Lexus IS Saloon (05 on) - Review

Review by Ben Wall on
Last Updated: 12 July 2010
The IS is the smallest Lexus in the range and is intended as an alternative to models such as the BMW 3-Series and Audi A4. It manages to be as upmarket and high quality as more expensive Lexus cars with a sophisticated interior plus a plenty of high-tech kit. It's also very well equipped and as you'd expect of a car from Toyota (which owns Lexus) is supremely reliable. The downsides are cramped rear seats and a rather lacklustre driving experience. The engine range is also limited with just one petrol and one diesel. However, on the plus side, you can count on Lexus dealers to provide exceptional customer service. In late 2008 the range was slightly revised with new trim levels and lower emissions in the IS220d.
3.5 out of 5

Other Lexus reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Running costs are comparatively low with Lexus taking many steps to keep things cheap. For example, it's fitted with a stainless steel exhaust so you'll never need to replace it. Many service items have had their life expectancy increased or their costs reduced, however the downside is that the IS requires a service every 10,000 miles.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,860 - £2,192 *

Diesel

£1,165 - £1,687 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£120.00 - £460.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
    134
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    231
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The IS is quite a polluting model - not helped by the petrol model which emits 231g/km of CO2 (with the manual gearbox). The diesel originally emitted 168g/km of CO2 but revised models from late 2008 emit 163g/km - making them cheaper to tax. Economy stays the same at 50mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2