Lexus IS 250 C Convertible

Lexus IS 250 C Convertible
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Full 2010 Lexus IS 250 C Review

What's New for 2010

The 2010 Lexus IS 250C is an all-new retractable-hardtop convertible version of the IS sedan that features the smaller of two available engines.

Introduction

Lexus has never offered an entry-level convertible, but that finally changes this year with the all-new 2010 IS 250C. As you can likely guess, it's based on the IS sedan, and is therefore much cheaper and has a (marginally) more useful backseat than the brand's now-discontinued SC 430. But in the transformation from solid-roof four-door to retractable-roof two-door, Lexus gave the IS C some rather ungainly long hindquarters to swallow the roof's three pieces of steel.

Get beyond its ungraceful rump, and the 2010 Lexus IS 250C offers the expected levels of luxury, refinement and quality you expect from a Lexus. The interior boasts flawless materials and construction, while a long list of standard and optional features provides the goodies one expects from a vehicle in this price range. Like the regular IS 250 sedan, the 204-horsepower 250C has the smaller of two V6 engines available, with the IS 350C offering the larger mill. This 2.5-liter V6 is certainly the way to go if fuel economy and cost of entry is important, but the acceleration it provides is slower than virtually everything in its class (including the VW Eos 2.0T).

As with any hardtop convertible, the roof is the (figuratively) big story here. With a touch of a button located to the left of the steering wheel, the three-panel roof gracefully folds and tucks itself down into the trunk in an impressively quick 20 seconds. With the roof raised, the cabin is hushed like any other coupe while also providing more safety and security than a cloth roof. Of course, these attributes go for all retractable hardtops, as does the reduced trunk space when the roof is lowered. The backseat is also similarly cramped, with notable reductions in leg-, shoulder and hiproom.