It even has a CD player.Įnter a corner fast in the IS 350 F SPORT, and you immediately sense a compact, buttoned-down and nimble chassis that instantly reacts to the slightest inputs of its small diameter steering wheel-very much like a BMW 3 Series from a few generations back. There’s no start-stop feature, and no hybrid variant. Its eight-speed automatic isn’t a double-clutch unit. It stays rather sensible, presumably for reliability purposes, an obsessive Lexus quality. Sure, the IS with the F SPORT package too comes with an adaptive suspension and adjustable drive modes, but none of its components can be individually altered. At 3.5 litres of displacement, the V6 is rated at a comfortable 311 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft.
And unlike its entire crop of rivals, which all rely on turbocharging, this IS is the only one to still be powered by a naturally aspirated V6 (a turbo four powers the base model). It’s the most powerful, sportiest, and better equipped variant-at least, until an IS F version returns. Within the IS lineup, the IS 350 F SPORT is the top-dog trim level. Also: 2017 BMW 330e: Boosting a Stalwart.In many ways, by remaining independent and somewhat conservative, the IS stays true to the original concept of a sports sedan-you know, the one BMW pioneered with the 3 Series?
They’re all great sedans, but they also all mimic the same basic formula. Then you’ve got the new kids on the block, the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Jaguar XE, the Genesis G70 and the all-new Volvo S60. The other two German carmakers, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, keep gnawing at its ankles, and in some cases, beat it at its own game with the A4 and the C-Class.
At the top of the food chain lies the BMW 3 Series. The compact luxury sports sedan segment is a copycat game.