Used 2016 Lexus IS 300 Sedan Consumer Reviews
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IS300 F Sport - stylish, fun, upscale
Alex R., 10/28/2016
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
34 of 39 people found this review helpful
This IS 300 F Sport has been an absolute pleasure. While sport sedans today, including some of the others I tested before acquiring an IS, are somewhat watered-down for the most part, this one doesn't make compromises. It's a very comfortable place to be while still offering high levels of driver engagement, and it looks the part, too. Starting off, the sedan is pretty low to step into, which lets both driver and passenger know this is not a family sedan. It took me a couple of days to adjust to the step-in height, but it's certainly easy to live with. The seats hug you quite nicely and have soft Nuluxe upholstery - my example's seating is finished in Rioja Red, which contrasts nicely with the black surfaces on the dash and headliner. I love the analog clock and brushed-aluminum accents, which are sort of retro-looking. After starting the car the first thing you notice is the awesome F Sport instrument cluster, which is mostly a digital display. It looks sharp and is reconfigurable to show lots of trip data and even glows red when your RPM reaches a configurable threshold. The steering wheel is also fantastic and one of my favorite features of the car - it's wrapped in soft leather and is fairly chunky. The steering feel, too, is quite good for a modern car, providing enough resistance at speed to give me confidence around corners. Speaking of corners, this thing stays pretty flat and drama-free even at turning speeds I wouldn't dare attempt in my old Camry. And despite the V6 being detuned to 255 HP compared to the IS 350's 306 HP, this thing still has plenty of power and is satisfying to drive quickly. The intake sound amplifier also means the V6 really comes alive at higher RPMs - and it sounds quite nice! My only real gripes with this car have to do with the infotainment, which seems to have a lot of menus. The mouse-like controller can also take some getting used to - and I bet your passengers won't want to learn it. In addition, this thing rides well over most roads, but sometimes more broken pavement transmits some noise into the cabin than you might expect. The handling benefits of the suspension tuning as well as the composure on the highway far outweigh the slight downsides on crappy roads, for my taste - not to mention this thing is near-silent on any decent road anyway. All that said, this is a great small luxury car that seems designed to appeal to the enthusiast without overdoing it. If you're buying this car for a fun, engaging driving experience with some luxury touches, you won't be disappointed.
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Capable, Fun, AWD Alaska Sedan
Dav, 01/22/2019
updated 07/25/2023
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
23 of 27 people found this review helpful
It is NOT a sports car BUT it is quick enough for everyday. It has been impressive to drive in snow and ice. It holds the road very very well. Granted one must take the time to invest in high quality snow tires... That being said though, I've driven many AWD/4WD cars and trucks here in the Great White North and this performs as well as any of them most times better outperforming most but the Cayenne S. Bluetooth is a pain in the a$$ but seems to get better with usage disconnecting less often. *Update..seems to have settled down and rarely disconnects anymore.* Really Lexus you could do so much better on the infotainment. The car is solid and well built. Materials are high quality. It purrs right along. Update: I've taken temporary job that requires commuting and really added the miles. the original tires were out and I put some inexpensive ones on from Amazon. They are quiet and competent but this is not a store review. I am still quite content with the little sedan. The AWD does not like dry pavement tight turning. Highways are fine. Update 2.. Super cold winter this year with plenty of snow and ice. Car still moves nicely. the Federal Himalaya II that are on it are phenomenal...even at -23F they've remained pliable and sticky. Very few cars are ultimately worth the money...this one is still stellar. Final update I put 100,000 miles on it. Fantastic car. Recently sold so I could go back to a Cayenne. The grandkids are getting to big for extended rides in the little Lexus. If you you get a chance and it fits your lifestyle you can't go wrong with this little wonder car. Keep good tires on it and change oil and brake pads. Thatall I had to do in 100 thousand miles. Happy motoring.
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Hot driving car disappointment to geeks
Forbes Mercy, 05/28/2017
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
29 of 42 people found this review helpful
No doubt this car gets up and goes, almost justifies the dismal sub 20mpg performance although in today's cars there's little excuse for such horrible mileage. The dealership lied saying it wasn't premium gas, I hate "anything to get the sale" salesmen and that's Seattle Lexus spot on. Even complaining to their manager gets you no return phone call (no cussing or disrespect if you were thinking that) as promised. The voice recognition is beyond a joke and yes I did the voice training, no difference. Why can't I buy up to the auto-braking system when it's in the software? Seriously no 120v to make up for your seriously underpowered USB that face up to let things fall into them, bluetooth that works then doesn't. Who designed this thing, the seats are like rocks? Pretty, powerful but not tech friendly. You can get a lot more tech centric cars for a lot less and maybe a decent MPG.
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From 98 ES300 to 2016 IS300
Ask for Babs, 02/01/2023
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Coming from an older Lexus model, it definitely is a different feel but that same luxury ride. I also have a Honda pilot so this sits significantly lower so I would take extra precautions on potholes and bumps, sharp turns hit smoothly but that undercarriage is delicate. It can go smooth for high speeds and runs a nice driver experience with the paddle shifters but if you want something cheap, the Lexus is not it. My Honda pilot is 2018 and with both cars at 60k miles, they resale the same value. If you are leasing, have all the fun. Buying and financing, it is relatively expensive to maintain but not as expensive to maintain as say my older Lexus or a higher luxury like a BMW may be (roughly $1000 a year for maintenance). I regret nothing in buying the car but it is something you have to take a great deal of caring for to keep running.
Cute little ride!
msbop6@yahoo.com, 10/16/2016
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
16 of 23 people found this review helpful
This is our second Lexus and I highly suggest buying new. We got a used Lexus and absolutely loved it until the engine went out and stopped cold. Now this new one is under warrantee and we hopefully will never have that problem again. It is very comfortable and runs very smooth. But as mentioned in other reviews, the mouse is very distractible . Otherwise, great little car.
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Stylish
MsChan, 12/09/2020
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Great car, stylish good on gas & a nice quiet ride, it has some nice pep to it as well. My only issue is it sits pretty low, but if you don't live in a snow state, that will not be an issue.
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Really Poor For Enthusiasts
Ryan, 03/07/2023
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
8 of 14 people found this review helpful
I had the IS300 for over a year and a half, going from a 2013 WRX hatch to this pile was a night and day difference. Lexus looks for luxury in their vehicles not so much power, it has a 6 speed CVT transmission that will downshift at the most random times while driving. Power is not there at all, it's quite a let down honestly you would think that a 3.5L V6 would have some back to it, it doesn't. Fortunately it has a killer sound system and big wind screen for visibility, heated/ventilated seats. But you can also expect the power of the fans for heat and AC to be poor, even on the max setting you're gonna ask yourself if the air is even on. Don't bother seating anyone in the back seat, i'm 5 foot 7 and my head touches the headliner in the back seat. Trunk space is awesome and the exterior of the vehicle looks great as always but if you're looking for power and fun out of a car this ain't it, but for a comfy commute car this would be just fine.
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Anyone have Wheel/Tire Issues?
NeilB., 02/15/2019
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
24 of 59 people found this review helpful
We lease an AWD with the multispoke fancy aluminum wheels. The Mrs. cannot seem to avoid all the "potholes". Have spent a lot of money replacing the soft wheels which bend easily and low profile tires. Will not buy this car off the lease!
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Trapped
JF from NC, 01/14/2019
2016 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
22 of 62 people found this review helpful
If you want a car that has good resale stay far away from this model Lexus. The F sport IS300 AWD. We leased this vehicle just to try Lexus out for the first time and I’m glad we did. 2 years into lease and my wife is sick of this car for many reasons. Without getting into too many complaints we want out and cannot get out of this lease early. Can’t trade it or sell it because the buyout is $30k and it’s worth $20k. This car is pretty well built, and for most people I guess they’d be happy but if you’re looking for any performance go somewhere else. If you want this type of comfort, you can find it in a Toyota for cheaper and if your looking for small car performance go buy a Subaru for 10k less. Stay away unless you just gottta have a Lexus.
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