Been looking at making a purchase on a new 2017 Lexus IS 300 and was really sold on it but then last minute noticed one slight thing that caught my eye.

Why did they change the left and right side of the mesh grill on the new refresh? To me it just looks a bit incomplete. The mesh does not extend all the way to the side and it just looks weird. Can anyone enlighten me as to why this would look good at all compared to the previous year models?

2017 Lexus IS:



2016 Lexus IS:

 

Those are vents to cool the brakes. The 2014-2016 has them on the sides of the grille.

 

I'm a huge fan of the new facelift. I'd do a conversion but that would mean new fenders, headlights, bumper and probably some other things.

 

I'm a big fan of the 2017 and like the aggressive look. Now it's time for some twisty mountain roads east of San Diego to see if the brake cooling vents actually work.

 

I'm kinda with the OP. I like the more discreet way of hiding the brake cooling ducts in the pre-refreshed IS. If Lexus just had the holes and not the blank plastic potion above them, that's fine, but I think it would look better if Lexus used the spindles on the entire grille section.

 

Just to clarify, these are the pre-refresh brake coolers?

 

I think I like most things about the refresh, but I prefer the old taillights and grille. The new taillights are too swoopy, and the new grille looks more plasticky to me.

However, are those ducts functional? I remember one set of ducts (inner versus outer) is supposedly fake and the other functional.

 

Yes, they both lead to openings in the fender wells that is supposed to supply air to the front brakes.

 

The refreshed front-end and rear tail lights look whacked. Too much weird stuff going on. I, too, prefer the pre-fresh design. Much more clean, streamlined and classy-looking. Not sure where the IS design is headed at this rate.

 

+1, I only like the interior refresh.

The side profile of the 17 looks weird, too bulky.

 

Not a fan of the 17+. Only thing I like is the rear exhaust tip rear bumper defuser and larger nav screen. They should have removed the amber signal color in the tail lights and it would've looked better. The front is OK but the pre facelift over it easily.