2011 Lexus IS 350 - CNET
For its 2005 launch, Lexus maintained high aspirations for the IS 350, positioning it as a BMW 3-series killer. And with the 2011 Lexus IS 350 update, we're not seeing another attempt at the crown. Lexus settled for maintaining its ground, fitting the new IS 350 with updated cabin tech, including its new telematics service, and adding the now de rigueur LED parking light strips to the headlight casings. , Lexus added the option of all-wheel drive. A high point of the IS 350 remains its engine, a 3. 5-liter V-6 using an innovative fuel delivery system combining direct injection and port injection. Lexus developed this system to get the efficiency advantages of direct injection, and at slower speeds preserve the luxury character of the vehicle with the lesser noise of port injectors. The result is an engine that outputs 306 horsepower at 6,400rpm, and 277 pound-feet of torque at 4,800rpm, power figures similar to what competitors get with a 3. 7-liter V-6. With its new all-wheel-drive system, the IS 350 earns EPA fuel economy... It's reasonably quiet when idling, but Lexus probably could have used sound-deadening materials rather than the extra port injection system to achieve this result. Source: www.cnet.com
