The number of sports sedans with powerful V8 engine options has dwindled in recent years, but Lexus still offers one in the long-running IS. In fact, the 2024 Lexus IS features one of the most diverse powertrain offerings in its class, with four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines available.
2024 Lexus IS Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2024 Lexus IS
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2024 Lexus IS
Lexus made few changes to the IS for 2024, with the only update being the wider availability of the F Sport package.
Design
The IS sedan’s basic look hasn’t changed much in several years, but the car has adopted a few of Lexus’s signature styling elements. It features a large "spindle grille" and slim headlights with sharp LED daytime running lights (DRLs). Its sculpted sides and beefy fender flares give it a muscular stance, and the rear sports a small spoiler, depending on the configuration. Lexus offers racy interior color schemes, including red and black, and the cockpit feel of the cabin matches the car’s aggressive exterior style.
Powertrain
The base 2024 IS 300 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and is only available with rear-wheel drive (RWD). The IS 300 AWD steps up to a 3.5-liter V6 producing 260 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, and, as the name states, all-wheel drive (AWD). The IS 350 also has a 3.5-liter V6, but with 311 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque and the choice of RWD or AWD.
Lexus offers a 5.0-liter V8 in the range-topping IS 500, which sends 472 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard on all RWD models, while AWD models get a six-speed automatic.
Most Lexus models feel quite soft, but the IS is refreshingly agile. Its suspension handles the worst most roads have to offer, and available adaptive damping provides even better handling and ride comfort.
Interior
Lexus equips the IS with standard synthetic leather and power-adjustable front seats. More expensive models add heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a sunroof, and more. While the car’s front seats are spacious and comfortable, most will find the rear seat cramped, especially taller adults.
Technology
An 8-inch touchscreen, 10 speakers, a touchpad infotainment controller, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa capability, HD radio, SiriusXM and two USB ports come standard. Lexus offers a larger 10.3-inch infotainment system, navigation, and a Mark Levinson stereo. The touchpad controller interface feels clunky and can be hard to understand at times, but users can interact with the touchscreen instead, which offers a much more intuitive experience.
Safety
The 2024 Lexus IS missed out on a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the automaker equips a generous list of standard driver-assistance tech. Buyers get automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, a surround-view camera system, safe exit warning, rain-sensing wipers, and parking sensors. Available features include a parking assist system, a rearview mirror camera, and a head-up display.
Pricing and Release Date
As of this writing, pricing ranges from $41,235 for the base RWD IS 300 to $60,020 for the V8-powered IS 500.