2023 Lexus IS 500 consumer reviews

Fun for a few hours but as a daily driver I would not recommend this car after the numerous mechanical issues I’ve been running into. The Pro’s - The engine feels nice, and not leaving me wanting more, except for Tesla’s which blow me out of the water when we start from red lights. The Con’s - I thought I was buying Lexus reliability, but I’ve already run into way too many issues in the short time I’ve owned this, namely: - a) The front tires degrade rapidly. -b) The front bumper is separating from the car. - c) Constant O2 sensor errors from what my mechanic said is from the exhaust pipe to header gasket leaks. - d) The transmission is very sluggish. It feels very clunky and delayed. That’s pretty disappointing for what’s supposed to be a “sports car” - It feels cramped, especially if you’re bigger than 5 foot 9. - These cars all MSRP’d new for 40-50k but the dealerships are selling multi year used ones for $20k over MSRP thinking they have something special. At the end of the day it’s just an IS350 with an upgraded engine…overall just not worth the price whatsoever.

The best car I ever purchased. Beautiful and comfortable along with exceptional power and handling! Patrick Taylor did a phenomenal job putting the deal together and really went far above expectations. I highly recommend the 500 IS to anyone.

IS 500 has a great V8, stylish exterior and is reasonable value given Lexus reputation for quality and durability. Two complaints - the car is hampered by a weak 8 speed transmission. The 10 speed linked to the same V8 in the SC is so much better, the 8 speed shifts clunky and slow, struggles at times to make its gear choice and makes you want to manually shift it to overcome weaknesses. The second issue - and if you have done any research you already know - is the infotainment system. I would not buy the LC because not only does that model have the terrible touch pad, but is NOT touch screen. The IS 500 is slightly better with touch screen. Examples - in stop and go traffic the screen jumps between the map and the radar, good luck hanging up the phone (embarrassing) or easily getting to contacts. After nearly a month of daily effort to use the touch pad I am near admitting defeat. Pitiful. BUT the car is quiet, handles well, is built well with good materials and certainly has nice styling. Just be prepared and when the saleman tells you will learn the touch pad quickly doesn't drive what he is selling.