2023 IS 500 Interior
This halo IS uses the same interior as lesser models, which is both good and bad. The IS is starting to show its age, but there are some nice touches. The updated touchscreen has been moved closer to the driver to improve ease of use. Lexus kept the annoying touchpad in place, but thankfully there's no need to use it. The center stack below the infotainment screen and beautiful analog clock are quite old-fashioned. It's a bit of a button fest combined with a few touch-capacitive zones, which Lexus will likely only rectify once the next-generation IS rolls in.
Model-specific touches include F Sport Performance badges on the steering wheel and door sill plates and F Sport bolstered sport seats. The pedals also get the F Sport treatment, and the push-button starter is upgraded to a lovely metal button. The LFA-inspired dials with the sliding bezel design are carried over from the standard model but feature a unique startup animation.
2023 IS 500 Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
The Lexus IS is strictly a five-seat sedan, though occupants in the back (especially the middle seat) may be less comfortable than in some competitors. Lexus hasn't shared exact interior measurements for the IS 500 F Sport yet, but it shouldn't differ from the standard IS. This means the IS 500 should offer 44.8 inches of legroom up front, 32.2 inches in the rear, and 77 inches combined. This is generally close to competitors in terms of combined legroom, but the IS 500's rear seats offer around two inches less than most rivals in the compact sedan segment. Headroom is acceptable in the front, but tighter than average in the rear.
2023 Lexus IS 500 Interior Dimensions:
| Lexus IS 500 Trims | F SPORT PERFORMANCE | F SPORT PERFORMANCE Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | 5 | 5 |
| Headroom Front Seat | 38.2 in. | 38.2 in. |
| Headroom Back Seat | 36.9 in. | 36.9 in. |
| Legroom Front Seat | 44.8 in. | 44.8 in. |
| Legroom Back Seat | 32.2 in. | 32.2 in. |
| Shoulder Room Front | 55.9 in. | 55.9 in. |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 53.4 in. | 53.4 in. |
| Hip Room, Front | 54.3 in. | 54.3 in. |
| Hip Room, Rear | 54 in. | 54 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
The overall interior atmosphere is still more luxurious than sporty, even with the F Sport body-hugging seats. Lexus's Nuluxe leatherette is standard, available in Black, Circuit Red, and White. Black Geometric trim is also available, giving the interior a racier feel. The Circuit Red trim is not available on the models painted Infrared or Grecian Water.
This year, the IS 500 comes with new Satin Chrome finishes for the interior ornamentation. And, if you are one of the lucky few to get hold of an IS 500 Premium with the Special Appearance Package, you'll find it comes with color-matched floor-trimmed mats and matching key gloves.
2023 IS 500 Trunk and Cargo Space
The Lexus IS doesn't have a huge trunk, measuring in at 10.8 cubic feet. You can increase the trunk by folding the rear seats down in a 60/40 split. BMW and Mercedes will offer you a bigger trunk, but 10.8 cubes are perfectly acceptable for a family of four.
Interior storage is adequate. The door pockets are on the small side, but there is ample storage space underneath the center armrest, and front passengers get dual cupholders. A lack of accessible space for a phone in the center console is a glaring design fault. Rear passengers get two pop-out cupholders in the fold-down center armrest.
2023 Lexus IS 500 Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2023 Lexus IS 500 Cargo Dimensions:
| Lexus IS 500 Trims | F SPORT PERFORMANCE | F SPORT PERFORMANCE Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk Volume | 10.8 cu. ft. | 10.8 cu. ft. |
2023 IS 500 Infotainment and Features
Features
The IS 500 F Sport Performance comes standard with full LED exterior lights, several F Sport exterior accents, an F Sport heated steering wheel, an LFA-inspired instrument cluster with a moving bezel, keyless entry with push-button start, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, and dual-zone climate control. Triple-beam LED headlamps are added from the mid-spec Premium model upwards.
Lexus includes its Safety System+ 2.5 as standard. This safety suite includes a pre-collision system, frontal collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and bicyclist detection, and emergency steering assist. As is expected, the IS 500 F Sport has a backup camera with dynamic gridlines and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. All-speed dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, and road sign assist are also standard. Our upgraded IS 500 F Sport tester included beautiful machined aluminum control knobs and the 360-degree camera system.
Infotainment
As the top model in the IS range, the new Lexus IS 500 F Sport comes with an eight-inch touchscreen on the base model, with a 10.3-inch high-resolution touchscreen as standard on upper trims. The touchscreen is a new addition for the IS, which previously relied solely on the highly-criticized Remote Touch interface. The laptop-style trackpad is still there, but there's less reason to use it now, especially with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. Lexus hasn't perfectly optimized its interface for the new touchscreen, but it's a huge leap forward compared to the previous system. You can also connect your smartphone via USB or Bluetooth.
Our Premium grade tester came with navigation included and the 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system with 1,800 watts, while a 10-speaker Pioneer system comes standard.