Lexus IS 350 F-Sport Striking Looks Stir Driving Passion

While the Lexus IS series is acclaimed for quality engineering, reliability, advanced tech, premium amenities and safety … the performance edge has always been muted for this striking $42,900 sports sedan.

The all new Lexus IS 350, powered by a 3.5 L V6 pumping 311 horsepower, should provide this 3,880 pounder with plenty of punch … but the 280 lb ft of torque seems to come up short.

That being said, the Lexus ethic of civilized, convenient and supremely confident quality doesn’t really sacrifice anything but the bad behavior of tire squealing take-offs.

The extreme front grille and headwind slicing exterior styling is commendable even for those of us not endlessly fascinated with the possibilities of laser-tech sheet metal sculpting.

The Lexus IS 350 does the racing cues especially aggressively in the F-Sport series, adding AWD sure footedness to the driving dynamics.

Inside sporty, but not confining cockpit styling fuels driver passion, while the full back seat and trunk offers sedan practicality.

The IS 350 offers standard Amazon Alexa, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Though the infotainment touchpad is quirky, the 8.0-inch or 10.3-inch touchscreen provides backup.