The IS F brings a new weapon to the fight, though. Its V8 is exploited by an 8-speed automatic; that’s right, eight forward gears that offer absolutely seamless shifting under normal driving and helps achieve our fuel economy average of 11.4 L/100 km. Barrelling down a twisty country road or on a track, though, makes the tranny frenetic, constantly up- and downshifting. Not a big deal.
Punishing ride
The car may have acceleration numbers that stack up to the competition, but the car would benefit from some work in the suspension department.
Not that the IS F cannot handle itself when the road is no longer straight; it can. On a track, the car is a hair less rewarding than the M3 because it’s slightly less communicative. The ride is stiff, just like all of its rivals, but the shocks lack the certain composure that the Germans have been mastering for years.
On the highway the car settles down, but around town, the punishing ride quickly becomes irritating. An adjustable suspension that offers a comfort setting would be nice.
Looks the part
I’ve always found the styling of the Lexus IS to be just right: svelte, aerodynamic and attractive. For “F” duty, the car gets a bulging hood, wider fenders, a rear spoiler, stacked-up exhaust pipes and road-hugging lower-body add-ons. The car obviously rides lower to the ground.
Inside, the IS F gets a sportier-looking ambiance, with aluminum-style trim on the centre console and door panels. The heated leather sport seats hug you in place, and keep in mind that there are only two back seats, but space is limited and accessing them is slightly challenging.
While the 13-speaker stereo offers an impressive sound quality, Bluetooth connectivity is cruelly missing, although you get it when you choose the $4,100 Series 2 option package that includes the navigation system.
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| Inside, the IS F gets a sportier-looking ambiance, with aluminum-style trim on the centre console and door panels. |
Punishing ride
The car may have acceleration numbers that stack up to the competition, but the car would benefit from some work in the suspension department.
Not that the IS F cannot handle itself when the road is no longer straight; it can. On a track, the car is a hair less rewarding than the M3 because it’s slightly less communicative. The ride is stiff, just like all of its rivals, but the shocks lack the certain composure that the Germans have been mastering for years.
On the highway the car settles down, but around town, the punishing ride quickly becomes irritating. An adjustable suspension that offers a comfort setting would be nice.
Looks the part
I’ve always found the styling of the Lexus IS to be just right: svelte, aerodynamic and attractive. For “F” duty, the car gets a bulging hood, wider fenders, a rear spoiler, stacked-up exhaust pipes and road-hugging lower-body add-ons. The car obviously rides lower to the ground.
Inside, the IS F gets a sportier-looking ambiance, with aluminum-style trim on the centre console and door panels. The heated leather sport seats hug you in place, and keep in mind that there are only two back seats, but space is limited and accessing them is slightly challenging.
While the 13-speaker stereo offers an impressive sound quality, Bluetooth connectivity is cruelly missing, although you get it when you choose the $4,100 Series 2 option package that includes the navigation system.
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| The car obviously rides lower to the ground. |