The Hatchback’s Comeback
When Lexus introduced the sizzling four-door IS 300 last year, comparisons to BMW’s 3-Series sedans were inevitable. And though the consensus was that the Lexus wasn’t quite in that class yet, most reviewers were impressed with the smooth 215-horsepower inline-6 engine and the road-hugging suspension.
The new hatchback version, the IS 300 SportCross, will do little to diminish those favorable notices when it goes on sale later this month.
Indeed, the 125 pounds added by the expanded rear-roof area and tailgate help glue the car to the road just a bit better, although the changes lop a bit off the sedan’s acceleration times.
The SportCross also evokes another BMW: the hatchback coupe version of the Z3 roadster. Lexus, though, may have a car in the SportCross that will last a bit longer than the square-butted Beemer, reportedly being dropped next year after disappointing sales.
The IS 300 hatchback doesn’t suffer from comparison to a convertible the way the Z3 coupe did. In fact, it takes the sedan to new heights.
One bad thing: Lexus doesn’t offer the SportCross with the new five-speed manual the IS 300 sedan is getting as an option. Buyers will have to continue coping with the gated five-speed automatic.
Unless you carry an accelerometer and break out in a cold sweat if you can’t get off the line faster than everyone else at the red light, you’ll not notice much difference in straight-line driving. And no matter what your driving style, you’ll be delighted by its performance on mountain roads and other curvy tracks.
You will notice the difference, though, if you have to carry more than a week’s worth of groceries or a long weekend’s worth of luggage. The SportCross’ back end swallows a lot of stuff. And underneath the carpeted three-piece rear floor is more storage, in a trio of bins for tools, valuables and other stuff you don’t want passersby to get a peek at.
The hatchback also looks better--more character lines, that distinctive hatchback rear and a tougher stance--and provides rear-seat passengers with more headroom than the sedan. (Sedan review, Highway 1, Nov. 1, 2000.)
Gas mileage, as estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency, is the same as for the automatic sedan, 18 miles per gallon city and 28 mpg highway.
Pricing starts at $32,850 with delivery charges and runs up to $38,635 fully loaded.
Standard equipment includes dual front and side air bags and side-curtain air bags for additional head protection; tilt steering; cruise control; filtered automatic climate control; four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist (which helps in panic-stop situations); traction control; power windows and door locks; remote entry; a power outlet in the cargo area; a fold-down table on the back of the front passenger seat; 60/40-split rear seats; a tonneau cover for the cargo area; a premium nine-speaker stereo system with six-CD changer; and 17-inch alloy wheels and speed-rated tires, 215/45R17 up front and 225/45R17 in the rear.
That’s just about everything you would need, although a couple of goodies that ought to be standard are on the options list: limited-slip differential and skid control.
Other options include leather seating with eight-way power driver’s seat for $2,145 (or leather and pseudo-suede seats for $300 less), a navigation system for $2,000 and lesser items such as a power moon roof, heated front seats and wood-grain window switch-plate trim.
