Cars in Review: 2025 Lexus IS 500

We made it to another Cars in Review post and for this week, I have another special treat for all of you. I will be writing about the 2025 Lexus IS 500. Of course, when you’re through reading this one, you can always check out the blog post we released a while ago on the 2012 Lexus IS 250 which is also quite a read if I do say so myself. 

First things first with this car, it is actually one of the last cars in existence with a naturally aspirated luxury V8 engine on the market. But it’s unique in other ways too. Keep reading to find out! 

Overview

The 2025 Lexus IS 500 is a beautiful car inside and out and although it does offer an enjoyable driving experience thanks to the lovely V8 engine under the hood, it lacks in other areas that some would say are quite important for a car of this class. 

Take the performance aspect (now before you all come at me, keep reading and you’ll understand why I chose this) for example, compared to the other cars in its class like the BMW M3, Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, or even the Mercedes-AMG C43, this car lacks the athletic ability. But what do I mean by this? Well the rivals actually offer a more engaging driving experience whereas the IS 500 has a more dated chassis and has less agile handling at higher speeds. Another con would be the cramped rear row and trunk space. We will be exploring more about this and the third con, poor fuel economy in later sections below. 

But this car shouldn’t be judged by all of the bad qualities it has, despite that number outweighing the amount of good points we listed. Give this car a chance even if you just continue reading through this post and I’m sure your mind will be swayed on the better side. 

What’s New for 2025?

For the true die hard Lexus fans you already know that 2025 is a big year for the IS models but for those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, the IS models turn 25 years old this year. To commemorate this, Lexus has added 2 special limited editions of the top spec IS 500 F Sport Performance. The Special Appearance model will be limited to only 180 units and come painted in Flare Yellow adorned with 19 inch BBS wheels. 

The other car will be called the Ultimate Edition which will be decked out in matte black with 19 inch BBS wheels, carry around a special badge, and feature an exterior paint colour called Wind with a two tone red and black interior. Only 500 units of this will be made. 

The other cars in the models line up (IS300 F Sport and IS350 F Sport) also see new standard feature editions for 2025 including: power folding side mirrors that auto dim at night, a power adjustable steering column, memory settings for the driver, and a dark chrome exterior window trim. The F Sport Design trims see a standard heated steering wheel as the newest addition. 

I do have some sad news for fans of this car though. Rumour has it that 2025 will be the last year that the IS cars will be produced, so make sure to get one while you can.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The Lexus IS 500 comes available in 3 different models – IS 500 F Sport Performance ($60,695), IS 500 F Sport Performance Premium ($65,195), and IS 500 F Sport Performance Ultimate Edition (estimated at $70,000). Of all three the recommended model to go with has to be the IS 500 F Sport Performance simply for the fact that it makes for a good daily car (among other things). But when looking at the IS models as a whole, drivers will find more of their needs are met with the IS 350 F Sport ($47,110) which is thought to be the better version of the IS 300 ($45,755). 

The base IS 350 comes with all wheel drive rather than rear wheel drive which would be the main difference. All in all, the best/recommended way to go would be upgrading from the F Sport design to the full on F Sport and add the F Sport Handling Package to net the Adaptive Variable Suspension and the Torsen limited slip-rear differential. 

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

As mentioned in the beginning of this post, the 2025 Lexus IS 500 comes equipped with a naturally aspirated V8 engine that has capabilities of making 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. It comes paired with an 8 speed automatic transmission that helps to send power to the rear wheels. When compared to the other IS models, the 500 series has the best optimal engine that really allows for the true performance stats to shine through. 

0-60 MPH

For the 0-60 MPH test, 2 models were tested – a rear wheel drive IS 350 F Sport (which made a time of 5.6 seconds) and the V8 powered IS 500 model (which made it in 4.3 seconds). Now the times for the IS 500 model are actually slower when compared to its competitors but nonetheless Lexus would be considered the top dog in its class, just less intense when compared to the German cars.   

Fuel Economy and Real World MPG

It was mentioned earlier that this was one of the cons for the 2025 Lexus IS 500 but let’s see just how bad things really are. Again, for this section a couple of models will be reviewed, but let’s start with the V8 IS 500. Of all the cars, this one has to be the one that struggles the most, producing numbers of 17 MPG city and 25 MPG highway, bad I know. The IS 300 is the model that shines in this category with numbers like 21 MPG city and 31 MPG highway with the all wheel drive version making 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway. The V6 version makes numbers like 20 MPG city and 28 MPG highway for the rear wheel drive models and matches the IS 300 at 19 MPG city and 26 MPG highway for the all wheel drive models.    

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

If you remember, this section was the second con in the list but again lets see how bad it really is. When it comes to space in this car the compact rear wheel drive model is not as spacious as the closely priced front wheel drive ES sedan which really means don’t have high expectations when it comes to seating adults in the back seats. The front isn’t any better if that’s what you were hoping for, sorry to be the bearer of bad news – the space is limited there too. Good luck finding room for your cellphone, it’ll either be in the cup holder (I hope you weren’t planning on using that) or in the small bin under the center arm rest (there are power outlets here though).

Besides this, if you can overlook it, this Lexus is designed for its namesake. Everything found in the interior belongs in a typical Lexus and just screams luxury. For standard features one would see things like power front seats, dual zone automatic climate control, and push button start while a power sunroof is offered as optional. And yes, those faux leather parts found in the car, they really are as soft as the real deal.  

Infotainment and Connectivity

An 8.0 inch infotainment system comes standard while a larger 10.3 inch display is offered as optional with both coming bundled with in-dash navigation. They also both have something of an unusual arrangement when it comes to the console-mounted touchpad although some would say they are just happy to see volume and turning knobs still present. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and even Amazon Alexa, are all compatible with either system so not to worry, Lexus has you covered. The previous generation IS featured a Mark Levinson premium stereo system (coming as optional) which still holds true this time, except for this year, there are 17 speakers and 1800 watts of power.    

Safety and Driver Assistance Features

Lexus made sure not to forget about its reputation for the IS models and made sure a lot of the safety features come standard. Key safety features include: 

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection 
• Standard lane departure warning with lane keeping assist 
• Standard adaptive cruise control 

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Lexus is known for its powertrain warranty and it is even referred to as the best out there. 

• Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for 1 year or 10,000 miles 
• Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles 
• Powertrain warranty covers 6 years or 70,000 miles 

Final Thoughts

Since you made it to the end of the post, why not check out one that we released a while ago on the Toyota Prius linked here.