So we got a 2014 Lexus IS 350

We drove the absolutely brand-spanking-new 2014 Lexus IS 350 F-Sport at the launch event in Dubai just two weeks ago. It was a great car, but we couldn’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed by it. Now we got the non-Sport version of the car for a few days, and we were keen to see if it’d be just as underwhelming. Ironically, we had more fun with it!

First off, the styling still looks great without the overly-subtle F-Sport kit, maybe even more so. It kept turning heads all over the place, although that may be because it’s so brand-spanking-new.

The interior feels nicely cushy, as long as you don’t touch the hard-plastic bits. Being a fully-loaded model, this one had all the toys.

While cabin space is fairly decent, the boot is surprisingly large, and even has fold-down rear seats, something that even the GS doesn’t get.

We did not like the IS 350 F-Sport mostly because of its intrusive stability-control system. This time, we turned it off. And it totally transforms the car into a four-door Toyota 86. More in the upcoming full review.

“Green” photos by Faisal Khatib. “Yellow” photos by Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury.