Repair-It

Bob wrote:Yeah, I just saw the details on the cam. Even 115 trap would be more than satisfying. I wonder why the other cam was removed. Driveability issues?

Bob wrote:http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons ... 300-page-5

By a small margin, this Saab ranked highest in back-seat room. It has just a bit more space for three across. Still, if you habitually carry that many, we'd advise a bigger car. None of these cars can accommodate three adults in back for any distance. The Saab's five-door hatchback layout also topped the others' for cargo-hauling flexibility.

The IS300 is a small box of a car with its sheetmetal drawn tightly over fat Goodyear Eagle GS-D 215/45ZR-17 tires. The tall wheels, silvery taillights, and big-bore exhaust pipe add a West Coast swagger. Inside, the beltline is low, letting in lots of light and a great view. The door sills, pedals, and left-foot rest are finished in brushed metal -- racing style! -- punctuated with rubber buttons to keep your shoes from slipping off. The firm buckets have plenty of contour to keep you from sliding around, and the suede inserts finish off the job, gripping your backside like Velcro. Whereas the Volvo and the Benz feel plush inside, the Lexus is thinly padded, with its coverings tightly stretched over the essentials. The steering and the suspension pick up the theme. Everything about this car is pulled taut.

Responses are instantaneous. No slack. The steering cuts quickly; we rated it best of all. The brakes respond right now. Body roll is minimal, and the tires read the road, with a bit more noise and ride harshness than you'd expect of a Lexus.

There's also the five-speed automatic as the only choice for now. It's a slick execution, fully automatic, or you can select the manual mode, thereby activating two sets of upshift-and-downshift buttons on the steering wheel's horizontal spokes, one set for each hand. Still, it's an automatic, and that puts the lid on all hopes for a high finish in a C/D sports-sedan runoff.