2024 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Tested: A Throwback Sport Sedan

Eight naturally aspirated cylinders make for one hell of a soundtrack

written by Reese Counts^{Vehicle Test Editor
Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at Edmunds in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.}
edited by Steven Ewing^{Director, Editorial Content
Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of car-related articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET Roadshow, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Ars Technica, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, SlashGear, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and lust over small JDM cars that never made it to the States.}
8/3/2024
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The IS 500 F Sport is the most powerful sedan Lexus has on offer.
A potent V8 and rear-wheel-drive layout make it a unique prospect for a small sport sedan.
The IS 500 isn't the quickest car in its class, but it is one of the most entertaining.

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For years now, automakers have been dropping cylinder counts in favor of smaller-displacement engines that use forced induction (i.e., turbochargers and superchargers) to make up the difference in power compared to the old powertrains. The benefits are there in terms of power, fuel efficiency and emissions, but these smaller four- and six-cylinder engines lack the character and feel of the V8 engines they've replaced. But not everyone is going down that route.

The 2024 Lexus IS 500 F Sport is one such car, a compact luxury sedan with a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 shoved under its hood. It's the same engine you'll find in the Lexus RC F and LC 500 and was previously used in the Lexus GS F and IS F, with the F moniker denoting Lexus' performance models. Does this V8-powered sport sedan still have what it takes to keep up with more modern performance cars? We hit the Edmunds test track to find out.

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No replacement for displacement

In place of the four- and six-cylinder offerings available in the IS 300 and 350, the IS 500 uses a 5.0-liter V8. Fans of Lexus know the 2UR-GSE (the internal engine code) well, and in the IS 500, output is rated at 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with an eight-speed automatic and sends power solely to the rear wheels.

The IS 500 F Sport is fitted with 19-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S001 summer performance tires, size 235/40R19 92Y up front and 265/35R19 94Y in the rear. The brakes are larger than those in the IS 300 and 350, too, with 14-inch rotors up front and 12.7-inch rotors in the rear. Other upgrades (some of which are available on the IS 350) include a Torsen limited-slip differential, improved brake cooling, an adaptive suspension and revised rear dampers.

Testing the IS 500 F Sport Performance

Edmunds tests hundreds of cars each year, putting each through our routine road and track testing. Here's how things broke down for the IS 500 F Sport Performance:

Acceleration 0 to 60 mph: 4.8 seconds
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.2 seconds @ 108.2 mph
Braking 60 to 0 mph: 112 feet
Skidpad: 0.93 g
As-tested weight: 3,973 pounds
As-tested price: $68,830

The IS 500 F Sport performed reasonably well, but its numbers are a bit off what we've seen from rivals like the BMW M340i and Mercedes-AMG C 43. Both of those cars accelerated to 60 more quickly (4.1 seconds and 4.4 seconds, respectively), though those cars had the benefit of all-wheel drive. Launching the IS 500 isn't difficult, but you do have to manage the throttle to keep the rear tires from lighting up.

Power from the engine is smooth and linear, and it's absolutely screaming by the time it reaches its 7,250-rpm redline. It's a wonderful-sounding motor, with far more character than the smaller turbocharged engines in the BMW and Mercedes. The BMW and AMG put up better braking and handling figures, though the numbers for the IS weren't wildly off.

Numbers don't tell the entire tale

The IS 500 might not compare favorably to its rivals on paper, but it makes up for a lot of that difference in terms of feel and engagement. When you're moving, the car really comes alive. The IS feels smaller and more nimble than its predecessors, with a small footprint that makes it easier to maneuver on tight pavement. The steering is tight and offers a surprising amount of feedback. We're not talking Porsche 911 levels of steering feel, but it's better than what you get in most sedans these days.

Handling is solid, too. Grip is limited by the tires and rear-wheel-drive layout, but the IS feels smooth and capable in corners. There's a moderate amount of body roll, but the comfortable seats keep you situated inside the car. Turn the traction and stability control off, and the IS will handily offer some tail-out but well-controlled antics.

Edmunds says

You can get more performance for less money in most of the Lexus' rivals, but they don't have the feel or character that the IS 500 offers. It's not the quickest performance sedan, but the feel of the suspension, steering and especially that V8 engine adds up to more than what it appears to be on paper. The IS falls short in some areas, but fun isn't one of them.

Photos by Keith Buglewicz

by Reese Counts

Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at Edmunds in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of car-related articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET Roadshow, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Ars Technica, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, SlashGear, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and lust over small JDM cars that never made it to the States.