Lexus Is Topic Hub

Road Test Review – 2024 Lexus IS 350 F Sport AWD – Light Updates Polish Up Familiar Recipe

It was no secret that the Lexus IS was in need of a major revamp. The aging exterior styling looked like it was drawn by a mad axe killer and the interior suffered from technology that was rapidly falling behind the times (including the most frustrating way to get around an infotainment system this side of iDrive.) Lexus listened to the feedback it got from IS owners and they also wanted to make the car more appealing to young buyers. The end result is the 2024 Lexus IS and the company thinks that this version of the IS has a …

Jan 15, 2024 Read more

Road Test Review – 2022 Lexus IS350 F-Sport – New Technology Hides Old Bones

The Lexus IS was the classic example of age before beauty. Lexus wanted to bring the fight to the Germans, but in the end, there was no hiding the fact that the IS was too old, clunky, and unpolished for it to pose any serious form of threat to the established benchmarks (even the Cadillac CT4 managed to outshine it). This time though, Lexus went back to the drawing board for the 2022 IS, and while some of the old bones carry over from the outgoing model, there’s still plenty to talk about here. New IS Styling Is Bolder …

Jan 10, 2023 Read more

Auto Industry Insider: 10 Questions to Answer Before Customising Your Ride

Customizing a car may seem like the ultimate way to turn your vehicle into something completely unique, but it can also be a complete headache. So many questions need to be answered before you start customizing your ride. This blog post will answer ten essential questions that all car owners should consider before starting their project. 1) What Exactly Do I Want to Change on My Car? Customizing a vehicle can be an extremely long process, so you need to know what you are getting yourself into. Think about the paint job first and choose your own colors carefully …

Jan 11, 2022 Read more

Lexus Ups The Firepower With 2022 IS 500, 472 HP V8 Brings Fight To Rivals

The current generation Lexus IS certainly has plenty going for it. A major revamp of its exterior styling helped the sedan bring some much-needed freshness into its flanks, while a set of interior tweaks improved its technology game. But perhaps the one thing that has been missing is a true range-topping engine. The naturally aspirated V6 was the default choice, but its age is getting harder to hide, and it couldn’t hold the mustard against a world where turbocharging is increasingly becoming the new normal. The Japanese luxury brand is out to change that and has unveiled the 2022 Lexus …

Feb 22, 2021 Read more

What changes are in store for the 2021 Lexus IS? We compare old vs new to find out

When Lexus took the veil off of the 2021 Lexus IS, it certainly appeared to be a noticeable improvement over the outgoing model which was really starting to show its age, and was falling behind rivals in a number of categories. But what can buyers expect in terms of changes, and is the new model indeed better than the outgoing IS? To find out, we spent some time behind the wheel of a 2020 model, and it certainly answered alot of our burning questions. Fresh Styling Rules The Day: One of the most obvious changes that buyers will notice …

Sep 17, 2020 Read more

2021 Lexus IS Teases New Taillight Design, Will Make Global Debut June 9th

When we last met the Lexus IS, we praised its commendable performance, and the impressive amounts of comfort that lurk beneath the surface. But it was also no secret that some of the finer elements of the car were starting to ungracefully show their age. With the current generation car being on the market for seven years, it was no secret that a replacement was indeed imminent. Lexus has finally revealed that one is coming, with the Japanese luxury brand releasing one lone teaser image ahead of its debut June 9th. While the teaser does not tell us very much, …

Jun 01, 2020 Read more

Marketplace Comparision – 2017 Lexus IS350 F-Sport – By Carl Malek

In an ever-evolving automotive world, the one segment that has always remained a hotly contested battleground (even in the current resurgence of SUV/CUV sales) is the entry level luxury sports sedan segment. It used to be a kingdom long ruled by the benchmark BMW 3-Series, but over the past few years outright anarchy has taken place, with more automakers making sport sedan entries that either match up to the venerable 3, or in a few instances, outclass it in a truly compelling challenge to the sales throne. Lexus has traditionally played second fiddle to the 3-Series with its contender, the …

Sep 17, 2017 Read more

2017 Lexus IS350 F Sport – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

There’s a little Jekyll and Hyde going on at Lexus. Does the brand want to be that same trusted conservative luxury purveyor the pampered have learned to love? Or does it want to throw off the kidskin gloves, and take on the Europeans in the performance pantheon? Does the Lexus IS350 F Sport Sprechen the Lingo? Well, you get the intent from the exterior design. Hard to believe it’s been with us since 2013, the IS really still looks fresh, and aggressive. For 2017, all IS models get kicked up a notch, with a redesigned front end with an even …

Jul 23, 2017 Read more

2017 Lexus IS350 F Sport RWD – Road Test Review + Performance Drive Video

The IS350 was a perfect way to hit the roads of CHicago and Wisconsin ahead of a track event the other week. Here is a fun, fast and tactile sport sedan for the ages! Fun because it loves revs and Gs. Fast as its F-Sport induction harmonics encourage floored throttle all the time. Tactile because its steering is alive in your hands. IS350 F-Sport steering feel has heft like a great sports car, but also a sharp and eagerness to change direction any time. Any place. This IS350 pivots like a boss. Just a big soppy lovefest for this car, …

Jun 23, 2017 Read more

2017 Lexus IS Preview – New Noses, Wilder F-Sport Upgrades and Quicker Sprint Pace

The new IS is half-way here! The revised model just bowed in Beijing with fresh bumpers, lighting, transmissions and infotainment. Why half-way? We have only seen a partial look so far at the new US-market IS based on this debut. The IS shown here in F Sport guise is wearing China-exclusive LEDs that are not the design we’ll see stateside. The other show vehicle in China shows the base IS face, with new arrowhead LEDs, a slice of LED inside the lamp itself, and projector-beam main lights. All good stuff — especially as these new lights have auto highbeams — …

Apr 27, 2016 Read more

HD Road Test Review – 2015 Lexus IS250 Nails Apex-Carver Fundamentals

The 2015 Lexus IS250 nails the sport-sedan fundamentals so hard, you forget all about mainstream mid-size cars after a block in the driver’s seat. That is a fact. A pure-cornering, rev-loving fact. Drive position in the Daytona GTB/4-style tan seats is instantly flawless, as are the major pedal anc control inputs. Crank up the SXM, rotate to sport mode…. and never look back. 4K Drive Video – 2015 Lexus IS250 Review INTRO The 2015 IS250 is such a fantastic sports sedan that we wanted to drive a 320i right afterward to confirm the RWD love for this Lexus was …

Aug 20, 2015 Read more

2015 Lexus IS250 F Sport CRAFTED LINE in 32 All-New, High-Res Photos

This might be the first-ever IS250 F Sport Crafted line in the world! Shown in the Lexus booth at Pebble Beach, the Crafted Line is fantastic on the IS. It brings the sporty F Sport grille in a rich gloss black versus the standard matte grey finishes available. The Crafted Line special-release IS250 F Sport will arrive in October-November to Lexus dealers nationwide, with two pieces of matching Tumi luggage already right in the trunk. 2015 Lexus IS250 F Sport CRAFTED LINE

Sep 02, 2014 Read more

2014 Lexus IS-F Review – Part Three – 170MPH 4-Door Supercar Is Future Classic: The Ideal Luxury Racecar

2014 IS-F REVIEW – PART THREE of THREE Simply put: the Lexus IS-F is one of the very best cars this author has ever driven. It is virtually flawless in its performance appeal — and addictive in its power delivery and handling eagerness. When cars like the E63 AMG and BMW M5 are in the competitive set, the IS-F feels every bit as special, and instantly more intoxicating. For drivers who want supercar power with velvet-glove luxury in a four-door, the IS-F will be your favorite car too. A future classic – one that beats its competition today and …

Aug 21, 2014 Read more

2014 Lexus IS-F Review – Part Two – 416HP 5.0L V8 Is Ferocious, Fast and Fun… Even on Rainy Day!

2014 IS-F REVIEW – PART TWO of THREE Falling hard and fast for a press loan car is an occupational hazard for car journalists – but that would never happen to me! Ha! Can you imagine? Being so thoroughly obsessed with a machine that I would turn over my personal 2005 Subaru Legacy GT wagon in a hearbeat!? Never going to happen to This Guy! But… then it did. Like falling in love with a stripper – the end is never easy on a humble John when his time is up. IS-F PRECONCEPTIONS — Never loved the IS-F’s …

Aug 08, 2014 Read more

2014 Lexus ISF Looking Sublime for Sunset Photo Shoot on the Bayou

Very eager to share my newest supercar crush! If the 1997 Lexus GS400’s ad tagline was ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes,’ then the IS-F’s should be: “Once bitten, forever smitten…” I have been taking photos and video almost all day since the IS-F arrived in the driveway! An instant bond with the Lexus IS-F has lured me out to the driveway thrice to run ‘errands’ over and over. Such is the instant bond with this intense flood of brute Lexus power that we even ventured out to do a risque sunset photo shoot. Nighttime photos are a serious challenge for …

Jul 29, 2014 Read more

Stop And Stare — 2015 Lexus RC F Mega Galleries + 20 High-Res, Real-Life Photos

Have you ever loved something, or someone, so much that you could not stop staring? Everyone in the room will see quite clearly your fixation: but you are often the last to notice. Your eyes have not left this face for minutes at a time. Such is the Lexus RC. Enjoy these galleries, with no time limits for forced ‘look-aways’ required. Take as much time as you need. My one question? Why so coquetteish, RCF? No direct images of the RCF’s pretty face are in this bunch, regretfully.

Mar 01, 2014 Read more

Best of SEMA 2013 — Lexus IS350 F Sport Widebody by DeviantART Is Sexy Engineering Co**Tease

Oh widebody cars, why do you rule my heart and head(s)? Widebodies are amazingly-attractive for a number of reasons: — they allow a massive change in vehicle proportions — there are almost no limits to how wide is too-wide — their grip principles are grounded in racing conversions, adding authenticity to street cars But oh widebodies — why are most of you so utterly un-functional as to actually impair performance? Poorly-created and designed widebody conversions add hundreds of pounds exactly where a race driver would never put it: on the outermost corners of the vehicle. Widebody styling — when done …

Mar 01, 2014 Read more