2023 Lexus IS

Pros

• Even on bumpy roads, the ride is comfortable and smooth.
• That can be done quickly and safely
• With sufficient seats
• German competitors offer the same number of features for the same price.

Cons

• The seat in the back needs to be more significant for the group.
• The speed could be better for a high-end car with six cylinders.
• Storage and freight space that is too small

How do you move the IS 350? The Lexus IS 350 F Sport sports sedan is fun and quick, but its engine could be better. In tests done by InvoicePricing, it took our rear-wheel-drive test vehicle 6.2 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. That is much slower than even the most basic four-cylinder cars in the class. The V6 with natural aspiration is smooth and builds power evenly from idle to redline, which is a plus. The gear ratios change often, but this is done quickly and smoothly.

The IS’s steering, brakes, and overall handling are more impressive than the engine. This luxury sedan is lively and quick because it has precise steering and a suspension that is stiff enough to keep the car in place but not so stiff that bumps in the middle of a corner make it jump. If you want your IS 350 to be as sporty as possible, you need to get the optional adaptive suspension and a limited-slip differential. Our test car had both of these features.

What kind of comfort does the IS 350 offer? The adaptive suspension, an option for the IS 350, is well-tuned. Even though you can feel the road, it won’t hurt you. They are much more comfortable. The basic design is so good that there is little room for improvement, yet you grow used to it quickly. The heated and cooled seats and climate control keep you comfortable, but the temperature slider is harder to use than needed. It’s also quiet, though the F Sport’s optional summer tires make more noise than we’d expect from a Lexus.

How does the inside look? For the 2021 model year, some changes were made to the inside, most notably to the infotainment system. The iconic touchpad is still there, but the touchscreen takes its place. Even though the user interface is mostly the same, it is much easier to use the on-screen menus. Lexus kept the original touch controls for the temperature and entertainment systems, which is good.

The interior that was kept has some problems. Even though the driver’s seat is excellent, the back seat is one of the shortest in the class. However, it has a nice view, and the controls are easy to reach. Adults must squeeze in and out, and people taller than 6 feet will feel crowded.

How good is the tech? The touchscreen interface of the infotainment system makes it easy to control things like music, navigation, and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On the IS, you can also use voice commands, but those on competing systems are better.

The IS has several systems that help the driver, like automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance. There is also a lot of blind-spot detection. Even though they have a lot of features, they don’t work as well as the best in their class. For example, adaptive cruise control moves slowly and leaves gaps between you and the car in front of you.

What about putting things away? Even though the IS 350’s trunk is only 10.8 cubic feet, near the bottom of the class, the space is broad and tall, making it more valuable than the trunks of other sedans with better specs on paper. If you don’t need the back seats, you can split the rear seats in half (60/40) to make even more space. There needs to be more room to store things in the cabin. The only convenient place to put your phone or sunglasses is behind the armrest.

The car seats in the back seat are very uncomfortable. When a heart is anchored, there isn’t much room to move around, and bigger seats that face the back will almost certainly force people in the front to slide forward.

How well does it use gasoline? We drove a Lexus IS 350 F Sport with rear-wheel drive, which the EPA says gets 23 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving. Most competitors with six-cylinder engines need help to keep up with that. The IS 350 with all-wheel drive gets 22 mpg when used.

Is it a good deal to buy an IS 350? The Lexus IS 350 has a reasonable price and a lot of features. Most of the car is well made, but a few buttons and controls feel like they could break. Even though it is slower than most of its competitors, the IS 350, with its V6 engine, is much cheaper than similar small luxury cars with six cylinders.

The warranty and the experience of owning a Lexus are above average. Lexus’s basic warranty lasts for four years and 50,000 miles. The powertrain warranty lasts for six years and 70,000 miles, which is slightly better. The IS 350 has four years of free emergency roadside assistance. The first year of upkeep is included as well.

The IS 350 F Sport stands out because it looks and feels Japanese. Even though people still have different opinions about the grille, it works well with the other changes to the front and back of the car. The F Sport looks suitable for the IS 350 without being too flashy or loud. The inside has a unique pattern you won’t find on any German product.

The way it looks is backed up by the fact that driving is generally enjoyable. Even though the IS 350 is slower than most competitors, driving on curvy roads where speed is less critical is a lot of fun.