As an owner of an IS500 I find your perspective really interesting. This is my first Lexus, having moved up from Mercedes (SL AMG). Biggest problem with Mercedes is quality and longevity - it's just not there. For me, and yes I am really old school, the IS500 is a great blend of new and old. I agree the infotainment system could use work, but the seats, ride, and whole experience takes me back to old school high performance sport sedans. If Lexus marketing were aiming for the Baby Boomer and Gen X buyers, they nailed it for me. We drove the BMW, Acura, Audi, and Infinity versions of the sport sedan and they just didn't fit. So for me and my wife, this is a great compromise and hopefully will have many years of service from our IS500.
As a former 3IS owner its quality isn’t that much to write home about either. At the end of the day the 3IS is a RWD Corolla with a fancier powertrain (in looks/size) in fact - hah! The Corolla is larger dimensions wise and interior room wise
Bought a certified launch edition with 3500 miles. I use it as my commuter car (50 miles round trip). Makes the drive so much more enjoyable. The car isn’t numb and boring but is fairly inexpensive to maintain and put some miles on it. I’ve owned 3 Lexus GS. Each were great but wanted one of the last v8 sedans before they are gone for good.
I'm always amazed that people spend tons of money on depreciating assets just to get you from A to b. You must have to have a really fragile ego to be bolstered by a car. After six months of ownership it's just a car nothing more nothing less. Not an investment just a losing proposition, And the thrill is gone long before the payments end
Some people call it dated. I call it retro. I like the whole interior. I picture a race car as being spartan, simple, and all business, i.e., more manly. That's why I like the IS500.
I just love the fact when Toyota came out with their first V-8. American and European automotive engineers laughed at Toyota. That commercial with champagne glasses on the hood of an LS-400 was spot-on. Who’s laughing now….? 🤑🤑
You’re wrong on the LS400 being the vehicle featured in the commercial. That was the sound of the glorious v10 in the Lexus LFA super car, which actually broke the champagne glasses.
@@naveenthemachineyes they’re soooo far behind…..in catching up with supply vs their demand. Anything else and your comment is massively and factually wrong 🥱🥱🥱 I work in the car industry and they are absolutely killing it…make a great product, some that appreciate in price which is unheard of….problem is you can’t get a lot of their models right away due to demand.
I normally love your reviews, but you came into this one completely wrong. e.g. Intellectually you know the IS 500 is not an F product, but it was clear that’s what you wanted. Don’t get the car; because no matter what, you will not be happy with it. The ethos of the IS 500 is to be a comfortable commuter during the week and a fun mountain sweeper on the weekend. I’ve had two IS 350s previously and as much as I loved them, this car makes me want to drive….everywhere. 😂 The 350s did not illicit the same emotion. If you’re not an owner, you won’t get it and that’s okay.
Surprising take on this IS500. I’d still rather have this than a comparable German car. The IS500 is going to retain its value and last, German cars don’t do either.
@@naveenthemachine yeah the LC is in a different league for sure, the BMW and Infiniti are awesome cars for sure but their value is going to be in the dumps inside of 10 years. I guess it also depends on the buyer. I keep cars a long time. For someone that doesn't keep cars long and get a new one every few years, I can see why the Infiniti or BMW are more attractive options just due to the great driving experience.
No one will touch SavageGeese when it comes to the LFA and he didn’t even need 1M subscribers. Also another local Chicago reviewer, no one comes close to him in quality
You're missing the point of this car. Premium cars should not break $1,000 Parts like matchsticks and shouldn't depreciate by 50% once the warranty ends. The engine noise is not fake. The car has a lot of sound insulation to give a quiet refined ride but if you would like to hear the lovely V8 there's a mechanism to allow you to do that. The engine noise is bled from the intake manifold area into the cabin.
I love your channel, and disagree strongly with your take on the IS 500. The fact that the car is not a full F version, is an asset, not a liability. The buyer gets traditional Lexus smoothness, isolation, comfort, top-tier audio with the Levinson, and reliability--that V8 will last forever. If you drive it gently and keep it below 3000 RPM, it's quiet and luxurious. It's a nice car, for nice people. But stomp on the throttle, and you get old fashioned RWD V8 fun, snappy shifts, and engine roar. Making it a full F would make it less desirable to me--rougher, and more expensive. And I'm never going to take it on the track. If I were to buy a car today, it would be an IS 500. Just my opinion, all the best!
There’s no issue w/ the transmission. It’s programmed perfectly. Your not driving fast enough for it to shift fast in manual mode. In Drive at behaves like any other Lexus. Go faster! Watch my track videos if you care to. My car is not tuned & the engine/trans tuning in the IS500 is better. Same drivetrain and tuning as RC F/GS F. You’re not driving it aggressively. That’s why the shifts are delayed.
A number of youtube reviewers also don’t drive around long enough for the transmission to get up to temp to get the thing out of “slow” mode. Needs a good 15 minutes or so. I would say it’s a fair criticism that it takes that long to warm up, but at the same time, since they’re so well known for reliability, I only presume Lexus tuned the transmission that way exactly for reliability purposes.
It's only a disappointment when one has built their expectations out of proportion. I'm actually disappointed in your review. Your IS review from a couple of years ago and this one is night and day different, yet there's almost no difference in the cars. Toyota simply stuffed the 2UR-GSE in it, exactly what everyone wanted! This was never to be the next IS-F. This was/is the debut of the F Sport Performance line at a price point well below the last remaining F car. The only cliché you missed from all the hater "journalists" was, it doesn't have an option for a manual transmission. Maybe I had built my expectations of your long awaited "Deep Dive" of this beast way out of proportion.😢 I expected a deep dive, not a hatchet job
Yea, I was also expecting a positive review with some negatives and flaws but TCCN went crazy on this completely blasted the beautiful car. Other good channels like Throttlehouse, Savageeese all of them gave a big plus to this despite the flaws I did not expect TCCN to just do such a huge negative piece, shocked in-fact.
A couple things You gave praise to the gs f for having the same engine and its reliability but contradicted yourself on why the is f should be all about performance and not for reliability. Toyota/lexus has never made a car, much less a performance car without reliability in mind, even with the lfa. This isn’t supposed to be an f car even if it has f performance. Its a farewell to the last naturally aspirated 8 cylinder sports car on the market. Wouldn’t have made sense to put R&D into it.
And the irony is GS F has SAME transmission as the IS 500 and even funny thing is RC F as well. And both of them FAIL in Performance vs German. Lexus never wins being fast but it will last the longest of all cars out there. He failed big time. I did not really expect him to blast this universally acclaimed car. Raiti, Throttlehouse, Savagegeese everyone praised it and they all know it's not an IS F.
I think people miss the point of this car. It's not meant to be a performance sedan. It's meant to be a Grand Touring (GT) with a really kick ass V8. I feel like Lexus wanted something old school. An M340i or M3 or nearly anything from Germany in this price range is going to perform better... but I think Lexus was going for an American GT w/ a little kick. As long as you never plan to track it, it's a pretty awesome little car.
I dont really get why everyone dislikes the car so much. I came to my IS500 from a 2019 Mustang GT PP1, manual. I much prefer driving it every day to the mustang. There is absolutely nothing that really bothers me in the slightest.
The car doesn't win spec sheet races. I think that's 95% of it. Like somehow the 40ish-100ish of this car remains its biggest kept secret, which is really annoying in these discussions, because it's a monster between those speeds and it's where most people will live with this car when they want to give it any beans. Idgaf about the M340i's 0-60; most people aren't doing launch control at every red light all day long. The transmission complaints are weird to me too; I come from a long line of ownership of manual cars, I want my daily driving to be shifted smoothly, and my spirited driving to be shifted hard; the AA80E does both very well. I find DCTs and ZF8s too clinical. Last but not least there's the F car gatekeeping brigade. I'd be surprised if anywhere near the majority of F car owners tracked their cars. I'm unlikely to ever track this one. All I really have to say to those people can be summed up with this ru-vid.comUgkxz5IyR95702mEN7-R6aQZ0TJNRzymWma1 I think Lexus set out to make this car a competent daily that was still pretty fast. I think they succeeded. People should just try driving the car. Most of them complaining probably haven't.
Performance sucks in comparison to its rivals. Lexus focuses on reliability, but tries to market it as a “performance” car. That’s why it’s laughed at.
May not be the best transmission or the fastest V8 but the transmission and engine will sure last 400,000+ miles as long as the transmission and engine is serviced on time. Dual clutch transmissions are not as reliable might be a big reason Lexus didn’t go with a faster transmission because of reliability.
Finally the video I have been waiting for, my dream car which can be owned !! Thanks a lot AMD for your honest opinion and sad to hear your brutal comments on it, but I have a few points to mention. Unfortunately the flaws exist, the low drive mode of Eco and Sport+ offer nice "split personality" with it's drive modes the 7000 revving beast or the 2000 cruiser it's a nice trait this 3IS has. Yep it lacks all the Track features that GS F / RC F has like Oil cooler and Trans cooler sadly along with F fenders & IIRC GS F also has ASC but it can be disabled at-least unlike 99.99% of the modern cars which all of them have fake pumped noise. For the bulletproof AISIN AA80E it is same in GS F and IS F and RC F from what I can remember only LC500 has that 10Sp super fast transmission. A ZF would have been nice but Toyota changed a LOT, we all know how LS is now a dead husk. It's a miracle that Lexus even put out an IS 500 with the legendary NA 2UR-GSE V8 that too in this age, it's really an anomaly. Nobody makes the NA cars let alone a an NA V8 that is actually dependable. The brakes also are under-powered, but you can get the GS F brakes, and you should get an LCA bushing from the RC F to minimize the wear. As for the infotainment, the DCM module for the newer one adds a ton of bloatware and data analytics, the old one works fine why even replace it maybe the touchpad should have been removed and put a wireless charger. Plus the modern one lacks charisma in the UI it's too boring and clinical. The other flaws are no Semi-Aniline leather like GS it's all Nuluxe and Ultrasuede is only for Launch Edition, not good space for rear and trunk, a bit of overprice. But it's the last of the last engineering masterpiece to get plus one which is actually reliable, by 2025 both ES and IS will be replaced, so no more NA engines from Toyota stable. They all are going away, the GX is also dead now. Finally it's made in Aichi, Japan and one of the world's most advanced and legendary plant, Tahara. One more point is IS350 with BBS forged costs a ton almost near to 60K while this one maxed out minus BBS (with Enkei Alloys) costs $65K. And why would anyone opt for V6 ? if you remove BBS forged (they cost $9K retail outside the factory) the diff is ~8K. And remember the GS F is too damn expensive, 85K retail and now used you get same price as a brand new IS 500. Plus add extra cost for more expensive maintenance. Also why no under car review ? sad to not see that part. I think you hated the car a lot. Plus as I mentioned, it has same parts from RC and GS line, even the front end of the car is completely changed from IS350, it's all GS which is why you can swap the LCA bushings from RC F and GS F. Same Transmission too... Also to be honest, Lexus never was Performance first. They always lost to Germans, always. But excelled in reliability It's really sad for this brutal take on the last swan song for the Lexus corporation's Japanese Engineering of the V8 that put the company in it's place the original LS.
The fact that it is an IS 350 with a new engine and transmission is a blessing and a curse. I prefer to focus on the blessing - it is a hell of a cruiser. 4-hour road trip last weekend for the holiday was no problem, and I got a chance to leave behind a Hemi Charger while I was at it. This car is a lot of fun. CCN comes across, weirdly enough, as a Lexus F purist in this video and is not looking at this car for what it is.
I would still buy it. Its a miracle to find a reliable sedan in 2023, with a v8. Also that color and the looks are beautiful. That car is my dream car. Wow, i wish. ❤️❤️❤️
Great review. I bought my 23 IS500 on NYE and have enjoyed it. It feels dated and having previously owned a fully optioned 14 IS350 F-Sport, I was surprised by how little has changed. The transmission is the weak spot in this car for sure. However, it’s still fun to drive and if you’re daily driving it, it’s pretty good. A ZF 8 speed it’s not. I bought this as my last new V8 car before going electric. It’s a bit of a sleeper, will roast the tires on demand, drives nicely, and sounds good. Is it amazing? No. Will it hold its value and not break? Oh yes. Keep up the great work!
I had one of these, sold it after 8 months and must say you summed up my experience with it perfectly. It was just kinda there, not bad but not great lol.
@@LateNightDateNightsucks to see comments like this. I was going to get one but after seeing the interior and how slow they are I backed out. It’s about as fast as a scat pack which I run door to door with in my 2001 $1,500 Silverado with full bolt ons and a tune.
If you like the way a Lexus IS drives, you should at least test-drive it, if you can find one to test-drive, of course. It's basically an engine-swapped IS 350, but as a former IS 350 owner, I have no regrets going to the 500. I didn't really want or need a more performance-oriented car, but I did kind of want more power, especially from this V-8. And because it's not super stiff or loud, I drove it recently on a 4-hour trip each way and was totally fine at the end, even though I got the chance to do some spirited accelerations here and there with the V-8 sound. That's pretty awesome if you ask me.
You're getting a bigger difference...from what you have now 2011 in comparison to the is 500..the 3rd generation is is more sportier ..handles way better than. The second gen plus your getting the v8 ..and yes the refresh is still made on the 3rd gen is platform just a different skin on the outside
This definitely needs a six speed manual swap and a free flowing, nice sounding louder exhaust. If that was available from the factory, this would’ve been a legend
Manuals as they are now I should say are dead to Lexus and this is not a full F car it doesn't even have a oil coolers of a F car ....its really just a nice sounding ride with some dated bits. Really a odd ball offering. Lexus needed a F car this is a parts bin car. I agree i do not understand this car.
I think you missed the mark a bit with this car because you werent realistic with your expectations. It was never meant to be a "halo car", it was meant to be a more fun IS350. It wasn't branded as a track car, but it still does 95% of what an RCF does for 10k-20k less. They HAD to keep the IS500 under a certain cost; specifically the M3. Because once you hit M3 MSRP, you start being compared to the M3. The RCF has been dead on sales for years because it's more expensive than an M3 and performs horribly on a track compared to the M3 or even an M240i. Lexus wanted the IS500 to be an intermediate tier fun car, which they succeeded in.
@@naveenthemachine The car isn't about flat out speed. The sum of its parts equal more than those cars, and the performance numbers journalists go on and on about don't grasp it well. I have extensive seat time in the M340i at the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience in autocross and on the street. Under 60mph, yes it's faster and more thrilling than the IS500 hands down. On the highway, the IS500 absolutely crushes it. The M340i feels really firm and sporty, but it doesn't do soft daily driving well. The IS500 is softer and can be firm with the turn of a dial. The Genesis G70 3.3T I've also driven, I almost bought one, but long term Hyundai reliability and depreciation is not great, that's what steered me away. I don't know, it's hard to explain but the IS500 has character, intangibles you can't measure. Yes, it has flaws but adding up the sum of its parts it's a fantastic car. On paper, the M340i and G70 3.3 are better cars without a doubt, actual driving experience at least for me it's the IS500 every time.
@@naveenthemachine I drove a Scatpack charger and absolutely hated it. The interior was all rubber, touch points felt like the inside of a rainboot, and it FELT heavy. Body roll like crazy, literally felt like steering a cruiseliner. I didn't even finish the test drive route before deciding it wasn't for me. Also, the fact they get stolen so easily didn't make me feel great about purchasing one either
Your quarrels with this magnificent Lexus are silly. This is not an F car, this is an upgraded 350, already a near perfect car, to a gorgeous 500 Lexus V8. I own an ISF, one of the last ones, 2013 and though I’m not tempted to trade mine, I wouldn’t hesitate to write a check for whatever they want for this if I didn’t already have an F. This is a special car that will always be desirable to own.
Lexus is very smart..if you ask me what they did was make a V8... 350.. F sport in RWD. They wanted to reel in the fans of the real "IS F". Lexuswanted to remind us and just decided to make variations to fit customers choice of a "Fun Drive". Let's made it still in the range of an everyday car. And when you want to br Speed Racer or Car Show stroll... YOU DECIDE! lololol #LoveLexus
The clock is great indeed. I couldn't care less about the infotainment. All I need is a screen for Carplay/Android Auto. Never used the native interface. Have no clue what it is. Not relevant.
Hmmm, I don't think this was supposed to be a full 'F' Lexus CCN so I don't go along with the premise that it was an unfinished project. As for the interior, that's subjective, but it's somewhat 'old school' looks with the clock for example ARE COOL! Nowadays all car inteiors look the same, BLAND. One rectangular screen for the instrument cluster and one for the infotainement. You can't tell an Alfa from a KIA these days when you step inside. This interior is a reminderr of when QUALITY ruled, you had a proper instrument binnacle and some nice solid phycial buttons too, This what I love about my gen 2 Lexus IS350 Sports Luxury.
@ 21:17 the answer is yes! I overheard an engineer at a Lexus event in Arizona a couple of years ago mention exactly this. They wanted to make a performance version of the IS and they came to a compromise of putting the 2UR-GSE in it. Akio himself approved it.
I think you misunderstood this car. This is NOT a "sports car" although it can be. It is primarily a v8 sedan, that's all. It just happens to make a lot of power here.
@@sarkaranish I mean, a Tesla Model X P100D is fast, but sporty? Heck no. Perfect example. This car is "sporty", perhaps, but to call it a sports car is just silly. It's a grand touring sedan at best, but thankfully, it does handle really well and is fun to drive.
AMD, After watching your justified frustration with the unsuitable automatic transmission, I am reminded that the 6 speed M-A-N-U-A-L is a core component in making the new GR Corolla so excellent. 🤩🤩
Sorry everyone, but the AT is a golf cart. It is also a complex and expensive to maintain golf cart. More than the fake engine noise, a 'performance' car it does not make.
If they put a manual on the ISF, they'll sell boat load! Cadillac can't keep up with their Blackwing CT4 and CT5 manual orders and command a huge markup at dealers!
@@jcord0013 You can turn off the fake engine noise. I've had mine off since day 1. Not sure why the reviewer couldn't figure that out - other IS models have the same feature.
Outstanding video Mr. Ibraheem! So informative, educational, and entertaining at the same time! Your videos continue to impress with high levels of accuracy, honesty, and integrity! Thanks for being such an amazing God fearing man. Your friend Albert Smith.
As with each video you produce, I really enjoyed and got a lot out of. But here I am a little confused: In a previous video, you praised the IS500 quite a bit (even the trans), calling it a “tank.” Here, you kinda’ play all that down and call it an incomplete project. Is the trans junk? Is the car junk? Or is it a tank that doesn’t quite measure up?
Hard disagree on a lot of your perspective, but thats alright! Personally I think this car is a gem. It is what Lexus COULD give us and I am happy they did. I was surprised to find the new IS included a V8 option when it came out, and they could have easily excluded it considering the terrible sales numbers this car will surely have relative to their main sellers. I don't think Lexus is making a lot off this car, we are lucky to have it. I really do with they put the 10 speed from the LC500 in it, it really makes me wonder why they didn't, but this sedan isn't trying to be anything it isn't. Its an IS350 with a big boy V8 and thats all, and I am happy with that and its price.
I agree. And I like it better than a full F version. You get the traditional comfort, isolation, top--tier audio, convenient controls, and quiet when driven gently, AND rip-snorting V8 fun. For me, the best of both worlds.
Umm must be different I found this car is perfect for me , owning a 97 Supra TT and a M3 at the same time which make me hate the M3, the M3 were sold in a year and when I sell the Supra I got more money than what I paid for it, test drove the ISF when it first come out, it was nice but don't like the style that much, when Toyota brought the Supra was so excited then find out is a freaking BMW swear will never buy a Toyota again until this come out. Love the sond system excepecially with the CD, don't care about the 0-6 time everything is what I want perfectly for an old ass like myself.
Great video but he’s missing the point. Maybe you have to already be a Lexus sedan owner to really understand how this car nails it. Basically the choice is ES comfort and cushion with enough hp to hit that freeway to work with umph or an IS with sporty look and tighter handling, but the same hp. This is something special and different that meets you in the middle and takes you up 10 notches or 150 hp. It’s a cruiser that rips. But you have to understand the Lexus cruiser philosophy to get it.
I would seek out a lot of other videos. This one is clearly biased from the get-go. The IS 500 is a parts-bin car, but who cares? This guy went in with the mindset that he should judge it for being a car whose development "lacked funding" or whatever.
@@ARentz07 He makes a lot of good points. He’s judging it by the label Lexus gave it. The parts bin car idea was a bad choice, at least for a flagship sedan. It’s not really worthy of its place, and that’s the problem.
thats the thing about amd when he gives these reviews about these cars and when he starts talking about the things that are wrong or could have been better it gets to your head. You are not sure if he is saying to get the car or not but depends on what he says you dont want to get the car. I was one that loved the Lexus LS and wanted to get one. When i saw he did a review on one and mentioned all of the things that could go bad but still saying they are good cars i pretty much lost love and interest for the car and have no more intentions of getting it anymore just because of him
Everything aluminum que way better than plastic that can crack with long term mileage. What a beautiful engine! A masterpiece. I really love the 3.5 V6 in my 2015 GS 350. Another masterpiece.
As a gsf owner the transmission can be a little clunky if driving slightly aggressive. But on the track or driving flat out the transmission is extremely fast and smooth. So just drive it fast...lol
I don’t understand why the IS500 is the final go for this engine… this engine SHOULD be in the LX600 and the LS500. Instead they give you the engine in an IS. 😅 that’s fine, but why do you have to go with a compact sedan for a V8? People who spend 6 figures on a car don’t care about MPG, give them a V8.
Emissions. EPA mafia. Also SUV = high volume than performance Sedan. ES sells 4x than IS. And if you know GS got decimated by ES. SUV is a super competitive market on top, so Lexus want to change a lot and they did, the good old bulletproof GX is gone. The IS500 is the last hurrah for the 2UR-GSE. It will be gone in 2025 with a new model refresh coming. 2023 and 2024 are last years for IS 500 and even last years for 2GR-FKS as well, NA engines in Toyota are going to be put to pasture. Seqoia, GX, 4Runner all killed them, RX as well. LX did as well, LS did long back. Now all that is left are - Camry, ES, IS. Only 3 cars in entire Toyota production.
This is THE worst review of the IS 500 on RU-vid. You've completely missed the point. It's not supposed to be a performance car. It's supposed to be a daily driver.
Completely agree with this comment.If we compare it with German competitors, IS 500 is not BMW M3, but rather Alpina B3. In other words it is a super powerful highway/autobahn cruiser.
It's a great in-depth review, but you need to do better with the expectations that this will be an ISF. It isn't an ISF and should be obvious, given the naming taxonomy. Great talking points overall, but I feel that you went into this with unrealistic expectations, given you probably knew the specs and then subsequently were disappointed, which is surprising given you likely knew about the trans, interior, etc... ahead of time. I have had 9 M cars, F8x to G8x, and would never look at this as a competitor or replacement but rather as a fun, comfortable, fantastic daily that I could also comfortably road trip with my family, put a ton of miles on, and not worry about long-term reliability. The cherry on top is the beautiful V8 you highlight in great detail, and it will soon be a distant memory. Is this a flawed car? Absolutely! Is this the last of a dying generation that folks should take advantage of while they still can? Absolutely!
This is a fantastic car, and I don't agree that people don't buy them because they're reliable. That's exactly why I own a Lexus and a Toyota. If I wanted nothing but performance, I'd buy a BMW. But I don't want a car that needs thousands of dollars in repairs every year
@@themaskedsingercucucachu8225 I like the RS7 a lot. Still, I wouldn't even remotely consider buying anything from Audi, BMW, or Mercedes. I've been eyeing a used 911 recently, but that's pretty much the only German car I want in my garage.
@@soorensuroosh Merc has issues because of insane electronics under the hood... in 2025 audi is going that way too, i wouldnt buy a 2025 audi either. BMW also has mainly electronics problems. Audi is fully sorted out on the non-electric models. Their reliability is as good as or better than any comparable car. People make the mistake of equating the cost of running with reliability, not the same. Just the materials in the suspension of an Audi cost more than the materials in an entire Lexus RX. Check out SAVAGEESE for the lowdown. Because the materials are such hi quality, and hi performance, maintenance and repair is much more expensive. but if you want the best, you must pay for it.
I was jonesing for a GS-F several years ago, but even a preowned was going for stupid money at the time. These had me on release for the same reason; old school V8, great sound, reasonable performance, but above all, it was made to last, possibly longer than gasoline will remain the de facto fuel of choice for the automobile.
I am happy to see an objective and critical car review! It does not trash the vehicle yet shows areas that could have been improved or upgraded. Thanks AMD...and keep up the good work.
In 15 years this machine is a collectors item. Lexus IS MMI is crap but I can live with it because no one is using built in navigator, only bluetooth and it is just enough. Separate buttons for every crucial function is awesome in daily use. I don't know what fancy is on 100" screen in car??!? Bright flat board in center of dash is just ugly, also these distracts driver and makes commuting in traffic hell. Almost every day I see new German made EV etc to sailing between lanes and making sudden braking, also sleeping in lights and horns wake these idiots up, why?? Because they are browsing their fancy smartphones on wheels. I haven't found any nice looking cabin on any brand last years, all are dummy looking screen centered hell.
I have a fully loaded is350 in atomic silver with the NEW F-sport exhaust, it added more hp to car and looks amazing, still more affordable then the is500 I’d personally go with that.
This is not the first time a Lexus or Toyota product has received a relatively poor grade on this channel. All in all, this is possibly the best and most focused RU-vid channel for Toyota to send their vehicles for evaluation.
@RayanMADAO Why not if I have the money I would buy one more, especially with the government pushing ev to replace the ice which I think is a big mistake, people don't realize where the electric coming form, no nuclear power plant no coal power plant only rely on the so call green energy lot of people are going to die
I think lexus was going for a grand tourer vibe more than a track car vibe. which, philosophically, I love it. practically... I couldn't imagine spending 60k USD on a sedan. And I imagine the venn diagram of [ppl who like the car] and [ppl willing to fork out the cash] has to be an extremely narrow one.
@@3on4offnot anymore, Lexus of Beverly Hills are discount them now. Seems like the hype is over or people have less money due to inflation and high interest rate.
I love everything about it. I don’t like spending too much time in my car. This car delivers everything you need from a car. I do not like too many screens.
Guys there's a reason they called this an IS500 and not an ISF! So many reviewers are reviewing it like it's an ISF! This is supposed to be a more fun IS350 that retains the daily drivability and reliability. If they went full ISF this car would probably start at $75,000-$80,000 instead of $60,000 🤦♂️
this is why I'd rather put on the subtitles and watch japanese review the is500 than americans... in the japanese reviews they review the car based on what it is...not on what it's not
I most definitely should get an IS500 ! But, my bank account mama is laughing at me ... As for the fake exhaust sound (from inside the cabin), could it be for the noise insulation material that are used so the real sound wouldn't be heard as clearly... the exhaust sound from the outside doesn't sound bad at all.... 🤩
I have my sound off and it sounds the same. The sound is not fake it’s directly from the intake which has a flap that opens around 2800 rpm there’s an intake tube that connects
The transmission shifts really fast when it is warmed up and in manual mode or Sport S+. Not sure what more you want. I want it to last, so I will defer to Lexus's factory programming. 😉
I have to disagree with you saying you dont buy this is500 for reliability. Thats exact reason why you buy ANY Lexus. If you dont want to buy for reliability then you would get a Mercedes or BMW.
I think you're experiencing a break-in phenomenon with the 8 speed trans. I bought a 2020 Camry SE used with 59K miles. I had the same negative experience with the 8 speed lagging on accelleration and rough shifts. I read up on the history of the 8 speed with a lot of similar complaints. Then something strange happened. After I put about 3 thousand miles on it, all the transmission anomolies went away! No clunks, engagement delys or any problems at all with shifting are occurring. The trans is performiing perfectly. I haven't done anyting to it. no fluid change at 60K, no checks by the service department, just drove it.
I owned the car, put on about 8k before selling it and the transmission stayed lackluster as all hell. Even in Sports Plus downshifts in the lower gears were painful, such a shame.
@@stevewarren3051 I had a 2022 IS500 LE. Really well built car, loved the look, just couldn’t get over the transmission and sluggish feel of the vehicle.
Sometimes we are a bit to close to the content we are reviewing and I think this is the case with TCCN in this video. This is not an F car, so why constantly compare it to one? It is an IS that has a V8 as an engine option and frankly I love the way my IS350 drove and would love to just own this motor and I am positive I am not alone with this thought.
Love the channel . IS500 owner here Was looking at Porsches but wasn't quite ready to give up a back seat and auto for a daily driver. I didn't want BMW reliability and resale or a turbo car in general. Now I'm thinking I should picked up a RCF instead. Either way this is a very comfortable daily and the only thing I'll be doing is adding a louder exhaust. Maybe will get a manual Porsche as a 3rd car later.
I don't think the transmission is that big of a deal with this motor. For commuting or highway driving, who cares? When you're on a mountain road or a highway ramp, the top speed in second gear is 65 mph, and third gear is 95 mph. Put it in manual mode and shift between second and third, that's all you need. I had this problem switching from a 600cc sport bike to a 1200cc sport touring bike, before I figured out I was trying to shift like it was a bike with a smaller engine. Second gear goes fast, third gear is good if I want to chill, and there are 3 other gears for getting better mpg on the highway. Every now and then I find myself admiring bikes with quick shifters, before I remember I can climb a 4k foot mountain at twice the speed limit without shifting at all. Adjust your driving style to the strength of the motor.
ADM, I have an is500. The transmisión will only only perform well if you switch it to manual shift with the shifter at wide open throttle. Will be smooth and quick.
It’s not that people aren’t interested on sport cars, it’s that dealers charge a high markup on everything. They are not selling because of dealers, not because people aren’t interested… dealers kill amazing vehicles! Sales are low because of markup and “add ons” and then manufacture kills them for “low sales”.
Here’s the thing, Lexus has never really been a performance driven car company. Yes, they can make performance cars, but their bread and butter is reliability and luxury. I’d go all day Honda, like an NSX for example, if I wanted a performance car. Their DNA is racing. Not Lexus.
The favorite car I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned quite a few, was the ISF. Very sad to have to sell solely as I needed my wife to co-drive on long trips and the power scared her. We don’t do long trips anymore and would love an IS500 but it’s a shame they don’t comply with Australian design and safety rules. 😢
I really like the is500 and the rcf. Only issue is that are out of my budget currently and I do not want to finance. All the older v8 models are inflated in price. You could get an ISF a few years back for less than 20k. But now you are lucky if you can get a 350 f sport for 20k. Ended up getting a gs350 f sport as my new daily. Maybe I'll upgrade to a v8 lexus in a few years.
As much as I want to agree with you Master I can’t.Current Lexus LS has no V8 , GsF discontinued.Even though this platform was a plug and play from the previous isF Lexus did not fail to provide a V8 to it’s people despite all this emissions demand .So no , this car is not a disappointment this just Lexus saying you have a 2 doors V8 which is the Lc but you also have a V8 sedan with more space so you can choose.They could have done something to the exterior to differentiate from the 350 , yes I agree but that’s about it.Thank you lexus for giving us the legendary V8.
@@roninbushito I've got one too, he's off on alot, the steering is great, the transmission while maybe a bit clunky (2nd to 1st downshift) is a real joy to drive, especially in manual mode and imo the best looking lexus right now.
@@85CEKR yes I have one too 23’ 500. Best looking IS so far I agree. I had it since November last yr. The steering is better and tighter more heavily weighted than my 21’ 350 I had. Even in normal mode its still pretty heavy even in low speeds. The transmission is the same as the RC-F (Aisin AA80) the 350 has the AA81. The AA80 downshifts more aggressively than 350 or even the 22’ IS500 according to ‘Lexus’ forum members. It gets better when warmed up. My ASC sound volume is off the V8 sounds good without it and actually has induction sound the intake flaps open around 2800 rpm to let in natural sound. I’m a hardcore Lexus guy so I know more than the average Lexus owner. I thoroughly enjoy my 500 USB 2.0 and I would’ve gotten rid of it if I never liked it and for sure would never take an IS350 over the 500 as I came from one having had it for 1.5 yrs.
As a current owner of a 2011 IS F for over five years, I was one of the many hoping that Lexus would had made this car the new F. Your review is spot-on for all of us that had the hope that it was to be. Yes, overall, it’s very reliable, looks great, and the interior, while being the exact same as the 350 and having some slow, older bits, is still a great place to be. Once the prices for these cars come down, I may get one as my new daily driver. I will never sell my F as even with its few shortfalls in the transmission, it’s a fantastic, fast, fun and reliable car that with proper maintenance will last my life and my sons. I agree with your assessment, Lexus missed the mark and just ran out of money on the IS 500. Sad but true. Thanks for another great review and keep up the fantastic work!
IS F won't sell in this age. It will blow the roof off the cost if Lexus went in with Track features from RC F. Already the RC F is selling very little to none because it's expensive, and loses out to BMW M and others. Lexus gave exactly what IS deserved the newer chassis and a final swan song to the V8. Also Lexus putting a ZF in this would never materialize because it's not about money, it's about the NA engines, they are dying breed. Plus it will be a waste of resources as ES sells 4x more volume than IS. Why did GS died ? Because ES killed it. And if RC F exists with Aisin AA80E why will Lexus redesign it ? LC500 tranny won't come to IS it's ridiculous to assume esp when GS F also has same trans. TCCN failed at this review. This car is NOT an IS F and esp it is actually affordable at 60-65K vs RC F at 75K+. The major flaws for this vehicle are - No leather. Small space in the rear. Lack of ES Ultra Lux cabin dampening features. So if you really want a racing car track one, one should buy RC F with Premium package. Not IS.
My issue with this review is that this car is NOT an IS F and is not even advertised as such... It's an F Sport Performance, not an F. If you want a modern, compact F, it's gotta be RC F, unfortunately. The IS 500 is priced more like an M340i or something in that class - an IS F would be more money, probably in the same range as an RC F.
@@naveenthemachine The buyers for M and AMG are leasing. An IS F will be too pricey and it will reach to RC F territory. Right now RC F is available for 68K, I do not understand why AMD is saying no F, literally RC F is available for 2K more than IS 500 maxed out. But if one wants extra premium then RC F will go 80K. So yea his argument falls apart because there's a real F car for almost same money. IS 500 is NOT an F car.
I've said it before and will say it again, Toyota/Lexus can't build sport/performance cars. Even the ISF was a failure, the GSF was a failure and the RCF is also a failure, so is this IS500. What makes a product successful? is when it evoles to better and better and doesn't get canceled. Take the M, RS and AMG models. These are ancient models that started a revolution and continue to do so.
You gotta drive it! Don’t go solely on opinions which I never do. A wise man told me never believe or be influenced by opinions just find out for yourself and make your own decisions. Only a fool makes decisions on perceptive opinions of others
Its funny watching reviews like this. The car being held to a standard that it specifically was NOT trying to be. It fits a very specific segment that the US dealerships asked Lexus to build because there was a market. I am so happy AMD made this video because now I hope less people will be interested in the car, making my ability to get the car even easier. That the point though, we are waiting for the next model year to see if the navigation will be upgraded just like the GX was the year before its cancellation.
Exactly, this car never tried or even attempted to be anything other than a V8 IS. I'd love to know how many ISF, GSF and RCF owners use all the race goodies on their cars. The MAJORITY of people buy these for the V8 sound and so they can floor it every once in a while with their friends inside. It's great to say you have the brakes, oil cooler, trans cooler etc but in reality its not worth the extra cost if none of your customers are actually using them. This car gives the customer just exactly what they want out of a car like this without jacking the price way up with all the extra goodies. The GSF was $85,000 dollars and barely sold at all. It was just too expensive and Lexus learned from that mistake.
I totally agree, this car, like the whole IS line is always super misunderstood. I would have expected AMD to understand that be he seems more confused than most people. Lexus wanted to build an IS with their glorious V8 that wasn't out of reach for people who can't afford an LC500 or and RCF. It's not going to be as refined as the LC because its less than 2/3 the price and its not going to be as sporty as an RCF for the same reason. It's exactly what I and pretty much anyone else who actually bought one hoped it would be, it's a great car.
@@85CEKR that’s why I bought one because I couldn’t afford an RC-F or LC500. To me the RCF isn’t much better and not $10k-$20k better. You will almost never find a base RC-F every dealer options it out. Only thing better is the suspension, stiffer LCA bushings, titanium exhaust, and some carbon parts. I can spend the extra $$$ for upgrades if I wanted
It’s stuff like this that makes me wish I picked a different career lol This thing is going to be a collectors item soon, so buying used isn’t going to do much either since the pricing will probably be worse used
@@roninbushito cars are overpriced everywhere. Around here you can get the IS500 for MSRP which ranges from $63 - $66k depending on options. That to me is still too much. In a realistic market this is a $50k car, as are any of its competitors. I looked into an IS350 and MSRP on those is still $55k depending on options, too much.
People are often critical in their reviews of this car, and their criticisms are definitely valid in some ways, I find the fact that there are very few used examples on the market to be very telling; The people who do buy them tend not to get rid of them.
