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So, things have been, overall, quite nice throughout our X3 ownership experience. Whenever we go out of town, we pretty much always take the X3. It is a road-trip champ. While the IS 500 isn't half-bad as a road trip car, the X3 is just a little more quiet, smooth, and efficient for highway driving. Is it thrilling? No. I mean, it's not even an M Sport, so I wouldn't expect it to be. But honestly, it is a zippy little thing and can be fun to drive. That's hardly the point, though - I'd call that a bonus.
I find it interesting how I can make two posts on IG back-to-back, and the IS 500 posts typically get 10 times as many likes as those about the X3. I guess I know why people look at my stuff.
damn the IS must be quite harsh for you to describe the X3 as the smooth riding one of the two lol... to be fair i haven't experienced this current X3 but previous ones i've found to have uncomfortable seats and an unacceptably stiff ride
years ago (like 2016 i think) i had a slight run in with a dead deer while driving the LS, luckily nothing big but the front bumper would need to be replaced... for my loaner GEICO had a new X5 for me to use! i found that X5 was very impressive if you drove like an absolute *****, but for just casual driving i really wasn't a fan and after 3 days i was very happy to finally be back in my pillow-like lexus haha
damn the IS must be quite harsh for you to describe the X3 as the smooth riding one of the two lol... to be fair i haven't experienced this current X3 but previous ones i've found to have uncomfortable seats and an unacceptably stiff ride
years ago (like 2016 i think) i had a slight run in with a dead deer while driving the LS, luckily nothing big but the front bumper would need to be replaced... for my loaner GEICO had a new X5 for me to use! i found that X5 was very impressive if you drove like an absolute *****, but for just casual driving i really wasn't a fan and after 3 days i was very happy to finally be back in my pillow-like lexus haha
It's like the current Q5 and ML, much softer and very "suburban mom" friendly so to speak lol!
damn the IS must be quite harsh for you to describe the X3 as the smooth riding one of the two lol... to be fair i haven't experienced this current X3 but previous ones i've found to have uncomfortable seats and an unacceptably stiff ride
years ago (like 2016 i think) i had a slight run in with a dead deer while driving the LS, luckily nothing big but the front bumper would need to be replaced... for my loaner GEICO had a new X5 for me to use! i found that X5 was very impressive if you drove like an absolute *****, but for just casual driving i really wasn't a fan and after 3 days i was very happy to finally be back in my pillow-like lexus haha
No, the IS rides pretty well. I would say my IS 500 rides noticeably better than our 330i did.
But I mean, come on. This is a base X3. Of course it is going to be a little softer. Sure, the run-flats let some imperfections through, but overall it rides quite smoothly.
Nice video. I agree with your assessment of the taillights. I have them on my '24 X3 and while I don't hate them, when I look at them, they just seem a bit odd and don't really match the lines and styling of the X3 very well. We had a pre-LCI '19 before, and both have been great. The '24 has some features and amenities that give it the edge over the '19.
Nice video. I agree with your assessment of the taillights. I have them on my '24 X3 and while I don't hate them, when I look at them, they just seem a bit odd and don't really match the lines and styling of the X3 very well. We had a pre-LCI '19 before, and both have been great. The '24 has some features and amenities that give it the edge over the '19.
I prefer some aspects of the pre-LCI, like the taillights, as well as the general looks of the front end on the M Sport. However, LCI non-M-Sport is better than pre-LCI non-M-Sport in my opinion. (What's it called... X-Line?)
I am still a little surprised we get those rectangular exhaust tips - and that they're REAL instead of just trim on the bumper. Usually, I expect those kinds of tips to be fake, but BMW pleasantly surprised me with that one.
I've driven my 2023 IS 500 13,600 miles and owned it for nearly 18 months as of writing this post. It feels pretty great to be able to type that. This is a car that I was very excited about when it was announced in late 2021, since it represented the first time Lexus put the 2UR-GSE V-8 into a non-F-branded sedan - or, into a car that was less than $60,000 USD at its base price, for that matter. (If you convert the 2008 IS F's $56,000 starting price to 2023 dollars, it's about $79,000!)
And, while there were many competitors that seemed equally interesting in terms of performance numbers and features, none of them had a reputation for Lexus-adjacent reliability.
Fast forward to 2024, and my dependable Lexus got its first check-engine light at just shy of 13,000 miles.
So what was the issue? Well, it turns out that the car had a trouble code stored, "P2111 Throttle actuator control system stuck open". This aligns with a slight jump in idle RPM just before I found warning lights and messages in the gauge cluster. As I set off, other than having no traction control, the car drove just fine. I drove the car about 30-40 minutes to a gas station to refuel, and after restarting the car, the codes were gone. The car drove completely normally all the way home. Still, I wanted to make sure things were really, truly OK, so I took it to the dealership for diagnosis anyway. The dealership, long story short, ended up replacing the entire throttle body assembly under warranty. This was done mostly as a precaution, since, allegedly, similar issues had happened to other customers with "high-performance engines", where the throttle body looked fine but ended up suddenly failing later on, leaving the affected customers with a car relegated to limp mode. We just skipped that step and went straight to replacement. I am thankful it played out that way.
Minutes before the check-engine light appeared, I took this photo.
Otherwise, the IS 500 has been a blast to own. Despite the issue, I was not stranded, nor was I blamed for the failure in any way - meaning the repair was done free-of-charge. I have developed more of an affinity for the Sport S and S+ modes in this car, as it can honestly be a bit of a dull experience when driven slowly. However, the flip side of that dullness is the comfort and smoothness. While I had a Lexus RX as a loaner car, I remarked at how smooth and quiet it was. However, when I got my IS back, I concluded that this car can be, if driven gently, just about as relaxing as an RX. Sure, there's more tire noise, but otherwise, the IS 500 is a smooth-riding, quiet place to be on the road. It is a bit trite to say, but the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of this car continues to be one of its best attributes.
The Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 tires that I installed on the car a few months ago have proven to be worthy companions. My thoughts haven't changed a lot since my initial post on them - they remain sporty, but still relaxed and compliant tires. Much like the car itself, they are fantastic in both mundane and spirited driving scenarios, and I think I prefer them over the Pilot Sport 4S thanks to their greater bandwidth. While the PS4S is a more fun tire to drive, it also rides more harshly and transmits more noise into the cabin - and the Continental is still vastly better than the stock Bridgestone Potenza S001L.
I've actually had wandering eyes for other vehicles lately, particularly the M2. "Why in the world?", you may ask. BMW recently refreshed it, and they added some new colors. It seems silly, but car paint colors are very important. I waited to buy an IS 500 until I could find one in Infrared at MSRP. At the time, it was a very specific set of requirements, but, for such a big investment, I wanted to get it right and not settle. Anyway, the thought of having a real "M" car for nearly the same money as my IS 500 is enticing. However, I've had a bit of a change of heart after driving the IS 500 some more, particularly when I went over to Atlanta with my wife for a date recently. I just loved how we could enjoy the car on the highway on the way there and back - blasting some tunes on the Mark Levinson and making quick work of any passing maneuvers we need to execute. It was truly a fun and yet relaxing drive. I just don't know that an M2 would be able to do that any better than this car would - especially when it comes to the smoothness. The V-8 is just a velvety power plant - no boost lag, no spikiness... just instant torque when needed. Even if the BMW would be faster on a test track, the sheer drivability of the Lexus is something I'm not sure I'm done enjoying yet.
Moreover, this car looks like this. And the M2 looks like... rectangles a la BMW. I don't think the M2 is an ugly car, but the IS is a car that most people I've met at car meets agree is good-looking if not beautiful. I think it's one of Lexus's best-looking cars to date, especially when it comes to successfully integrating the spindle grille into the design. And, due to its somewhat understated styling, I feel I can drive it anywhere without attracting attention - though the Infrared paint still gets compliments from drive-thru employees to this day.
I've really been trying to make more of an effort to enjoy the driving experience of this car. It is fun to drive on twisty roads, mainly thanks to the instant power and great sound from the engine. The car is at arm's length, though, and isn't super engaging. It makes up for that with charm, if you ask me. It's a little soft, but not soft to the point of lacking confidence. The softness with the V-8 sound makes this feel like a good ole Japanese muscle car. I can admit it's not the sharpest sport sedan, but I think I'd rather have it be somewhat less sharp than to be something else.
Oh, and if it matters to anyone, I've been getting 19.3 MPG over the lifetime of the car on average. That is an uptick of 0.1 since the last time I wrote in - probably thanks to the occasional highway trips to the office, which typically allow the car to operate at over 25 MPG.
So, as it stands, I am keeping this car for now. I may branch out in the future, but for now, my wife and I are in a strictly two-car situation. As a car that does it all, I can't think of something I'd rather have than the IS 500, check-engine lights or not.
I've driven my 2023 IS 500 13,600 miles and owned it for nearly 18 months as of writing this post. It feels pretty great to be able to type that. This is a car that I was very excited about when it was announced in late 2021, since it represented the first time Lexus put the 2UR-GSE V-8 into a non-F-branded sedan - or, into a car that was less than $60,000 USD at its base price, for that matter. (If you convert the 2008 IS F's $56,000 starting price to 2023 dollars, it's about $79,000!)
And, while there were many competitors that seemed equally interesting in terms of performance numbers and features, none of them had a reputation for Lexus-adjacent reliability.
Fast forward to 2024, and my dependable Lexus got its first check-engine light at just shy of 13,000 miles.
So what was the issue? Well, it turns out that the car had a trouble code stored, "P2111 Throttle actuator control system stuck open". This aligns with a slight jump in idle RPM just before I found warning lights and messages in the gauge cluster. As I set off, other than having no traction control, the car drove just fine. I drove the car about 30-40 minutes to a gas station to refuel, and after restarting the car, the codes were gone. The car drove completely normally all the way home. Still, I wanted to make sure things were really, truly OK, so I took it to the dealership for diagnosis anyway. The dealership, long story short, ended up replacing the entire throttle body assembly under warranty. This was done mostly as a precaution, since, allegedly, similar issues had happened to other customers with "high-performance engines", where the throttle body looked fine but ended up suddenly failing later on, leaving the affected customers with a car relegated to limp mode. We just skipped that step and went straight to replacement. I am thankful it played out that way.
Minutes before the check-engine light appeared, I took this photo.
Otherwise, the IS 500 has been a blast to own. Despite the issue, I was not stranded, nor was I blamed for the failure in any way - meaning the repair was done free-of-charge. I have developed more of an affinity for the Sport S and S+ modes in this car, as it can honestly be a bit of a dull experience when driven slowly. However, the flip side of that dullness is the comfort and smoothness. While I had a Lexus RX as a loaner car, I remarked at how smooth and quiet it was. However, when I got my IS back, I concluded that this car can be, if driven gently, just about as relaxing as an RX. Sure, there's more tire noise, but otherwise, the IS 500 is a smooth-riding, quiet place to be on the road. It is a bit trite to say, but the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of this car continues to be one of its best attributes.
The Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 tires that I installed on the car a few months ago have proven to be worthy companions. My thoughts haven't changed a lot since my initial post on them - they remain sporty, but still relaxed and compliant tires. Much like the car itself, they are fantastic in both mundane and spirited driving scenarios, and I think I prefer them over the Pilot Sport 4S thanks to their greater bandwidth. While the PS4S is a more fun tire to drive, it also rides more harshly and transmits more noise into the cabin - and the Continental is still vastly better than the stock Bridgestone Potenza S001L.
I've actually had wandering eyes for other vehicles lately, particularly the M2. "Why in the world?", you may ask. BMW recently refreshed it, and they added some new colors. It seems silly, but car paint colors are very important. I waited to buy an IS 500 until I could find one in Infrared at MSRP. At the time, it was a very specific set of requirements, but, for such a big investment, I wanted to get it right and not settle. Anyway, the thought of having a real "M" car for nearly the same money as my IS 500 is enticing. However, I've had a bit of a change of heart after driving the IS 500 some more, particularly when I went over to Atlanta with my wife for a date recently. I just loved how we could enjoy the car on the highway on the way there and back - blasting some tunes on the Mark Levinson and making quick work of any passing maneuvers we need to execute. It was truly a fun and yet relaxing drive. I just don't know that an M2 would be able to do that any better than this car would - especially when it comes to the smoothness. The V-8 is just a velvety power plant - no boost lag, no spikiness... just instant torque when needed. Even if the BMW would be faster on a test track, the sheer drivability of the Lexus is something I'm not sure I'm done enjoying yet.
Moreover, this car looks like this. And the M2 looks like... rectangles a la BMW. I don't think the M2 is an ugly car, but the IS is a car that most people I've met at car meets agree is good-looking if not beautiful. I think it's one of Lexus's best-looking cars to date, especially when it comes to successfully integrating the spindle grille into the design. And, due to its somewhat understated styling, I feel I can drive it anywhere without attracting attention - though the Infrared paint still gets compliments from drive-thru employees to this day.
I've really been trying to make more of an effort to enjoy the driving experience of this car. It is fun to drive on twisty roads, mainly thanks to the instant power and great sound from the engine. The car is at arm's length, though, and isn't super engaging. It makes up for that with charm, if you ask me. It's a little soft, but not soft to the point of lacking confidence. The softness with the V-8 sound makes this feel like a good ole Japanese muscle car. I can admit it's not the sharpest sport sedan, but I think I'd rather have it be somewhat less sharp than to be something else.
Oh, and if it matters to anyone, I've been getting 19.3 MPG over the lifetime of the car on average. That is an uptick of 0.1 since the last time I wrote in - probably thanks to the occasional highway trips to the office, which typically allow the car to operate at over 25 MPG.
So, as it stands, I am keeping this car for now. I may branch out in the future, but for now, my wife and I are in a strictly two-car situation. As a car that does it all, I can't think of something I'd rather have than the IS 500, check-engine lights or not.
Great review and update. I would do whatever you can to keep the car. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to get a V8 Lexus sedan ever again. Saw that there is a price difference, I know the brakes on the IS-F are much bigger and drilled. Torsen rear. Do you have the Torsen limited slip?
Good that Lexus repaired your throttle as preventative warranty. Good move on their part
Great review and update. I would do whatever you can to keep the car. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to get a V8 Lexus sedan ever again. Saw that there is a price difference, I know the brakes on the IS-F are much bigger and drilled. Torsen rear. Do you have the Torsen limited slip?
Good that Lexus repaired your throttle as preventative warranty. Good move on their part
I agree; I think we all know the V-8 is a limited-time thing, especially in a smaller car.
And yes, I've got the limited-slip diff. Torsen, not the TVD, which has been discontinued as far as I know.
05-15-24, 11:31 AM
