Lexus IS 350 2011 $31,300

Sometimes, the whole exceeds the sum of its parts. Other times, the sum of those parts just overwhelms you. That's the case in talking about today's test car, the 2011 Lexus IS 350 AWD sedan, a vehicle that's loaded with goodies and is an intriguing entry in the near-luxury market. Let's start with the bullet-proof Lexus reliability. I've driven Toyota-Lexus products for nearly 15 years and more than 100,000 miles and haven't ever let a floor mat get free from its anchoring hooks and bunch up under the gas pedal. Do the scheduled maintenance on a Lexus, take action if something causes an out-of-the-ordinary vibration, and it should give you classy, comfortable, and consistent performance for a decade. In the performance department, this model is equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6, producing 306 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. Coupled with the 6-speed automatic transmission it will take you from 0-to-60 in less than six seconds. The all-wheel-drive system sends 70 percent of the thrust to the rear wheels, making the car feel a bit like a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan during normal driving. That split can become 50-50 under worsening conditions. We didn't have a blizzard during its stay a rare snow-free spell this winter but the IS 350 did fine in a heavy rainstorm and on a day of slick highways. In the area of luxury appointments, Lexus rarely disappoints. The styling and build quality (inside and out) were outstanding. Materials (leathers, plastics, metals) were all up to anyone's contemporary standards, and despite having a full array of technological goodies, controls were intuitive, well-positioned, and attractive. So what's not to like? For me, it's the price. This model lists for $41,905 (including destination). Our tester arrived at $46,327 with two major packages and several other goodies. The Luxury Plus Edition ($1,320) added heated, ventilated, and perforated-leather front seats wood interior trim HID lights and neat LED running lights (think Audi) illuminated sill plates (impressive at dusk) power tilt/telescoping steering wheel driver memory seat power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers that were impressive in operation. Add another $2,465 for a navigation system with backup camera, satellite radio, and the Lexus Enform/Destination assist. Intuitive parking assist ($500), trunk mat ($73), and a cargo net ($64) rounded out the list of add-ons. I felt as though I would have been overpaying to buy it when I could get a similarly equipped Subaru Legacy (slightly more interior space) for two thirds the cost. On the road, the Lexus was a Lexus. Plenty of power. Quiet. Refined suspension. Great sound system. That was great but also kind of a problem, starting with my perception that the IS 350 is supposed to be a sport sedan and doesn't quite fit into that category. Neither Mrs. G nor I liked the front seats. They were too short when it came to thigh support. Additionally, the front passengers' personal space felt cramped, even when not wearing bulky winter coats. The IS 350's handling remains more luxury than sport (though there's an F Sport package version that promises a sport-tuned suspension). Nor does the IS have the overall snarl to compete with the BMW 3-Series or Infiniti G37 in the driver's car category, falling short mostly in the handling department. Still, the styling and luxury appointments make the Lexus competitive with the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class, especially among that market segment that doesn't appreciate the German engineering approach Lexus has de-tuned the 3.5-liter V-6 in the ES 350 model to run on regular gas. Given the rise in gas prices, a similar approach might have been prescient in the IS 350, which still runs on premium fuel, a product that cost us $3.75 a gallon near the University of Connecticut. While I wasn't crazy about the rear seat legroom, my three-year-old grandson, in his car seat, was able to stretch out his still-short legs and push on the back of Mrs. G's seat, a sur

• 17 split-spoke aluminum alloy wheels
• P225/45VR17 all-season front tires
• P245/45VR17 all-season rear tires
• Temporary spare tire
• Front/rear body-colored bumpers
• Body-colored front air dam w/low grille
• HID headlamps w/LED daytime running lamps washers
• Front fog lamps
• LED taillamps
• Acoustically laminated tinted windshield glass
• Ultraviolet ray reducing glass on all windows
• Body-colored heated pwr mirrors
• Variable intermittent wipers w/mist cycle
• Rear bench seat w/trunk pass-through
• Foldable rear headrests
• Center console
• Rear seat w/console dual cupholders
• Carpeted floor mats
• Illuminated scuff plates
• Optitron gauges
• Exterior temp gauge
• Digital clock
• Pwr windows
• Retained accessory pwr
• Pwr door locks
• Lexus personalized settings (LPS)
• HomeLink programmable garage door opener
• Cruise control
• Illuminated trunk & fuel filler door release
• Vehicle theft-deterrent system w/engine immobilizer
• Rear window defogger w/timer
• Cigarette lighter & ashtray
• Dark Bird's-eye maple interior wood trim
• Leather trimmed interior
• Silver metallic finish interior accents
• Electrochromic rearview mirror w/compass
• Dual sun visors w/vanity mirrors
• Front seatback pockets
• Lighting
• (2) front/(2) rear assist grips
• Retractable coat hooks
• Leather heated front bucket seats
• SmartAccess remote keyless entry
• Automatic climate control
• 3.5L 24-valve direct injection V6 engine
• Push button start
• 6-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission w/OD
• All wheel drive
• Double wishbone front suspension
• Multi-link rear suspension
• Front/rear stabilizer bars
• Speed-sensitive electric pwr rack & pinion steering
• 4-wheel pwr ventilated disc brakes
• Stainless steel exhaust w/dual polished pipes
• Tool kit
• 4-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS)
• Electronic brake force distribution (EBD) w/brake assist (BA)
• Brake override system
• Traction control (TRAC)
• Vehicle stability control (VSC) w/cutoff switch
• Vehicle dynamics intrated management (VDIM) w/cutoff switch
• Front/rear door side-impact beams
• Front/rear crumple zones
• Daytime running lights
• Driver & front passenger airbags
• Front/rear side curtain airbags
• Front seat-mounted side airbags
• Safety Connect
• All-position 3-point seat belts
• Front/rear outboard seat belts w/force-limiting pretensioners
• Height-adjustable front shoulder belt anchors
• Emergency locking retractor (ELR) for all seating positions
• Automatic locking retractor (ALR) for front/rear passenger seats
• Child restraint seat (CRS) w/top tether anchor brackets safety locks
• Emergency interior trunk release
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• First aid kit
• AM/FM stereo w/in-dash 6-disc CD/MP3/WMA changer
• Bluetooth w/audio streaming
• Rear glass-imprinted antenna w/FM diversity antenna
• Shark fin satellite antenna