Silver on the Horizon, Yellow in Your Retinas: 2025 Lexus IS Starts at $41,360

The silver 25th anniversary for the Lexus IS is on the horizon as the current-generation Lexus IS enters its 12th year in 2025. Silk is the traditional material of 12th-anniversary gifts (yes, we had to look that up), but Lexus is forgoing the fine linen; it seems the 12th is the knickknack anniversary, or maybe the yellow one.

Related: 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Quick Spin: Louder, But Better?

Lexus offers the 2025 IS in three variants (300, 350 and 500) and with two levels of Sport (F Sport Design and the pricier F Sport, though contrary to what the names imply, the F Sport mostly adds luxury items). For 2025, the F Sport Design trim levels add a heated steering wheel. Newly standard on all IS F Sports are power-folding mirrors. The lower-trim F Sports (300 and 350) get additional standard features for 2025: a power tilting-and-telescoping steering column, memory settings for the driver’s seat, mirrors and steering column, and dark-chrome window trim. The F Sport trims of the  350 and 500 can also select  new 19-inch BBS wheels.

A Special Appearance Package is only available on the IS 500 and limited to just 180 units. It’s sprayed a searing Flare Yellow paint color and rides on 19-inch BBS wheels. Inside, the Special Appearance Package is upholstered in black synthetic leather with suede inserts and yellow stitching.

Availability and Pricing

The 2025 Lexus IS will go on sale later in the year. Full pricing (including $1,175 destination fee) is as follows:

IS 300

• IS 300: $41,360
• IS 300 AWD: $43,360
• IS 300 F Sport Design: $43,330
• IS 300 F Sport Design AWD: $45,370
• IS 300 F Sport: $45,405
• IS 300 F Sport AWD: $47,445

IS 350

• IS 350 F Sport: $46,760
• IS 350 F Sport AWD: $48,760
• IS 350 F Sport Design: $44,685
• IS 350 F Sport Design AWD: $46,685

IS 500

• IS 500 F Sport Performance: $60,345
• IS 500 F Sport Performance Premium: $64,845

Powertrain Specs and MPG

Lexus offers three engine choices in the IS. A 241-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder powers the rear-wheel-drive IS 300 and makes 258 pounds-feet of torque; it’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and returns 21/31/21 mpg city/highway/combined. (All fuel-economy estimates are per Lexus; official EPA estimates are not yet out.) Opt for all-wheel drive in your IS 300 and even though the badge is the same as the four-cylinder car, you’ll get a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 putting out 260 hp and 236 pounds-feet. A six-speed automatic is the only available transmission in the 300, which returns 22/26/19 mpg.

Things make a little more sense for the IS 350. It’s also available with RWD and AWD, both of which are powered by a V-6 also displacing 3.5 liters — but this version is tuned to deliver 311 hp and 280 pounds-feet. Again, rear-drive cars get an eight-speed automatic while AWD-equipped 350s make do with a six-speed automatic. The IS 350 is rated at 23/28/20 mpg city/highway/combined with RWD and 22/26/19 with AWD.

Then there’s the IS 500, which is powered by a 5.0-liter V-8. The Lexus IS 500’s 5.0-liter is the last naturally aspirated V-8 in its class, putting out 472 hp and 395 pounds-feet of torque, which it directs exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic. The price for that power is an EPA-rated 20/25/17 mpg.

Trim Levels

The base IS 300 rides on 18-inch wheels and includes LED exterior lighting, keyless entry and start, dual-zone automatic climate control and an 8-inch touchscreen with Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The F Sport Design trim level is the first step up for the IS 300 and the base IS 350, respectively. It wears more aggressive front and rear bumpers; a unique grille, spoiler and exhaust finishers; and dark-metallic 19-inch wheels. F Sport Design cars also get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

F Sport versions of the IS 300 and IS 350, as well as every IS 500 — which is only available in F Sport Performance and F Sport Performance Premium trim levels — add heated and ventilated front sport seats, unique interior trim, aluminum pedals, rain-sensing windshield wipers and an upgraded instrument panel.

Additionally, the IS 500 is fitted with an adaptive suspension, Torsen limited-slip differential, 14-inch front and 12.7-inch rear two-piece brake rotors, 19-inch Enkei wheels, a domed hood and a moonroof. It also has front and rear parking sensors. The IS 500 F Sport Performance Premium includes upgraded headlights, a 10.3-inch touchscreen with navigation, a Mark Levinson audio system and a 360-degree camera system.

Safety Features

Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 is standard on every 2025 Lexus IS. The suite includes forward collision warning with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, emergency steering assist, oncoming vehicle alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure prevention, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams and road-sign recognition. Blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on the base car and F Sport, but not the F Sport Design.

More From Cars.com:

• 2024 Lexus IS Luxury Sedan Expands F Sport Options, Pricing Starts at $41,235
• 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance: Get Your V-8 While You Can
• 2021 Lexus IS: ‘I’ Is for Improved, ‘S’ Is for Sort Of
• 2021 Lexus IS 350 Review: Refocused but Not Rejuvenated
• Research the Lexus IS

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