Lexus IS, 1999 - 2005
4.5518Rating4.43% better than average rating of competitors (4.2)Review number: 18 RecommendsYes 0% No 100%
The Lexus IS (Toyota Altezza in Japan) is a small compact luxury car produced with sedan and station wagon bodies. IS is marketed below GS and ES and is more focused on sportiness rather than luxury. The design of the car was widely praised, especially for the characteristic rear slide lights, which led to the later production of the very popular lights of this style being called simply the Altezza. The IS 200 was also sold in Europe, where it was designed to compete directly with the class leaders Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series, but was not as popular as the latter. The Altezza is very popular with enthusiasts who like to redo cars - the IS can be fitted with a Toyota Supra 2JZ-GTE engine. The IS was the smallest car in the Lexus range and although it did not have as much luxury as other Lexus, it could offer an extremely fun sporty ride.