RUNNINGS
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BY HARRY KIRSBAUM I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN
12 •
t could have been sweet.
Imagine my surprise when I got
to the dealership to test-drive the
2006 Lexus IS250 all-wheel-drive and
found a bright orange "SOLD:Jewish
News" sticker hanging from the rear-
view mirror.
What a great company car, I
thought.
A sleek-looking four-door sedan
with a 2.5 liter, DOHC, V6 engine,
204 horses and 185 lb-ft of torque
— it was peppy, yet not so overbear-
ing as to draw the attention of law
enforcement.
The IS250 had nice luxurious seats,
easy-to-read instrumentation and a
MAY 2006 • JNPLATINUM
dial-adjusted moonroof to let the sun
shine in as much as you want.
The base price is $34,285; "my"
car cost $35,164 and included a trunk
mat, cargo net and wheel locks.
A voice-activated DVD naviga-
tion system with back-up camera
and Bluetooth technology and a 14-
speaker, 300-watt sound system comes
optional, but the CD system and
iPod/MP3 port that comes standard is
more than suitable.
The personalized "key" is noth-
ing more than a little plastic rectangle
you can keep in your pocket. As you
approach the car, the door unlocks; you
push the start button and off you go.
With 22 miles per gallon in the
city and 28 on the highway, my new
company car had more than adequate
gas mileage.
So imagine my disappointment
when I returned to the office — to
thank my editor for the car that I was
sure was the result of the hard work
involved in writing a monthly car
column — and was met with a blank
stare, then heinous laughter.
The car was only on loan, but a guy
can still dream. LI
Thanks to Meade Lexus of Southfield for
the nice by on getting the Jewish News
to buy one the IS250.