2023 Lexus IS 500 Premium - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

2023 Lexus IS 500 F-Sport Performance

My Number 1 Choice For a New Car!

David Colman

Photos and Story By David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

In the last calendar year I have driven 52 different vehicles. Only two of them would I consider buying for myself. This Lexus would be my first choice. Considering it's a Lexus, the IS 500 is eminently affordable, with a base price of $62,020, and an as-delivered price of $66,525. However, my reasons for making this sedan my number one choice have less to do with affordability than with sheer performance. With a 472hp V8 burbling under the hood, the understated IS 500 is quick enough to whip any Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, BMW M3, Audi Quattro, or Porsche over any piece of challenging pavement.

2023 Lexus IS 500 F-Sport Performance

The suspension tuning of this Lexus is spot-on, with just the right combination of spring stiffness and shock absorber flex to cope with twisty road surprises. Yamaha gas-pressurized rear performance dampers add brilliance to the mix. Lexus calls this amalgamation of parts "Adaptive Variable Suspension." Standard issue on the F Sport IS 500, AVS copes brilliantly with changes in road surface and terrain irregularities. This sedan hurtles from apex to apex like a laser-guided missile. Standard equipment includes a Torsen limited slip differential which apportions drive to just the rear wheels. Rear wheel drive gives this Lexus a lively dance step that is totally absent from sedans with all-wheel drive.

Thanks to Lexus' generous allocation of wheel and tire, the IS 500 is never at a loss for grip. Our test model benefitted from a $2,450 upgrade from the standard (and rather ugly) Enkei cast alloy rims to Plus One sized BBS forged wheels. These split seven spoke rims, finished in subdued matte black, are exceptionally wide for a stock vehicle: 19 x 8.5 inches up front and a whopping 19 x 9.5 inches in the rear. The BBS rims mount Bridgestone's stickiest street legal (TW 280) rubber: Potenza S001 L tires sized 235/40R19 front and 265/35R19 rear. The g-loadings this Lexus will pull with Drive Mode dialed to Sport+ is phenomenal. The lovely perforated leather steering wheel requires just 2.8 turns to travel from lock to lock, and the IS 500 will carve a U-Turn in just 34.2 feet. Despite the fact that this luxury sedan weighs in at 3,891 pounds, it's quicker on its contact patches than Fred Astaire.

2023 Lexus IS 500 F-Sport Performance

Inside the cabin, driving life is blissfully under control. Both "F Sport Bolstered" front seats are the best in the business, with scads of lateral support, bulging lift under your thighs, and three memory slots for the driver to capture and retain favorite settings. But the thumping V8 under the hood is what this Lexus is all about. Given the relentless assault of EVs, who knows how long the superb 2UR-GSE engine will remain available from Lexus. This iteration produces 472hp and 395 foot pounds of torque. It snaps to life with an irreverent rumble, and is perfectly content to loaf around town at low rpm. If you keep the green "ECO" light lit on the freeway, the bestial V8 is good for 25MPG at cruising speeds around 70mph. However, it's oh-so-tempting to dial up Sport S or Sport S + from the Drive Mode dial, and get with the full rapid transit program. Use the steering wheel paddles to tweak the 8-speed automatic transmission into a gear that will light the V8's power curve when you nail the throttle. At that instant, the honking 5-liter explodes with a ferocity seldom experienced these days. 60 miles per hour takes just 4.3 seconds from rest, while the standing start quarter mile flashes past in 12.8 seconds at 112mph. Top speed is 149mph.

2023 Lexus IS 500 F-Sport Performance

In spite of its propensity to shred asphalt with the best from Japan, Germany and the USA, the IS 500 is a remarkably useful vehicle, with a trunk sequestered from prying eyes that holds 10.8 cubic feet of baggage. There's also a fold down back seat that will serve 2 adults very comfortably, and 3 in a pinch. Lexus fits the Premium version of the IS 500 with a stellar 17-speaker Mark Levinson Audio System that is a breeze to program and control from the 10.3-inch touchscreen. Thankfully, Lexus has retained a separate stalk for cruise control, so you don't have to squint at tiny steering wheel spoke buttons to modulate this important function. There's an overall sensibility here about cabin design here that seems to have eluded most other car makers these days.

2023 Lexus IS 500 F-Sport Performance

Okay, so I'm off to my local Lexus shop for a look see. Lexus is making just 150 Limited Edition IS 500s for 2023. These are finished in Molten Lava, and fitted with the BBS alloys, as well as special black chrome interior fittings. But I think I'll stick with the outstanding Infrared shade of Candy Apple that graced our test car. It's a knockout punch that fully matches the spirit of this wicked fast ride.

2023 LEXUS IS 500 PREMIUM

HYPES: Ultra Refined Bullet

GRIPES: Could Use a Rear Wiper

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10