The aging Lexus IS, which has been struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of the sport-sedan race, has now been joined by the Genesis G70 and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has also entered the scene as a new generation of the BMW 3-Series. The compact luxury sedan segment has seen a lot of change since the last redesign of the Lexus IS in 2013.
The revised 2020 model lineup of the IS only includes minor aesthetic upgrades, such as updated trim and black exterior accents. The Sport F edition of the IS350 all-wheel-drive test car, which is part of a special Black Line package, adds cooled and heated leather seats. Opting for the Sport F upgrade also includes various interior trim upgrades and updated instrument cluster. Additionally, the Sport F upgrade adds revised front and rear bumpers, as well as a sport-tuned suspension with adaptive dampers. By choosing the optional automatic eight-speed transmission, the rear-wheel-drive IS350s now come equipped with a 311 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine.
Inside this Lexus, there is plenty of plastic, but there is also real wood and soft leather, which creates a luxurious front. The infotainment system uses a large screen with good resolution, and the touchpad controller, although overwrought, makes it almost impossible to safely operate the car while driving. The value proposition for this car, which starts at a price of $53,830, is often seen as selling big.
In the same dimensions, a Genesis G70 with its optional twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 requires 4.4 and 13.0 seconds. Our long-term BMW M340i accelerates to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and zooms through the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds. However, the IS’s rivals accelerate much more effectively. That’s quite fast for the average driver, but the IS’s competition accelerates much more effectively. Our car performed decently in terms of straight-line acceleration, reaching 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 100 mph.
The newer participants in its category, the Bimmer and the Genesis, possess noticeably greater horsepower than the IS–and more contemporary eight-speed automatic transmissions–thus it’s unsurprising that they deliver superior performance. Just slightly below the $47,735 starting price of our test car, the G70 V-6 commences at $47,545. The minor rise in price compared to our extensively customized IS is the M340i, which starts at $54,995. Despite the IS’s overall adaptability and stable handling dynamics, its outdated powertrain prevents it from competing in the same league as the newer participants in its category.
The Lexus IS remains a versatile and well-balanced sedan, but it needs to contend with its fresher members in the segment. Even with a four-cylinder engine, the car beats the 3-series in a straight line and achieves a grip of 0.83 g on the skidpad, which is impressive. However, even the family sedan Altima from Nissan with its standard V-6 350 turbo-four always passes our test when we push the car hard. The cabin is isolated and quiet, making it a comfortable and accurate driving experience. The steering is well-weighted and precise, without any harsh feel. The suspension in the standard version of the car has a soft floatiness, but the Sport F suspension reigns supreme in terms of ride quality. The Sport F IS350 is unquestionably the best form of the IS, with better balance and additional gears in the rear-drive version, which is our preferred choice.
