Overview & Reviews

Making its debut for 2008, the 416-horsepower Lexus IS-F is a muscle-bound reinvention of the Lexus IS-series sport sedan.

• Tire-melting thrust, track-ready handling, subdued interior noise levels for this segment.

• Exterior by J.C. Whitney, rock-hard suspension, no manual option.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 24.00

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  IS-Fantastic - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By NorthCoast - August 6 - 1:23 am

  Overall this car has met or exceeded my expectations. I have been loyal to Lexus having 2 GS 430s in last 6 years but wanted more performance type numbers and feel. Magically, the IS-F was born. It is very unLexus in its stiffness and ride but what I was expecting in a true performance sedan. It still has many of the nice Lexus features and luxury components. However, this is not your fathers Lexus. I drove the M3 sedan after the Motor Trend article rating it better overall. I think some of their points are valid but feel their overall conclusion wrong. The M3 felt a little more clumsy in tight turns and I didnt like the long throws of the manual transmission. I have no regrets.

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  Thank you, Lexus! - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By Nightspore68 - July 19 - 7:36 am

  I was going to settle for a 335 coupe and out of desperation for a more exciting ride I test drove the M3, but I, too, was very disappointed with it. I actually preferred the 335. Not sure I wanted to spend 50k on a car I didnt love I consulted a friend who suggested the new Lexus. My wife had been trying to get me to look at Lexuses, but theyre not exactly renowned drivers cars. Anyway I drove the IS350 (which I liked a lot) then the IS-F. I bought the IS-F on the spot. What a great car! The torque, the engine sound, even the automatic transmission was great (in manual mode it can shift really fast). The Mark Levinson stereo is light years beyond anything Ive ever heard from Bose.

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  great car!!! - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By EURIEBABY - July 2 - 2:56 pm

  I didnt expect to get 16 mpg on the street on this kind of sports car, but I am getting that. great handling, cornering and braking. This IS-F is just breath-taking. When that mid range intake kicks in, it is monster. Very comfortable seats.

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  First sports sedan - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By malujerry - March 18 - 2:06 am

  This car is great. I was leaning towards the M3, but the huge price difference and reliability, along with a test drive, made me choose the ISF. I would not have gone with another car within the same class.

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  M3-Killer - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By Louie - February 2 - 6:13 am

  Great Car, especially the USB color. I drive it daily and love it. Seems a little heavy during stop and go traffic. A real head turner everyone loves that car. No regrets, no problems as of yet. Love the fact that its a Toyota and dont have to worry about all the issues with euro cars.

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  Under the radar - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By j_az - October 25 - 3:33 am

  This car is just amazing! The Engine is fierce, 420hp from a normally aspirated 5 liter V8. I love this car because only a handful of people know what this car is and everyone else just assumes its just another Lexus, thats fine with me because it keeps me under the radar, but when the occasional person in the know sees the car, jaws drop! The exhaust note is also intoxicating. 8 spd tranny is fantastic. I have owned Audis and VWs with their dual clutch trannys which i can say honestly are the best I have ever driven, but the Lexus does not come up short here. Interior is well designed. Steering wheel feels a tad thin for me and the leather is just too soft.

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  Best super sedan for the money - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By micaISF - April 23 - 11:40 pm

  Pros: stupid fast. Excellent handling, very predictive and sure footed. Excellent build quality. Comfortable cabin for a sports car. Lexus quiet on smooth pavement. Extremely fast gear changes with manual mode. Powerful brakes. Very well equipped with little nonsense options. Excellent fuel economy for v8. Cons: steering a bit too firm at low speed. Car is a bit heavy and not as tossable as a small sports car. Mark Levinson is mediocre in quality. Ergonomics is not as intuitive as Acura/ Honda. Automatic transmission is a bit sluggish unless switched to manual mode. Loud cabin on rough surface or when under wide open throttle.

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  Staggering - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By Dennis - September 21 - 1:16 pm

  I have a Mercedes C32 AMG and CLK500 but the ISF is so good I can see myself selling off the Mercedes. The ride is a bit firm for rougher chip roads (which we have a lot of here in New Zealand) but the electronics are faultless, the bellow of the car great and it does all that I hoped it would do - I am a Lexus convert!

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  Sports car of my dreams - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By BILL BOULWARE - July 18 - 8:13 pm

  I have been buying Lexus cars for the last 15 years and they have always provided luxury, comfort, reliability and safety. Now they have all the above plus speed and fun. The IS-F provides great acceleration, agility and high speed with great control and safety. The top speed is over 185, but limited to 168 by a governor. The 0-60 time was 4.2 seconds but Lexus advertises 4.6 sec. Overall this is a great sports car that also feels good just with every day driving.

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  Closest thing to a motorcycle no wind - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By OD - June 20 - 8:53 am

  Very tightly built 4 door sports car. Amazing engine sound over 4000 RPM. Very strong engine performance at high RPM. Very smooth gearbox at normal driving. 1500 RPM at 60 MPH. Fun to use puddles usable even in D and amazingly effective 8 gear shifting. Extreme snappy in M. Drifts easily and naturally without special effort even with VDIM on. Hard to use navigation with Mark Levinson sounding poor compared to Bose and navigation on M45 on Infiniti. Very good seats including passenger. Rear OK, but only accommodate 4. Ride is VERY tight bordering on harsh so not for use on rough roads. 15 MPG city, 20 MPG light foot hwy.