Why This New Lexus Feels 10 Years Old

Let’s test drive and review the 2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport! The Lexus IS is Lexus’ compact sports sedan. It’s been around since 1998, when it launched in Japan as the Toyota Altezza. It came to America not long after as the IS 300. The idea was for the Lexus IS to be a luxury Toyota competitor to other smaller sports sedans, like the ever-popular BMW 3-Series, and its name stands for “Intelligent Sports.” The original American-bound IS 300 came with rear-wheel-drive and a 2JZ-GE engine. This was a naturally aspirated variant of the VERY popular fourth-generation Supra engine, and the original IS 300 made 215 horsepower with it. The early IS 300 also got a wagon version called the SportCross, and that first generation stayed around until 2005. Then came the second-gen IS. You could get a V6, a V8, an available manual transmission, optional all-wheel-drive, and more, and this generation stuck around until 2013.  Then we got the third generation, which carried over but revised a lot of elements of the second generation. This car is still part of the third generation, which means it’s been around for a long time, albeit with some refreshing along the way. For a long time now, we’ve had two IS options on the new-vehicle market: the IS 350 and the IS 500. The IS 500 has a 5.0-liter V8 engine, which is where the “500” comes from, and this IS 350 has a 3.5-liter V6, which is where the “350” comes from.  Both are naturally aspirated, and this V6 makes 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That power goes through an 8-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels, because the IS range unfortunately lost its manual long ago in America, and the final assembly point on this car is in Japan. You can get the IS 350 in rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and this is a rear-wheel-drive trim called the F Sport. That’s a little misleading, because every 2026 IS 350 in America is some sort of F Sport. There’s the F Sport, the F Sport Design, and the F Sport Special Appearance Package. These are mostly just appearance packages, but the straight-up F Sport also has a Torsen limited-slip rear differential and an available adaptive suspension system. In this video, we’ll talk about all the things that make the IS 350 great (and all the things that make it dated). We live in a world of SUVs, hybrid technology, and electric vehicles, and it’s the best feeling when I remember that we still have archaic powertrains like the IS 350’s V6 around. They’re amazing! And the IS 500 V8’s exhaust sound is even more amazing! Cars like the IS pair old powertrains (which rock) with good new technology, like lane-centering assist and Apple CarPlay. The IS won’t be around for much longer in its current form, and it’s incredible to experience it while it’s here. Thanks for watching my YouTube channel. Enjoy the drive (and the video)! #cars #automotive #carreview #carreviews #alanisking #lexus #lexusis #lexusis350 #lexusis500 #lexusv6 #lexusreview #sportssedan #sportsedan #sportscar #luxurysedan #luxurycar #luxurycars #luxurysedans #lexusfsport #is350 #is500 #is350fsport FOLLOW ME: Twitter:   / alanisnking   Instagram:   / alanisnking   Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alanisnking Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alanisnking.... TikTok:   / alanisnking   Website: alanisnking.com USE PARTNER CODE ALANIS20 FOR 20% OFF TONS OF XPEL CAR-CARE PRODUCTS: https://www.xpel.com/shop/c/care-deta... CHECK OUT OUR PARTNER HOMEFIELD APPAREL: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/ USE PARTNER CODE ALANIS FOR 15% OFF YOUR APEX COFFEE ORDER: https://www.apexcoffeeroasters.com CHECK OUT MY SHORTS CHANNEL:    / @alaniskingshorts   WORK WITH ME: [email protected]