. It is both sophisticated and bold, boldness being a style element that had gone missing from the IS family for a while. It gets the Lexus nose -- the spindle grille, framed in chrome. The wheelbase increased by almost three inches and it grew nearly a half-inch wider, which adds to its aggressive stance. With 17-inch aluminum wheels, the IS 250 is a standout.

    As for the engine, the 2.5-liter V6 checks in with 204 horsepower and 185 lb.-ft. of torque. While not an overwhelming amount of showiness, it’s definitely enough. If you’re looking for some growl, consider the IS 350. But, if you’re looking for something that purrs, something with spunk, then the IS 250 fits the bill. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic which becomes fun to control with the paddle shifters. The 250 has plenty of pick-up, whether you’re rounding a corner or passing on a hill. It responds to pressure on the accelerator without hesitation, and before you know it, you’re cruising along at 85 without a second thought.

    Between the all-wheel drive system and the double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, this car has plenty of grip. To say it hugs the road is an understatement. As a driver, I always felt in complete control of the car, because it seemed so buttoned up. Front to rear, side to side, the IS is a well balanced, well-proportioned daily driver. There’s no torque steer to speak of, no understeer, and -- to invent a word -- there’s no squirelliness. Yes, there are other cars that would run circles around it on the Autobahn, but this is the real world. In other words, the IS 250 AWD is a well-behaved vehicle, great for people who like performance blended with a little luxury.

    Luxury comes in the form of heated and cooled perforated leather seats, among other things. My favorite feature (for my always-cold hands): the heated steering wheel. There’s some definite motivation for keeping your hands firmly planted at 10 and 2! Like other cars in the Lexus family, this one has enough technology to keep you learning for years. There’s Park Assist, Navigation, Bluetooth Apps, and a Multi-Information Display to name a few of the perks. But I say turn up the 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system and just drive.

    That’s because this car is great to drive. If you strip away all of the flashiness, what you’re left with is a solidly built chassis that gives you just enough of what you need and even a little of what you don’t. Now, if we could just convince Lexus to bring back the chronograph speedometer...

    Base price on this vehicle is $38,485. As tested, it rolls in at $45,140.

2014 Buick Regal GS Turbo

2014 Buick Regal GS Turbo
No Age Restrictions Here

    On the day the Regal GS was delivered to my house, Katie Bjoerk, Buick Communications Manager, sent me an e-mail highlighting some of the features of this turbo-charged sedan. The one that stood out to me was that the average age of the Regal GS customer is 43 years old.
    Ha! I thought to myself, I’m too young for this car!
    I just won’t tell you by how much.
    The next day, a friend and I decided to go on a snow shoe hike, so we took a drive up into the snow-covered hills near our homes --the GS is an AWD -- and she commented that it was really nice to ride in a sedan for once. As moms with growing families, she owns a full-size SUV, while I own a cross-over. She was right. The Regal’s cabin is low-slung and wraps itself around you in style and comfort. The heated leather seats are the warmest I’ve ever had -- and I use heated seats until April around here. Unlike other sport sedans whose bucket seats are sometimes hard and flat, the Regal’s seats offer just the right amount of support and hold you in when you kick up the throttle; yet, they don’t have the pillowy expansiveness of other sedans driven by people over the age of, um, 43. 
    Features like the the eight-inch touch screen with next-generation IntelliLink add to the overall luxurious feel of the interior. Never mind that the D.J. on my favorite Sirius XM satellite station called my music classic alternative. It was another small chink in my anti-aging armor, so I romped on the gas pedal to remind myself that I still like to drive fast.   
    And fast it goes. The 2.0-liter I-4 turbo is quick off the line, delivering 259 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft of torque. Hit the gas, and its response is immediate. The high school carpool crowd was impressed when I demonstrated this for them on the way home one day. They giggled at being thrown back into their seats and one enthusiastic 14-year-old said, “I would do that ALL THE TIME if I owned this car.” I felt a little younger at that moment, so I did indeed, do it again. On the freeway, the Regal GS cruises along without any effort. The 6-speed transmission clicks through the gears without any lag. In fact, I would say the Regal GS is a perfect touring sedan. You get power and performance from the mechanics of it, while the cabin offers quiet and refinement. Factor in that you get 27 mpg on the highway, and this car suddenly becomes a head turner. Sport mode tightens up the suspension and makes driving downright fun. It has three selectable modes, called the Interactive Drive Control System. Standard, Tour, and Sport damping modes offer three ways to enjoy the ride.
    I mentioned that the GS comes standard with all-wheel drive. I took it up some pretty slick roads, where the snow and ice had been packed down pretty well. It was hardly a challenge for this sedan as I don’t recall slipping or spinning once. Throw in the fact that the Regal also comes with StabiliTrack with full-function traction control, and winter road conditions become much less of a worry.
    Outside, the Regal gets an updated design, with wing-shaped LED lighting. 18-inch alloy wheels round out the sportiness of this sedan.
    Safety features include blind zone alert (a little too bright of a reminder at night), cross traffic alert, collision mitigation braking, and lane departure alert. I tried to activate this alert purposely (on a deserted road, of course) but it must have known I was trying to trick it. Nevertheless, it’s good to know it’s there. I did appreciate the fact that my test vehicle came with rear-seat side-impact airbags.
    The combination of turbo power, all-wheel drive, and excellent gas mileage makes the Regal GS a tough competitor in the luxury-sport segment. As tested, the Regal GS priced out at $40K and change. So yes, even though I am too young for this car, I did enjoy driving it. I wonder if I’ll like it even more when I turn 43...which won’t be for a long, long time.