Hello everyone,
I feel I am being pulled into the sport sedan market and the IS 500 is on my short list as I am a Lexus fan ever since I purchased my RX350 back in 2021. I have always had fun cars in my stable 97 corvette - SOLD, 2006 Corvette Z06 - SOLD, 2013 427 Vert. - Current. Looking to possibly sell the Vette and get into the IS 500 just wondering if anyone can give their thoughts on driving dynamics. I know I may miss the LS7 and manual transmission but I am hoping that the IS 500 is still fun to drive. Just looking for a change or may I be just a little crazy going from a sports car to a sport sedan????

 

i went from a 2019 Mustang gt premium pp1. I never really liked this car compared to the camaro 2ss 1le I had before. For me, I find driving the is500 more enjoyable.

 

I will try to sum it up in a few categories.

As a daily, it's a smooth, easy car to live with if not the most modern on the market. It's fairly quiet with ride quality that is pretty much the best in segment. Taller folks may not like the rear seats, but compared to a sports car, having rear seats at all is a big change. Also, the Mark Levinson sound system is great. It's crisp if not particularly tunable, and it is always enjoyable to turn up.

As a fun weekend car, it has one of the best V-8 engines to ever come out of Japan and good steering, but it keeps the driver at arm's length due to a softer suspension and intrusive stability control. It needs to be driven hard to really come alive, and using manual mode for the transmission is almost always going to be better than leaving it in automatic shifting mode. It's not really designed to be a track car, as it lacks external coolers for the transmission and engine, but for back roads, it'll be fine as long as you're not going too crazy.

This is a multi-faceted car. It's not the greatest at any one thing, but it always calls my name when I go to the garage. It may not feel as modern or slick as a BMW M340i, since it has a clunky trackpad (with touchscreen, thank goodness), no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, low-res 360 camera, and similar interior layout as the 2014 IS, with an automatic transmission shifter pattern that's been in Toyota and Lexus models since the 90's. However, it makes up for that by being back-to-basics - you won't find auto-start-stop on this car, for example, nor will you find a downsized turbocharged engine! It also still comes with a spare tire. And, having said that it's old-school, it doesn't lack in features - you do get full-speed radar cruise with lane centering, a rear sunshade, memory seats, auto high-beams, and rain-sensing wipers. So, it depends on what you want. For me, I like this old-school-meets-modern approach, as I feel cars like this one will be going away sooner rather than later.

My personal favorite thing about this car is how it is such a great cruiser, while still being fun to drive. I like the idea that I can hop in and drive across the state on a whim, while being relatively relaxed the whole time thanks to the smooth ride. And, while I am out there, I can enjoy the V-8 soundtrack on some on-ramps. Even though I could keep the miles off the IS 500 and drive my wife's X3, which she barely uses outside of weekends, it's hard to say no to the Lexus. It is just so enjoyable even to run errands in due to how smooth and comfy, yet responsive, the car can be.

 

IS500 is very fun to drive. Does have a softer suspension that rolls a bit in the corners. I like it as trade off in ride quality is well worth a little roll.

Major drawbacks are OEM tires and quiet exhaust. For ~$2500 total you can upgrade both and really make this car something very, very special. Also the transmission needs to be fully warmed up and in full Sport+ ‘manual’ mode before it’ll really come alive.

 

Former C7 owner here and I'll hopefully be back in the Corvette market in a couple years.

The C6 will drive circles around the IS 500 in performance aspects. The IS feels slow in a straight line compared to my old C7, probably because the IS is nearly a full second slower in the 1/4 mile. The IS also doesn't feel as planted in the corners due to less tire and softer suspension. I ran out of courage before I ran out of traction in the C7. In the IS finding the limit is a lot easier. The C7 could cover up bad driving easier, where the IS lets you know. Get on the gas too soon, or carry too much speed in a corner and it understeer. Too much throttle before an apex and traction control will kick in to stop the oversteer. It's not as easy to go fast, but feels rewarding when it goes right. It is still a really fun car, but I don't feel as confident in it. But it is NOT a Corvette competitor!! So this should not be surprising. It's not an M or AMG competitor either. It's a "medium" sports car with a bigger engine which is why I bought it.

Where the IS wins is comfort, space, and better features while still being fun and decently quick. Sure, the IS is reliable too, but I had less problems with my C7 than my IS. Neither had major problems, but my IS has rattles and needs bake work already. As a daily I couldn't do the C7 anymore. I needed to be higher off the ground, I wanted a softer suspension, and I needed a quieter cabin with a better AC. I also don't need to be hauling butt to have fun getting on the freeway or on some curvy roads. For me, it was time to slow down a little. I am the ultimate fan boy for a Corvette as a 2nd car, but as a daily the IS beats it easily.

Going from an LS7 with gobs of torque down to this 5 liter you will definitely miss the feeling of being pinned to the seat on acceleration. It will still feel pretty good in the upper RPM range, but you're already used to a 7,000 RPM redline so that might not impress.

If I had to pick a daily I would pick the IS every time. As a 2nd car I'd go with the Corvette no hesitation. If you're after an updated chassis or interior the C7 is always a possibility.

 

Owning both the IS500 and a C7 Z06, I 100% agree with this.

My main advice is to test drive the 500 at the dealer or with a current owner if one is close by. Then buy what is a good balance between your wants and needs.

The IS500 and my C7 Z06 don't really compare because they serve different purposes. Yes, the Z06 handles much better and puts a huge grin on my face when I drive it, but the only place all 650 HP and torque are useful is at the track. The IS500, while much tamer with regards to HP and wayyyy softer with regards to suspension, also puts a smile on my face. When going around corners and on the highway, the suspension and 472HP is more than enough for my spirited every-day driving.

When I was looking to replace my 435 Msport Gran Coupe, I narrowed the choices down to the IS 500 and the Caddy CT4 Blackwing. My first impression was that the IS500 felt and handled like a much bigger car than the BMW. It also sits higher than the BMW, but now that I am used to how it handles, it feels more nimble.The interior and the naturally aspirated engine is why I chose it over the blackwing's twin turbo v6.

I don't really care about having the latest tech in the car, so the fact that it is somewhat dated does not bother me at all. Hell, the guys at the dealership looked at me like I was an alien when I said I was not going to download the Lexus App.

Overall, I am happy with the car and enjoy driving it. I'm even looking at maybe doing a few autocrosses with it just to see what the limits are. My one complaint so far is the soft paint. In about a year, I have more little dings in the paint on the IS than I had in five years with the BMW, or seven with the Z06, and I drive that beast to and from the track as well as on it.

 

I hate to say "THIS!" but pretty much everything I could think of is in here.

Some of us are still yet to get off the stock crap Potenzas. And PS4's or pretty much anything is going to improve handling feel.

I daily'd a Volvo S60 R-design (the last gen with actual stiff sport suspension) for six years. To be honest, I'm done with that level of ride harshness. And I don't even have "bad" roads around here!
Much prefer the IS500.

OP sounds like he has already gotten a sense of one end of the spectrum. The question is, what do you want?
The 500 is a great car, but the only thing it absolutely nails is the engine sound and torque. It is a sedan. It has body roll. Even so, I love driving it. I don't worry about roads being bumpy anymore.

When you do test drive the 500, you absolutely have to put it in Sport+ (2 clicks of the drive mode dial) and put the shifter in manual mode. Turn off traction control too if you want to do a launch. If you don't do that you will miss a lot of the car experience like many reviewers did for the last couple model years.

 

In addition to the 500, I also own a Genesis G70 3.3T. I initially bought the Genesis because the deal was too good to pass up, but after spending some time behind the wheel, I’ve found that I prefer the G70 as my daily driver over the 500.

The only thing the G70 lacks is the V8 halo, but beyond that, it ticks nearly every box for me (and I wish the 500 did too). The standard driving mode offers almost instant throttle response, with plenty of low-end torque. The 8AT is smooth, with quick and decisive shifts - no hesitation or clunking. The chassis feels solid, with no bumper separation issues (unlike my 500, where the Etsy kit didn’t work out). Plus, the G70 is free from glitches, rattles, or funny noises/chirps from the engine bay.

 

What year / trim G70 do you have, and AWD or RWD? Is there any major difference in rear seat or trunk space with the IS500?
I have both of these cars on my radar to replace my 08 IS350 in the near future.

 

The IS500 is one of the ultimate jeckel and hyde cars. When you test drive it, put it in Sport+, manual, fully warmed up, traction off, and drive it hard around corners to stiffen up the suspension. It becomes remarkably nimble, handles well, loses the rear end quite easily if you're not careful, and is an absolute blast to drive. On the other hand, if you stay in eco/sport mode and take it easy on the throttle, corners, etc. then it can feel too soft, lazy to shift, maybe a bit "boaty", etc. That's absolutely fine if you want to just cruise and chill, and it absorbs bumps to perfection (the balance that Lexus has found between absorbing the bumps whilst still giving you good road feel is truly remarkable IMO). But , just make sure you drive it extensively in both "modes" to get the true sense of the car. Many reviewers simply don't push it like I described above, and come away with an inaccurate impression of the car's overall abilities.

 

Mine is 2024 3.3T RWD. The rear seat and trunk spaces are similar in both cars.

 

When I got into the G70 and adjusted the drivers seat to where I was comfortable the rear of the G70 had very little back seat room. It had less than even my wife's 2013 IS 350 which has less room than my current gen IS. I'm not a tall guy so I'd like to know if they increased the room in the refresh because it did not look like they did. It was one of the reasons I did not consider the G70. The Kia Stinger GT which my brother has is far more roomy and a hatchback so to me it's the better packaged version of this car / platform.

 

I rented a G70 not long ago.

I thought the back seat room was comparable to the IS. Better? Not appreciably. I think they were very close. I'm 5'11" and fit in back of both cars, though if I put my head all the way back, it hits the headliner in both.

 

First and foremost the IS500 is a Lexus, that means the tilt will be toward luxury and reliability. This car will not outperform a BMW M3 or AMG Mercedes set up for the track but it will be a hell of a lot more comfortable yet still very fun to drive everyday. If you keep your cars this will most likely keep you happy for many trouble free years, if you switch every few years the Lexus resale value will always hold up well especially with this last of the Mohicans V8 (I personally think the stock sound is awesome!), plus this is arguably the best looking sports sedan on the market, absolutely stunning!

 

The dealer treatment from Hyundai dealers is atrocious, I'd stay away from Genesis. My experience with a G70 was not good.