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Feb 24, 2025

The Cheapest V8-Powered Performance Sedan On Sale In 2025

The times they are a-changin', and as exciting as that can be, it's also a bittersweet era in the automotive scene. We're seeing cool new plug-in hybrids and EVs popping up left and right, but we're

The times they are a-changin', and as exciting as that can be, it's also a bittersweet era in the automotive scene. We're seeing cool new plug-in hybrids and EVs popping up left and right, but we're also seeing fewer of the cars we grew up with. The list of performance sedans on the market today is shorter than it was one or two years ago. If you're looking for a V8-powered model in particular, you might not be able to find a baker's dozen without an electric motor attached to one or both axles.

Founded in 1989, Lexus is a premium automaker created by Toyota as a rival to Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Its first model, the Lexus LS, became renowned as a true S-Class rival at a fraction of the cost and is known as one of the most reliable cars in the world. Subsequent models from the brand have achieved equal fame, including the IS, RX, and LX. With global sales of 824,258 cars in 2023, Lexus has become a prime example of how a start-up can enter the premium space and succeed, something few rivals have managed since.

Thankfully, there is still at least one V8-powered performance sedan available for a price that most working folks can be comfortable with: the Lexus IS 500. It's not only the most affordable V8-powered performance sedan on the market today, but perhaps the only affordable V8 sports sedan left.

This article was originally published in 2024. It has been updated to reflect changes in price and specification relevant to the 2025 model year.

2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance

Engine

5.0-Liter V8

Power

472 hp

Torque

395 lb-ft

0-60

4.4 Seconds

Top Speed

149 mph

Fuel Economy

17/25/20 mpg

While Lexus may be a luxury car brand, it has also become revered for its unique take on performance cars. Icons like the Lexus LFA prove that the brand knows what it's doing, and while that car may have been put out to pasture ages ago, Lexus still offers some premium yet performance-focused products today.

The 2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, as it's officially known, starts at $59,170 before options and excluding destination fees for the new model year, with the option to upgrade to the top trim level - the Premium - at $63,670. To put that into perspective, the next cheapest V8 sports sedan available today is the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which starts at more than $95,595.

Not that long ago, you could find a whole market of V8 sports sedans between those two price points. Today, the MSRP jumps by more than $36k between the two cheapest cars in the shrinking market segment. To be clear, just because these two vehicles are being called cheap within this context, doesn't mean they skimp on performance: the IS 500 F Sport Performance delivers a big-budget driving experience, inside and out. It looks, feels, drives, and even sounds like a much more expensive vehicle.

The V8, rear-wheel drive sedan is dying, but those with a manual gearbox? Those are dying even quicker.

The F Sport Performance model packs a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. No turbochargers, no electric motors, just a good old-fashioned 8-cylinder powerhouse engine built around an all-alloy engine block. The car averages 17 miles to the gallon in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and getsr 20 mpg combined. These numbers don't exactly put it in direct competition with new plug-in hybrids, but that's not the point of the car by any means. Put in perspective, the car's modest 3,891-pound curb weight contributes to a fuel economy that's not bad for an 8-cylinder luxury ride, especially considering that so many cars in this segment verge on supercar territory, burning fuel like they know they're going home on a trailer.

With a 4.4-second 0-60 sprint, the F Sport Performance is decidedly highway-oriented, not track-oriented, although you'd likely have a blast if you did try out the latter. Still, it's powerful enough to merge and pass confidently in traffic, roar to life when you plant the throttle, and pick up speed with aplomb. It may trail behind its pricier rivals in the sports sedan segment four outright speed and acceleration, since no turbocharger may mean it's slower off the line. But it does also suggest a less complicated engine that should - given Lexus' reliability reputation - keep you happily cruising along for years to come. In a segment where resale values are low, and maintenance costs are high, a Lexus sedan's tendency to retain around 65% of its initial value after five years also puts it well ahead of most of the competition.

Of course, the cabin quality is secondary to the ride quality when it comes to getting a luxury experience out of a luxury car. The IS 500's absorbent suspension system could be described as leisurely, sedate, and relaxed. It might not provide the snappy feedback you want from a sports sedan, but it does live up to the luxury part of the deal. You may feel yourself leaning a bit more than you'd like around hairpin turns at high speeds, but that's not really what the IS 500 is built to do.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

It's easy to nitpick the 2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, but the bottom line is that this car is in a category of one. It's a V8-powered sports sedan that you can drive off the lot without taking on a six-figure car loan. Could the suspension be a bit firmer? Would we prefer a manual transmission? Would a turbocharger help to get those 0-60s down? Sure, yes, and absolutely. But that's criticizing the car for what it isn't, rather than evaluating it for what it is: a comfortable, sporty daily driver with a powerful 8-cylinder engine under the hood and a price tag most drivers can live with.

When you're buying a luxury sports sedan, the luxury part is just as important as the sports part, and the Lexus does not disappoint in that regard. Inside the IS 500, you'll find high-end materials as a rule, an eight-inch touchscreen (the Premium models get a 10.3-inch screen),and auto dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, a heated steering wheel, and a power tilt-and-slide moonroof.

If you want to upgrade from there, the IS 500 F Sport Premium adds a high-end Mark Levinson sound system, a power rear sunshade, dynamic navigation, destination assist, and dynamic voice command. Even at this level, it's still the cheapest V8 performance sedan in the USA - even at $4,500 over the base model.

Last we checked, there were about a dozen V8-powered production sedans still available in the US, and they're pretty much all sports sedans because the only reason to put a V8 in a sedan in 2025 is to improve the performance specs. As you might have guessed, the list is dominated by BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The Lexus IS 500 isn't the last of its kind, but it's the last in its unique market position as an affordable V8 sports sedan. After the IS 500, the price shoots up substantially, and after the CT5-V Blackwing, the prices head straight into the low six-figure region - even up to the quarter-million range for cars like the Bentley Continental GT. The latter even straps hybrid power to a V8 - and asks for nearl $300k. So, while they still make V8 sports sedans in 2025, they're increasingly becoming niche luxury items where they used to be more common daily drivers.

At the end of the day, if someone's willing to buy it, someone will be willing to sell it. There are still a few V10s out there on the market in 2024, like the one Judd Power makes for the McLaren Solus GT. Does a V10 really make sense when you can achieve the same power output with any number of hybrid or electric powertrains, though? Not really. But there's a niche market for 10-cylinder supercars, so you can still find a few. V8s are dying out rapidly, however; as long as combustion-powered engines are an option, we'll likely see the beloved 8-cylinder stick around just a little longer - a few automakers insist on keep them around in their halo pickup trucks, for example.

We're likely to see more of what Bentley is doing with its models - adding hbyrid power. Porsche has done something similar with the Panamera E-Turbo, which pairs a V8 with an electric motor to achieve a three-second 0-60 sprint and a top speed of 196 mph. While hybrids paired to smaller displacement engines are also becomming more common, we're holding out for the automakers that are keeping the V8 alive - the all-new BMW M5 is a good example.

The seventh-generation BMW M5 is the most powerful ever launched, but it has its vices, including a hefty curb weight.

The Lexus IS series as a whole is, itself, a kind of niche. Lexus sold 22,521 units in total in 2023. We don't have the numbers to tell us how many of those were IS 500 F Sport Performance models, but the IS 300's position as a more accessible, everyday Lexus, starting at an MSRP of $40,085, likely has it taking the lion's share of sales. In other words, if you've always wanted a V8-powered luxury sports sedan, the IS 500 isn't just your best option in 2025; it might be your last chance to get one for this cheap - at least, if you want to buy one brand new. Because with this kind of pedigree and powertrain, the IS 500 will likely cost a whole lot more on the used market in a couple of years when the V8 is gone forever.

Sources: Lexus, Cadillac.

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Nice article I'm taking delivery of my Blue Mica Black interior in 3 weeks. These are hard to find in Blue I have been looking for 4 months

Mine is Grecian Water Blue :)

No manual. No thank you.

Pretty crazy when the most affordable v8 is friggin $68k, stellar car nevertheless

I bought an IS500 two weeks ago. This thing is an absolute blast to drive everyday. Looked at M340s and a few others but fell in love with the IS500. Amazing machine!

And it ain’t cheap. Think I’ll keep my old S4. Not much slower and paid for

This needs a supercharger. Among other parts. TOYOTA V8's can take a beating.

"Most working class people" absolutely would not be comfortable with this price. The correct term would be "overleveraged"

Good job Lexus! If I didn’t have a 6 speed f10 m5, I’d be getting this car.

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