2010 Lexus IS 250 C – Not A Graceful Convertible

First Look

The auto market around the world has never received an entry level convertible from Lexus. But now the time has changed and Lexus is presenting the world with its very first entry level convertible 2010 Lexus IS 250 C. Yes, you have guessed it right, the 2010 Lexus IS 250 C is based on the IS sedan and that’s the only thing that makes it a cheaper convertible from the house of Lexus.

The IS 250 C also has slightly enhanced backseat than the discontinued Lexus SC 430. But the transformation of IS 250 C from a strong four door sedan with a solid-roof to a two door retractable-roof convertible hasn’t been smooth and Lexus has given IS C a comparatively awkward looking rear legs for storing the three steel pieces of the roof. But apart from this the Lexus IS 250 C comes with all the luxury, performance and refinement that you expect from a Lexus.

What’s New for 2010 Lexus IS 250C?

The transformation of 2010 Lexus IS 250C from the IS sedan to convertible isn’t the most graceful transformation that we have seen in the auto market. Although, the 2010 Lexus IS 250C retains the lavishness, refinement and performance that is expected of a Lexus, but the rear legs used for swallowing the roof top for the convertible is slightly awkward looking. Apart from this there isn’t anything extra in 2010 Lexus IS 250C and on a whole we can say it an elegant on tour convertible for the consumers from Lexus but at a reasonable price. Apart from price, the other bonuses here are the contented ride, superior fuel economy and interior refinement.

Body Styling and Features

The four passengers convertible 2010 Lexus IS 250C comes in single trim level, but for the power loving folks there is a bigger engine and some other additional features available in 2010 Lexus IS 350C. The standard equipments for IS 250C includes a 17 inch wheels, fog lights and automatic headlights, keyless entry and ignition, heated side mirrors, a power and tilt-telescoping steering column, cruise control, leather upholstery, eight way power front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, automatic dual-zone climate control and Bluetooth. For those who love listening music Lexus has offered an eight-speaker stereo system with in-dash six-CD changer, auxiliary audio jacks and USB.

Apart from these standard features there are a lot of other optional Luxury features such as adaptive bi-xenon headlights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, and automatic wipers, cooled and heated front seats along with memory settings, improved leather upholstery, automatic fold/slide/return for rear-seat access and wood trim available in the Luxury Package.

Under The Hood

The standard 2010 Lexus IS 250C has a 2.5-liter V6 engine pumping under its hood, and churning out maximum power of 204 hp and maximum torque of 185 pound-feet. While the more powerful 350C variant gets its power from 3.5-liter V6 engine.

The standard six-speed manual transmission system takes the power to the rear wheel of IS 250C, but there also is the option of getting a six-speed automatic transmission with manual-override paddle shifter. The 2.5 liter V6 engine sprints the IS 250C from 0 to 60 mph in unimpressive 8.4 secs and the estimated fuel economy for IS 250C is of 24 mpg. So on a whole the performance and power figures establishes our aforementioned “elegant on tour convertible” saying for IS 250C.

Verdict

The 2010 Lexus IS 250C offers all the luxury and refinement that you expect from a Lexus car, but its transformation from sedan to convertible has given it few tweaks or you can say that it’s not the most graceful auto transformation you have seen.

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