I've seen a few and am unimpressed.  To me it looks like they took the
old "edgy" IS300 and 'softened' it to be more of an old man's car--
kind of like the rest of the Lexus line.  I'm going to try hanging on
to my  '02 manual until the next generation, and hope for something
better-- even though the new 3.5L V6 is much more powerful and fuel
efficient than the old 3L I-6 on my car.  Not only that, but according
to the website, the price of a 350 is about the same as a comparably
equipped 330i.  At least my IS was around $5000 cheaper than a Bimmer.
To me the only redeeming quality is that the latest 3-series BMW is
every bit as ugly!  

Of course if they made the 350 in a manual, I might reconsider.....

The Lexus dealership where I purchased my car called me up a couple of weeks
ago and asked me to come down and check out the IS350, so that I could give
them some candid feedback since I am an '02 IS300 owner. Although I haven't
driven one yet, I did sit in a matador red IS350 with navigation and Mark
Levinson sound system. I didn't have time to drive it the day I dropped in
for a few minutes while running some errands near the dealership.
Personally, I like the looks of the car better than the new BMW 3-Series.
However, I don't really care for the IS250/350 doors. Take a look at how
high the doors extend upwards towards the roofline on these cars. Makes the
windows appear to be really small. Same problem with the Nissan 350Z when
compared to the 300ZX(Z-32, 1990-1996 model years). I just don't like this
type of body style--although I do realize that this type of door design
improves the car's safety when speaking in terms of side impact crashes.
Lexus did do a really good job with the interior of the IS250/350. It's
definitely more luxurious, but not as sporty-looking as the IS300's. Of
course Lexus has been getting hammered for five straight years now about how
"boy racer" and "cheap looking" the IS300's interior looks. I don't
completely agree with this assessment of the IS300's interior. In fact, I
was just thinking today how much I like my IS300's interior while driving it
home from work. The IS300 just appears to be more sporty if you asked me,
but the IS250/350 does have an extremely classy look to it. Looks like the
car for a man or woman of some serious means.  :-) And when you consider the
fact that a fully loaded IS350 with ML will run you about $44,000.00, you'd
better have some bucks before purchasing one of these beasts.

Ron M.

I have an IS 350. It is extremely fast, but unlike other 300+ hp performance
cars, it is extremely quiet and subtle.  The whole car is understated.
It has to fit your personality. My friend has a IS 300. It fits his
personality. He's a little more outgoing than I am.  I run marathons, and go
to work.

I must say tho', that I have been stopped several times in L.A., by
gangbangers, who inquired about the new Lexus model. I must also say that I
possess two Glock 26's; this being L.A. and all.

Looks are secondary to me. Lexus got the engine very right in the IS350 and
very wrong in the IS250. Where Lexus totally blew it was in terms of
handling. The Bangle-challenged E90 leaves it for dead in terms of handling
and the lack of a manual gear box in the IS350 makes it a dead issue for
people who really love to drive.

They screwed the pooch, again, for the performance-oriented driver.