2021+ 3rd Generation Lexus IS (300, 350, 500) Megathread

[Darrinbean]

If you buy a car based on infotainment alone, you might as well take public transportation.

Yup 👍

 

[suxeL]

i dont get it, isnt carplay and android auto standard? If you buy any Luxury vehicle without carplay and android auto, things that are standard on every single economy car today, are you really buying a luxury car?

 

[Darrinbean]

i dont get it, isnt carplay and android auto standard? If you buy any Luxury vehicle without carplay and android auto, things that are standard on every single economy car today, are you really buying a luxury car?

IS and LX systems have neither. Others models had new system’s recently or software updates to CarPlay. Lexus held out for some time to go with CarPlay. My initial post I stated. I can do without CarPlay. Lexus are good luxury cars With or without CarPlay or Android Auti

 

[Sebass]

I really hope this car, (the IS 500) comes with launch control. I have a bad feeling that Lexus is gonna say something stupid like, "Well, we only reserve Launch Control for the F Cars." Also, in a couple of months, Lexus will have only one F car in the lineup 13.5 years after production began of the original IS F, just saying.

 

[suxeL]

IS and LX systems have neither. Others models had new system’s recently or software updates to CarPlay. Lexus held out for some time to go with CarPlay. My initial post I stated. I can do without CarPlay. Lexus are good luxury cars With or without CarPlay or Android Auti

IS MY21 has both systems. LX and GX are the only vehicles that lumbar on without either (mind boggling for a 50k+ territory but thats for a different forum).

 

[suxeL]

I really hope this car, (the IS 500) comes with launch control. I have a bad feeling that Lexus is gonna say something stupid like, "Well, we only reserve Launch Control for the F Cars." Also, in a couple of months, Lexus will have only one F car in the lineup 17 years after production began of the original IS F, just saying.

Wait what? 17 years? They had F cars in 2003?

 

[Sebass]

Wait what? 17 years? They had F cars in 2003?

😬 Crap, thank you for pointing that out, its more like 13 and a half years. But my point still stands.

 

[som987]

Anyone hear anything new recently? Seems like we haven't had any further information since the launch (except IS500 trademark). I contacted my local dealer a few weeks ago and he didn't have any new information either.

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

Anyone hear anything new recently? Seems like we haven't had any further information since the launch (except IS500 trademark). I contacted my local dealer a few weeks ago and he didn't have any new information either.

Nothing new to report on the IS 500. I'd be VERY surprised if we heard anything before this coming mid-November (2020 Los Angeles Auto Show date). And the unveiling may well slip into 2021.

 

[boafriend]

IS and LX systems have neither. Others models had new system’s recently or software updates to CarPlay. Lexus held out for some time to go with CarPlay. My initial post I stated. I can do without CarPlay. Lexus are good luxury cars With or without CarPlay or Android Auti

I can absolutely see how some people personally are fine without CarPlay, but looking at it from a market point of view, Lexus for reasons unknown lagged so far behind on this. I agree if economy-car brands are offering the feature and you (as a luxury name) aren't, it is a huge miss. I don't understand how Lexus thinks sometimes.

And I'm gonna ***** about this still -- I don't get why power-folding was not added for the side mirrors of 2021 IS. Every current Lexus model has it, so I don't understand why it was not implemented for this. We already all agree more or less Lexus gave minimal thought to the interior for this new refresh. But small things just make you go "???" sometimes.

It also makes zero sense to me to do a refresh for just one year before doing a full redesign the year after. It makes me believe the 2022 redesign exterior-wise will not look so different than the 2021 because it'd make no sense to give the car a considerably new look, then change it up again one year later. Painful to say, but Lexus should've made the redesign the 2021 model or just damn waited till 2022. I think 2022 will just be that new engine platform and a fresher interior.

 

[bogglo]

Now that we have more information on the acura type s, I'm expecting news on the IS500

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

It also makes zero sense to me to do a refresh for just one year before doing a full redesign the year after. It makes me believe the 2022 redesign exterior-wise will not look so different than the 2021 because it'd make no sense to give the car a considerably new look, then change it up again one year later. Painful to say, but Lexus should've made the redesign the 2021 model or just damn waited till 2022. I think 2022 will just be that new engine platform and a fresher interior.

To my understanding, an all-new IS (or either its discontinuation or morphing into a Tesla Model 3 rival) won't happen until the 2024 model year. In other words, the 2022 and 2023 model year IS should be just like the 2021 except for minor detail changes here and there such as exterior color selection.

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

To my understanding, an all-new IS (or either its discontinuation or morphing into a Tesla Model 3 rival) won't happen until the 2024 model year. In other words, the 2022 and 2023 model year IS should be just like the 2021 except for minor detail changes here and there such as exterior color selection.

But why would they do such an extensive exterior refresh like this for three years?

 

[Joaquin Ruhi]

But why would they do such an extensive exterior refresh like this for three years?

That's what Japanese media (primarily Best Car) are reporting. Reading the tea leaves of how the executive compact sports sedan segment is contracting (Tesla Model 3 excepted) and how they ultimately killed off big brother Lexus GS, I think that this heavy second facelift for the current 3rd-gen IS is a good happy medium that gives the uninitiated the impression that it's an all-new generation when it really isn't.

 

[Gecko]

The late filing makes me think think it's not as likely to happen, but I wouldn't be surprised if COVID/recession kills the IS 500. LC F being cancelled and LF-1 being delayed make it seem quite possible. IS 500 seemed like a bit of an afterthought anyway, but I guess we'll see.

 

[Rydo]

If you buy a car based on infotainment alone, you might as well take public transportation.

Comments like this just encourage Lexus to remain behind competition.

 

[TurboLag]

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Comments like this just encourage Lexus to remain behind competition.

Totally agree. The majority of luxury car buyers want the latest tech. The IS' infotainment setup hurt them against the Germans, that's why 1) many buyers went elsewhere to lease 2) and it put pressure on the company to put more lease incentives.

If Lexus did something about the IS' infotainment setup in 2016 or 17 when the first facelift happened, IDK, perhaps sales wouldn't have dropped so dramatically, but with CUV trend, who knows if the better tech would have helped.

 

[boafriend]

Totally agree. The majority of luxury car buyers want the latest tech. The IS' infotainment setup hurt them against the Germans, that's why 1) many buyers went elsewhere to lease 2) and it put pressure on the company to put more lease incentives.

If Lexus did something about the IS' infotainment setup in 2016 or 17 when the first facelift happened, IDK, perhaps sales wouldn't have dropped so dramatically, but with CUV trend, who knows if the better tech would have helped.

Great point. Effin' Lexus, man. During that time the Model 3 was able to come out and whisk away a large share of the compact-sedan market. Again, I sound like such a whiner, but I just don't get what they were thinkin laggin' with this crap.

That's what Japanese media (primarily Best Car) are reporting. Reading the tea leaves of how the executive compact sports sedan segment is contracting (Tesla Model 3 excepted) and how they ultimately killed off big brother Lexus GS, I think that this heavy second facelift for the current 3rd-gen IS is a good happy medium that gives the uninitiated the impression that it's an all-new generation when it really isn't.

Thank you for this info. I could've sworn it was previously reported that 2021 was just a refresh and a new platform/redesign was coming in 2022. That's why it made me so "WTFF???"

 

[Ian Schmidt]

If Lexus did something about the IS' infotainment setup in 2016 or 17 when the first facelift happened, IDK, perhaps sales wouldn't have dropped so dramatically, but with CUV trend, who knows if the better tech would have helped.

CUVs aren't a trend, it's been 20+ years already. To use a phrase I hate, it's the new normal. Even the Germans are downsizing their non-SUV/CUV lineups now.