I recently test drove the 2021 IS 350 and although it wasn’t with all packages I am looking at, the feel of the car was great. I am considering this car coming from a mustang. I do have som questions regarding this car and Lexus in general.

Although the mustang is a coupe, with the keyless entry, you can unlock the passenger door without going to the driver door first. I noticed on the IS I couldn’t unlock or open any door without opening the driver door first and unlocking from the inside. I know the other way is to hit the unlock button twice on the key fob to unlock all doors. Is that how it works for the IS?

The matte black wheels looked sweet in person. I’ve never considered matte black wheels until now. My concern is will they scratch/damage easily and mess up the aesthetic of the car?

I haven’t followed Lexus long with any of their lineup but does Lexus add any minor upgrades on a yearly basis. Would they add/delete anything like rim choices, spoilers, packages, LED rear turn signals, etc. from 2021 to 2022 or normally maintain the lineup between refreshes/redesign?

 

I’m sure that’s something adjustable in the user settings, as my 2014 unlocks all doors by touching either the driver or passenger door. And I only have to press the fob button once to unlock all doors. On my other car it’s called ‘global unlock’, not remembering what Lexus calls it.

 

Yeah, I have a 2021 IS 350, and holding the driver and passenger door unlocks all doors, I do it all the time when I'm opening the door for my son in the back. I don't have the matte black BBS wheels so I can't tell you, I have the dark chrome 19" version. And to your last question, they don't really refresh anything major after a refresh. The 2014 wasn't refreshed until 2017 and the 2017 wasn't refreshed until now, 2021. But you never know.

 

Friend of mine is doing the same - he currently has a GT PP. He'll be either trading or selling it, and leasing a 2021 IS350 with the handling package (black BBS wheels). The car he wants is in transit. He's just waiting for it to arrive at the dealership.

I doubt there will be anything significantly "new" for the 2nd year of this newer IS.

 

You can set it to unlock all four doors with either the fob or the keyless access in the infotainment. Did the same on my car day 1.

It'll probably stay the same. Mid-cycle updates to wheels, etc. are pretty rare.

 

I’d like to hear more from mustang owners switching up.

Does anyone know how reliable the Bluetooth is in the IS? I know apple CarPlay is now in there but sometimes I won’t want to plug the phone up. Does it remember the device every time you hop in the car?

 

The IS I test drove apparently had a performance exhaust on it from the factory. It did sound different than others I’ve heard in videos, etc. It sounded really good. Does having a performance exhaust from Lexus decrease the MPG?

 

There is still no sensor in the rear doors for proximity key on the 21 right? I think that may have been what he was asking, there is only a sensor in the front doors for the pre 21s. Lexus is pretty tame on year to year changes, '16 to '18 was an outlier. Bluetooth has been perfect for me in 4 years of ownership.

 

Not sure how many Mustang owners (current or previous) are on here. In my friend's case, the Mustang is currently his weekend warrior, not his daily. With the recent spike in used car values he's looking to take advantage and sell his Mustang sooner than later. He figures a 2 year lease on an IS350 (which he plans to daily) should hold him over until he decides on his next fun car.

 

Yeah, when I test drove it, I had to stick my hand in the front door, hear it unlock then I could open the back door.

Good strategy.

I was told if I ordered the IS the way I wanted it, it would 6 months to arrive at the dealership. Is that really how long it’s going to take? Because then we would going into the 2022 model year. I’m hoping that was a bit of an exaggeration. I know it would take a couple months at least.

 

Does anybody know if upgrading to a performance exhaust from the Lexus factory will decrease the MPG from the regular f sport exhaust on the 21 IS or in general?

 

After one year of ownership of a 2020 mustang ecoboost premium, I traded it in for my IS. 0 regrets at all!

 

oooh nice. I have the eco boost premium too. Is the MPG much different? How’s the engine sound difference? The biggest thing I notice is the road noise in the IS is much quieter. Also, does the lack of a place to put your phone in the IS bother you?

 

MPG wise is about the same. I average 21mpg combined city/highway. Engine sound is way better than the eco. I switched from stock exhaust to ford performance by borla street catback and wasn't fully happy with the sound. Then I had a magnaflow competition, and a Borla Stype catbacks. None of those systems really satisfied my taste. The IS just sounds nice stock, and I am sure it sounds great with any axleback or catback exhaust. I will just wait a little until there are more options in the market. It's not a loud car by any means, but you can tell the difference right away. Build quality was one of my pet peeves in the Mustang, and the IS does not disappoint at all. I'd say go to your local dealer and test drive the IS. I think the mustang is a great and fun car to drive, but it didn't fulfill my quality needs as a daily car.

 

that’s good to know. I’m noticing issues with my build quality on my mustang as well. The engine is holding up well but the wirings around the vehicle have been problematic since the beginning. I know the IS doesn’t have the most futuristic interior but it looks like that doesn’t bother you.