Lexus IS 220d champagne

Originally uploaded by dagfinn77

Today I am trading in my Lexus IS 220d which I’ve had for three years. I’ve enjoyed this car to a high extent and part of this is to do with its smart use of technology.

So what are the Smart Tech on Lexus? Here is my top ten list:

1. Smart Entry and Start system (aka Keyless Go)
   No more need to find the keys in order open the door and start the car. Amazingly practical and I’m looking into the options of having the same kind of tech in my house
2. Tilting side-mirrors when reversing
   When reversing, the side-mirrors tilt slightly in order for you to see  any obstacles more easily
3. Touch screen navigation
   The touchscreen navigation of the Lexus is superb. For example when you want to enter an addresse, it filters out the possibilities in your current country as you type and when there are only a few locations left it displays a user friendly list. Only complaint I have that it locks down when the car is moving for safety reasons eventhough you might have a passenger who use it safely
4. Rear-view camera
   I was laughing about this feature when I bought the car used, but actually it is very practical. Allows you to see if any kids toys or other obstacles are in the way
   (and you could probably make a cool rap video from the camera)
5. Welcome home lights
   As part of the Smart Entry system it displays a small light under the side mirrors when you approach the car. Just a way of saying welcome home
6. Electronic sun-shade
   There is an electronic sun-shade in the rear window that can be opened and closed by the click of a button
7. Seating preferences store
   For each front seat there are three preferences that can be stored for the electronic seats. An improvement to the system would be to automatically connect the right preferences with a smart key
8. Surround sound system
   The Mark Levinson 14 speaker and 300 watt sound system is amazing and is very tailor made to the car experience. They even made it so the internal mirror moves in beat with the bass-line if you play high enough :) I actually prefer to listen to some types of music  in my car, eventhough I have decent enough stereo systems at home
9. VDIM stability system
   Sometimes I’ve been driving the car on ice, and even though it is a rear-wheel drive car it is amazingly stable in tough conditions. The Vechile Dynamics Integrated Management system brings together all the related stability technologies. You need to experience first hand how it corrects a small slide through individual wheel braking
10. Adaptive front-light system
    The adaptive front-light system has a swivelling projector which moves as you turn into a corner. An improvement would be to include the welcome home lights in the mirrors when going at slow speed (as some of VW models does)
11. Bluetooth phone integration
    Nothing unique  about Bluetooth phone integration, but it is very practical. I’m using this in conjunction with my Bluetooth on Motion Android app, which automatically turns on Bluetooth on my smartphone when it detects movement of a certain speed over time

That’s the end of my top 10 11 list. Going to miss the car.