X

Lexus IS250C in depth

We take an in-depth look at the hits and misses of Lexus' IS250C convertible.

Derek Fung
Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.
Derek Fung
lexus-is250c_1.jpg
1 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Look at moiye!

We take an in-depth look at the hits and misses of Lexus' IS250C convertible.

Nothing gets bystanders gawking more than transforming a car from coupe to convertible and back again.

lexus-is250c_2.jpg
2 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Front up

Everything forward of the windscreen is practically shared with the IS250C's sedan sibling, the IS250.

lexus-is250c_3.jpg
3 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Big butts don't lie

The need to accommodate a folding hard roof in the boot robs the IS250C of the elegance of the sedan.

lexus-is250c_4.jpg
4 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Trim

As with the sedan, the IS250C comes in three grades: Prestige, Sports and Sports Luxury.

lexus-is250c_5.jpg
5 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Transform!

Going from coupe to convertible or vice versa takes 21 seconds of quiet brilliance.

lexus-is250c_6.jpg
6 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Mass, part I

The IS250C weighs some 170kg more than its sedan counterpart.

lexus-is250c_7.jpg
7 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Quick, light up

The IS250 sedan misses out on al fresco motoring, as well as LED tail-lights.

lexus-is250c_8.jpg
8 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Mass, part II

The weight gain is thanks to the electric motors required to retract the roof, as well as various structural reinforcements to make up for the lack of a roof.

lexus-is250c_9.jpg
9 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Mass, part III

The extra mass means the engine needs to be worked quite a lot harder, to the detriment of fuel economy.

lexus-is250c_10.jpg
10 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Mass, part IV

The IS250C handles sweetly, but the extra weight can be felt in tighter corners.

lexus-is250c_11.jpg
11 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Sole survivor

With the recent demise of the SC430, the IS250C is Lexus' sole convertible option.

lexus-is250c_12.jpg
12 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Winging it

The wing mirrors feature LED indicators.

lexus-is250c_13.jpg
13 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

On with the show

Projector headlamps are standard across the range, but only the top-of-the-range Sports Luxury model has xenon bulbs.

lexus-is250c_14.jpg
14 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Sweet 17

The entry-level Prestige comes fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, higher specified models get 18-inch ones.

lexus-is250c_15.jpg
15 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Drive it

Unlike convertibles from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, there's only one drivetrain choice: a 2.5-litre V6 sending power to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

lexus-is250c_16.jpg
16 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

The place to be

The interior design is largely lifted from the sedan.

lexus-is250c_17.jpg
17 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Field of view

We had no issues looking through the windscreen, but drivers taller than our 165cm may find themselves looking under, at and around the thick windscreen pillars.

lexus-is250c_18.jpg
18 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Up front

Front-seat accommodation is on par with the sedan.

lexus-is250c_19.jpg
19 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Out back

Rear passengers rely on the generosity of those up front for leg room.

lexus-is250c_20.jpg
20 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Sit upright

Passengers at the back sit almost upright. Shoulder room is restricted as the passenger cell arcs tightly around.

lexus-is250c_21.jpg
21 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Headrests, part I

Now you see them...

lexus-is250c_22.jpg
22 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Headrests, part II

...now they no longer block the driver's view aft. A simple latch between the two rear seats brings the headrests crashing down.

lexus-is250c_23.jpg
23 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Thop thop

To stop the rear seat belts flapping about, they can be secured in place by magnetic fasteners.

lexus-is250c_24.jpg
24 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Plushie

The plush white leather evoked thoughts of multimillion-dollar mansions with water views.

lexus-is250c_25.jpg
25 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Butt sir, part I

With the roof up, the boot will swallow 550 litres worth of stuff.

lexus-is250c_26.jpg
26 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Butt sir, part II

Before the roof can be folded down, the driver must manually set the luggage divider in place. That way the roof won't crush your precious belongings.

lexus-is250c_27.jpg
27 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Butt sir, part III

Roof down boot capacity shrinks to just over 200 litres.

lexus-is250c_28.jpg
28 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Butt sir, part IV

The double-hinged boot is heavy.

lexus-is250c_29.jpg
29 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Spare me

A space-saver spare tyre lives under the boot floor.

lexus-is250c_30.jpg
30 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Clash of the fonts

The "classy" serif fonts clash with the old-school LCD clock.

lexus-is250c_31.jpg
31 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Hold it

Lift or press the centre button to close or open the roof; your finger must be kept there for the entire duration of the process. The button on the left activates a heating element for the windscreen wipers.

lexus-is250c_32.jpg
32 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Stop it

The standard rear-parking sensors will call a halt to proceedings if a car or person gets too close to the double-hinged boot.

lexus-is250c_33.jpg
33 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Hey you

The car won't stop you from driving away with the roof job half done, but it'll lodge a formal protest.

lexus-is250c_34.jpg
34 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Parking mentor

The reversing camera is accompanied by front- and rear-parking sensors.

lexus-is250c_35.jpg
35 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Cruise on by

Cruise control is easy to operate via this wand, but the singular dashboard light only tells you when the system is on, not whether you've set a cruising speed.

lexus-is250c_36.jpg
36 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Strong, silent type

The only engine choice is an eerily silent, incredibly smooth 2.5-litre V6 with 153kW of power and 252Nm of torque.

lexus-is250c_37.jpg
37 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Partial control

The gear lever will only let you set a maximum gear for the automatic transmission (fourth gear in this instance).

lexus-is250c_38.jpg
38 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Your flappiness

The standard flappy paddles are a good way of shifting down in a hurry.

lexus-is250c_39.jpg
39 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Seat heaters

Your neck may be cold, but your bum can certainly stay warm.

lexus-is250c_40.jpg
40 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Tilt and shout

The front seats electrically tilt and slide forward so rear passengers can enter and alight the car.

lexus-is250c_41.jpg
41 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Optitron prime

The IS250C's instrument cluster features Lexus' bright and clear "optitron" lighting.

lexus-is250c_42.jpg
42 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Info please

The LCD display between the speedo and tacho can display important warning messages, average speed, fuel consumption info, estimated distance to empty and the current gear.

lexus-is250c_43.jpg
43 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

The future's orange

Both the speedo and tacho can be configured to glow a shade of orange if a threshold road or engine speed is breached.

lexus-is250c_44.jpg
44 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Climate change, part I

Without any knobs, the standard dual-zone climate control system is difficult to operate by touch alone.

lexus-is250c_45.jpg
45 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Climate change, part II

Matters aren't helped by the fact that you need to dive into the touchscreen menus to adjust fan speed or where the air's coming from.

lexus-is250c_46.jpg
46 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Upgrade

Lexus has fitted an upgraded version of the touchscreen interface to the latest batch of IS250Cs. The look is very reminiscent of the one used in the company's Remote Touch-equipped cars.

lexus-is250c_47.jpg
47 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Navigation, part I

Despite the upgrade there's still no 3D perspective.

lexus-is250c_48.jpg
48 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Navigation, part II

Lane guidance isn't available, but the system does give you a close view of the upcoming turn.

lexus-is250c_49.jpg
49 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Music options, part I

A six-disc CD changer resides in the dashboard.

lexus-is250c_50.jpg
50 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Music options, part II

Joy of joys, the IS250C comes equipped with an auxiliary jack and an iPod-compatible USB port.

lexus-is250c_51.jpg
51 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Wheely?

Steering wheel audio controls are easy to use, but there's no mute button.

lexus-is250c_52.jpg
52 of 52 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Talk it up

Bluetooth hands-free works well with the roof up, but voice commands are limited to five phone book voice tags.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos