Some cars work great because they don’t try to be something they are not. The Lexus IS 350 is one of those cars. It isn’t the fastest or most high-tech luxury sports sedan, but that is part of what makes it a sensible sports sedan. The IS has the rare combination of a V6 tuned for performance, everyday comfort for commuting and road trips, premium quality, and proven reliability. These qualities make it one of the smartest options for anyone searching for a sports sedan that's actually enjoyable to drive daily.While other luxury sport sedans lean hard into the sporty side, disrupting your comfort with a more “road feel,” the Lexus IS 350 remains a comfortable car that can be sporty when you feel the urge. This means it works well as a car that you want to drive wherever you need to go. In a segment dominated by turbocharged rivals, the IS 350 occupies a unique space. A Proven Naturally Aspirated V6 That Prioritizes Real-World Performance Smooth Power Delivery That’s Easy To Live With Lexus Despite much of the Lexus and Toyota lineups moving to hybrid powertrains and smaller turbocharged four-cylinder engines, the 2026 Lexus IS 350 continues to use the beloved 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6. This engine pairs with either an eight-speed automatic transmission for rear-wheel-drive models or a six-speed automatic transmission for all-wheel-drive versions. This powertrain produces 311 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to send the IS 350 to 60 mph in only 5.6 seconds, making it sporty enough to be enjoyable on any road, especially if you find an empty stretch and feel a little frisky. Quick Enough For Daily Thrills Without Sacrificing Refinement Lexus The current IS 350 was extensively reworked for 2021, which explains why it hasn’t followed the same path as many of its stablemates yet. In addition to the impressive powertrain, it has a pleasant feeling that reminds you it can be a sports sedan. The steering wheel is compact, but chunky where you want, making it easy to turn and control. The seating position makes it easy to get comfortable, and the shifter is in the right place, with a sporty feel that almost makes you want to shift it while driving, despite this being an automatic. A Rare Balance Between Sportiness And Comfort Engaging Handling Without Punishing Ride Quality Lexus If you want the secret sauce that makes the Lexus IS 350 great, it’s the supple ride and composed chassis. This combination makes it easy to enjoy the car on winding roads as you toss it through corners while also being comfortable for long commutes or road trips. While rival sport sedans lean too heavily into stiffness to ensure you feel the road in your seat, this Lexus delivers the comfort you want while giving you the engaged handling that makes it fun to drive. RWD Dynamics With Everyday Usability Lexus A sporty feeling welcomes you with the RWD setup that makes the Lexus IS 350 feel like a traditional sports sedan. Coupled with the natural sounds of the V6 engine, it's easy to see how this car can find its way into your heart. It’s not made to challenge rivals such as the Cadillac CT4-V or the Genesis G70, both of which are much sharper and quicker on the road, but it has a sporty feeling and is certainly fun to drive when you let it loose. Still, the IS maintains its everyday usability and comfort, which you might find lacking in other sports sedans. Lexus-Level Reliability That Sets It Apart Strong Reliability Ratings And Lower Ownership Costs Lexus Lexus is well-known for its reliability, and the IS 350 has the scores to back it up. Its overall JD Power score is an 86/100, which breaks down to a 91/100 for Quality and Reliability, 81/100 for Driving Experience, 84/100 for Resale, and 85/100 for Dealership Experience. In addition to these impressive scores, the IS 350 is rated 4.0 out of 5.0 by RepairPal, ranking it ninth out of 31 cars in its class.Luxury cars typically come with higher repair and maintenance costs, which is one of the compromises many luxury owners accept. The Lexus IS 350 is surprisingly affordable to maintain, achieving an average annual cost of $543. This is much lower than the average of $739 for its class and $652 for all vehicle models. Built On A Proven Long-Lasting Powertrain Lexus A 3.5-liter 2GR V6 engine is the heart of the Lexus IS 350 F Sport models. This naturally aspirated V6 engine is the culmination of decades of Toyota development and has been proven to be one of the most reliable, durable, and long-lasting engines on the market. Toss in tested-and-proven transmissions, and the IS has a winning formula that can easily reach more than 250,000 miles when properly cared for. Premium Cabin That Favors Quality Over Flash Upscale Materials And Solid Build Quality Lexus “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is something many people have heard in their lives. This simple statement means you don’t mess with a good thing; you keep allowing it to occur. The Lexus IS 350 is a good thing, with underpinnings dating back to its 2014 debut. Although Lexus hasn't changed the overall platform and build—which has led to the IS's solid build quality—the IS has evolved over the years.The 2026 model features a styling refresh, with a new front end and an upgraded interior. The trim lineup has been slimmed down, and all models share the IS 350 platform and F Sport qualities. It boils down to which Lexus IS 350 F Sport you want to drive. There are three trims: the F Sport Design, F Sport, and F Sport Special Appearance. The Special Appearance variant is a limited-production edition. Intuitive Layout That Avoids Overcomplication Lexus Some modern vehicles forgo knobs and buttons in favor of a massive touchscreen to control every aspect of the vehicle. That can make finding the controls you need daunting, which can be troublesome on the road. Thankfully, the Lexus IS continues to use an intuitive layout with straightforward controls, making it easy to find the climate controls or the volume knob as needed. This shows a priority of usability over gimmicky tech. Lexus IS 350 F Sport Design Lexus The base model is the F Sport Design, which offers a long list of features that make it enjoyable to drive. Some of these include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, hands-free keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate controls, power front seats, heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless connectivity and charging, and four USB-C ports. As you would expect, every IS model comes equipped with a comprehensive driver assist and safety package. Lexus IS 350 F Sport Lexus The middle trim builds on the base model by adding staggered summer tires, red-painted brake calipers, a sport-tuned suspension, heated and ventilated front seats, satin interior trim, and aluminum pedals. Adding optional packages brings more driver-assist features, including adaptive suspension dampers, a limited-slip rear differential, and additional Sport driving modes. Lexus IS 350 F Sport Special Appearance Package Lexus This limited model, which is only being built in 350 units, adds to the F Sport by including the optional packages from the F Sport along with 19-inch forged BBS alloy wheels, a matte white exterior color, upgraded LED headlights, a sunroof, front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking, a 360-degree camera system, and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system. Strong Value For Buyers Who Want A Complete Package Competitive Pricing Compared To Six-Cylinder Rivals Lexus Every model of the Lexus IS 350 uses the same V6 engine, which makes the pricing pretty easy. The F Sport Design model begins at $47,295. That’s pretty impressive for a luxury sports sedan with a V6 engine. By comparison, the Cadillac CT4-V starts at $52,395, and the Genesis G70 with its V6 engine starts at $54,995, making the Lexus IS the value option among these three sports sedans. Ownership Experience That Emphasizes Peace Of Mind Instead of the basic warranty that most drivers are used to, Lexus offers a little more for the IS 350 lineup. This car comes with a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which is standard fare in the class, but the powertrain coverage is much more generous than most others at six years/70,000 miles. This warranty coverage, coupled with the low maintenance and repair costs, makes it easy to enjoy the Lexus IS 350. Add the historically impressive reliability, amazing engine, and high resale scores, and it's easy to see how the Lexus IS F Sport lineup makes a lot of sense as a luxury sport sedan.