2020 Lexus IS 350 Review
Price Estimate: $35,990





+116
Below Average
6.9
out of 10
edmunds TESTED
This generation IS has been around since 2013. And for each new luxury sedan that comes out, the 2020 IS 350's flaws become more apparent. It has middling fuel economy and, at least in F-Sport guise, an overly firm ride quality. The clunky infotainment interface is particularly grating when you consider how many rivals offer more user-friendly systems. Build quality is still top-notch, but overall the IS 350 is outclassed by the Genesis G70, Mercedes C-Class and Volvo S60.
2020 Lexus IS 350 Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What's new
- A new Blackline edition debuts with dark cosmetic treatments
- Part of the third Lexus IS generation introduced for 2014
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota
$207/mo for IS 350 Base
IS 350 Base
vs
$160/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
See Edmunds pricing data
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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4 out of 5 stars4/5Excellent
#11 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
$481/yr
vs. $607/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
Frequency
1x/yr
vs. 1.36x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
Severity
5.6%
vs. 10.5%
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
powered by RepairPal
Lexus IS 350 Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
2016 IS350 F Sport
5 out of 5 starsTim, 03/30/2016
2016 Lexus IS 350 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
I hesitated to buy this car because of Consumer Reports rating. They did not like the car very much. Later I found their review was based on the entry level IS. My opinion is that this car is awesome. I have owned over fifty cars in my life. I am hard to please. This car accomplishes what it is supposed to do. When you factor in reliability it wins the class with little competition.
My second IS and it's nice
5 out of 5 starsG$, 10/14/2015
2015 Lexus IS 350 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
Pros:
- The car performs perfectly for the US. It easily accelerates to speed (and for passing on the highway) and it handles like a dream when the roads get twisty.
- You're going to play with the guage cluster a lot. It's cool and fun.
- The seats are probably the most comfortable I've ever had in a luxury sports sedan (owned or ridden in is300, bmw 328xi, audi s4). This vehicle is … comfy.
- It's a Lexus. It just works. And when I'm done driving it, the resale value of this car will be fantastic. (I sold my old is300 after 10 years for $10k.)
- It's got all the luxury I need (heated seats/steering wheel, ventilated seats, nav system, blindspot detection with crosstraffic (saved me twice already), bluetooth, USB port, etc.)
- It's really roomy compared to the old IS300 (and they finally made the seats split folding!)
Cons:
- It does sit low. I'm also a cyclist, so I've added a hitch to the rear which makes it worse! It will get rock chips in the hood. And it will rub on steep driveways.
- It's not great on fuel economy. I generally don't "play" with it a lot and I'm getting around 22mpg.
- The brakes do produce a lot of dust, so expect to give it a cleaning regularly
Go see it in person. Some people hate the styling, but I think it's less gaudy in person. (The photos of the front make it look awful.) I haven't had it in the snow yet, but I expect that the AWD and all season tires will do just fine.
Update 4/17/2016.... I've now been through some winter driving in DC with the car. I have the AWD and it felt as solid as my 2005 Infiniti FX35 in the snow. I was able to drive it up to Pennsylvania to go snowboarding 4 or 5 times without issue. That said, I suspect if the snow got deep (over the bumper) that the snow performance could degrade pretty quickly. (The car sits fairly low.)
Great car, with a few exceptions
4 out of 5 starsTom B, 03/02/2017
2014 Lexus IS 350 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
I lease a Lexus IS350 with the F-Sport option, and for the past 3 years it has been a lot of fun to drive. I turn mine in this May so I figured I have enough experience with it to write an honest review. First of all, I'm not a race car driver, so I don't much to compare against. But this car feels very sporty to me, has plenty of pickup, good handling, and a snappy suspension. The … infotainment system is fantastic. I especially love the 2nd display sitting behind the steering wheel. It's top-notch; plenty of bling and wow factor when you show a friend how the main dial moves over to reveal a 2nd screen. And it's functional, allowing you to do 2 things at once (music + navigation for example). The voice activation is decent enough. I really grew to like the center console "mouse" so if you test drive this car, don't be too put off by it. It grows on you. There is one big negative though, and you should know this before purchasing or leasing. The road noise is excessive. I realize this is a sporty car that sits low to the ground, but that shouldn't be an excuse for having to jack up the volume on your music at 55 MPH on a road that isn't all that old. And yes, this is with the standard tires AND with new replacements. The bottom carriage of the car simply does not have enough insulation to block out what is happening underneath. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me, but I can imagine some people would hate it. If you test drive, make sure to insist driving the car on a highway, preferrably one that hasn't been re-surfaced in the past couple years.
Love my IS350
5 out of 5 starsLexusLover, 03/17/2017
2014 Lexus IS 350 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
Love the feel and handling of this car. It's so fun to drive. Only qualms: Car vents for air conditioning could be stronger, I have to turn air all the way up to feel anything and then it's loud and annoying. Also, I should have opted for the better quality sound system. However, I feel confidant that it will always take me to and from wherever I have to go...safely. Previously I had … 2 BMWs. I love the way my IS350 drives better than the 3 series I had. I also had the X5 and loved it but it was too big. I opted for this smaller sporty car and have the same fun driving this as I did the X5 even though they are two completely different vehicles. I wouldn't trade this car for anything.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Lexus IS 350, so we've included reviews for other years of the IS 350 since its last redesign.
2020 IS 350 Highlights
Base
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $42,180 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 23 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $207/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 10.8 cu.ft. |
rear wheel drive | |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the IS 350 models:
- Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
- Monitors lane markings, warns you 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
5 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall4 / 5Driver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover5 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover9.5%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestGood
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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