The Lexus IS sedan, a cornerstone of the Lexus lineup for nearly 25 years, continues its legacy of luxury and performance with the introduction of the 2025 models. For the upcoming model year, the 2025 Lexus Is refines its offerings, adding enhanced standard features to popular trims and introducing a striking, limited-edition Special Appearance Package for the high-performance IS 500. These updates ensure the 2025 Lexus IS remains a compelling choice for those seeking a sophisticated and engaging driving experience in the luxury sport sedan segment.
Enhanced Standard Features for 2025 Lexus IS 300 F SPORT and IS 350 F SPORT
Lexus has listened to customer feedback and elevated the standard equipment list for the popular IS 300 F SPORT and IS 350 F SPORT grades. The 2025 Lexus IS F SPORT models now come equipped with power folding mirrors featuring a distinctive dark chrome trim and a convenient dimming function. Further enhancing driver comfort and personalization, a power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel is now standard, along with a memory package that recalls driver’s seat, steering wheel, and outside mirror positions. To complete the exterior refinements, dark chrome window trim is also added as a standard feature on these sporty grades of the 2025 Lexus IS.
Heated Steering Wheel Now Standard on 2025 Lexus IS 300 F SPORT Design and IS 350 F SPORT Design
Responding directly to customer preferences, Lexus has made a heated steering wheel a standard feature on the 2025 Lexus IS 300 F SPORT Design and IS 350 F SPORT Design models. After its successful introduction as a standard feature on select IS grades last year, the heated steering wheel is the sole, but significant, enhancement to these well-received trims for the 2025 model year. This addition provides an extra layer of comfort, especially in colder climates, further solidifying the appeal of the 2025 Lexus IS F SPORT Design models.
2025 Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance and the Exclusive Special Appearance Package
The flagship performance model, the IS 500 F SPORT Performance, also receives standard power folding mirrors for 2025. However, the most exciting addition for the IS 500 is the availability of a new Special Appearance Package, offered on the IS 500 F SPORT Premium grade. This limited-production package is designed to make a bold statement, with only 180 units planned for production and expected to go on sale later this year.
The Special Appearance Package for the 2025 Lexus IS 500 includes striking 19-inch BBS® wheels, renowned for their lightweight performance and distinctive design. The exterior is finished in an eye-catching Flare Yellow paint, ensuring the vehicle stands out from the crowd. Inside, the cabin is trimmed in Black NuLuxe® with sophisticated suede inserts and vibrant yellow stitching, creating a sporty and luxurious ambiance. Color-coordinated floor mats and key gloves further enhance the bespoke feel of this package. Finally, a SmartAccess Card Key adds a touch of modern convenience to this exclusive 2025 Lexus IS 500 variant.
The Lexus Driving Signature: Honed at Shimoyama for the 2025 Lexus IS
At the heart of every 2025 Lexus IS lies the Lexus Driving Signature, a philosophy meticulously developed at the Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama. This approach represents a fundamental shift in Lexus’s product development, focusing on enhancing vehicle performance and handling through the dedicated efforts of the Chief Engineer. The goal is to create Lexus vehicles with a consistent brand identity characterized by responsive and linear control, exceptional handling and grip, and a refined ride quality with minimized noise. The 2025 Lexus IS benefits from this rigorous testing and evaluation process, ensuring a driving experience that is both engaging and distinctly Lexus.
F SPORT Design and Performance Aesthetics of the 2025 Lexus IS
The F SPORT models within the 2025 Lexus IS lineup are visually distinguished by a range of performance-inspired cues. A unique front bumper, designed with functional aerodynamics in mind, immediately sets the F SPORT apart. F SPORT badges are strategically placed on the sides of the vehicle, further highlighting its sporty nature.
The exterior styling of the 2025 Lexus IS is bold and provocative, featuring muscular fenders that accommodate the available 19-inch wheels, enhancing the vehicle’s athletic stance. The wide and low form factor hints at the inherent driving performance, while sleek lines are combined with sharp character lines along the sides and shoulders, creating a dynamic and aggressive aesthetic.
Slender headlamps, equipped with sharp L-shaped daytime running lights, contribute to the low center of gravity visual appeal of the 2025 Lexus IS. These headlights, along with lowered side character lines extending to the trunk, emphasize the vehicle’s grounded and assertive presence. Redesigned triple-beam LED headlights are also available, complementing the low-profile hood and adding a sophisticated lighting signature to the 2025 Lexus IS.
The rocker panels accentuate the side profile with an upward kick in the rear, flowing into the muscular shoulders above the rear wheel wells. Gently sloped rear-quarter pillars contrast with the rear fenders, enhancing the aggressive silhouette. At the rear, the fender lines merge into the lowered rear deck, creating a wide and planted stance. The three-dimensional rear deck design, achieved through press-in mold construction, adds a unique visual element. The L-shaped blade-style lightbar, spanning the rear of the vehicle, is a striking and instantly recognizable design feature of the 2025 Lexus IS.
The 2025 Lexus IS family offers a palette of ten exterior colors, including Ultra White*, Eminent White Pearl*, Cloudburst Gray*, Iridium*, Incognito, Caviar, Matador Red Mica, Infrared**, Grecian Water, and Ultrasonic Blue Mica **. (*Available for an additional charge, **Premium colors available at a higher charge).
Interior Comfort and Technology in the 2025 Lexus IS Cabin
Inside the 2025 Lexus IS, the cabin is designed for comfort and sophistication. Standard NuLuxe-trimmed seating provides a luxurious feel, with 10-way power driver and 8-way power adjustable front passenger seats ensuring personalized comfort. A dual-zone automatic climate control system with touch-sensitive controls maintains the perfect cabin environment. Available features include a power moonroof and SmartAccess with push-button start/stop, adding convenience and premium touches to the 2025 Lexus IS.
F SPORT models feature unique door trim with an embossed intersecting lines graphic, showcasing Lexus’s Takumi craftsmanship and decorative expression. Decorative ornamentation is available in Black Metallic paint, Black Geometric Film, or exclusive Satin-finish interior trim on IS 500 F SPORT Performance models. NuLuxe interior trim color options include Black, Glazed Caramel, and Rioja Red as standard. For the F SPORT grades (IS 300, IS 350, and IS 500), interior color choices expand to Black, Circuit Red, and two-tone White/Black trim.
The 2025 Lexus IS features a standard 8-inch touchscreen for intuitive control of vehicle functions. An expansive 10.3-inch touchscreen is available for models equipped with navigation or the Mark Levinson® Premium Audio Package, offering enhanced multimedia capabilities. All multimedia systems include standard Apple CarPlay® integration and Android Auto™ compatibility, ensuring seamless smartphone integration.
For audiophiles, the available Mark Levinson® Premium Surround Sound Audio System elevates the in-car entertainment experience. This system boasts 17 speakers, driven by a powerful 1,800-watt amplifier. The Mark Levinson system enhances sound quality through reduced interference, improved output, and optimized EQ tuning. Rear surround speakers are tweeter/mid-range combination Unity speakers, and the amplifier features enhanced Quantum Logic Surround for immersive 7.1 surround sound playback, even from compressed audio sources in the 2025 Lexus IS.
Drivetrain and Powertrain Options for the 2025 Lexus IS
The 2025 Lexus IS offers a range of powertrain options and drivetrain configurations to suit diverse driving preferences. Both rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) versions are available, with four distinct powertrain choices across the lineup.
The rear-wheel drive IS 300 is powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged and intercooled inline four-cylinder engine. This engine delivers 241 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, providing responsive performance across a wide rpm range. The engine incorporates Variable Valve Timing intelligent – Wide (VVTi-W) technology for optimized efficiency, switching between Otto and Atkinson combustion cycles. An eight-speed Sport Direct Shift (SPDS) automatic transmission, featuring G-force Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) for intelligent gear selection, completes the powertrain.
For enhanced all-weather capability, the IS 300 AWD utilizes a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 260 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is delivered to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission and an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system. This system dynamically adjusts front-to-rear torque distribution, maintaining a 30:70 split in dry conditions for optimal performance and varying up to 50% front bias when needed for increased traction.
The IS 350, available in both RWD and AWD, steps up the performance with a more powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 311 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. The RWD IS 350 utilizes the eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission, while the AWD version employs a six-speed automatic. The IS 350 RWD achieves a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.6 seconds, and the IS 350 AWD reaches 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, highlighting their performance-oriented nature.
At the pinnacle of the 2025 Lexus IS performance range is the IS 500 F SPORT Performance. This halo model is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine, generating a commanding 472 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque. An eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels, and a quad exhaust system with stacked tailpipes amplifies the V8’s exhilarating sound.
Advanced Safety with Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 in the 2025 Lexus IS
The 2025 Lexus IS comes standard with Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, a comprehensive suite of active safety and convenience features. The Pre-Collision System (PCS) includes Frontal Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection, and Bicyclist Detection. At intersections, the system can detect oncoming vehicles during left turns and pedestrians during left and right turns, activating PCS functions as needed. Emergency Steering Assist (ESA) is also included, providing steering support within the vehicle’s lane when driver-initiated.
All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), active above 30 mph, maintains vehicle-to-vehicle distance down to 0 mph and can resume from a stop. DRCC also features smooth overtaking assistance. Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/ SA) alerts the driver to unintended lane departures above 32 mph and can provide minor steering corrections. Lane Tracing Assist (LTA), when DRCC is engaged, provides subtle steering inputs to keep the vehicle centered in the lane, utilizing lane markers or a preceding vehicle. LTA performance is enhanced in the 2025 Lexus IS with improved lane and road edge recognition, lateral G performance, and stability after lane changes.
Additional Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 features include Intelligent High Beams, automatically switching between high and low beams based on surrounding traffic, and Road Sign Assist (RSA), which displays road sign information on the multi-information display (MID).
2025 Lexus IS Line Pricing
| MODEL | DRIVETRAIN | MSRP* |
|---|---|---|
| IS 300 | RWD | $43,525 |
| IS 300 | AWD | $45,525 |
| IS 350 F SPORT | RWD | $49,850 |
| IS 350 F SPORT | AWD | $51,850 |
| IS 500 F SPORT Performance | RWD | $60,020 |
*Includes Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee of $1,175
In conclusion, the 2025 Lexus IS builds upon its established foundation with thoughtful enhancements and a striking new Special Appearance Package. From refined standard features to powerful engine options and advanced safety technology, the 2025 Lexus IS continues to offer a compelling blend of luxury, performance, and sophistication in the sport sedan segment, solidifying its position as a top choice for discerning drivers.
