| Model year | 2010 |
| Make | Lexus |
| Model | IS 350C |
| Style | 2dr Convertible (3.5L 6cyl 6A) |
| Base MSRP | $44,815 |
| Options on test vehicle | Heated and Ventilated Front Seats With Wood Trim ($1,040); Navigation System With Mark Levinson Premium Audio ($3,890); F-Sport Equipment ($12,471 -- includes: shift knob, carbon-fiber engine cover, 19-by-8-inch forged front wheels, 19-by-9-inch forged rear wheels, wheel installation kit, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, high-flow intake, axle-back stainless exhaust, lowering springs, Bilstein monotube dampers, antiroll bars, six-piston front brake calipers, four-piston rear brake calipers, upgraded discs). |
| As-tested MSRP | $62,216 |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Engine type | Direct- and port-injection 60-degree V6 |
| Displacement (cc/cu-in) | 3,456cc (211 cu-in) |
| Block/head material | Aluminum/aluminum |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, continuously variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing |
| Compression ratio (x:1) | 11.8:1 |
| Redline (rpm) | 6,600 |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 306 @ 6,400 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 277 @ 4,800 |
| Transmission type | 6-speed automatic |
| Transmission and axle ratios (x:1) | I = 3.520, II = 2.042, III = 1.400, IV = 1.000, V = 0.716, VI = 0.586, FD = 4.083, R = 3.224 |
| Suspension, front | Independent, double wishbones, coil springs and stabilizer bar |
| Suspension, rear | Independent, multilink, coil springs and stabilizer bar |
| Steering type | Electric-assist speed-proportional rack-and-pinion power steering |
| Steering ratio (x:1) | 14.6:1 |
| Tire brand | Michelin |
| Tire model | Pilot Sport PS2 |
| Tire type | Summer Performance |
| Tire size, front | 225/35ZR19 88Y |
| Tire size, rear | 255/35ZR19 96Y |
| Wheel size | 19-by-8.0 inches front -- 19-by-9 inches rear |
| Wheel material | Forged aluminum alloy |
| Brakes, front | 14-by-1.3-inch ventilated discs, six-piston fixed calipers |
| Brakes, rear | 13.6-by-1.1-inch ventilated discs, four-piston fixed calipers |
| 0-45 mph (sec.) | 4.0 |
| 0-60 mph (sec.) | 5.9 |
| 0-75 mph (sec.) | 8.7 |
| 1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) | 14.2 @ 97.3 |
| 0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 5.6 |
| Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) | 29 |
| 60-0 mph (ft.) | 112 |
| Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) | 68.2 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) | 0.89 |
| Sound level @ idle (dB) | 43.8 |
| @ Full throttle (dB) | 78.0 |
| @ 70 mph cruise (dB) | 67.0 (78.5 top down) |
| Acceleration comments | The car's computer didn't like pedal overlap, so there was only a nanosecond of brake torque. Despite being able to scratch the tires on the launch, the best run was recorded without it and ample torque took care of the rest. Manual shift mode was too lazy/hard to predict, so all runs were in S-Drive with Power mode. Upshifts were smooth but not particularly quick. Exhaust note is cool on the drag strip, but can get annoying elsewhere. |
| Braking rating | Excellent |
| Braking comments | Powerful brakes that are virtually fade-free. Pedal gets extremely hard under full-ABS stops, but is otherwise easily modulated and delicate. Brakes were occasionally noisy/screechy. |
| Handling rating | Excellent |
| Handling comments | Skid pad: Gobs o' grip and good overall balance means only the throttle is needed to maintain a consistent arc. Decent amount of steering info that loads up with speed. Mild understeer on the limit with stability control off, but with stability control on, it dealt effectively with the tendency and actually went a little quicker. Slalom: It seems like the steering ratio should be quicker with all these suspension mods. I needed a bunch more input (about 90-degrees worth) to get past each cone necessitating an earlier turn-in. Tires offer plenty of grip, but fall off quite dramatically once heated. Also, this car will do a tank-slapper if you jump out of the throttle too abruptly. Finally, stability control runs proved dramatically slower, grabbing brakes and chopping throttle after the second cone to the end. |
| Elevation (ft.) | 1,121 |
| Temperature (°F) | 85.9 |
| Wind (mph, direction) | 5.0 head/cross |
| EPA fuel economy (mpg) | 18 city/25 highway/20 combined |
| Edmunds observed (mpg) | 10.3 worst/24.2 best/19.5 average |
| Fuel tank capacity (U.S. gal.) | 17.2 |
| Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) | 3,880 |
| Curb weight, as tested (lbs.) | 3,862 |
| Weight distribution, as tested, f/r (%) | 49/51 |
| Length (in.) | 182.5 |
| Width (in.) | 70.9 |
| Height (in.) | 54.7 (includes F-Sport lowering springs) |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 107.5 |
| Track, front (in.) | 60.4 |
| Track, rear (in.) | 60.4 |
| Turning circle (ft.) | 33.5 |
| Legroom, front (in.) | 44.1 |
| Legroom, rear (in.) | 25.9 |
| Headroom, front (in.) | 38.3 |
| Headroom, rear (in.) | 36.1 |
| Shoulder room, front (in.) | 54.2 |
| Shoulder room, rear (in.) | 44.7 |
| Seating capacity | 4 |
| Cargo volume (cu-ft) | 10.8 |
| Max. cargo volume, seats folded (cu-ft) | Not applicable |
| Bumper-to-bumper | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain | 6 years/70,000 miles |
| Corrosion | 6 years/Unlimited miles |
| Roadside assistance | 4 years/Unlimited miles |
| Free scheduled maintenance | First time at 5,000 miles (excludes F-Sport equipment) |
| Front airbags | Standard |
| Side airbags | Standard dual front and dual rear with head protection chambers |
| Head airbags | Not available |
| Knee airbags | Being researched |
| Antilock brakes | 4-wheel ABS |
| Electronic brake enhancements | Braking assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, hill-start assist |
| Traction control | Standard |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Rollover protection | Not available |
| Tire-pressure monitoring system | Standard |
| Emergency assistance system | Optional |
| NHTSA crash test, driver | Not tested |
| NHTSA crash test, passenger | Not tested |
| NHTSA crash test, side front | Not tested |
| NHTSA crash test, side rear | Not tested |
| NHTSA rollover resistance | Not tested |
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