Which luxury small sedan is better for your lifestyle? We thought we’d see how the Lexus IS matched up to the BMW 3 Series 330I sedan. Here’s a matchup of these rivals.
Powertrain Features
Engine
2.0-L turbo four
2.0-liter turbo four
Horsepower
241
255
Transmission
8-speed automatic
8-speed automatic
Drivetrain
RWD
RWD
Adaptive Cruise Control
Standard
Option
Warranty (months/miles)
72/72,000
48/50,000
Interior Amenities
Power chairs
Standard
Standard
Satellite Radio
Standard
Option
Electrochromic rearview mirror
Standard
Option
USB ports
2
1
Upholstery
NuLuxe
SensaTec
Safety and Driver Assistance
NHTSA Stars
5
5
Airbags
10
8
Lane Departure
Standard
Option
Steering assist
Standard
Option
Automatic high beam
Standard
Option
Forward collision warning
Standard
Standard
Pedestrian detection
Standard
Standard
Automatic emergency braking
Standard
Standard
JD Power Dependability Brand Rankings
While BMW is ranked 5th, Lexus has once again taken the top spot in the JD Power Dependability studies.
Final Analysis
Considering the fact that as much as $4,000 more is needed for the BMW 3 Series than the Lexus IS, we’d say that the Lexus IS was the winner in this contest, but we know your opinion is more important than ours. Please take a test drive and give us your point of view.
