2014 Lexus IS: Track Tested

With the redesigned 2014 IS sport sedan, Lexus is trying hard to appeal to buyers intent on getting a compact luxury car that's not only luxurious and well put-together, but also fun to drive. So focused is Lexus on this goal that it's holding regional media drive events at racetracks around the country for journalists to sample the IS' current variations on closed road courses.

We already reviewed the new 2014 IS earlier this year at its launch in Austin, Texas, but we're not going to pass up the opportunity to drive sport sedans around a track. So I trekked out to the media gathering Lexus held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., a track familiar to NASCAR Sprint Cup fans as the home of the Pure Michigan 400 and other races.

The course laid out for us took us onto an infield road course before dumping the cars onto the front stretch of the oval track and then back into the infield course at the end of pit lane. It was a relatively simple course, but it provided a good opportunity to see just how well Lexus has tuned the new IS as an enthusiast's option.

Lexus Prices 2014 IS

When the redesigned-for-2014 Lexus IS arrives at dealerships this summer, the luxury sedan will offer a number of newly standard features at a 2% discount from last year's price for IS 350 buyers, the automaker announced today. The rear-wheel-drive IS 250 will start at $36,845 and $39,380 for all-wheel drive; the IS 350 will start at $40,360 for rear-wheel drive and $42,595 for all-wheel drive (all prices include an $895 destination fee).

The IS 250 has a 2.5-liter V-6 good for 204 horsepower and 185 pounds-feet of torque, while the 350 has a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 306 horsepower. Both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the 250 come with a six-speed automatic transmission, as does the all-wheel-drive 350; the rear-wheel-drive model gets an eight-speed automatic.

Standard features include high-intensity discharge headlights, L-shaped LED running lights, drive mode select, paddle shifters, dual-zone climate control, a new touch-screen multimedia system with 4.2-inch color display, 10 airbags, and real-time traffic and weather information without a subscription. Lexus said the previously optional equipment totals $1,400.

Cars.com Reviews the 2014 Lexus IS

With the 2014 redesign of the IS, Lexus made its sports sedan more practical, fun to drive, luxurious inside and a lot hotter looking outside, says Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays. The third generation of the rear- or all-wheel-drive IS goes on sale this summer. Although it probably won't set the segment on fire, Mays says, it's still pretty appealing.

2014 Lexus IS Review

2014 Lexus IS Video

Lexus' rear-wheel-drive compact sedan is redesigned for 2014. The new Lexus IS has a more aggressive front end with an updated version of Lexus' spindle grille and expressive-looking headlights.

More 2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

With a larger backseat and high-quality materials throughout the cabin, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays says the interior is top-notch, but wonders how drivers will like the sedan's new touch-sensitive climate control panel. Check out the video below.

2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport: Photo Gallery

Lexus’ small sports sedan gets an entirely new look for the 2014 model year. Outside, the design now resembles other new Lexus sedans with an oversized spindle grille dominating the front bumper. Dagger-like LEDs accent the headlights, which are integrated into the bumper.

More 2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage 

Inside, the 2014 IS gets a layout similar to those of the newer GS and ES models. The cabin features touch-sliding controls for the climate control, a roomier backseat, new multimedia system and a batch of available active safety features. Check out the photos below.

2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport: Up Close

The Lexus IS' dominant design theme is its oversized spindle grille, which looks great in the F Sport trim on display at the 2013 North American International Auto Show. LED daggers below the headlights complement the pinched upper area of the grille, and the dagger theme is mimicked in the taillights.

More 2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The interior sees even bigger changes than the outside, with an all-new dashboard design that adopts the slightly industrial, stacked design of other recently redesigned Lexus models. The F Sport's black-and-red interior looks great, too.

2013 Honda Accord Sedan Joins NHTSA's Five-Star Club

The redesigned 2013 Honda Accord sedan is the latest vehicle to be awarded the top rating of five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The ninth generation of the popular family sedan earned top scores in three of four NHTSA crash tests, for an overall five-star rating. The Accord coupe has not yet been tested.

Test categories include: overall vehicle safety, frontal crashes, side crashes and rollover tests. The Accord earned a four in frontal-crash testing.

Three new or redesigned-for-2013 vehicles that didn’t make the cut include the Infiniti JX SUV, Nissan Pathfinder SUV, and the Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 sport sedans. They earned an overall rating of four stars.

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Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Honda Accord
2013 Honda Accord sedan: Car Seat Check
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Car Backseats to Avoid

Car shoppers without families often overlook the backseat. It can go empty weeks at a time, until friends jump in for that trip across town and find out Johnny's shiny new ride has a backseat best suited for groceries, overcoats and Hobbits. No one expects a two-door hatchback or sports car to offer much room in back, so we've picked cars that look like they should have decent room … but don't. If Johnny pulls up in one of these, call dibs for the front seat right away. You'll thank us later.

Mercedes, Lexus and Audi Fail Latest IIHS Crash Tests

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4 and two Lexus sedans — the IS 250/350 and the outgoing ES 350 — failed the latest round of IIHS frontal tests.

As we reported Monday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s new offset frontal-barrier test simulates a 40-mph collision with a rigid barrier that overlaps just 25% of the car. The test simulates a front-corner collision with a tree, a pole or another vehicle, a scenario that is responsible for almost 25% of front crashes that seriously injure or kill someone in front, IIHS says. The new test will augment the agency's existing frontal test, which crashes a car at 40 mph against a deformable barrier that overlaps 40% of the front.

"Outside of some automakers’ proving grounds, such a test isn’t currently conducted anywhere else in the United States or Europe," IIHS said in a statement, noting that despite an increasing number of cars that score well in frontal crash tests, some 10,000 highway deaths still come from frontal collisions each year.

Lexus' 'December to Remember' Sale Already Started

Lexus' iconic red-bow sales program, December to Remember, begins earlier this year, with financing and lease specials available now on various 2011 and 2012 models.

Everyone is used to seeing winter holiday decorations hit department stores earlier each year, but the fact that the sale is named after the month of December and will run through all of November is a bit humorous to us, but likely not to the company.

Inventory recoveries after Japan's earthquake disruptions have prompted the brand to move the program ahead of its usual Thanksgiving kickoff, Lexus chief Mark Templin told reporters yesterday. This year's December to Remember began Tuesday and ends Jan. 3.
 
Specials vary by region. We contacted Lexus dealers in greater New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. Here's what we learned: