Performance

Review-OnRoad You need to work the 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine hard to extract maximum performance, but it pulls cleanly from low revs and is punchy enough for assured overtaking. Similarly, the diesel is fine at low speeds, but the gearing is too long and you often find yourself going from sixth to fifth to keep up with motorway traffic. The V8 petrol engine in the high-performance IS-F model is sensational, however, churning out 417bhp and hurling the car from 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds. Ride & Handling 3 out of 5 stars

Review-OnRoad The IS turns in swiftly, grips keenly and is unfazed by mid-corner bumps. It’s a shame, then, that the steering doesn’t offer more feedback and that the pay-off for impressive control over rollercoaster roads is a stiff and unsettled feel around town and on the motorway - especially on the F-Sport models with their lower suspension. These limitations also apply to the IS-F. Refinement 3 out of 5 stars

Review-OnRoad Usually you can take the quiet and refinement of a Lexus for granted, and certainly the engines are suitably hushed and wind noise well suppressed. The IS and the IS-F suffer from road noise, however – especially over coarse surfaces – which makes them more tiring on a long drive than they should be.

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