2001 Lexus IS300 in San Diego

Warren, Pennsylvania - The BMW 3-series has long epitomized the sport sedan, but that's a situation that rival carmakers are increasingly unwilling to live with. Most recently, Lexus has taken a blatant run at the genre with the very convincing IS300, and Mercedes-Benz has made the 3-series' traditional rival, the C-class, much sportier with its latest redesign. Meanwhile, as if to demonstrate how the auto industry often behaves like a dog chasing its own tail, the current-generation BMW 3-series edges away from the sport sedan ideal, as BMW has made it larger, heavier, more refined, and, in essence, more like a 5-series. These disruptions to the sport sedan order meant it was time for us to gather a 330i, a C320 Sport, and an IS300. We set out from Michigan for the back roads of Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest.

Even on the somnolent Ohio Turnpike, it quickly became apparent that these sedans stand at a convergence point of driving enjoyment and value. You can spend lots more for a car, but it won't provide much more driving enjoyment. Of course, they don't provide value in precisely equal measure. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese have a better grasp of the concept than do the Germans. To wit, the IS300 starts at a low, low $30,805, a price that, in addition to the expected power windows and locks, auto-temp A/C, ABS, and traction control, includes such niceties as a six-disc in-dash CD player, xenon headlamps, and seventeen-inch alloy wheels. With dual power seats, leather-and-faux-suede upholstery, seat heaters, a sunroof, and other minor bits, our test car came in at a still-reasonable $34,635.... Read full article