Lexus IS F Review

2009 Lexus IS F Sedan Shown

Lexus has long competed in the luxury car market, but with some recent stiff competition from both Japanese and European competitors, Lexus has upped the ante with a new high-performance series of cars aimed at a younger, enthusiast-oriented crowd.

The Lexus IS-F is the first in Lexus' lineup of sportier models. It's the latest incarnation of the Lexus IS, a rear-wheel-drive, entry-level compact sport sedan introduced in Japan a decade ago and brought to the U.S. for the 2001 model year. The "F" refers to Lexus' newly formed F-Sport division, which is expected to churn out high-performance versions of Lexus models designed to rival high-end European sport sedans and coupes. Although Lexus used the F denotation internally in the past for special projects, the IS-F will be the first production car to bear the F badge.

There is much speculation over what the "F" stands for. Early on, it was widely circulated among enthusiasts that it stood for "fast." Lexus executives later suggested it could be short for "Circle-F" (Toyota's original code name for the Lexus division), "flagship," or even "Fuji," after the racetrack in Oyama, Japan, where the car was extensively tested during the development process. The F logo is also said to resemble 27R, the first corner of the famous road course. Regardless of what its emblem's origin was, the Lexus IS-F offers a serious, no-compromises driving experience for hard-core enthusiasts.

Current Lexus IS-F

A compact super sport sedan, the Lexus IS-F has a few controversial styling cues that definitely separate it from its IS siblings. These include a unique -- but aesthetically questionable – faux quad exhaust design, which appears as two staggered, vertically stacked ovals on the car's lower rear fascia. The IS-F also features aerodynamic enhancements on the hood and front bumper, wider front fenders and a rear spoiler, all of which give the car a more aggressive, though somewhat aftermarket, look.

Under the IS-F's hood is a 5.0-liter V8 engine tuned to produce a mighty respectable 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic, controlled by paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Other high-performance features include engine oil and transmission fluid coolers, as well as an oil pump designed for high-speed cornering. The IS-F also features a new, performance-oriented version of Lexus' electronic stability control system.

Major standard features on the Lexus IS-F include 19-inch BBS forged alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, leather upholstery, power/heated front sport seats and a rear-seat trunk pass-through opening. The standard 13-speaker audio system comes with a six-CD in-dash changer and an auxiliary audio jack. Options include an upgraded Mark Levinson surround-sound system, as well as a navigation system with touchscreen, voice activation, a back-up camera and Bluetooth.

In reviews, we found the Lexus IS-F's strengths include acceleration, handling and braking abilities. The automatic transmission also works surprisingly well as long as it's placed in manual mode; when left in automatic mode its shifts are not as predictable as we would like. We timed the IS-F at just 4.8 seconds for the 0-60 dash, impressively quick by anybody's standards.

Used Lexus IS-F Models

Having debuted for the 2008 model year, the Lexus IS-F is still in its first generation. As such, changes have been limited to minor revisions to the instruments and cabin trim that occurred for '09.

SELECT A SPECIFIC LEXUS IS F MODEL YEAR*

* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.