There are three trim levels for the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance: Base, Premium, and Launch Edition. Lexus does not offer any additional features or optional packages over a model and they come with a fixed set of standard features. Some features that come equipped with the base trim are LED headlights, quad exhaust tips, a sunroof, keyless entry, heated and ventilated front seats, and an 8-inch touchscreen display to name a few. 2022 IS 500 Launch Edition interior distinguishes itself from the standard IS 500 by enhancing Takumi craftsmanship with premium interior materials, such as sporty two-tone Black & Gray Ultrasuede trimmed front and rear seats, door inserts, and center console. Additionally, the interior will be equipped with a serialized Launch Edition badge to further emphasize the car's uniqueness, and the heated leather-wrapped steering wheel will feature a distinctive silver ash wood treatment with black F SPORT Performance badging.

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We aren’t sure about how long naturally aspirated vehicles would be in production and when it comes to performance vehicles, it's best to experience all that the manufacturers offer. And hence, our advice is to choose the Premium above the standard IS 500 F Sport Performance. A bigger touchscreen, a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, a surround-view camera, and improved LED headlights are included with the higher model.

Release Date

Lexus made the brand new IS 500 lineup available for sale in the month of December 2021.

The IS is rather competitive, reaching 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, though it can't match the fastest of today's boosted sixes. And a few nanoseconds are well worth it for the retro audio experience provided by the 472-hp V-8, which is an increase of 56 horsepower over the original IS F. The IS500 has an intake bypass that opens about 2800 rpm when the throttle is pinned, providing a raucous and realistic roar as it blasts up into the 7300-rpm redline, unlike some contemporary cars that might play an engine soundtrack made in a recording studio through the speakers. We salute this car for rejecting the norm of a lame rev limiter while parked and being completely superfluous to be able to rev freely to redline in neutral. Those quad pipes that are stacked want to shout. The ZF 8-speed featured in the BMW and Audi slams home changes with enthusiasm, but the Aisin 8-speed automatic is neither as rapid nor as smooth in regular driving.

Lexus is the only naturally aspirated option available and is the only car that comes with an 8-cylinder engine underneath its hood. This helps the IS 500 push out a range-topping amount of power but the car does not quite make it in terms of its acceleration due to its longer rev range. The rivals come with turbos slapped onto their motors and this gives them the ability to access their power a lot earlier down the rev range. The Mercedes takes the top spot with a staggering 4.1 seconds timing to 60 mph with the BMW closely behind. Both Audi and Lexus clock a time of 4.4 seconds, leaving them both on the bottom.

2022 Lexus IS 500 Ride and Handling

The V8 makes a faint burble, but other features like the suspension, steering, and transmission tuning feel basically the same as the IS 350. This isn't your car if you're expecting a Japanese sports sedan to be as insane and rigid as an AMG. Although it may come out as a criticism, the IS 500's lack of thrill while driving normally is a success. Despite its sporty pretensions, the suspension is superb and there is barely any road noise. The IS 500 has plenty of comforts, and we would cheerfully go cruise across the country in one. Unfortunately, when the need to drive fast strikes, the IS 500's sloppy tuning, particularly the transmission becomes bothersome. Even in Sport S and Sport S+ modes, the transmission frequently switches into higher ratios and makes brief shifts before reaching the redline, making it difficult to obtain full power and reducing enjoyment. However, if you have an open strip of road ahead and you're seated in the IS 500, there isn't a better place to be in, as the IS 500 is a car that likes to be pushed and the scream that comes along is unlike what you find in its rivals.

2022 Lexus IS 500 Braking Performance

Lexus has equipped their sports sedan with vented brakes on both ends to allow optimal cooling to keep the braking as sharp as possible at all times. The front wheels come equipped with 14-inch rotors while the rear wheels get a 12.7-inch setup. This helps the IS 500 come to a complete stop in just 111 ft. Although the braking is impressive, the brake pedal on this sedan feels squishy, leaving an unpleasant feeling when trying to slow the car.

The largest front brakes come equipped on the Mercedes while the rear brakes advantage is with the BMW. Regardless of the brake sizes, the Lexus tops the table with its impressive braking distance. Although two rivals haven't been tested yet, it sure is going to be hard to beat the 111 ft. that Lexus manages to achieve. BMW stands close to the IS 500 and going by the weight, the Mercedes seems like the car to stay at the bottom. The Lightest car here happens to be the Audi but its braking performance cannot be assessed unless it's put through the test.

Sports sedans aren't usually known for their fuel economy, moreover, the Lexus IS 500 is a naturally aspirated vehicle, suggesting that this is a segment that the IS 500 isn’t great at. The IS 500 is EPA rated at 17 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg in combined conditions. A 17.4-gallon gas tank is on the larger side for a vehicle of its class but it doesn’t help the Lexus cover as much distance as its rivals.

The Lexus takes a beating as all its rivals offer better EPA ratings and total range. While the Mercedes carries the same amount of fuel as the Lexus, the German rival covers a lot more distance in comparison but the range-topper is the BMW and it takes the win without any struggle. The BMW received EPA ratings that make it a worthy daily drivable car and is the only car to offer over 400 miles of combined driving range.

The IS' front seats are fairly comfortable and well-positioned for a vehicle with four doors and five seats but don't anticipate adults to be particularly content for extended amounts of time crammed in the back row. Even by the standards of a tiny luxury sedan, there is unquestionably little headroom in the back. While the rear outboard legroom is adequate, there is very little room for any middle-seat passengers due to a significant center floor hump. Although the Lexus IS is a sedan, We wouldn't classify it as a family vehicle. The interior stays mostly the same as the 2021 redesign with minor changes that aren't easily noticeable.

Lexus is known to make stylish and premium vehicles, which is the case with the IS 500. Lexus carries the best front row, leaving the front passengers happy but that isn't the case on the rear as it offers the least legroom in its class. The largest rear row space is offered on the Audi but we find the right balance and practical space in the BMW that not only offers good passenger room but also comes with the largest trunk space for the segment. Speaking of trunk space, the Lexus takes yet another fall, denoting that the designers didn't give a lot of thought about the practicality

Some standout interior features on the 2022 Lexus IS 500 include

• Heated and ventilated front sport seats
• Heated and power-adjustable steering wheel
• Simulated leather upholstery
• Power rear sunshade
• Launch Edition interior badge
• Black and gray imitation suede upholstery for Launch Edition

How intuitive is the 2022 Lexus IS 500 infotainment system?

A console-mounted touchpad and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system are both standard while a larger 10.3-inch display that also includes in-dash navigation is equipped on the higher trims. Both systems support Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. A Mark Levinson premium sound system is offered as an option like it was in the IS of the previous generation, but this time it features 17 speakers and 1800 watts of power.

Some of the standout infotainment features on the 2022 Lexus IS 500 are

• 8.0 or 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 10-speaker or 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system
• Touch pad controller
• 8-inch digital instrument panel display
• Amazon Alexa

A commanding, low stance. A striking, single taillight that is only a few millimeters wide in the middle. Character lines with drama. The outcome? A true sports sedan that looks as ferocious as it feels. The front of the car has the recognizable Lexus hourglass grille, which is flanked by LED headlights and has discreet air vents under it. With larger 19-inch wheels, revised front and back bumpers, a trunk-lid spoiler, and other changes, the 2022 Lexus IS 500 takes things to the next level.

The Lexus and Audi have very similar dimensions but while the Audi has a more mellowed design, the Lexus follows its traditional and attractive design language. All the sedans have near identical heights but Lexus offers better ground clearance, making it easier to drive over broken roads. Mercedes stays the lowest to the ground, which gives it a lot of high-speed stability but isn't really practical over a speed bump.

Some of the standout exterior features include

• 19-inch wheels
• Quad exhaust tips
• Sunroof
• LED headlight and taillights
• Trunk lid spoiler
• Aggressive front and rear bumpers

Lexus as a brand has always been regarded to offer safe vehicles and though the IS 500 hasn’t been crash tested, its smaller 350 siblings based on the same platform in 2021, resulting in a 5-star rating, and the 2022 model was given the Top Safety Pick + tag by IIHS.

Some of the standout safety features available with the 2022 Lexus IS 500 are

• Lane departure mitigation
• Lane-keeping system
• Adaptive cruise control 
• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert
• 360-degree camera system
• Automatic emergency braking

2022 Lexus IS 500 vs 2022 BMW M340i

The BMW M340i competes with the IS 500 and is one level below the M3. It accelerates to 60 mph more quickly than the Lexus, but its ride is stiffer and its engine's roar doesn't match that of the IS 500. The M340i, unlike the IS 500, also offers all-wheel drive. While the IS 500 has more standard sophisticated driver aids, neither sedan offers a significant technological edge. However, BMW offers better gas mileage and a lot more storage space than the Lexus, making it the better pick of the two.

2022 Lexus IS 500 vs 2022 Mercedes AMG C 43

Although the Mercedes does not look as intimidating as the Lexus nor does it sound as ferocious, the Merc takes an easy win in terms of acceleration. However, the Lexus comes with more standard features and an easy-to-use control layout. Both these vehicles are fun to drive and they each have their sweet spots. If you're looking for a performance vehicle that even a grandma can drive, Lexus is the one that you need to have your eyes on. But if you seek instant acceleration and max power right from the start, Mercedes have you covered.

2022 Lexus IS 500 vs Audi S4

The IS 500 and S4 provide a good blend of comfort and handling. Despite not having the most contemporary appearance, their opulent interiors are built with exceptional quality. Although the turbocharged V6 in the S4 is less powerful than the V8 in the IS 500, the S4 was equally quick to 60 mph. The majority of cutting-edge driver assistance systems are optional in the S4, but standard in the IS 500. We would pick the Lexus as the character that its V8 offers unlike any other vehicle.

We believe Lexus has completely defined what a performance sedan should be with the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance and put an end to the majority of the criticisms about the IS series. Instead of concentrating on giving this car the finest racing track figures, Lexus kept in mind that most owners will drive it between home and work more frequently than they will lap Palmer Motorsport Park. The IS 500 pursues this goal with a focus on comfort, producing a luxury sedan that we'd be happy to use to gobble up highway miles. If we were to make a suggestion, it would be that the drive modes don't really allow the driver to unlock the full potential of the vehicle. The IS 500's transmission felt unresponsive to our inputs, even in Sport S+ mode. Fortunately, the manual option offers drivers full permission to hit that extremely high red line and take advantage of one of the few naturally aspirated V8 exhaust notes accessible in this market.