2012 Lexus IS F Review
2012 Lexus IS F Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Willing V8 power
- sports-car handling
- quiet cabin
- high-quality interior.
Cons
- No manual transmission option
- cramped rear seat.
What’s new
After a comprehensive freshening last year, the 2012 Lexus IS F receives only minor changes, including slightly wider wheels and tires and a revised interior color scheme.
Edmunds says
The 2012 Lexus IS F offers up impressive performance and tenacious road-holding grip. It's also much more suitable as a daily driver thanks to recent suspension improvements. But other luxury sport sedans might still hold more appeal.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2012 Lexus IS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.58 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$299/mo for IS F Base
IS F Base
vs
$187/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
This isn't your typical Lexus. Where some of the brand's models get criticized for being bland to drive, the 2012 Lexus IS F is sporty and spicy. With inspiring performance and aggressive styling flourishes, it's poised to challenge the luxury sport sedan establishment. But this hasn't always been the case.
When the Lexus IS F was introduced five years ago, it suffered from overly harsh suspension tuning. Furthermore, this harshness failed to provide a performance advantage over its competitors. But thanks to numerous revisions last year, the IS F's suspension is much more compliant, and as a result, it gives you not only more comfort but also more confidence.
These improvements make the IS F worthy of your attention, although you're probably already intrigued by the 416-horsepower V8. But there are still some shortcomings to consider. Compared to its competition, the IS F lacks interior space, which taller drivers and passengers will no doubt find immediately distressing. There's also no available manual transmission to satisfy driving purists, though it's worth noting that the automatic in Manual mode is quite good.
Probably because it took so long for Lexus to address the suspension tuning issue, the IS F has probably dropped off a lot of people's radar. And of course, there are still other cars to consider. The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is our top choice for a luxury sport sedan given its all-around talents and superior interior. One might also look at the Cadillac CTS-V for a car with more rear-seat room. But overall, this un-Lexus-like Lexus earns our recommendation.
Performance & mpg
The rear-wheel-drive 2012 Lexus IS F is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 that produces 416 hp and 371 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic with a Manual mode and shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel is the only transmission offered.
In Edmunds testing, the Lexus IS F accelerated to 60 mph from a standstill in a brisk 4.8 seconds. EPA fuel economy estimates are 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 18 mpg in combined driving.
Safety
Standard safety features for the 2012 Lexus IS F include antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, front knee airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. A one-year complimentary subscription to Safety Connect, which provides collision notification, stolen vehicle recovery and an "SOS" emergency help button is also included. A pre-collision system is also available with the optional adaptive radar cruise control that senses an impending collision and automatically adjusts seatbelt tension and braking force.
In Edmunds braking tests, an IS F came to a stop from 60 mph in a short 112 feet. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the structurally similar IS 250 and 350 its best score of "Good" for frontal and side impact protection, and a second-best score of "Acceptable" in roof strength tests.
Driving
No question, the 2012 Lexus IS F is exciting to drive. The powerful V8 roars when prodded and has no problem laying waste to the rear tires in a torrent of white smoke (with the traction control disabled, of course). Even when cruising, the baritone exhaust tempts you to feed in more and more throttle. The chassis is capable of complementing the abundant power, with precise steering and high levels of cornering grip. Traditionalists will bemoan the lack of a manual transmission, but the eight-speed automatic proves worthy with quick upshifts and rev-matched downshifts. Unfortunately, eight gears sometimes seems like a couple too many, as the transmission occasionally hunts for the right one.
In prior years, the IS F rode too stiffly even for this class of car, making it hard to justify itself for everyday driving. Suspension changes from last year are a welcome improvement, though, as the car is much more livable on city streets and freeways. The steering also feels more natural. The 2012 Lexus IS F still has a slightly firm ride, though, and notably the adaptive suspensions on the C63 and CTS-V give those cars a slight edge for dual-purpose use.
Interior
Much like the supporting IS models, the 2012 Lexus IS F features a quiet cabin, well-placed controls and top-notch materials. Unfortunately, the IS F also suffers from the same drawbacks in the form of limited space. Headroom and rear legroom are at a premium, which might prove problematic for taller occupants. The trunk can hold a maximum of 13 cubic feet of luggage, which is about average for cars in this class.
The IS F differentiates its interior from its more sedate IS stablemates by utilizing sporty accents and features. The front sport seats are the most notable upgrade, with added side bolstering and suede inserts and two-tone color schemes. The IS F's rear seat is set up to only accommodate two passengers instead of the normal three. Other sporty touches include aluminum woven-composite trim (instead of wood) and cool, blue ambient lighting.
2012 Lexus IS F models
The 2012 Lexus IS F is a high-performance luxury sport sedan based on the regular IS sedan. It's offered in a single well-appointed trim level.
Standard features include 19-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, a limited-slip rear differential, a sport-tuned suspension, bi-xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, a sunroof, keyless ignition/entry, auto-dimming mirrors, eight-way power heated leather front sport seats with memory settings, suede seat inserts (black leather only), dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth (with audio streaming) and a 13-speaker audio system with a six-disc CD changer, satellite radio, iPod integration and an auxiliary audio jack. A two-tone interior color scheme in either red or white with black is available at no additional cost.
A hard-drive-based navigation system with a back-up camera, real-time traffic and weather updates is optional. Also available is a 14-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system (requires purchase of the navigation system), front and rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control. Navigation-equipped vehicles come with a one-year subscription to Lexus Enform, which provides on-call travel advisors who can help drivers with destinations (e.g., a movie theater or the closest gas station) and then send the info to the navigation system.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2012 Lexus IS F.
5 star(90%)
4 star(7%)
3 star(3%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(0%)
30 reviews
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Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
This thing is a BEAST!
KT, 09/21/2009
2008 Lexus IS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
I've driven a lot of sports cars and this is among the most fun. I tried the M3/5 and the AMG and just preferred the way the IS-F is tuned. It is a lot more like a muscle car than the M's and I guess I'm just not a Mercedes guy. Plus, with Lexus, I don't have to worry about all the reliability issues of the Germans. Love the grunt, the automatic is buttery smooth and the manual mode is … actually decent (from a diehard straight drive fan). Don't understand people whining about the ride. This is a SPORTS car, and it's actually not even that bad for a sports car. Plus I can get 25-27 easily on the highway, 28 if I try hard. Overall an awesome car. Would like ventilated seats, but small gripe.
5 out of 5 stars
The perfect car for me
caymandiver75, 01/02/2011
2008 Lexus IS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
I've owned this car now for 2.5 years and have put 20k miles on it.
The car has performed flawlessly requiring no unscheduled maintenance to be done.
5 out of 5 stars
More bang for your buck than BMW m3
IS-F for life = ), 08/09/2009
2008 Lexus IS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
This is the best car I have ever owned and driven. This car came standard with all options including navigation etc. Extremely reliable, and with cruise control on when driving on the open road, I averaged 29.8 mpg while going 70mph which is impressive for a v-8 sports car even if you don't like the brand. I paid 54,000 for my car which came with everything, and compared to the … legendary BMW m-3 which cost over 71,000 and only came with heated leather seats and nothing else standard! Lexus is more bang for your buck! Never owned a Lexus before, but this is great!
4.63 out of 5 stars
I got a kid but I still like to drive
domino, 12/13/2008
2008 Lexus IS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
I spent the first 45 years of my life single and without any kids. I've driven everything from Vipers, to Jags, a host of AMGs, not to mention 1 Aston Martin. I thought about dropping the amount of money for an M5 but then I thought, I have a little girl. I need to spend the money on her. I decided on the IS-F. I drive it daily, like a normal person with my family and like a maniac … when I'm alone. So far no problems and nothing but sheer fun. I wish the Lexus people had thought to put adjustable shocks in it to dampen the ride when necessary but oh well. I can always get new kidneys when I'm 80.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2012 Lexus IS F, so we've included reviews for other years of the IS F since its last redesign.
2012 IS F Highlights
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $61,300 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $299/month |
Seating | 4 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 13.3 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the IS F include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Post-collision safety system
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