About a decade ago, compact sports sedans offered naturally aspirated V-8s that absolutely ripped. Before everyone went turbo, the E90 BMW M3, the B7 Audi RS4, and the W204 Mercedes C63 AMG crammed in sweet-sounding V-8s to create experiences that we still remember fondly today. Now that we're feeling sufficiently nostalgic for those four-door screamers, we'll get to the point that Lexus apparently shares our passion for those cars, because the new 2022 IS500 is essentially a return of Lexus's V-8 compact sedan, the IS F.

There are no turbos under the IS500's hood. What is under there is closely related to the IS F's 5.0-liter V-8 from a decade ago. The engine—shared with the RC F—now produces 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque, or 56 more horsepower and 24 more pound-feet than its spiritual predecessor. In a turbocharged world, the V-8's horsepower and especially its torque numbers aren't at the level of the M or AMG models', so Lexus is setting expectations by positioning the IS500 as an F Sport Performance model rather than a full-blown IS F.

What does that mean for the IS500's driving experience? We can't quite say yet, but we did recently get the chance to ride in the passenger's seat of the IS500 prototype at an event at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Texas, near Toyota's headquarters in Plano. Professional race-car driver Townsend Bell was behind the wheel.

Keep in mind that the IS500 prototype we rode in wasn't exactly the same car that you'll be able to buy at Lexus dealerships later this year. Wrapped in an obnoxious neon-yellow and black livery, this car was specially prepped for the IS500's debut at Sebring International Raceway earlier this year. It wore an aftermarket exhaust, 20-inch wheels, and grippier Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires compared to the stock car, which will have 19-inch wheels and the same Bridgestone Potenza S001L summer tires as the IS350 F Sport with the handling package.

This means that our impression of the IS500's handling isn't exactly representative, but we weren't behind the wheel anyway. We can tell you that the 5.0-liter V-8 engine is a lovely addition to the latest IS and brings back a lot of those tingly V-8 memories. We're familiar with the glorious sound of this Lexus V-8 by now, and it makes itself known in the IS500. Although the prototype's aftermarket exhaust surely enhanced the auditory experience, we'd still rather listen to this characterful engine run up to its 7300-rpm redline than a BMW M3's twin-turbo inline-six.

Unlike the V-6-powered IS350 F Sport we drove that day on the test track, the V-8 has the grunt to shove you into the back of your seat, and the eight-speed automatic transmission upshifts and downshifts quickly. Lexus claims that the IS500 is 143 pounds heavier than a rear-wheel-drive IS350, and we assume that most of that weight is in the nose. Like the IS F that came before it, a noticeable hood bulge is the clearest sign that this is packing something special under there.

Thanks to the ability to completely deactivate stability control, the IS500 will play as much as you like—as Bell demonstrated by easily swinging the tail out wide for a satisfying drift. It also features the same torque-vectoring rear differential that's optional on the IS350 F Sport. But this car is not meant to be a track monster, and we felt plenty of compliance in the suspension tuning, with more body roll than you'd find in an M3 Competition or a C63, for instance.

We're enticed by the overall package that the IS500 promises to deliver, and we hope that the price is attractive enough to further increase its enthusiast appeal. Lexus has strongly hinted that it will be positioned closer to the M340i and AMG C43s of the world, meaning it could bring back a V-8 to the low-$60,000 range. If so, this could become the hidden gem of the sports-sedan world. Now all that's left is for Lexus to let us in the driver's seat.

(caranddriver.com)

Your phone, laptop, smartwatch, heck, even your smart speakers are all a massive pain in the neck. Not for you, but for the people who made them. User experience and interface designers agonize over products for months or even years to deliver an intuitive user experience, and you always notice when they haven't. It's the same story for cars like the 2021 Lexus UX200 F Sport.

Engineers spend countless hours working through endless permutations of designs so they can get the little things like the detent on that volume knob just right. It's all part of an endless quest to satisfy the user. So when we see the letters "U" and "X" arrive emblazoned on the rump of a small subcompact luxury Lexus SUV, the expectation is a satisfying user experience. The only problem is that isn't quite what the Lexus UX200 delivers.

This miniaturized SUV belies both the quality and the satisfaction a Lexus badge normally promises, and the problems start with the UX's pee-wee powertrain. Its 2.0-liter I-4 makes 169 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque, which makes the Lexus one of the slowest vehicles we tested in 2020. At 8.9 seconds to 60 mph, it's slower than much less expensive compact SUVs such as the Mazda CX-30, the base Kia Seltos, and even the Hyundai Venue SEL (which makes 48 hp less).

Sometimes a car feels quicker in the real world than its test numbers would leave you to believe. Sadly, that's not the case here. The UX feels just as breathless on the road as it is on the dragstrip. Merging onto freeways or passing on open roads demands you bury your right foot into the carpet. At that point, the little four-banger shoots to its 6,600-rpm redline and stays there in a perpetual shriek that's about as enjoyable as using a sandpaper Q-tip.

There are no two ways about it: This is a slow car, and despite the F Sport badge, there's little redemption when the going gets twisty. The UX's all-season tires give up grip quickly, and its 27.9-second figure-eight time at a 0.60 g average rank it near the bottom of all the vehicles we tested last year. The Mazda CX-9, a proper three-row SUV that weighs three-quarters of a ton more than the UX, logged a faster lap and a higher average g than the Lexus managed.

As for the UX, road test editor Chris Walton found the steering reasonably precise at the limit but bemoaned the UX's "10-speed" CVT, saying it was "slow to respond and kick down to a proper ratio." The transmission doesn't have "gears," as such, but it emulates a number of simulated ratios, and for most of my driving the CVT was in too low of a "gear," even in Normal mode. I resorted to putting the car in Eco mode for the majority of my driving just to keep the revs down and the engine-sound out of the cabin.

We noted issues with the throttle map on the previous UX we tested, but some software changes to the 2021 model have, thankfully, made the throttle response more linear and easier to modulate. Dynamically, though, that's the solitary bright spot for the UX, and it's not a particularly praiseworthy one.

Thankfully, the ride provides some relief from the lackluster powertrain of the Lexus. Over small lumps and fissures in the road, the UX can be crashy, but all in all, it rides well over most any surface and is more comfortable than rivals such as the Mercedes GLB and Jaguar E-Pace. A big part of that comfort is down to the excellent F Sport seats. They're supportive, heated, cooled, and trimmed in a luscious leather that makes spending time in them the best part of the whole car.

The rest of the interior, on the other hand, is largely where the user experience falls flat. One example: Just beneath the crisp, bright infotainment display is a well-organized row of HVAC buttons, but the option to turn the A/C on and off is buried under three menus. Plus, Lexus' finicky touchpad makes getting there difficult. Even after Lexus spent years refining and iterating on the system, it still isn't as intuitive or as accurate as the control knob offered by much of the German competition.

The volume knob is located on a funky, flat spar that juts out from the center console. It's supposed to be easy to use if your hand is resting on the lid of the console itself, and it's not necessarily a problem on its own. But once you have a passenger and their elbow takes up the exact position your arm needs to be in to use the volume knob properly, the illusion that this is somehow more intuitive or more interesting than a typical volume knob falls apart. That and the rest of the physical controls located on that spar become unusable.

The steering wheel is much too large for a car of this size, and even though the column is electrically powered, it doesn't telescope out far enough. The bit of plastic at the top of the instrument cluster creaked incessantly in our test car, and the screen resolution in the cluster itself doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Mercedes' MBUX and Audi's Virtual Cockpit. And then there's the excessive wind buffeting—even with both driver-side windows down, there's a literal tornado whipping around in the back of the cabin. You can mitigate it by lowering the rear passenger's side window, but at that point, you might as well be driving a convertible.

The rear cargo area only has 17 cubic feet of free space available (that's less than a Hyundai Veloster), and there's a middling amount of legroom and headroom available to second-row passengers. Now, I know what you're thinking. Here comes Johnny Auto Journalist, picking apart yet another SUV because we are taught to hate them. But you'd be wrong. There are plenty of SUVs, compact or otherwise, that we genuinely love.

On its face, the UX200 should be an appliance, a generalist automobile that takes you from A to B without hassle. Like your smartphone, it should be pleasant to use when you need it to be and out of your way when you don't. Lexus' quest to make it an "experience" with its, erm, eye-catching exterior looks and fussy interior design has only packed it full of compromise.

The user experience that I talked about earlier, the one that designers and engineers fret over, the one that separates good products from bad ones, simply doesn't excel here. The UX is inconvenient at its best and downright irritating at its worst, and for $41,655 there is no way to justify it.

Source: motortrend.com

A few mild updates keep Lexus’ sporty IS sedan alive and kicking, aimed squarely to capture the few remaining sports sedan buyers left on the market.

Versus the competition

The updates don’t go deep enough to make the IS 350 fully competitive against newer, fresher, faster rivals like the BMW M340i, Genesis G70 or Acura’s new TLX.

The beautiful thing about so many people starting to abandon entry-level luxury sedans for entry-level luxury SUVs and crossovers is that for the few remaining players in this class, a change is taking place. This is becoming especially obvious at the Japanese luxury brands, where instead of abandoning compact sports sedans, they’re changing their focus. No longer are they just entry-level models; the latest ones are being realigned specifically to be appealing sports sedans. The thinking goes that anyone still looking at a sedan over an SUV is really in it for the style and fun-to-drive factors, so why not make them the main focus of the car?

Acura did it with the new 2021 TLX, and now Lexus has done it with the 2021 IS 300 and IS 350. But has the redo and realignment of the IS gone far enough to keep it competitive against newer, fresher, faster rivals?

Looks a Bit Fresher

There are two models to choose from in the new IS lineup: the entry-level IS 300 with a 241-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, or the IS 350 you see here with its naturally aspirated 311-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. Either model can be had with rear- or all-wheel drive, but if you go for an IS 300 AWD, it actually comes with a less powerful, 260-hp version of the V-6 that also has less torque than the turbo four-cylinder. All RWD cars come with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission, while AWD cars come with a six-speed automatic.

Here’s where we start to see the new focus on making the IS a sporty sedan: The IS 300 F Sport is no longer a thing. You can’t get the F Sport handling and appearance package on that version — but all IS 350 models automatically come with the F Sport trim, meaning you can get an IS 350 only in F Sport guise. If you opt for the IS 350 (which you probably should given its significant power advantage over the IS 300), you’ll be getting this — a compact sports sedan with a 311-hp nonturbo V-6 carried over from the past model year with standard rear-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic, a sport suspension, standard 19-inch wheels and more aggressive styling.

Lexus has updated the look of the IS for 2021, and I have to say that it’s a subtle but definite improvement. Those weird Nike swoosh signature LED lights up front have now been well integrated into the larger headlight assembly and look much, much better. The Lexus signature spindle grille is still here, but it’s either simply grown on us or just doesn’t look as offensive as it used to; either way, I think we’re finally used to it. The fenders are a tad wider to accommodate the bigger wheels and tires on the IS 350 F Sport, and a new trunk and rear bumper with a full-width LED taillight makes for more muscular-looking haunches. The Dynamic Handling Package available on the F Sport brings a couple of styling changes, too, including the addition of lovely matte-black 19-inch BBS wheels and a rather unnecessary carbon-fiber trunk spoiler. The overall changes have cleaned up the IS 350 considerably, giving it a lower, wider, more menacing appearance that’s less funky but more attractive.

Doesn’t Drive Any Differently

Out on the street, the new IS 350 really doesn’t feel that different from the last one. More than 300 horsepower might sound like a lot on paper, but 280 pounds-feet of torque isn’t all that impressive anymore, and it shows up in the IS 350’s rather underwhelming straight-line acceleration. Many of its competitors, such as the Acura TLX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Genesis G70 and BMW 330, all employ turbocharged engines with torque that’s available low in the rev range, making for punchier acceleration than the IS 350 delivers. The IS certainly isn’t slow, but neither does it have the immediacy you’d expect when you floor the accelerator as you enter a highway on-ramp or pull out in front of traffic. Lexus’ given 0-60-mph time of 5.6 seconds isn’t exactly class-leading anymore. The eight-speed automatic transmission is well executed and does a decent job of providing smooth shifts, but it doesn’t seem quick or eager to kick down when you plant your foot, only adding to the more relaxed, slightly underpowered feeling the IS 350 delivers. Simply put, the IS 350 feels like it could use a more up-to-date engine and transmission combo, something that would boost its acceleration to match the more powerful and similarly priced offerings like the BMW M340i or Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400.

There’s not much to fault with the IS 350’s handling, however. The suspension provides an excellent balance of comfort and responsiveness that really does impress with its sophisticated feel. For a bit more money, you can specify the Dynamic Handling Package for your IS 350 F Sport that includes an electronic adaptive suspension, adjusting the ride firmness and response via a mode selector on the center console. I honestly didn’t find that it affected the ride quality or steering effort noticeably if I switched from Normal mode to Sport S or Sport S Plus modes, but it did seem to wake up the powertrain with a more responsive throttle and allow more revs to build before shifting. Keeping it in Sport modes isn’t really conducive to serene driving, however, so you’re likely going to just keep it in Normal where the IS 350 proves to be a pleasantly quiet touring car that allows for faster cruising speeds than you might otherwise expect.

Time to Rethink the Interior

Inside, there have been a few changes to the IS 350 for 2021, but again the car is showing how much it could use a rethink to its whole platform. The interior mixes decent fake leather and nice ash wood accents on the F Sport with unremarkable plastic surfaces. One notable option is the Circuit Red interior, which truly looks stunning — sadly, my test car came outfitted with a more somber, less interesting black interior. You have a highly welcome new touchscreen front and center, which finally allows you to skip using Lexus’ remote control for the multimedia system. An 8-inch screen (measured diagonally) is standard, and the 10.3-inch screen in my test car is optional on vehicles equipped with navigation. It’s almost 6 inches closer to the driver than the previous screen, so it’s easier to see and reach. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is Amazon Alexa integration.

Lexus’ maddening remote joystick control has been replaced by a new touchpad, which is a bit better, but there’s no substitute for being able to touch the screen directly to do what you want to do. Thankfully, Lexus has finally realized that.

There isn’t much continuity to button design, with some buttons feeling large and well labeled, while others are tiny and hard to find, and still others are almost completely obscured from the driver’s view and difficult to use at all. The digital gauge cluster features an unusual sliding round master gauge that first appeared in F Sport versions of the IS and other Lexuses many years ago, inspired by the LFA supercar, but it honestly just seems needlessly gimmicky. And the fact that a bright green “Eco” light illuminates in the gauge cluster whenever the engine enters its fuel-saving mode is really annoying. In short, the IS 350’s interior layout and control strategy needs a modern redo.

But that’s not really the biggest issue with the interior. The IS 350 is cramped inside, with a narrow cabin and fairly tight seats. It features an unusually high driving position that feels as if the seat could stand to be an inch or two lower; more adjustability to the bottom cushion’s angle would be nice, too. The rear seats are also tight, with adequate room for two on short trips and decidedly more legroom than, say, an Alfa Romeo Giulia, but overall room in back feels about average for this category of sedan. There’s plenty of room in the trunk, and the rear seats do fold to allow for larger items. Yes, this is a compact sports sedan, and nobody’s expecting it to be a limousine. But its overall design aesthetic, packaging and control layout all seem to be in need of a more comprehensive update.

A Better Value Only on Base Models

The basic Lexus IS 300 RWD starts at $40,025 (all prices include destination), and my IS 350 F Sport RWD test car starts at a still reasonable $43,925, which rings in several thousand dollars less than the 2020 IS 350 F Sport thanks to Lexus’ new trim strategy. Add the moonroof, Dynamic Handling Package, navigation with premium Mark Levinson audio and a few other odds and ends, and you come to my car’s as-tested price of $55,220. That’s a little harder to swallow, frankly, given the other competitors you have at this price like a BMW M340i or Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400, both of which outgun the IS 350 in the powertrain department. Or even opt for the new 2021 Cadillac CT5-V or Genesis G70 3.3T, both of which also feature more powerful engines for less money, accompanied by more modern interiors.

Lexus’ entry-level sports sedan is meant to be a good starting point for fans looking to get into the brand, and its refocused energy on capturing the few remaining sports sedan buyers with a more value-oriented F Sport model is commendable. But its updates for 2021 didn’t quite go far enough to make it a more competitive offering versus the considerably newer, fresher and more powerful competitors. Still, it has its looks and refinement going for it, along with Lexus’ reputation for reliability. If those factors weigh more heavily for you, then the new 2021 Lexus IS might be worth putting on your shopping list.

Source: cars.com

Sedans are dead, at least that's the conventional wisdom. The trend toward crossovers has seemingly placed four-door cars on death row, but while they're down, they're not out of appeals. New sports sedans are still being introduced. Lexus's updated 2021 IS350 F Sport is just such a sedan, but is it good enough to find enough buyers to save itself from the gallows?

First introduced for the 2014 model year, the third-generation Lexus IS has been reformed by a second mid-cycle refresh in an attempt to keep up with newer offerings like the BMW 3-series, Cadillac CT4-V, Genesis G70, and the still lovely Mercedes-Benz C-class. Designers went to work on the sheetmetal with a smoothed-out profile, squinty headlights, and following the trend, an even larger grille. It's a killer-looking sedan, especially when dressed in the IS350's standard F Sport garb and blacked-out trim.

HIGHS: Stunning curb appeal, tasteful interior, comfortable seats.

While the IS's looks will please your optic nerve, the segment is one that emphasizes performance. Beneath the hood of the rear-wheel-drive IS350 F Sport is Lexus's familiar 3.5-liter V-6 producing a naturally aspirated 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Against turbocharged fours and sixes, the V-6 seems a step behind the times. The engine lacks the low-rpm shove that comes from most turbocharged mills, and the eight-speed automatic delivers lackadaisical shifts. Acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.6 seconds, and the quarter-mile is gone in 14.2 seconds at 100 mph. While those numbers would have been good a decade ago, today the IS350 F Sport finds itself competitive with the base turbocharged inline-fours offered in its class. For a sedan with such seductive looks, it deserves an updated V-6 with more power.

In an effort to improve handling, Lexus has also retuned the chassis. There are additional welds in the unibody to strengthen the structure, aluminum control arms replace steel ones, springs and anti-roll bars have been lightened, and a switch to lug bolts instead of nuts saves two pounds. Our test car arrived with the $4200 Dynamic Handling package that includes lightweight 19-inch BBS wheels that shave a claimed 16 pounds, adaptive dampers, and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential.

LOWS: A naturally aspirated V-6 in a world gone turbo, chassis shows promise but is held back by an overly vigilant stability control system.

All of the changes sound great on paper, but on the street there's still some structural flimsiness and the steering isn't as precise as the CT4-V's or the G70's. Lexus fits Bridgestone Potenza S001L summer rubber that seems tuned more for comfort than all-out grip. There's also the matter of a stability-control system that reactivates itself above 30 mph. This car's 0.89 g of stick on the skidpad is far from noteworthy. A Camry TRD outgrips the IS350 on the skidpad. Standing on the left pedal at 70 mph stops the IS350 in a competitive 155 feet, but the force of the stop seemed to trigger a low-oil pressure alert. This isn't something we've experienced with this engine before, so it may be a pre-production bug.

We found few problems with the tastefully appointed cabin. Supple leather and wood trim dress up the revised dashboard. The seating position and comfort of the bucket seats is spot on, but our enthusiasm wanes when we start using the infotainment system's touchpad. Though Lexus remains dedicated to fitting the haptic pad to operate the infotainment system, it's easily avoided by using the standard 8.0-inch or optional 10.3-inch touchscreen. Mounted nearly six inches closer than before, they're an easy tap away. Technophiles will find solace now that Amazon Alexa, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay compatibility are standard.

The good news for IS350 buyers, is that its $43,925 starting price is $2475 less than last year's IS350 F Sport. A looker inside and out, the low-stress V-6 could definitely use more muscle and the handling could be more engaging and fun. Add in our car's as-tested $55,200 price, and we were in a less forgiving mood. A new engine would go a long way toward helping the IS sedan stay off death row.

Source: caranddriver.com