The sole Lexus convertible in the 2014 model year boasts solid Chicago beginnings. Back in February 2009 during the annual Chicago Auto Show, Toyota's luxury division debuted the two-door IS convertible prior to going on sale later that June as a 2010 model year product.
Largely a carryover from the 2013 model year, 2014 IS convertible updates include slight modifications to the F SPORT ($2,550) option package. A recommended consideration, the package now includes heated and ventilated front seats, front lip spoiler, larger 18-inch wheels with all-season tires, leather trimmed seats, silver metallic interior trim and F SPORT badging.
While IS convertible generates a performance spin and V-6 power, it's not a track-intended, 500-horsepower, V-8 aiming at the Chevrolet Corvette, but a decent street performer with open-top exhilaration. Mother Nature cooperated as crisp fall weather greeted the well-executed IS C's arrival during five days of testing in Chicagoland.
Unsuspecting rattles and noisy interiors fraught convertibles in past decades, but the Lexus IS drop top continues the Lexus tradition of library-quiet interiors with nary a wayward or lose bolt. The convertible hard top employees quieting seals.
The IS 250 and IS 350 two-door convertibles are off-shoots of the IS 250 and IS 350 four-door performance sedans; debuting in the 2001 model year, with a second generation birth in 2010.The IS convertible remains the sole top-down selection from Lexus after the retirement of the two-door, V-8-powered SC 430 retractable hard-top in 2010.
While the IS sedan introduced a third-generation makeover in the 2014 model year, the 2014 IS two-door convertible retains second-generation underpinnings and architecture. Same holds true for the upcoming 2015 model year IS convertible which includes audio system upgrades.
Sporting two less side doors than the IS sedan, the IS convertible promotes rear-wheel drive exclusively. The sedan counterpart offers rear or all-wheel drive.
The IS two-door convertible returns two powertrains in 2014, basically identical to what's available in the four-door 2014 IS sedan. The IS C 250 includes a 2.5-liter V-6 cranking out 204 horses while the IS C 350's 3.5-liter V-6 offers 306 ponies. Both team with a six-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters.
As predicted in press materials, the smartly designed tri-section hard-top took approximately 20 seconds to power into its trunk-bound storage port according to the unofficial cell-phone stopwatch (add two or three seconds if including time needed for side window to motor down). No manual latches need twisting or unhinging as the entire process operates under pure power.
A gentle push of a dashboard toggle switch left of the steering column separates the top from the windshield frame sending the tri-sectioned roof backward into a waiting hammock-like cocoon. The trunk lid opens clam-shell like, swallowing the reinforced glass rear-window portion first followed by remaining remnants of the partitioned roof prior to closing tight, finishing with a smooth, coupe-like design when complete.
The long rear lid remains sizably larger than what's on deck with the conventional, four-door IS sedan. The crafty bi-hinged deck lid, ably swallows the hard-top roof at one end while opening as a conventional trunk lid at the port end. High side belt lines contrast with narrow side windows. Dual exhausts come standard. Side-view mirrors smartly incorporate secondary blinker bands.
Entering the two-seat back row is best accomplished from the passenger side, with a motoring, lower-portion power bucket seat controlled by large arrow icons atop the seatback's outboard side. When entering from the driver's side, the seat bottom powers forward via buttons way down on the cushion's side requiring a steep, bending motions.
That same bending motion is required when maneuvering into the back, especially with the hard top on top. While many four-seat convertibles masquerade for all intents and purposes as dual carriers, back confines remain tolerable in the IS convertible, which is as good as it usually gets in this mid-size segment.
Those intrigued by IS sedan performance wishing for a conventional coupe need not wait long , as the all-new 2015 RC debuts later in the fall of 2014, combining the performance of the IS sedan with the luxury of Lexus GS sedan in a coupe body style. Expect a convertible version of the all-new RC coupe sometime after the 2015 model year, an eventual replacement for the IS flip top.
Our 2014 Lexus flip top tester, an IS C 250 started at $42,710. Factoring the aforementioned F SPORT package ($2,550), high-intensity headlamps ($875), In-dash navigation with upgraded sound system ($3,520), cargo net ($64), trunk mat ($105) and $910 destination fee, the bottom line ballooned to $50,734. A
2014 Lexus IS C 350 starts at $53,610.
Lexus markets the F SPORT option package in a majority of its 2014 products, including the IS sedan where the take rate averages 50 percent during the past few years thanks to a firmer, yet palatable suspension.
Push-button start comes standard. The interior design thankfully incorporates intuitively-placed controls. Smallish circular buttons monitor dual-zone climate controls with red (hot) and blue (cold) push buttons on each side of the lower dash monitoring temperature, flanking a single button for blower direction and buttons for auto and off fan selections. Fan speed and direction visuals run through the multi-purpose center screen after pushing a large 'climate' button to the screen's side.
Trunk and fuel release buttons are left of the steering column below controls of the power roof. The long, narrow arm rest flips open revealing another single cup holder along with iPod and auxiliary ports.
Many newly-introduced Lexus models, including the all-new 2015 RC two-door sport coupe, include an iPod-like touch pad or circular dial between front buckets for interacting with the multi-purpose center screen. Since the IS convertible is based on the IS sedan's second-generation, no center touch/twist option exists. Accomplishing navigation and audio commands require a touch of the multi-function center screen or scrolls with secondary, front-side-mounted controls via the three-spoke steering wheel.
Lexus' IS flip can't slip away from visual hazards found in most soft or hard-top convertibles. While top-down circumstances allow for clear vision in all directions, with the roof affixed, blind spots remain noticeable on both sides. This convertible, as with most others, would benefit from side-view-mirror mounted cameras with real-time, live action feeds into the center multi-function screen.
Trunk volume changes depending upon the power hard top's position. With the top prone, trunk volume measures a useable 10.8. With the power top tucked behind second-row seats, cargo room shrinks rapidly to 2.4 cubic feet, enough for a couple of Jewel grocery bags.
The 2014 IS convertible grille remains a bit old-school by Lexus standards. Many recent Lexus introductions and next-generation efforts (including the 2014 IS 250 and 350 sedans) feature the new face of Lexus; a spindle grille resembling a truncated sand-filled hour glass. The 2014 IS C grille return's the second-generation IS four-sided grille flanked by headlight housing including LED daytime running lights.
Premium 91 octane (or higher) fuel is required to fill the 17.1 gallon tank.
At a Glance
2014 IS Convertible
Price as tested: $50,734
Engine: 2.5-liter V-6
Horsepower: 204
Wheelbase: 107.5 inches
Overall Length: 182.5 inches
Overall Width: 70.9 inches
Fuel Economy: 21 m.p.g. city, 30 m.p.g. highway
Curb weight: 3,806 pounds
Powertrain warranty: 70,000 miles/72 months
Assembly: Tahara Plant, Japan