A rear-wheel-drive, entry-level, compact luxury sedan, the Lexus IS was introduced by Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury nameplate in Japan in 1998. While it is known as the IS 200 in Europe when it was brought to the continent the following year, it was called the IS 300 when brought to North America in 2001.
Background
Since the introduction of the Lexus brand in 1989, it has been known for producing comfortable, luxurious vehicles rather than sporty ones. The arrival of the IS, which stands for "Intelligent Sport," was supposed to be Lexus' venture into the performance market, built with firm suspension and fitted with high-performance tires to compete with the likes of the BMW 3-Series, the Infiniti G and the Volvo S40. The IS was sold under the Toyota Altezza nameplate in Japan until the introduction of the Lexus brand in Japan in 2006.
Main Features
The IS 200/300 is sometimes referred by the "Altezza" name because of the chromed car tail lights--Altezza lights--that it retained from its Japanese prototype. Another prominent feature of the vehicle was its 3.0-liter 215-horsepower in-line six-cylinder engine, which was brought over from its much-larger sibling, the Lexus GS. Paired with a five-speed automotive transmission, the car could go from zero to 60 mph in the low-seven-second range.
Reception
The Lexus IS 200/300 was praised as a nice, sporty respite from Lexus' reputation for comfort and luxury. Particularly lauded was the performance of the engine. The car was mainly criticized, however, for having a sparse amount of features that belied its luxury billing.
Refinement and Replacement
For the 2002 model year, components such as auto-dimming mirrors, side-curtain airbags and stability control were made standard on the IS 200/300 as a response to critics demanding more luxury befitting of a Lexus vehicle. Other features such as leather upholstery, navigation system and manual transmission were made available as options. It was the same model year that the more spacious trim of the IS, the SportCross wagon, made its debut. The IS 200/300 lasted until the 2006 model year, when the second generation of production began with the 250 and 350 trims.
Price
Depending on year and trim, the original manufacturer's suggested retail price range of the Lexus IS 200/300 was in the high $20,000s to low $30,000s. As of 2010, Kelley Blue Book estimates the price value range at around $9,300 to $17,500.
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