Curiously though there were no door pockets in the back doors although there were two cupholders in the folding armrest and map pockets in the seatbacks. There are also air vents in the back of the console. While there is a third seatbelt in the back, that middle seat looks far less comfortable than the more sculpted seating positions to either side.
Trunk space though was more abundant than the figure (10.8 cubic feet) would indicate and the rear seatbacks fold 60/40 if more space is needed. At one point I had in the trunk a large plastic storage tote, several big department store shopping bags, a milk crate with dirty boots, a backpack and a winter jacket, all were just placed in there without any thought to how it would fit, it just did and was perfectly acceptable. Basically it’s fine for multiple carry-on bags and likely also for larger suitcases and assorted other stuff for two.
As you’d expect, touching the engine starter button instantly brings it to life, where when cold it idles at a fairly fast speed for longer than you’d think. Sort of old school and a bit charming actually. While the IS series is available with a 241hp turbocharged inline-4 (IS 300 RWD) as well as a 260hp 3.5-liter V6 (IS 350 AWD), the F Sport model in both RWD or AWD form is blessed with a 311hp version of the 3.5-liter V6.
Now, I love me some Toyota/Lexus 3.5-Liter V6 and few would argue that 311hp is a poor showing for that size of engine; however… Yes, there’s a however. Most of the competition at this level is turbocharged or supercharged. While I can appreciate the perhaps increased perception of reliability and longevity of a well engineered naturally aspirated powerplant and it was an almost brand new car with less than a thousand miles on it, it mostly just didn’t feel like what I expect 311hp in a sport-luxury package should feel like. And yes, of course I’ve driven as well as owned numerous cars with significantly more power.
The engine is smooth yet turns a bit gruff at higher engine speeds. It pulls very well but not ferociously, especially at lower engine speeds. The power peaks at 6,600 rpm and the 280lb-ft of torque peak at 4,800rpm, of course I am usually at a minimum of 5,000 feet of elevation which does affect things somewhat as well. While I certainly gave it the beans when appropriate and as mentioned chose to keep it in the most aggressive drive setting available, this engine and the car feels much happier as a powerful but not exorbitantly so cruiser. Perhaps we are getting spoiled by the cheap abundance of power available these days.
It was excellent on the freeway, great around town, and while it was fine on the mountain roads in the vicinity, it also felt a little stiff when cornering. Not stiff as in suspension stiffness, that aspect was alright (great actually as well as the ride itself), just not overly fluid and willing to well, dance. It responded fine, but not in a particularly encouraging manner, though when pushed harder it didn’t give up either, cornering mostly flat.
It was far more enjoyable to just dial it back half a notch and enjoy the scenery as much as the road immediately in front, that scenery still being able to pass by at a very rapid clip. Torque is split 70% to the rear and 30% to the front as a default and can move around from there, but the rear-bias is generally maintained, of course the car is based on a rear wheel drive platform.
The transmission here is a 6-speed with paddle shifters if one should choose to row their own. An 8-speed might increase the perception of power/speed a bit but would make the manual shifting more difficult, the 6-speed was actually quite enjoyable to use manually with the paddles, assuming one was doing their most to work the car in the first place.
In normal use, no, leaving it in Drive was fine, it’s a quick shifting box with decently spaced ratios, especially when in Sport S+, as the car would hold a gear when diving into a corner and downshift when braking, always ready to give it a further go if the driver was inclined to hammer the loud-pedal again.
Wheels and tires have come a long way over the years, and the staggered 19″ BBS wheels here were equipped with 235/40-19 Bridgestone Turanza EL450 tires in the front and 265/30-19s in the rear. Interestingly the rears carried a treadwear rating of 400 while the fronts had a drastically lower rating of 260. Of course these ratings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but I found such a large disparity from front to rear in the same tire line interesting as that should in fact translate to a notable difference between them.
Quiet on the road and quick to respond to steering inputs, this seems a good all-season performance tire, although when cornering moderately aggressively and hitting a patch of slush mid-bend, it would let the car slide off-line a bit. However that’s hardly the tire’s fault, and if traveling more sedately it handled such situations just fine, and did a very good job of holding on in mixed wet/dry conditions. Winter tires could have been appropriate for part of my time with the car, this time of year is a mixed bag as to what’s better to have mounted.
The official fuel economy ratings are 19 City, 26 Highway, and 22 Average. I drove the car a total of 335 miles and for the first 160 miles the reading was pretty much resolutely stuck at right around 20.5mpg. That was composed of around town driving, spirited mountain road driving, and a fair amount of idling and repositioning while taking photos.
Then towards the end I was able to string together a longer day composed of 170 miles of mostly rural highway and freeway driving with several stops. That day caused the overall average to increase to 21.1mpg but that’s all she wrote. Slightly below the rated average, then. Adding to the pain, premium unleaded is required according to the label on the fuel filler lid.
The weather by the way absolutely did not want to cooperate with me this week, often being dry when the sun wasn’t out and generally wet when the sun was out due to the melting snow and so forth. At least it allowed consideration of the car in multiple types of road conditions.
The 2021 Lexus IS 350 AWD F Sport starts at $44,900 plus a $1,025 “Delivery, Processing, and Handling” fee. Forgoing the AWD would save $2,000. The least expensive IS 300 RWD is $39,050 so the larger engine and F Sport package don’t really add very much.
Standard equipment includes the vast majority of safety stuff including, finally, the Blind Spot Monitoring System which should have been standard long ago, an 8″ touchscreen and 10-speaker Lexus sound system, Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto (again, finally!), Auto-headlights, Rain-sensing wipers, Floor Mats, First Aid Kit, and the F-Sport Features which are comprised of 10-Way Driver and 8-Way Passenger F Sport Bolstered Front Heated and Ventilated Seats, F Sport Suspension Tuning, 19-inch Staggered Width Alloys with Dark Metallic Finish, F Sport Exterior Styling, Rear Spoiler, and the F Sport Movable Meter (which is the main gauge that physically moves to the side to offer a larger, different display on command) as well as various other features, all described in further great detail on the manufacturer’s website.
However, in a Lexus the options can add up. In this case the first $1,400 in options were devoted to Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking, Rear Pedestrian Detection, and Panoramic View Monitor (I’d choose that). Then $3,800 more goes to the F Sport Dynamic Handling Package which includes the 19″ staggered BBS (as opposed to Lexus) wheels, Drive Mode Select with Sport S+ and Custom Modes, Adaptive Variable Suspension, Ash Heated Wood Trimmed Steering Wheel and Interior Trim and SmartAccess Card Key and the Carbon Fiber Spoiler. That one’s a little tougher, I’d want to try one without that and see if there’s much of a difference.
Triple Beam LED headlights are well worth the $1,250 being asked, and the Navigation/Mark Levinson Audio Package that includes the 10.3 inch touchscreen, Multimedia Display, Lexus Enform Dynamic Navigation, Dynamic Voice Command, Destination Assist and 17-speaker, 1,800 Watt Premium Surround Sound Audio System at $2,750 would be a tougher nut, but are available as separate options.
The Paint is considered Premium for another $425 even though I could not find the color listed on the sticker as available on the website, and the Power Sunroof is $1,100 for something that for once didn’t cause me discomfort but I’d save the money since I didn’t open it. Oh, there are also Door Edge Guards for $140 on this one to round things out to a grand total of $56,790 of Mr. Washington’s dollars.
I enjoyed the car quite a bit and it (or an IS in general) would appeal to me on some level were I in the market, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as Lexus perhaps hoped for me to enjoy it. It’s a decently strong engine in a good looking (to me) body with a well-crafted interior with a premium badge. It has a few issues that I could overlook, none were deal breakers besides perhaps (maybe) the big one, that being the performance it subtly screams about but doesn’t really seem to fully deliver.
It’s not slow by any means, but it doesn’t push you to push it, at least not in multiple ways at once. It handles and turns great at normal to somewhat but not extremely elevated speeds without any effort, it’s also a great highway cruiser at very high speeds but mainly point to point. Something is missing to resolutely connect the two though.
Lexus themselves are acknowledging they can do better (or saving the best for later) and are thus releasing a version of the IS F Sport with a 5.0 liter V8 producing a very enticing 472hp and 395lb-ft of torque later this year, obviously a significant increase in both aspects. While the price will of course also be somewhat higher, internal combustion power junkies that are looking for a refined sport sedan will likely appreciate it.
But the game has moved on and this won’t be a volume move either. What nobody really wants to talk about is that while it’s acknowledged that sedans are sort of dwindling in appeal, there is one sedan in this general size and price class whose appeal has been, shall we say, electrifying, especially to the technologically savvy buyers that this Lexus would seem to be aimed at.
And that’s the real bogey here that the world’s makers need to address as it has had quite the impact on the entire segment and its volumes over the last few years, far more than just the general move away from sedans, even if it isn’t yet necessarily for everyone. The show will go on, but the cast might not all remain the same.
Thank You to Lexus for providing us this 2021 Lexus IS 350 AWD F Sport and a full tank of gasoline.
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Once again Jim, your review has drawn me into reading about a car that I couldn’t care less about. Very informative, and I must day that if I were interested in purchasing one, all the things that would concern me have been addressed! Styling is highly subjective and I’m not particularly enamored with this car. My dislikes: the front grille, even though it is toned down here, the instrument/gauge panel, and I detest black wheels. Since I’m 6’4″/36 inseam; I generally prefer 2 door cars, as generally no one can sit comfortably behind me, but this sedan appears to roomy enough for persons of lesser height, and a good choice for a sedan. For me, the CD player would be an absolute plus! Thanks again for all your insights! 🙂
Thank You! An even darker color and with the wheels in a bright silver might be my own personal choice, having the wheels be matte black instead of glossy though went a long way toward neutralizing my own thoughts on the matter.
As always a very formative review. The only thing was when i first clicked on it I thought I had read it before from looking at the picture. Then I realized that was your Mazda 3 article I was thinking of.
Great mistake to make if you are driving a 3. Not so cool if you just shelled out extra bucks for a Lexus
Dark Gray with Black wheels might be the new Silver… 🙂
Until the end of November I was leasing a 2019 IS300 and this car has a lot of familiarity to that, pre-refreshed, car. The interior specifically does not change between the 300 and 350. One of the things I didn’t like, and don’t like, was the haptic slider for the temperature controls. However, I probably used it twice in the year and 9 months that I had it. The lack of places to put a phone, and the poor quality of the magnet I put on the dash vent, meant I had difficulty being connected when I wanted to use GPS. My car was a base model without the little mouse or touchpad. And prior to this year, it didn’t come with CarPlay or Andriod Auto which was the biggest gripe I had about the car. Otherwise, I really liked the car, it did everything really well. And a little more power in the 350 might not have a bad thing, but I found the 300 to be plenty adequate.
I sold the car to Vroom.com because working from home meant I was not driving it enough to justify paying for it and car values are no longer based on reality.
The salesguy at the dealer called me on Friday trying to get me to come look at the new IS350 and I said I’ll be waiting for the IS500. We’re heading back to work part time in July so I may find myself in the market coming up.
Good review, Jim. This car is in a difficult position as you recognized in your wrap-up.
Lexus has been criticized as being incapable of producing a serious BMW 3-series contender, but I think some of us forget both how close they came several times and how much the 3-series (and compact sport sedan segment as a whole) have changed and diminished over the years. The original inline-six IS300 was well received by car magazines as a genuinely sharp driver’s instrument and the 2013 IS350 that this current one is based on defeated the turbo-six 3-series in several comparison tests.
But, brands carry stigmas, the mainstream sports sedan buyer wants an automatic turbo-four with electric steering, and the enthusiast voices on the web holler and brag about the acceleration stats on the upper-level German turbo sledgehammers, without regard to the overall driving feel and engagement that seems to have been snuffed out of them by weight and technology over the years. No wonder E30s are selling at such a hot price at auction–no one makes anything like that anymore.
This IS is suffering from all of this. There’s no market for chassis dynamics, as sales of the IS have proven. The powertrains are now simply not competitive. The 241hp turbo four is far off the performance mark of the 250hp Audi and BMW turbo fours. The 3.5L V6 can keep up with those at a similar price point, but is down on low-end punch and fuel economy and it’s been the top engine for years…even though you can get it in a faded blue 2007 Camry V6 for about 5 grand on the used market.
I don’t know. This vehicle segment has lost a lot of its appeal to me, and the current IS is remarkable within it only because it’ll likely be durable over the long haul. If leasing, I’d take a chance on an Alfa Romeo Giulia or G70 3.3T.
Yup, what’s interesting is how the 3-series has sort of evolved its way out of its own segment – or at least split that segment up with seemingly endless variations, bafflingly even renaming some of them as 4-series cars now and others being sort of quasi-CUVs like the GT model. Doesn’t seem like a great move to me but I’m not in charge. To me though it has diluted what the clear target was at one time. You knew exactly what you were getting with an E30 whether it was a 2 door, 4 door, cabrio, wagon, or the M model without even looking at it. Now? Eh, not really sure anymore.
This probably makes it harder to compete with it as well though and as you mentioned the segment seems to have even grown (over here at least) in regard to the number of offerings.
A very good, through, and thoughtful review. I did have to laugh at one thing though – not at the author, or at the car, but life in America in the 21st Century…
“ Anyway, back to the general interior. There are foibles here, it’s not all a love-fest. First, not only is there no wireless charging pad, there isn’t even a place to put the phone…”
It’s not a bad life when your biggest problem with your car is that there is no wireless charging pad for your phone.
Back when – I – was a young lad …..
Your conclusion is of course spot-on. The Tesla M3 has made a disproportional impact on this segment and type of buyer. I realize that where I live this is somewhat exaggerated, but in the neighborhoods where I used to see new BMWs and its ilk there are no new ones to be seen, with a few exceptions, invariably an X model or such.
This segment of the market is fading fast, at least out here.
Thanks for a very clear and insightful review. You’re really forcing me-in a good way- to stay informed on cars that have lost a lot of relevance to me otherwise.
We see the same thing here, and I’m sure most people that live in medium to large towns or suburban areas do as well. It may just result in longer life cycles of products in order to amortize the development, but some will surely be consigned to the dustbin of history sooner rather than later.
Here in Vancouver, the M3 has basically wiped out BWM, Audi and Lexus’s near luxury models. Dealers are screaming for EVs and their ETA is not soon.
Excellent review Jim, and really fantastic photography.
Unfortunately, the IS seems like a niche offering in a niche category with strong competition from Tesla, BMW and Audi. A bit too boy-racerish for my tastes, but I’m glad that Lexus and others are providing options.
I love choice, and hope that Lexus finds enough buyers to keep the line open.
Thank you, and thanks! It’s not always easy when trying to not re-use locations…Thankfully we have good backdrops where we live, right?
Interesting writeup, I think I followed an earlier edition of this car recently, Ive taken to using secondary roads when commuting to where I keep my classic its much better driving on twisty roads than gliding along a motorway thats clogged with other traffic I pulled up behind a IS Lexus at an intersection, once moving again it was an interesting car to follow the driver was obviously having fun throwing their vehicle into corners and since they were going at a good clip I just fell in behind overtaking is virtually impossible anyway so it was nice to see something in front of me that didnt have the brakelights on most of the time, I wish more people knew how to drive not just steer, Cars with great dynamics are exactly what I like but I have one already, it seems I might be a minority.
I want one. Not in the market, can’t afford it, and don’t really need one, but the IS has been at the top of my list since the original. This (excellent) review just cemented it once again. It’s pretty much everything I like a car to be. The very evocative description of entering and settling into the driver’s seat had me reeled in. I’m glad to hear there’s still some hope for this kind of car.
As a former owner of a previous-generation IS, your analysis here is spot in, Jim.
Lexus has a pretty fine needle to thread here (or really anyone competing with the German triumvirate of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes): You need to closely follow the template set by the Germans because your buyers expect it. But you also need to differentiate yourself somehow, otherwise why would people buy your product instead of just getting the real deal?
The Lexus play here seems to be towards left-brain German intenders, who want a luxury sport sedan, but are otherwise concerned about the reliability, maintenance costs, or depreciation of the German product. Come to think of it, that is probably why I originally bought my IS250 back in 2006.
Thank you. You’re likely correct with your last paragraph, and of course that was exactly the intention of Lexus with the original offering, right? It’s all worked out better than they likely expected over the years with a few small hiccups along the way but overall has had a huge effect on the whole industry.
Every time you write about a car in this segment, I scratch my head and wonder what would be important to me if I were looking for a car of this type. Maybe it is because this niche is just not one that scratches anywhere I itch, so it becomes a sort of theoretical exercise for me.
I like things like size (either very big or very small), simplicity, brute durability, style, utility, comfort, speed, handling, and of course a low price. Cars of this segment have some of these things but not enough of them that I would spend this kind of money for one. Really, I don’t know what I would go looking for if I had $50k to spend on a new car.
I am still kind of amazed to live in a world where metallic gray paint costs extra.
You’d very likely end up with two new cars totalling $50k. 🙂
I didn’t really think about it earlier, the Kia Stinger sort of plays in this same space now, as does the Genesis G70, neither (currently) has the brand appeal to many that cross shop this segment but it’s interesting that the choices in the segment are increasing…but as a result the pie is getting cut in ever smaller slices for everyone.
In 1970 when I was at university I took a night school course in Auto Body at the high school. My goal was to repair some of the rust on my Austin 1800, which did not happen. Instead I learnt that there is never just a little rust. I did however learn something about automobile paint. The instructor mentioned that light blue paint was the cheapest paint, and that red was expensive because it was very hard to stabilize. I had never thought about it, but it made sense to me that cost might vary by colour. My only experience with paint was going to the hardware store for house paint, and it was all the same price, no matter what the colour. I don’t know how much the cost varies, or if it actually has any relation to how much they charge.
I test drove an IS awhile back and I came away disappointed. It felt cramped inside, mostly because of the large center console. Also I thought the AC vents were odd with the square ones in the center and the rounds one on the side. I don’t know why such a minor thing bugged me but it did. Even the traditional dial clock in the center seemed out of place. I went with a used Audi A3 which also showed I wasn’t really ready to pay the new price for these entry level luxury cars.
Great review, Jim. I like this car and could see it, configured somewhat differently than your tester, as a worthy replacement for my G37 sedan. I too am glad the market can still support a car like this – especially one as reliable as Lexus routinely produces. The seats sound terrific.
Because of tight garage and driveway space, I always need to know length, width, and turning radius of the car under discussion. Would you consider adding this information to your reviews? I realize that few testers do anymore, and even Consumer Reports doesn’t routinely include this information as in the past. You sometimes have to scramble to find it.
Also, other reviewers continue to complain about an intrusive hump next to the driver’s leg on the AWD versions of this car. Did you not find it to be a problem?
I had no issues with any kind of intrusion, that’s interesting. The driver’s compartment was snug but not cramped, i.e. I didn’t feel constricted in any dimension and everything fell to hand very well, very comfortable but no wasted space. No issues with where or how my leg(s) rested (which is in fact bothersome on some cars but often driver height/shape dependent). I’ll see what I can do with the other info, I don’t usually get any info beyond the sticker for the car itself so look up various bits of info myself as well from the manufacturer’s website. For some reason the trunk volume for example was handy this time so that’s why it’s in there – and I would have guessed a higher number based on what I fit in it without really trying and space left over.
And yes, the G37 is/was clearly one of the competitors in the segment!
A friend just bought an off lease IS250 Type F and she absolutely loves it. Dealer had a hard time unloading it because the internet reviews of that model were not good, “Under-powered, harsh ride, poor mileage”. Coming out of a 2000 Camaro, she was not your typical luxury brand import buyer. She wanted a stone reliable sporty car, and it beats her old car in every category.