It was no secret that the Lexus IS was in need of a major revamp. The aging exterior styling looked like it was drawn by a mad axe killer and the interior suffered from technology that was rapidly falling behind the times (including the most frustrating way to get around an infotainment system this side of iDrive.) Lexus listened to the feedback it got from IS owners and they also wanted to make the car more appealing to young buyers. The end result is the 2024 Lexus IS and the company thinks that this version of the IS has a better chance of taking the fight to segment benchmarks like the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class especially with some of the minor updates that the company did for the new model year.
New Clothes Hide Familiar IS Platform
Typically one would say not to judge a proverbial book by its cover, but in the case of the IS, it throws that statement out the window since the bulk of the updates here are actually found on the exterior and the interior since the platform is mostly unchanged from the outgoing model. All 2024 models like our tester also benefit from some minor updates with the F Sport package being expanded to cover more models including the base four-cylinder model for the first time ever. The range-topping IS 500 (which continues to elude us) gets a new appearance package with Blue Vector paint and other minor styling tweaks.
When looked at as a whole, the IS’s exterior styling takes the core theme and adds more refinement and maturity to the design with our tester getting curious looks from interested observers. The bulk of these admirers liked the slick LED headlights and the flowing muscular hood but opinions were decidedly mixed when they made their way to the rear which has a funky-looking lightbar complimenting its equally odd-looking taillights.
The interior is lightly tweaked but it’s also a prominent example of the old bones in this car with much of the cabin being carried over from the outgoing model. That also means the car is still a tight fit for taller adults with storage falling behind what we have seen in some of its rivals. The rounded air vents are an improvement over the old square-shaped ones and dual-zone climate control is standard here too. Unfortunately, the touchpad control interface for the infotainment system is still along for the ride but Lexus says that the infotainment system itself benefits from quicker software and new features. An 8.0-inch screen is standard but our tester arrived with the optional 10.3-inch screen.
We certainly noticed how quick the system was when we used it with lag time being reduced and Android Auto doing its part to help alleviate some of our frustrations with the aforementioned touchpad. Rear seats are tight for most adults but we’ll give that a pass since others in its segment offer identical trappings back there and the seats can be folded down to help improve cargo space.
IS Performance Continues To Offer Familiar Menu
Another symptom of using the old platform for the new bodywork is that the engine lineup is largely carried over from the previous generation model with the four-cylinder and V6 engines all being carried over. That forces buyers to make the logical choice and skip the wheezy 241-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and go for the naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 that makes 311 hp. The V6 is also a veteran offering in the model and it has defined the car for the past few generations. That’s not a bad thing since this engine will be the volume seller and buyers will have plenty of performance to work with here. However, for buyers that crave even more potent track performance, the range-topping IS 500 model swaps it out for a 5.0-liter 472-hp V8. The extra cylinders and the burble from the exhaust are potent advantages but the high price tag on those models will make your wallet cry uncle in a hurry.
The IS 500 is also not a true four-season car either with that model coming exclusively with rear-wheel drive. Buyers looking for AWD will have to go to either the IS 300 or an IS 350 like our example to take advantage of it. An eight-speed automatic is the base transmission available but our AWD-equipped tester uses an older six-speed automatic due to the unique needs of the AWD system. Like your favorite plate of pancakes it still does a good job delivering smooth crisp shifts and we seldom caught it sleeping on the job. Fuel economy is a prominent weakness for the 350 with AWD models like our example getting an EPA-rated 19/26/22 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. Rear-wheel drive models fare slightly better with those models getting 20/28/23 mpg in the same categories.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Lexus IS lineup has changed very little for the 2024 model year with a base RWD IS 300 model starting at $41,735 with the $1,150 destination fee added in. The optional AWD system adds $2,000 to the price of an IS with our 350 tester having a base sticker of $47,660. Our tester arrived with a light coating of optional extras which caused the final number to grow to an as-tested price of $53,600. This pricing ladder is in the same ballpark as German contenders but it also causes some of the IS’s flaws and remaining wrinkles to show especially in performance and technology. That said, the model’s cyber-punk look is better to visually admire than the BMW 3-Serie’s front fascia which has seen its twin-kidney grilles grow to considerable proportions over the past few years.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.