I recently spent a week behind the wheel of the 2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance and, overall, left the experience feeling a bit let down. Despite my inner drift kid’s biased love for the Lexus IS platform, I still feel like the current generation of this iconic Lexus sedan has fallen far behind the times. Ultimately, what’s left is a car that feels like it’s still available as nothing more than a formality. A lesser-loved stepchild that takes a back seat to the ever-accelerating turn to crossovers on the U.S. market.
I want to preface this thought by stating that the IS is, on the whole, a great car. I’ve long maintained that the 2UR-GSE 5.0-liter V8 under the hood is one of the best-sounding V8 engines on the market. Furthermore, the F Sport Performance model I drove had responsive steering that, in a spirited driving situation, is passably gratifying in grip and performance. Day to day, it’s a fun car to drive. That said, it’s hard not to look at it from virtually every angle and think about how dated it is in its entirety.
Heavenly Sound, Hasty Acceleration, and Good Numbers
Assessing the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance by the numbers paints a promising picture. That lovely throaty V8 spits out 472 horsepower at a screaming 7,100 RPM and punches it through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. Full-tilt, it’ll sprint from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds.
On my favorite windy road, the IS 500 F Sport gets a pass for providing a good time. The steering is reasonably responsive, and, of course, getting to hear that V8 opens up is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. However, even in the Sport S+ driving mode, the eight-speed transmission’s reaction to paddle shifter inputs is, at best, a little behind. Sometimes, I even had to second guess if I had fully depressed the paddle shifter because it took so long to react. This is especially true on downshifts. It’s not a slow transmission, but compared to modern supercar-fast dual-clutch transmissions and things like the almighty ZF eight-speed auto found in BMWs, it’s a bit of a slouch.
Fuel economy isn’t too bad for what you’re getting, either. EPA estimates are 25 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. In my week of driving, I averaged around 21 mpg from start to finish, with a healthy mix between the two. Considering the near-500-horsepower figure and my heavy right foot, I’m not mad at that number.
Ten Years of the Same Old Same Old
For the 2014 model year, Lexus released the third-generation IS sedan. Known internally as the “XE30,” this is the same platform and generation as the 2025 model year IS 500 F Sport Performance. Though it has seen some minor facelifts and interior updates, it’s fairly obvious that this is a 10-year-old car. For the 2014 and 2015 model years, the daytime running lights wre separate from the headlamp assembly. However, since the 2016 model year, the IS has looked damn near the same as it does to this very day.
It’s not by any means a bad-looking car. However, this phenomenon (which I call the Nissan Frontier effect) makes one self-reflect on spending north of $60,000 on a brand-new car that looks virtually the same as a ten-year-old car. Obviously, for some, this isn’t a concern. That’s evident in the fact that Lexus sells IS models. Still, from my perspective, it’s a bit underwhelming.
One can argue that the minor styling updates to the IS platform over the past decade have kept it looking fresh enough to keep up with modern styling demands. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? However, once you step inside the car, standing up for the IS 500’s modern price tag becomes a bit tougher.
Step Inside, Travel Back in Time
Above are two photos. One is the interior of a 2016 Lexus IS from Toyota, and the other is a photo I took of the 2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance interior. If not for the fact that the 2016 model is labeled, one genuinely might not be able to tell the difference.
The 2025 Lexus IS 500 does not have a single USB-C port, but it does still have a CD player. It doesn’t have the snappy and responsive touch-screen infotainment system that I found in the 2025 UX 300h that I drove, but it does have a god-awful touchpad in the center console for controlling the infotainment system. I should note that the infotainment system uses a touchscreen; it’s just laggy. So, the touchpad near your wrist is redundant in the first place. Open the center console up and you’ll find that it even still has a 3.5mm aux port!
Now, I’m not of the camp that thinks that a CD player and aux port are antiquated relics of the past that should be eradicated. Put a cassette player in modern cars while you’re at it, too. I am, however, trying to make the point that the interior is borderline embarrassing for the fact that it’s in a 2025 model-year luxury sedan. It’s downright laughable compared to a 2025 BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, or Audi A4/S4.
A simple upgrade to USB-C ports, swapping out the dated touchpad for another cupholder, modernizing the touchscreen, or any semblance of effort to modernize the Lexus IS interior would be all it takes to get a pass here.
It’s Time for A New IS
Ultimately, the Lexus IS needs a ground-up redesign to bring it into the modern world. Unfortunately, in my opinion, we’re not likely to see that happen. If we do, I have to assume it will come in the form of an EV. Of course, this is all speculation.
Overall, while the 2025 IS 500 F Sport is fun to drive and sounds great, I couldn’t help but feel saddened by the whole experience. We’re in the crossover era, and the sedan seems to be slowly dying. It’s hard to look a gift horse in the mouth and talk bad about an RWD sedan with a thunderous V8 powerplant in 2025. However, when the same price point gets you a faster 0-60 and a much more modern interior from a BMW M340i, it’s hard not to steer away from the Lexus. However, if trading out a contemporary interior for the reliability of a Toyota-derived vehicle suits you, by all means, enjoy that V8 engine while you can.
