Lexus Sharpens Things Up With The 2021 IS 300 Sport Sedan
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.พ. 2021
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Lexus has a reputation for crafting reliable and comfortable vehicles that come with an award-winning ownership experience. Razor sharp handling? Nope, but the brand is trying to change. Akio Toyoda (guy who’s family name is on the building) has declared “no more boring cars”. The 2021 IS is a heavy mid-cycle refresh that adds a new suspension and lots of structural work under new sheet metal. Tom Voelk checks out a rear-drive IS 300 and finds a sport sedan built for the real world, but not the track.
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About Tom: Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award (and he's won for photography, editing, producing and reporting). But really, all you need to know is in the videos. Watch a few and you'll subscribe. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Tom, you deserve way more subscribers! Your videos are always top notch.
I agree!
Driven Car Reviews are the best.
Love the looks of the new IS. Glad Lexus is sticking with a few sedans too. And I miss a CD player in my VW- glad it's still available.
Subie, VW/Audi, and few models from other makers are leaving them around for now. I LOVE my CDs, really wish they would keep 'em for a bit longer.
No point in automakers having the High end sound systems when you can't take advantage of it with cd quality.
Awesome video, Tom. Thanks for not putting clickbait. You rock.
This is a good, honest review, Tom. This coming from a long time Lexus owner, the first of which was a IS 250 with a sluggish 205hp. My current vehicle is the 2020 ES300h with all of the amenities. The Lexus brand, in general, cannot be beaten with their vehicle reliability ratings. By the way, your alter ego isn't such a bad guy either. 😉
Great review! Much better than most others who only complain about it having not enough power! Well said at the end of your video, keep doing what you're doing!
Yes
Thank you Tom....love those Lexus. Reliability and stylish....thanks for focusing on facts and details not gotten elsewhere. Keep em coming.
Really enjoy the car reviews and your real world driving focus! Especially enjoyed this one since the driving shots were done on the road where our mountain house is. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for that last few minutes. I really enjoy your reviews and they’re always done very well. You’re the first person I’ve seen who actually reviewed the IS300 RWD. I have an LC in the garage, but looking for a fun reliable daily! Thank you!🙏🏾
I used to photograph cars at a Lexus dealership so I really appreciated this video! I always love your videos, and the quality is unparalleled. Thank you so much!
When I first started this channel, I was very excited but then it dawned on me that shooting cars is very hard.
@@DrivenCarReviews It's harder than it looks!!!
That's a pretty spartan interior.
Literally Toyota grade!
Too much charcoal grey for the money. Why is it that Toyota can add some white accents in a Corolla but can't do the same in a Lexus 2x the price?
@@chrisfreemesser5707 No idea!
@@chrisfreemesser5707 I used to think the same thing until my parents bought a lexus. The build quality is so much better than the competitors you over look that. They bought an RX in 2016 and today it is as solid of a vehicle as the day they bought it. I bought a 2019 bmw m340i brand new and the interior creeks like a haunted house whenever you touch anything :|. Next car will definitely be a lexus
I read the description below, I'm impressed Tom
You are the man
Another awesome review! Great job Tom!!
Yes have been waiting on this review from you
Love your work Tom
Top notch review once again! No doubt it'll reach 1M subs in no time!
HONESTY and the Fun Fact, is what keeps me coming back (Not to mention the funny bits in between, PLUS that dose of "Evil Twin").. I am sure I speak for a ton of the Mature folk around here as well. Tom, Keep slaying them videos, we'll keep watching them...
Thank you, Sir..
Would go for the 350. Definitely. I was thumb's up 276. You are right, Tom. Stay true to your core value & mission. You've been a long time in the business and all your suscriber, I think, appreciate your sincerity first and foremost!
Another great video Tom. I always appreciate your work and attention to detail. I knew about Toyota's "No more boring cars" but didn't know about the tech center. Thanks!
Really love Lexus (exterior, interior) design. Sharp, cohesive styling that stands out in the world. Tom, your camera work really did the job; showcasing how beautiful this IS really is.
Excellent review, Tom! This car really hits the sweet spot for me. Smooth performance, an emphasis on comfort and quietness (more GT than GTi), classy analog gauges rather than trashy iPad graphics, simple secondary controls, and rock-solid reliability guaranteed. Good luck getting any of its German, Italian or English rivals to 100,000 miles without endless breakdowns and electrical dramas.
Exactly.
Plot twist: Tom really has a twin brother.
I agree
Still confused, we know uses an evil twin (himself) for the reviews but does he have a REAL twin bother?
Wait what 🤯🤯🤯
I have the same thought this video, and I’ve been watching for years, I think the editing has entered a new realm 😂
@@denault3985 I keep wondering the same thing
Lexus thinks "having more emotion" is the key to increasing sales because the automotive media has been calling them boring for the last decade. The same automotive media that pushes nurburgring times as the benchmark for family cars. They are wrong. People want reliable, quality cars from Lexus and styling that doesn't make you scratch your head. Thanks for the good content Tom.
This is it!!!!
been watching this guy for years he still the goat and his videos unique
It's good to see classic silver painted wheels again. None of that tacky two-tone shiny black stuff.
Awesome review as usual Tom!!! I have a hard time believing that there are no rear cup holders?! My 2020 has cup holders the pop out the front of the armrest!!
I`d love to drive on those promenades inside a Lancia Fulvia from the 60s
Thanks guys. Photography and production values are the best .... yes we notice.
Thank you for another honest and detailed review, Tom. Well done!
I think this is a good amount of car for the price. Good job, Lexus. I can imagine a lot of people who want a real, comfy small luxury car without spending huge luxury money would love this car.
The panel gaps are very good on this car. Especially the trunk where the edge runs along a three dimensional path but the gap appears consistent on all axes. Good stuff. Oh and great review as always Tom!
Yeah, it's very nicely done along the back and that's deceptively hard to do. It's why I mentioned the C pillar design flowing into the rear panel.
I'm not sure any car company can beat Lexus (they have assembly separate from Toyota) when it comes to overall build quality. They may not be as insanely perfect as the LS from the 90's, but they've managed to maintain their fanatical attention to detail for the most part.
There are cup holders in the rear seat. When you bring down the arm rest in the middle seat, there is a button in the front center that brings out the cup holders.
Evil twin wearing red. That's attention to detail.
Great review Tom...as usual.
Great video Tom, huge Lexus fan myself! I was gutted they cancelled the IS (as well as the RC & CT) from the UK as I would buy another IS!
Curious why that would happen since Lexus is still making them.
@@DrivenCarReviews I am confused too!! The manager at Lexus Glasgow wasn't too pleased as it is a third of his sales with no replacement models being offered currently :/
Appreciate the honest & fair reviews, as well as the quality of the videos (this one looks great on my Macbook Pro's Retina screen.)
Thank you Tom! A lot of reviewers talk down the IS for not being a sporty car like some German automakers. I find there is a lot of biased in the car reviewer world - so thank you for your honest review.
Let's not forget a base 3-Series or A4 are hardly high performance machines
Great shots driving through the woods! Lexus could use those in their promo
excellent review as always
True we always in traffic and some of us have no winding roads at all
What a stunning opening shot, descending mid those trees!
I have been watching this channel for some years now and I can say without any doubt it is one of the best car review channels if not the best, period.
In 2019 I have tested the IS when buying a new car (had a 2013 BMW 3). Although the price was much lower I opted for a Benz C with AMG style package as it felt better when driving. Lexus did not have an option of all digital display and the plastic on the around the commands and radio is strange, if I want to be kind. Otherwise it is maybe the most relaxing car to drive in my opinion
I can't imagine myself picking the IS over something like the G70 or 3 Series.
agreed! Lexus needs to redesign most of their lineup!
Or even the new Cadillacs
@@jacobyo99 Agreed! I think Caddy really built a couple of very competitive cars there!
@Beelzebot Which nobody cares about in this class. People want tech, luxury and a thoroughly modern powertrain; things this Lexus does not possess.
@@johnholst Exactly why it'll run easily for 20 years.
Great article in the Times, Tom. I could almost hear your voice when I read it. :) Have to admit I've never been a fan of the Lexus Spindle grill. I'm more a Tiger Nose guy. Not that I object to BIG grills, though. I like the Genesis family look very much.
Thank you for such a thorough review!
Hey mate, if you like Lexus reviews I've made a few of them including the IS. If you're interested to watch let me know what you think :)
LOL Love the intro, Tom.
I'm gonna say it, I love the new styling on the IS 300. Looks like it's hunkered down like a lowrider. The rather plain interior contrasts nicely with dramatic outside styling. Overall it looks like an improvement compared to the outgoing model. Lexus needs a long wheelbase version to give Evil Twin something to smile about! Thank you for your excellent work, Tom.
Still looking for a review of the Lexus ES with side view cameras.. I don't get why only the ES has side view cameras replacing mirrors
Very strange that there are no cup holders in the back
Beautiful styling
Is this the base? I thought they don’t come with rear window blinds or mark levinson(upgrade)
Good looking sports sedan.
How do you produce the twin effects?
There are many of us who are near Tom and his twin's age and have parents who have difficulty getting in and out of cars with seats that are low to the ground because of weak knees and leg muscles and/or height issue. Sometimes it is us who have that same issues. It would be nice to hear about the seat height vs the ground level difference of vehicles. Thank you.
Tom, Creating a car that is highly competent and very durable is worthy of praise but a manual ought to be an option for any sports sedan. I would like to hear the technical explanation detailing the complex process of 'detuning' 50 hp from the 3.5 V6 or do they just disconnect one spark plug? Lastly, did you have to disperse a crowd from the FJ before shooting the trunk test? Fun Fact: In approximately 18 months that old FJ will be worth more than this 2021 IS ;-)
Sounds like a great opportunity for Jason at Engineering Explained to chat about cams, fuel mapping and timing. And no, not a single person around the FJ. But I put it in the background. Because.
@@DrivenCarReviews :-)
I tried used Merc C43, was blown away by the agility and the exhaust was amazing. A new luxury sedan is beyond my wallet though I would to stretch for a G70, a used luxury sedan, but a certified luxury sedan is very appealing.......I need to move nearer to an Alfa dealer. I like the IS 350 F Sport, but just find some of the competition a bit better. Fave Toyota product is the GR Yaris......which we are not getting in the US :(
Much respect for your reviews. If I buy such a BMW, I don't know the sort of road to go on a straight-line speed, and besides even if I get that runway I'll be meeting other cars. It's getting pointless thinking about 0-60 as the benchmark to buy cars.
Lexus and Toyota cars, with the exception of maybe the LS and Supra, I find aren't usually the most stylist, cohesive, technology packed or most modern of vehicles.
But what they lack in those categories they massively make up for with outstanding reliability and strong resale values.
Just a shame they didn't give it a new dash, it really dates the car.
To me that inerior is still great. Different strokes...
the Screen is new though and its touchscreen now too.
no rear cup holders and rear usb!!?!? wow
Awesome review, man! Oh boy, I LOVE this new Lexus IS. Wow! So hot and awesome looking. I love the Japanese style-like one of my Shogun Warriors when I was a kid brought to life. And I'm a smaller built guy (JV baseball 4 life lol), so I think I'd fit quite nicely. :) JV Johnny
sweet ride
My 2007 IS250 has Cup Holders in the back
I had a 2010 IS baby Lexus. The nicest car I’ve ever had.
I don't understand why this channel isn't more popular, it's broadcast quality. It's more information than entertainment. Maybe a shift on that spectrum could change things. I also wonder if a cohost might help. There's something to be said for your journalistic approach to the automotive entertainment segment and if you wanted to move more toward entertainment I'm sure your audience would support you. I like the channel. It is satisfying.
It's too unwieldy to have a cohost (I produce a lot of this the fly) and I'm not an entertainer. It is what it is. I like doing it, keeps me occupied.
will there be a hybrid version for IS ?
Probably not this generation.
For this evolution, there was a thing that I thought Lexus would bring for this car, and that didn't came in the end.
A 350h based on the same principles than the crown RS Advance. It's an hybrid, and it's a 3.5 V6, rwd, and with a plantary + 4 gear auto compound, like you find also in the LC500h.
I was really thinking that Lexus would come with it.
They actually delivered something else, the IS500, what is not bad either, but this car could have had a pretty good hybrid.
I hope they bring back the F-Sport, at least as a design package, on the 2022 model of 300
Why did they put gloss black on places it didn't have before?
Aren't there pop out cup holders in the narrow end of the pull down arm rest in the back seat?
Nope.
@@DrivenCarReviews Strange omission by Lexus...
@@positively_broad_st3780 If you freeze it at 8:32 while ET drops the armrest, you'll see it's just a padded with no cupholders on the end. Maybe other models get them but my tester did not have cupholders.
@@DrivenCarReviews Yep. 350 f Sport has it though...
Guess 300 buyers will have to resort to bringing back the old school over-the-hump cup holder tray from the auto parts store. Make good use out that big hump in the floor. Haha!
A great review packed with information and great video..A not very Lexus Lexus..equipped like a,Toyota...hate the front end..go for the 3.5 liter to have a really great long distance road car 🚘
Glad to see Lexus still trying. Great video!
Not trying that hard. Same chassis, engines and transmissions. I was looking forward to a new IS but kinda disappointed.
@@slscamg so was I..
Omar...I assume you're being sarcastic? They didn't try at all with this car.
@@johnholst I made that comment when I wasn’t even halfway through the video. Just thought I’d drive up engagement. I still think it looks great though.
@@elshazlio I agree! The car does LOOK great. Problem is it's not great. It's at the bottom of this class if we're being completely honest. And that's a shame. Lexus had the chance to do so much better.
I love the front side, less love on the rear tail light
Wish they did the interior too :/ also wish it had a hybrid
There is a hybrid but not in the US... at least for now.
@@DrivenCarReviews we never get the fun stuff! Maybe when that comes I’ll upgrade from my Camry hybrid!
this lex looks really good.
btw Tom, love your reviews.
Yeah...at that price I'mma gonna need a Genesis G70 twin turbo...
At what price you can get twin turbo v6 43k is for 2.0 g70
Love the new exterior styling. Too bad the rest of the car was barely touched while the competition has much newer models. Seems like a huge missed opportunity.
Cup holders pop out of the rear arm rest , as with most Lexus cars Lol You know this Tom!
Not on this car. Watch as ET is dropping the armrest, it's just fabric on the end.
@@DrivenCarReviews interesting raites rides had it, his was a IS 350 so maybe not standard 🤔shame on Lexus
I fuck w Tom he the best car reviewer out there. My guy 💯
I look for the most comfortable sedan that still has the big motor.
Yes
3:25 Weight distribution, no f-sport in 300
4:30 good chassis tuning, tho no adaptive dampers
5:30 MPG
6:30 No real leather
7:50 Rear space
13:30 Made in Japan
"They horde toilet paper" hahahahah
How did you film the evil twin into the video?
I remember the 2006 Lexus LS430 had a cassette player in it, tells you all need to know about Lexus age group
No, no, no. Cassettes sound awful. CDs provide high quality sound, many audiophile consider it better than mainstream streaming. Young people that care about fidelity should want CD players.
Kids today with their Pac man video games, hulu hoops, and listening to Dan Fogelberg
@@kyrosmike ... and vinyl
Well done as usual, Tom. A G70 might be more my speed.... the Lexus brand seems to attract the more mature crowd, like Mercedes.
Throw in a crazy episode where evil twin steals a car from you and reviews it and I'm sure the subs would go up.
awesome!!!
It may not be perfect (the lack of even a single cupholder in the back was a choice, and a bizarre one) and the overall design getting a little long in the tooth, but I think Lexus nailed the styling. I love the new front and LFA reminiscent rear. The bottom line is we're damn lucky such cars as this are still being made tbh. Toyota/Lexus reliability is no small checkmark in favor of the IS versus the BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Cadillac and these days even Acura. I'd rank Infiniti below all of them for quality and reliability, but I'm not sure they're even really considered a Japanese brand since the Euro takeover.
Love your videos. Hope more see this as a recommended video. If you see this, add a comment if you enjoyed the video at all
You really took it easy on this car. I agree with many points you make about this car regarding its strengths. However, you should have been more honest. This car has one of the slowest engines in the segment, by a lot. Also, the 350 isn't some high-performance beast either, itself beaten by most of the 4 cylinder competition. I can't believe that you mentioned it in the same breath as M cars. You know better than that. The transmissions in all trims are also behind the competition. And, no, you don't have to visit a track to notice a difference.
This car works best for those who value perceived/expected reliability in a car that is reasonably comfortable above all else. Otherwise, it is objectively outclassed by much of the competition.
You might go back and listen again Darrell. I was (apparently poorly) suggesting the IS 350 F-Sport wasn't on the same level as an M or RS.
I try to give people credit for understanding that dropping from an 8 to a 6-speed for AWD is hardly optimal or that the 8-speed (that's tuned extremely well for most situations) is not a PDK.
You are correct, this car is aimed at buyers looking for something sporty but comfortable and reliable. As I tried to explain at the end, as an enthusiast, I want more gravitas from my sport sedan. But for many people, it's an ideal set up for the real world. In my reviews, I try to honestly explain the car. I want people to get into the right car FOR THEM, not me. There are at least 3-4 other sport sedans that are more compelling to me than the IS 300, but many buyers are not willing to put up with the issues that plague Alfa. Lexus earned its reputation for reliability and customer service, something where it outclasses other brands. I'm not defending any brand here, just pointing out that choosing a vehicle is a wholistic thing.
@@DrivenCarReviews I understand what you are saying, but it was what you were implying in regards to context IMO. The F-Sport doesn't even compete with the M340i much less a true M car. I would have said that the F-Sport trim still doesn't make the IS competitive from a performance perspective. Maybe it's just semantics (probably).
Regarding transmissions. Forget PDK, this transmission doesn't come close to the ZF, the current gold standard for torque converted automatics. IMO you used the wrong benchmark for comparison.
Finally, regarding reliability. I was very deliberate in my wording here. Some people don't have the patience for anything beyond regular maintenance. Others don't mind an occasional issue if the driving experience is outstanding. I don't judge here and recognize that my preferences don't reflect those of others. That said, there are several objective truths that can be used for comparison purposes. It's up to each individual to make a choice on what most matters to them.
This is what the IS should have looked like from the start!!!!
I kind of agree
I prefer the new lux “leather” better wear over time and I don’t need to skin an animal to sit down
Test drive cars. I never thout I would one a Hyundai Santa Fe for 13 trouble free years! Previous was a 1994 Chevrolet S10 Blazer that had may problems in 9 years.
The taillights are very 2021 Elantra.
if you’re leasing a sports sedan, this would be on the bottom of your list. If you’re buying a sport sedan and planning on keeping it for 15 years, this is the only car on your list.
Hmmm, I might steal that
Hey buddy you forgot to mention under the interior and exterior it's is the strongest car, it can launch all day and gas and brake in corners all day, even a 911 would be ruined. This is not meant to be driven 1 km a day like the European smaller companies
Give me the Genesis
This car looks great and is well built, of course. But when you stand still, you get passed by. Certainly the case here. Lexus could've done so much more! I honestly don't know if there's a worse car in this class anymore. So much great competition. Too bad Lexus.
Good to see the evil twin again after so many years.
imagine what a show you & Cooley (from CNET) could put up.. be a good 'Murican TopGear, no?
Wish you did more vehicles that people can afford instead of all luxury vehicles which with Lexus, BMW and Mercedes your just paying for the name
Lexus omits the stupid stop-start technology to negate the damage that crap does.
Needs an all digital instrument cluster.