Lexus IS 300.(Brief Article)

A year and nearly 20,000 miles in the suede-lined saddle of the Lexus IS 300 proved that this high-end sport sedan is hardly Japan's answer to BMW's 3 Series.

On the performance side, our testers agree the IS 300 carries no Germanic genetics, nor does it need to. It stands alone as an appealing alternative to those who value its boy-racer feel, powered by a premium-fueled 215-hp, 3.0-liter inline dohc six. We could have done without the steering wheel-mounted shift buttons-better yet, we'd have been more than happy to do without the five-speed automatic altogether in favor of a five-speed manual.

``With a stick, this car would be just about all right,'' said one staffer.

``The IS 300 is a good car that is inches away from greatness,'' said another.

As much as our testers liked the IS 300's handling and performance, they shrugged at an interior that-with the exception of the thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel-lacked the requisite Lexus-level refinement to go along with its sporting aspirations. Staffers generally gave kudos to the chronometer-look instrumentation, but we disliked the amount of plastic, the quick-to-dirty black carpeting and tired-looking suede.

``The quality of materials doesn't look up to Lexus standards,'' said one editor. ``It's as though the car was developed without the U.S. in mind and somebody at Toyota got the idea to ship it here ...