2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

Name: 2020 Lexus IS 300 Review
Brand: Lexus

Price Range: $26,990 - $32,998

+140

Lexus makes an admirable case for a value-based luxury sport sedan with its entry-level 2020 IS 300, offering adventurous styling at a better starting price than German rivals. It even has an injection of driving personality. Unfortunately a clumsy infotainment controller and too-tight ergonomics hold it back. Times have changed since this IS generation debuted for 2013 and the car feels stuck in time.

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Price & Payment

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$27,577 avg. price

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2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

New Blackline Edition debuts with exclusive wheels and black/indigo trim
Part of the third Lexus IS generation introduced for 2014

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.36 per gallon for premium unleaded in Illinois.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Illinois

$218/mo

$170/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4.5/5Excellent

#5 out of 68 among Luxury Midsize Cars

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Lexus IS 300 from 2008-2022.}

$519/yr

vs. $607/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.53x/yr

vs. 1.36x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

5.1%

vs. 10.5%
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Lexus IS 300 Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.2

33 reviews

5(55%)

4(24%)

3(6%)

2(15%)

1(0%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Fun 2 drive, poor technology

Jason burgos, 08/08/2018

2018 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)

Only 3,000 miles in but the navigation and Lexus Enform is terribly unreliable. I wasted money upgrading to this option. Seat cooling and heating has a mind of its own.

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DG, 11/22/2020

2020 Lexus IS 300 F SPORT 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I bought this because my 2020 Ford Explorer just wasn’t cutting it. I went with the IS because I wanted something a little smaller and sporty. I love the interior. It feels just like a Lexus. The one disappointing thing is no Apple Car Play. That’s a head scratcher for a 2020 model. The seats are very comfortable, and the site lines are on point. I’ve driven it on a three hour trip …

IS300 F Sport - stylish, fun, upscale

Alex R., 10/28/2016

2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)

This IS 300 F Sport has been an absolute pleasure. While sport sedans today, including some of the others I tested before acquiring an IS, are somewhat watered-down for the most part, this one doesn't make compromises. It's a very comfortable place to be while still offering high levels of driver engagement, and it looks the part, too. Starting off, the sedan is pretty low to step into, … which lets both driver and passenger know this is not a family sedan. It took me a couple of days to adjust to the step-in height, but it's certainly easy to live with. The seats hug you quite nicely and have soft Nuluxe upholstery - my example's seating is finished in Rioja Red, which contrasts nicely with the black surfaces on the dash and headliner. I love the analog clock and brushed-aluminum accents, which are sort of retro-looking. After starting the car the first thing you notice is the awesome F Sport instrument cluster, which is mostly a digital display. It looks sharp and is reconfigurable to show lots of trip data and even glows red when your RPM reaches a configurable threshold. The steering wheel is also fantastic and one of my favorite features of the car - it's wrapped in soft leather and is fairly chunky. The steering feel, too, is quite good for a modern car, providing enough resistance at speed to give me confidence around corners. Speaking of corners, this thing stays pretty flat and drama-free even at turning speeds I wouldn't dare attempt in my old Camry. And despite the V6 being detuned to 255 HP compared to the IS 350's 306 HP, this thing still has plenty of power and is satisfying to drive quickly. The intake sound amplifier also means the V6 really comes alive at higher RPMs - and it sounds quite nice! My only real gripes with this car have to do with the infotainment, which seems to have a lot of menus. The mouse-like controller can also take some getting used to - and I bet your passengers won't want to learn it. In addition, this thing rides well over most roads, but sometimes more broken pavement transmits some noise into the cabin than you might expect. The handling benefits of the suspension tuning as well as the composure on the highway far outweigh the slight downsides on crappy roads, for my taste - not to mention this thing is near-silent on any decent road anyway. All that said, this is a great small luxury car that seems designed to appeal to the enthusiast without overdoing it. If you're buying this car for a fun, engaging driving experience with some luxury touches, you won't be disappointed.

Smart Buy

R, 11/16/2021

2017 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)

Very satisfied with my 17’ IS300 F Sport. What’s crazy is the used car market right now. The kbb on my IS was $28k when I bought it in Jan 21’ and now in Nov. 21’ kbb is $38k! Go figure, it’s gotta be 1st time in my life we’re seeing values change like that. Shows you how strong the resale value is. Plus it gives owners endless possibilities of mods or it can be kept straight OEM. These … Japanese built rides are so well made and they’re put together in either Canada or the US not Mexico so many. And if the day does come you need some work it won’t cost you like all other euros in its class. No it won’t win any races off the assembly line but that doesn’t mean you can’t set it up to be a track car (my future plans for it). I can feel the craftsmanship and enjoy simplicity of my black and red interior. I like the fact I can switch it to ECO in the neighborhood and barely make a sound then throw it into Sport mode and take the corner at 50 without a squeal. The Japanese have set the standard for a well built long lasting V6s and I don’t feel anything different with this one, it should easily get 250k miles plus just like my 02’ IS did and I’m sure it’s still going. There are some things that can be improved, I had to install my own wireless apple car play harness. I invested about $300 into RCF front bushings and adjustable rear control arms to help with the excessive inner tire tread wear. If your not careful you can burn through summer tires in less than 15k miles. The other small upgrade is to replace your front dash 4” tweeters, it’s an easy and inexpensive mod that will clear up your mids and highs will sound so much better. But that’s my inner sound junkie talking. For those owners complaining about f sport brake noises or any brake noises for that fact don’t understand how to properly lube small key areas near the pad, caliper, mounting spot or don’t have the right brake pad hardware or simply neglecting their brakes. A 5 min internet search and a $2 silicone lube can solve these f sport brake noise complaints. I installed Brembo & Bosch rotors and paired them with ceramic Akebono pads and they are dead silent, rust resistant, zero brake dust and highly responsive. People who complain about brake noises and blame their car are the same type who drive until their oil light comes on before an oil change. For those wondering about winter performance, I’m up in Northern Idaho and I made it through a few solid winters with my stock 18” f sport rims and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS tires. But any snow storm over 6” requires snow tire setup or chains. Lexus AWD is solid but it doesn’t provide enough traction for the bigger snow storms. Overall for an affordable entry level luxury sedan/souped Camry I wouldn’t hesitate buying again especially since it won all the rewards in 2017 for holding its value.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Lexus IS 300, so we've included reviews for other years of the IS 300 since its last redesign.

See all 33 reviews of the Lexus IS 300

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2020 IS 300 Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$38,560
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	24 MPG
Cost to Drive	$218/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	10.8 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the IS 300 models:

Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist: Monitors lane markings, warns if you are drifting, and can even help steer the vehicle back into the lane of travel.
Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: Helps drivers maintain a preset distance by adjusting the vehicle's speed in relation to the vehicle directly ahead.
Intelligent High Beam: Switches between high and low beams automatically by using cues from a camera that helps detect when other vehicles are present.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover5 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover9.5%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

Price & Payment

2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.36 per gallon for premium unleaded in Illinois.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Lexus IS 300 Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Fun 2 drive, poor technology

Back to Lexus

IS300 F Sport - stylish, fun, upscale

Smart Buy

2020 IS 300 Highlights

Safety

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2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

Price & Payment

2020 Lexus IS 300 Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.36 per gallon for premium unleaded in Illinois.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Lexus IS 300 Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Fun 2 drive, poor technology

Back to Lexus

IS300 F Sport - stylish, fun, upscale

Smart Buy

2020 IS 300 Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2020 Lexus IS 300 info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Lexus

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.36 per gallon for premium unleaded in Illinois.}