Used 2014 Lexus IS 350 Pricing

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We'll leave the critical details about the 2014 Lexus IS to your imagination largely because Lexus left them to ours. But yesterday we slid still-disguised F-Sport trim levels of the IS 250 and IS 350 around a wet road course. We also blasted them up a canyon road with impunity. Still, the details didn't materialize.

The impressions, however, did.

What We Know So Far
When it comes to hard facts about the next-generation Lexus IS sedan, here's what we know right now: The new car's wheelbase is longer and it is marginally heavier. How much isn't clear in either case, but based on the improved rear-seat space we'd say the wheelbase is stretched at least 1.5 inches, maybe more given the 3.1-inch chasm between the current IS and the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series.

Assuming our lip-reading skills are still well tuned, weight will increase about 90 pounds depending on feature content.

Engines from the two styles are carried over into the new car. That means about 200 horsepower from the 2.5-liter V6 in the IS 250 and about 300 hp from the 3.5-liter V6 in the IS 350. One major upgrade for the IS 350 will be the use of the Aisin-built eight-speed automatic from the company's IS F and LS models. IS 250 styles will continue to use the same six-speed auto. Manual transmissions, it seems, will continue to be as rare as zoomie headers at Lexus.

Body and suspension revisions are minor. Their main goal is to bring more chassis stiffness, ride control latitude and trunk space.

It isn't an all-new IS, but it is a subtly different car on the road.

How the Lexus IS Feels Behind the Wheel
Pound the new 2014 Lexus IS around a wet autocross course like we did and you'll notice it's simply not as lively as the old car. It's not as eager to change directions in many instances, but the longer wheelbase delivers stability in places the current model doesn't. Whether this matters to you probably depends a lot on how often you plan to hammer your IS around a wet autocross course.

But a wet autocross is a less critical dynamic measure than, say, the Nürburgring, where Toyota proves its performance cars. Junichi Furuyama, IS chief engineer, didn't say the new car is slower there, but he admitted as much by saying its time wasn't measured.

Even if this is the case, it's hard to argue with the results on the road. In that environment the car is predictable, stable and still plenty rapid. And that's exactly what Lexus wanted — a sedan that's simple, safe and still enjoyable to drive.

In the new IS there are modest grip limits combined with excellent balance and solid manners at speed. It's what we'd expect from a Lexus sport sedan — good, sanitary fun.

The Real Goal
According to Furuyama, the primary goal with the new car wasn't to make it faster anyway, but rather to produce a machine with immediate response that doesn't compromise comfort.

A stiffer body structure is the primary means to gaining latitude in both arenas, according to Furuyama. Structural improvements include additional spot welds, laser screw welds and about 80 feet of adhesive, which isn't present in the current IS.

The IS's double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspensions are still present. Out back, however, there's a new suspension design borrowed from the larger GS sedan. It separates the previous suspension's concentric spring/damper assembly and places the spring inboard of the damper. This increases the distance between the suspension towers, which produces more trunk space.

A 20 percent increase in front stabilizer bar rigidity aids body control and steering feel, while the addition of active dampers allows more (or less) compliance to compensate in ride quality.

Also high on Furuyama's priority list was a tangible increase in road feel through the steering, as well as improved on-center feedback. What he's achieved isn't quite as clear. Certainly the steering feel is different. It is abundant enough to guide the car sideways between cones, so who are we to complain? There's more weight when Sport Plus mode is engaged, but in Normal mode differences are negligible. There's nothing bad here, but also nothing revolutionary.

The New Eight-Speed Transmission
More gears are nice, but the new eight-speed in the Lexus IS 350 isn't as obedient as it should be in many situations. Upshifts, for example, are still automatic when the shifter is moved to the manual gate and aggressive downshifts are often denied. These are early prototypes, so calibration changes are still possible.

We got lost in its many gear ratios more than once, but that's an adjustment that would come with more seat time. Plus, there are genuine benefits to this many gears. Increased fuel economy and plausibly better acceleration both come to mind.

One interface that is certainly improved is the IS's instrument panel, which is a multimode thin-film transistor display similar to that of the 2012 Lexus LFA. Swap the drive mode from Eco to Normal to Sport Plus and the center-mounted tachometer changes attitudes accordingly.

All the Tech That Would Fit
Unable to resist the pull of acronym alphabet soup, the 2014 Lexus IS offers Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) coupled to Drive Mode Select (DMS).

Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes are chosen via a center-console-mounted knob. The variable-rate dampers change with drive modes, becoming stiffer as more aggressive settings are picked. Steering ratio slows as vehicle speed increases, independent of drive mode. These two features aren't available on the IS 250, where switching to Sport mode changes only the throttle calibration.

New seats are a worthy improvement, providing the ample bolstering that the current car critically lacks. They also place the driver's hip point about 0.75 inch lower in the body, which is sure to be a popular improvement with the long of torso.

More To Come Soon
Much like the power, weight and wheelbase specs on the 2014 Lexus IS, pricing for the new sedan remains a mystery. Expect full details when Lexus officially unveils the IS at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show next month.

Until then, know that this latest IS isn't a ground-breaker, but based on this brief drive it's got both the comfort and dynamic ability to solidly compete.

Even without zoomie headers.

Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.

Used 2014 Lexus IS 350 listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2014 Lexus IS 350s for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 56 used and CPO 2014 IS 350s listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 20,877 and mileage as low as 25,100. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2014 Lexus IS 350. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 300 on a used or CPO 2014 IS 350 available from one of 2,630 dealerships in your area.

What's a good price on a used 2014 Lexus IS 350 ?

Save up to $300 on one of 16 used 2014 Lexus IS 350s for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $20877 as of Apr 25, 2018, based on data from 16 dealers and 79 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 1 to 5 out of 5 stars.

Price comparisons for used 2014 Lexus IS 350 trim styles:

The used 2014 Lexus IS 350 Base is priced around $25680 with average odometer reading of 44213 miles.

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What options are available on the 2014 Lexus IS 350?

Available Lexus IS 350 2014 Submodel Types: Sedan

Available Lexus IS 350 2014 Trims: Base

Exterior Colors: Caviar, Obsidian, Matador Red Mica, Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0, Nebula Gray Pearl, Silver Lining Metallic, Ultra White, Atomic Silver, Breakwater Blue Metallic, Eminent White Pearl, Redline, Black Onyx, Blue Onyx Pearl, Crystal White, Glacier Frost Mica, Smoky Granite Mica

Interior Colors: Black leatherette, Chateau leatherette, Black leather, Rioja Red leather, Stratus Gray leatherette, Cashmere leather, Black premium leather, Flaxen leather, Parchment leatherette, Stratus Gray leather

Popular Features: Keyless Entry/Start, Adaptive Cruise Control, Cooled Seats, Lane Departure Warning, Pre-collision safety system, Parking sensors, Alarm, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Auto Climate Control, Aux Audio Inputs, Bluetooth, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Post-collision safety system, Power Driver Seat, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Sunroof/Moonroof, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, USB Inputs, Upgraded Headlights, AWD/4WD, Heated seats, Leather Seats, Upgraded Stereo, Back-up camera, Blind Spot Monitoring, Navigation

Engine/Mechanics: 6 cylinders

Transmission: AUTOMATIC

Fuel Types: premium unleaded (required)

Drivetrains: all wheel drive, rear wheel drive

Used 2014 Lexus IS 350 Overview

The used 2014 Lexus IS 350 is offered in the following submodels: Sedan. Available styles include 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A), and 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A). Pre-owned IS 350 models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2014 IS 350 comes with rear wheel drive or all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 8-speed shiftable automatic, 6-speed shiftable automatic.