2021 Lexus IS vs 2020

What's the difference?

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

The IS 350 F Sport feels old school from the naturally aspirated V6 and eight-speed auto to its solid weightiness, and while it’s not as sharp and responsive as some people may want, it delivers a comfortable and powerful driving experience. I’d think twice if you’re planning to use it as a family car, but if your nest is suddenly empty then it could be perfect – that is if you can get in and out of it.

Look closely and quite a lot has changed. This is really a story of doing a facelift right. Lexus has kept all the great-looking bits of the car that launched in 2013, like its striking side profile and angular accents, while dumping most of its least popular elements like the spidery front light-clusters and busy front splitter, in favour of something more refined and conservative.

It even adds some new flair in the rear three-quarter, with dramatic LED light-clusters working their way into a trendy highlight strip across the boot lid.

These changes all add up for a much tougher, sportier, and nuanced design compared to the outgoing car. One that manages to make an eight-year old design look as contemporary as ever.

I even liked our test car in its plain black shade, although I'm less sure about those conservative-to-a-fault, almost Camry-esque alloy wheels.

On the inside, sadly not a whole lot has changed. The busy design looked dated when this generation of IS launched in 2013, and it still looks dated now.

The visual assault of buttons, toggles, displays, textures, and trims is a lot to take in, and makes the cabin feel smaller than it is.

It probably didn’t help the sensory overload of this car’s interior as I hopped out of the stripped-back interior in the Tesla Model 3 I had the week before.

My less-than-impressed brother, a student of design, described the IS’s interior best when he told me “It’s a bit maximalist, don’t you think?”

If nothing else, at least Lexus hasn’t blatantly imitated anyone else when it comes to its interior, but the brand remains firm on dorky design items like the laptop touchpad, redundant drive-select dial, and odd vacant panels under the climate unit which do it no favours.

A welcome upgrade for the 2021 model year is the new media screen, a highlight piece perched atop the dash. It’s bright, has excellent contrast, and doesn’t seem to fall victim to glare.

The Apple CarPlay support I used was seamless and sharp and made the most of the available real-estate in its widescreen layout.

I somehow didn’t mind that the instrument cluster in this base car is analog. It almost suits the IS’s character better than a digital set-up would. Also offered is a small information display between the dials which I used for monitoring the hybrid drive.

A final note on the IS’s design. The fit and finish is quality, inside and out. It leaves you with an impression that this is an immaculately built vehicle, one that should be a must for all luxury cars, and always a strong point for Lexus.

If you think BMW’s 3 Series or Benz’s C-Class are a little bit vanilla, then the IS 350 F Sport could be your… caramel. There’s the 'spindle grille' which polarizes opinion more than Alan Jones, but I’m a fan of its intricate but brash design; there are the headlights which look warped as they flow from the wheel guards to follow the bonnet edge and those Nike-swoosh style LED running lights.

From the side profile you can really see how much the bonnet bulges and how the trajectory of of the side skirt swoops up to meet the dramatically sharp corner of the tail-lights.

Being an F Sport means this grade is the sporty one in the family and there are visual indicators to hint at this such as the 'Dark Premium Metallic'-finished exclusive F Sport 18-inch wheels, the black mesh grille, and the low rear bumper and bumper side garnishes to enhance its tough look.

There was a time when 18-inch wheels seemed large to me, now 19-inch is the norm (standard on a BMW 3 Series), and I have to admit the rims on the IS 350 F Sport appear tiny. 

The F Sport’s cabin is equally interesting. It’s sporty and sumptuous from those low, comfortable front seats cocooned away from each other by the wall-like centre console, to the high dash and array of technology, and cushioned surfaces everywhere.

There’s no denying Lexus is hunting BMW’s 3 Series and Benz’s C-Class and it’s not just the technology and engine firepower - the IS 350’s dimensions are a close match at 4680mm long, 1810mm wide and 1430mm tall.

Well, the IS is a sedan, so it doesn’t quite have that high-riding appeal of an SUV, and for this update it has even leaned further into its low-slung proportions with a roofline that descends a further 15mm and a boot lid which is 31mm lower overall.

As with the previous car, the interior is quite closed-in thanks to that busy dash design and large centre console. Rather than feeling claustrophobic though, it is best described as cosy, with lots of plush finishes throughout the doors and centre stack befitting a luxury nameplate.

Adjustability is great for the front two occupants and there are two large bottle holders between the seats, a large but shallow console box under the armrest, bottle holders with adjoining bins in the doors, and a smallish glove box.

That’s about where storage ends though, with no extra trays or bins in front of the oddly placed shifter, just an awkwardly finished plastic panel where it feels like a little tray or storage cutaway should be.

The touchpad for operating the media screen joins an unnecessary drive-select cluster in eating up centre console space where there could be more storage.

The rear seat is quite limited on space despite being lavishly trimmed. I fit behind my own (182cm/6'0") driving position with little knee or headroom to spare.

Again, it’s cosy and very comfortable, but if you're taller or wider than me you may run into issues.

The centre rear seat is all but useless for adults, with the IS’s rear-drive architecture necessitating a huge transmission tunnel that almost comes as high as the seat base itself.

Storage is limited to pockets on the back of the front seats, small bins in the doors that double as handholds, and a drop-down armrest with two bottle holders.

There are no power outlets for rear passengers, but there are dual adjustable air vents.

Boot space is 450L which is a little small for the class. It’s impressive the hybrid only managed to lose 30 litres compared to petrol-only IS variants, though, so best to count your blessings.

The largest CarsGuide travel case easily fit in the wide but short available space.

Apologies for the personal question, but how old and how tall are you?

I’m in my early fourties, I’m tall at 191cm, and I never found it easy to get out of the IS 350 F Sport. The seating position with its super-low hip point and the ride height of the car meant I kind of fell or crawled out. Just saying that it might not be the ideal car for retired NBA stars.

Ah, but what about the back seats? Practical? Roomy? Yeah nah, the doors are small making the way in and out difficult for me, and seated behind my driving position my knees dug into the back of the seat.

The IS 350 is rear-wheel drive and the drive shaft creates a large hump in the rear floor. Those sitting in the middle back seat will need to straddle that hump. And if that’s not annoying enough the lack of headroom in that position could see them lose their cool.

Back seat riders have directional air vents and cupholders, but no door pockets or USB ports. Up front there are another two cupholders and door pockets, a tiny centre console bin with two USB ports and a 12-volt socket under the dash.

The cargo capacity of the boot is the same as the new BMW 3 Series sedan at 480 litres.

The Lexus IS 350 F Sport lists for $75,522 making it about $8K less than the top-of-the-range Sport Luxury grade and $10K more than the entry-level Luxury.

Coming standard is a Mark Levinson stereo system, dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated sports front seats, digital radio, paddle shifters, LED headlights, 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, proximity unlocking and 18-inch wheels.

Is it good value? It is if you ‘output match’ the IS 350 F Sport with other prestige cars such as the BMW M 340i which lists for $99,900 and the Mercedes-AMG C 43 for $109,740.

But if you ‘price match’ it to Mercedes-Benz’s C 300, which lists for $72,700, and BMW’s 330i Luxury Line for $70,900, then it’s not terrific value.

The only option on our car was the $1500 premium paint.

There are some hits and misses, feature-wise. For example, the Mark Levinson stereo is amazing, and the digital instrument cluster is great.

The multimedia system, however, is frustrating and awkward to use in every way – the media screen is overly complicated, and the joystick controller is difficult and distracting to use.

Also missing is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The smart phone mirroring systems are being rolled out to other Lexus models but not the IS and that’s probably because the new-gen IS is only just around the corner – expect it to arrive in 2020. That means you might find it’s a good idea to hold off until the new one lands.

The IS 300h does stand out from the luxury sedan crowd by offering a hybrid drivetrain at a reasonable price. Some rivals offer plug-in options further up the price scale cementing them as a niche option, but the beauty of this Lexus is its very mild $3000 price jump over the base petrol car.

The base car’s 2.0-litre turbo is dumped in favour of a 2.5-litre non-turbo Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder hybrid set-up similar to the one proving popular in the Toyota Camry and RAV4.

The petrol engine produces 133kW/221Nm on its own, and the electric motor produces 105kW/300Nm. Toyota says the “combined system output” of this is 164kW.

Either way, that's less than the base 2.0 turbo. The 300h also swaps out an eight-speed torque converter automatic in favour of a continuously variable transmission. Rare in a rear-wheel drive car.

The IS 350 is the most powerful member of the IS family with its 3.5-litre V6 making 233kW/378Nm.

In a world moving towards economical turbo-four sedans this naturally aspirated V6 is beautifully old school, its power is linear and predictable and its breathy howl when pushed is addictive.

An eight-speed automatic shifts smoothly, albeit a little slowly, and acceleration is on the swifter side at 5.9s for the 0-100km/h sprint.

As you might hope this hybrid IS has an astoundingly low official/combined fuel consumption rating of 5.1L/100km.

I was pleased to find that after a week of mainly urban driving conditions, our IS was returning a figure of 6.9L/100km. Not bad at all, especially for a class where fuel consumption can get a little out of hand with turbocharged engines or V6s.

Of course, using the hybrid system to your advantage over the long term will get this number much lower, as I discovered on my long-term test of the Toyota Corolla hybrid which essentially uses a smaller version of the same system.

Certainly, if fuel consumption is a high concern, you’re better off with this car than the top-spec V6 (IS 350) which will easily see consumption enter double digits.

Lexus recommends a minimum RON rating of 95 for the IS 300h, and the fuel tank is 66 litres regardless of variant, giving the hybrid an impressive theoretical range of around 1000km.

Lexus says that if driven on a combination of open and urban roads the IS 350 will go through petrol at a rate of 9.7L/100km.

My fuel test took in 119km of urban and country roads and after that I’d used 14.4L which comes to 12.1L/100km.

There is no doubt the IS 300h is capable. You can feel it through the car’s solid rear-drive underpinnings, silky smooth steering, and reactive chassis.

What this car doesn’t offer is excitement in quite the same sense as many of its rivals. That’s down to this hybrid’s drivetrain. It just doesn’t have that powerful follow-through in the same way turbocharged BMWs or Audis or Mercedes do.

If it’s that 'sports luxury' experience you’re seeking better off looking to the base 2.0-litre turbo or the V6 and their eight-speed automatics.

The 300h does offer something a bit different. The gentle refined efficiency of Toyota’s signature hybrid system in a luxury rear-drive package that’s smaller than this car’s ES bigger brother.

While it may feel capable thanks to the lighter suspension components and altered track that the brand has committed to for this update, the hybrid drive matches this car’s softer character brought about by its gentle suspension tune and light steering.

This is an easy car to drive around a city, it filters out bumps nicely, while offering near silence in the cabin and breezy steering for every day scenarios like manoeuvring in tight parking lots.

The CVT auto and instantaneous torque available from the electric motor make it best at traffic speeds, being both reactive and predictable, with silent acceleration when inching forward at the lights or cruising along at 50km/h.

As you might expect though, the wheezy Atkinson cycle engine and CVT conspire for a noisy and less than engaging experience under heavy acceleration.

It’s not as though you’re rewarded with particular vigour either, with this combination being a bit sluggish when a lot is asked of it.

It loses its reactivity and refinement at higher speeds or in the corners on country roads as the transmission elastically tries to keep up with the demands of the driver.

Still, few luxury sedans are quite as purpose-built for the toils of a city, and if you want to get drawn into this car’s hybrid drive antics, it’s easy to make a game out of saving fuel by trying to rely on its low-speed electric motor capability.

Really then, it leans into its urban luxury appeal. A luxury sedan for the streets of Tokyo. An ideal car in this class for the urban environment.

If you don’t care for the thrill of a turbocharger or frequently seek to explore the twists of your nearest B-road, you could do worse than the comfort and ambiance the 300h offers.

The standout feature here is how comfortable the ride is because while the IS 350 F Sport’s chassis feels taught and the V6 makes plenty of mumbo at 233kW this isn’t the most dynamic sports sedan in the world.

That engine and the eight-speed auto make a somewhat lethargic team, and this, combined with the car's weightiness, can sometimes make driving the IS 350 feel like you’ve just stepped out of a swimming pool after going for a dip fully clothed. The car weighs 1685kg, which is 250 kilos more than the BMW 330i.

That said, I drove it at my favourite midnight testing ground, and while it doesn’t perform as sharply as its looks may suggest I came away impressed by how enjoyable it was to pilot at a more relaxed pace.

I’m not going to get all spiritual on you, but the planted, solid feel of the car, the way it flows through corners with such composure, and the good connection I felt with the road made driving the IS 350 engaging and tranquil in equal measure.

The IS350 F Sport scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2015. Coming standard is AEB, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

For child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX points and three top tether mounts across the rear row.

Under the boot floor is a space saver spare wheel.

Lexus gets slightly ahead of the luxury pack with an extra year of warranty. While BMW and Audi still sit on three, Lexus offers four, but it is limited to 100,000km and is still outdone by Mercedes-Benz and Korean newcomer, Genesis, offering five-year/unlimited kilometre promises.

The IS has capped price servicing fixed at $495 for the first three years of ownership with roadside assist, and the brand will even pick up and drop off your car, or offer a free loan car during every 12 month or 15,000km service.

It’s worth noting that German rivals offer pre-paid service packages out to five years, and Genesis is trying to make a splash with free servicing.

Lexus does offer a luxury ownership program dubbed ‘Encore’ which includes invites to experiences and certain partnerships with restaurants and the like to keep potential owners enticed.

The IS 350 is covered by Lexus’ four-year/100,000km warranty.

Servicing is recommended at 15,000km/12month intervals. There is no capped price servicing offered although the first service is free, and you can expect to pay $600 for the second and $573 on the third. This also includes the pick-up and drop-off of the vehicle and a loan car, too.