2010 Lexus IS 350 C F-Sport Review

By Justin Kaehler

Justin Kaehler

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2010 Lexus IS 350 C F-Sport Review
My first experience in a Lexus convertible could be best described as “lackluster.” And that... Read More

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2010 Lexus IS Convertible F-Sport

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My first experience in a Lexus convertible could be best described as “lackluster.” And that was a bummer, as the open-top Lexus in question was the SC 430. Now, in hindsight, I know I shouldn’t have been excited about the car, but I got into the SC 430 tester shortly after coming home from the Tokyo Auto Salon--a car show at which I saw numerous SC 430s prepped for JGTC duty. If the car was good enough for  Japan’s premiere race series, surely it would have been more than thrilling for me.

Upon taking delivery of the SC 430, I was struck by how dated it looked and felt--especially when compared to its newer L-Finesse-styled stablemates such as the IS and GS sedans. And despite the promises of a JGTC-worthy driving experience, the SC 430’s performance abilities were non-existent, and the driving experience felt more disconnected than the Octomom’s grip on sanity. I couldn’t find anything to love about the vehicle, but women in their mid-50s flocked to the thing. Not my cup of tea, obviously, but I’m sure that last factor will appeal to someone.

So it was with little more than a shrug that I went off to Lexus HQ to pick up my latest test vehicle, the 2010 Lexus IS 350 C. While I’m a fan of all versions of the IS sedan, experience tells me that chopping the roof off a car such as this will result in something that's as fun to drive as, well, a SC 430 convertible.

But it seems that the fates were smiling upon me that day, as the convertible I picked up was no ordinary IS C. Lexus saw fit to loan me a black-on-black IS 350 C equipped with every part in the F-Sport catalog. My particular tester was a more aggressive version of the upcoming production IS C F-sport, meaning that this open-top Lexus experience was beginning to look a lot more promising.

The modifications Lexus performed on this specific IS 350 C tester were designed to maximize performance while maintaining factory levels of reliability. As such, modifications to the 3.5-liter V-6 are light: just an F-Sport intake and a larger exhaust. Lexus claims a 3 percent increase in power, which, while nice, won’t have this convertible nipping at the heels of its more powerful IS-F sibling.

The chassis, on the other hand, gets a thorough reworking. Larger uprated progressive sport springs, matched to performance-tuned shocks, drop the IS C’s ride height and improve handling. Larger sway bars keep this car flat in corners, while the larger 19-inch wheel and tire package increase grip. Massive brakes--ripped from the aforementioned IS-F--have been equipped at all four corners.

While I can’t comment as to how the standard IS C drives, I can say that this F-Sport version drives very, very well. The first thing I need to mention is that the annoying exhaust drone found on other F-Sport vehicles is thankfully gone. This IS 350 C manages to be quick off the line, turn in is quick and it exhibits Velcro-like grip in the corners. The steering feels artificially weighted, but it still manages to communicate just what the front tires are doing. And those brakes… Just like the IS-F, brake feel is rock solid, and the massive stoppers bring the IS 350 C F-Sport to a halt in a hurry.

But not all is perfect with the IS 350 C F-Sport. The larger wheel package and reduced ride height do make things a bit bouncy; the ride definitely isn’t jarring, but those expecting a cushiony, Lexus-like ride will be sorely disappointed.

I’m also let down by the fact that no manual option is available--especially given this car’s performance potential. The manual shift mode sort of works well enough, but this car will still shift when it wants to--even when the transmission has been nudged over into Sport Mode. The transmission’s propensity to shift on its own also almost ruins the excellent brakes. As I said, these brakes are solid, firm and bring things to an immediate stop. But while braking, the automatic transmission will kick down a gear or two on its own, causing the car to shudder a bit with each downshift, making the braking experience a jarring, and sometimes unpredictable, one.