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Friday, November 23, 2001

By Don Hammonds, Post-Gazette Auto Reviewer

I just had my heart broken -- and I can't say I wasn't warned. The suitor in question was with me for all of a week. And left me.

		The Bottom Line 2002 Lexus IS300 SportCross Base price: $32,850 Fuel economy: 18 city, 25 highway

It was love at first drive, second drive and every single drive after that.

And like all torrid love affairs, I went through some kind of withdrawal when my four-wheeled beauty left me.

All I can say about my paramour of the week, a 2002 Lexus IS300 SportCross, isuhm ... uhm uhm. What a car!

The styling is terrific. Lexus says it's not intended to be a true station wagon, and it's not. It's a cross between a sports sedan and a station wagon. I prefer to think of it as a "shooting brake," the old English term for a sporty wagon that is designed to cater to hunting parties, chasing hounds and similar activities.

As with all affairs, there were a few bumps. With a tiny compartment between the two front seats, there's next to no storage room up front. And it has two of the world's smallest door bins. In other words, leave your papers, odds and ends and maps at home. And, frankly, you won't need a map because it's got a terrific navigation system that can provide on-screen directions in French, if need be.

It's also really tough to see out the back of the SportCross. The back headrests, the slope of the roof, the shape of the side windows and the angle of the back seat all combine to make changing lanes a dicey proposition.

I also was a little crestfallen by the quality of the panels in the loading area. They were carpeted, but loosely installed.

Entry into the back seat of the car wasn't easy, either, because the door opening is relatively small and the roof line slopes a bit. Once seated, though, you'll find leg room to be adequate, not generous.

But driving this car, the furthest things from my mind were the floor panels. Or the visibility rearward. Or back seat leg room. Or the tiny bins for storage.

The first thing you should know is that this car is very fast. It changes gears in the blink of an eye, picks up speed effortlessly and seems to have tons of torque to push it along.

Even with an automatic, you barely touch the drilled metal pedals and, baby, it's off to the races. With its 215-horsepower, 3.0-liter sixes, we'll be hitting 60 in about 7.4 seconds, thank you very much.

The sound of the car on acceleration is incredible, as you are treated to melodic changes of notes from the exhaust, engine and transmission as one gear leads effortlessly into another.

It sounds just like a terrific six-speed manual, and that -- plus the fact that the shift pattern is so easy to use and can be operated manually -- makes me wonder why you'd want to bother with a stick shift on this one anyway.

The steering is precise to a fault. Barely a flick is required to send the car in the direction you want it to go. Which reminds me -- the Lexus IS300, either in sedan or SportCross form, is not for people who are into automatic pilot as they drive.

It's edgy enough that it demands that you sit up and pay attention, and it feels as though it's champing at the bit to get going every second -- making it a blast to drive for enthusiasts such as me.

You toss this car into corners or around curves, and it practically laughs and says, "Is that the best you can do? I can do better!" It also stops on a dime.

One of the niftiest features of the SportCross is the instrument panel, one of the coolest you'll see anywhere, with gauges and fittings that remind you of fine chronometers and camera fittings. It all shines a brilliant shade of orange at night.

Yes, it was a short, sweet affair. All I can say is same time, same place ... next year.