The Most Affordable V8-Powered Sedan on Sale in 2024

Those times are changin’, and as fun as it can be, it’s also a very exciting time in the automotive world. 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 a year or two ago. If you’re looking for a V8-powered model specifically, you might not be able to find a cook dozen without an electric motor attached to one or both.

Fortunately, there is still at least one V8-powered performance sedan available at a price that most working people can be comfortable with: the Lexus IS 500. This is more than just a performance machine. the best V8 available on the market today, but maybe. the only The cheapest V8 sports sedan left.

2024 Lexus IS 500

Base MSRP

$60,520

Engine

5.0L V8 Gas

Horse power

472 hp

Torque

395 lb-ft

0-60 MPH

4.4 seconds

Top Speed

165 mph

Fuel Economy

17/25 MPG

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Looking at the Cheapest V8 Performance Sedan

While Lexus may be a luxury car brand, they have always stood firm in the entry-level luxury segment. The 2024 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance follows in that tradition with a starting MSRP of $60,020. By comparison, the next cheapest V8 sedan available today is the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which starts at just over $90,000. Not too long ago, you could find an entire market of V8 sports sedans between those two price points. Today, the MSRP exceeds thirty thousand dollars for a single model, which is a clear indication of the shrinking market for this type of car.

To be clear, entry level does not mean budget, especially not these days when thirty and forty dollar V8s have completely disappeared from the market. At a mid-market price point, the F Sport Performance model offers a great budget driving experience, inside and out. It looks, feels, drives, and even sounds like an expensive car.

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But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The F Sport Performance model has a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. No turbochargers, no electric motors, just a good old 8 cylinder engine built around an all-alloy engine block. The car averages 17 miles to the gallon in the city and 25 MPG on the highway for a combined 20 MPG. These numbers don’t put it in direct competition with the new plug-in hybrids. However, the vehicle’s curb weight of 3,891 kilograms contributes to fuel economy. not bad for an 8-cylinder luxury ride, especially considering that most cars in this segment are leaning toward supercar territory, they burn as much fuel as they know they’re going home with a trailer.

With a 4.4-second 0-60 sprint, the F Sport Performance is aimed at the highway, not the track. It has enough power to merge and pass confidently in traffic, but it will follow behind its more expensive neighbors in the sports sedan segment. No turbocharger can mean slow take off, but it also makes for a durable, long-lasting engine. In a segment where resale value is low and maintenance costs are high, the Lexus sedan’s tendency to retain nearly 65% ​​of its original value after five years puts it ahead of the curve. the size of the competition.

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Transmission options on the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance are limited to a single 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. In our review, we noted that downshifts can feel slow compared to some of the more refined transmissions on the market, and the lack of a manual transmission is a shame, no matter how you look at it. . Maybe Lexus will consider a manual transmission at some point, but we’re not holding our breath. In fact, we wouldn’t expect the V8 to last long, either.

When shopping for a luxury sports sedan, the luxury component is just as important as the sporty component, and Lexus does not disappoint in that regard. Inside, you’ll find a high-quality cover, an 8-inch screen, and a variety of cool colors, including black, circuit red, and a neat two-tone black and white cover. If you want to upgrade from there, the IS 500 F Sport Premium sells for about $63,370, and adds a premium Mark Levinson audio system, a 10.3-inch touchscreen, a rear sunroof, and Three LED lights.

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In fact, the quality of the house is second only to the quality of the ride when it comes to getting a luxury experience from a luxury car. The IS 500’s suspension system can be described as relaxing, quiet, and comfortable. It may not provide the immediate feedback you want from sports sedan, but lives up to luxury part of the covenant. You might feel more dependent than you’d like going around hairpins at high speed, but that’s not what the IS 500 is designed to do.

It’s easy to nitpick the 2024 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, but the bottom line is that this car is in a class of one. It’s a V8-powered sports sedan that you can drive off the lot without taking out a six-figure car loan. Could the suspension be more difficult? Can we choose to be carried by hand? Would a turbocharger help lower the 0-60s? Of course, yes, and absolutely. But that’s criticizing the car for what it’s not, rather than examining it for what it is: a comfortable, sporty daily driver with a powerful 8-cylinder engine under the hood. hood and a price tag that most drivers can live with.

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Who makes V8 sports sedans?

When we last checked, there were about a dozen V8-powered production sedans still available in the United States, and they’re almost too sporty for the sole reason. adding a V8 to the sedan in 2024 is to improve performance.

As you might have guessed, the list is dominated by BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The Lexus IS 500 is not the last of its kind, but it is the last in its niche as an affordable V8 sports sedan. After the IS 500, the price rises to about $90,000 for the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and to the low six figures and a quarter million for cars like the Bentley Flying Spur. The V8 even disappears into the truck section, which is something we didn’t think would happen.

In short, they’re still making V8 sports sedans, but they’re increasingly becoming luxury items where they used to be daily drivers.

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How Long Will They Keep Making V8 Sedans?

At the end of the day, if someone is willing to buy it, someone else will be willing to sell it. There are still a few V10s out there on the market in 2024, like the Judd Power makes McLaren Solus GT. Does the V10 really make sense when you can achieve the same power output with any number of hybrids or electric motors? Not really. But there is a niche market for 10-cylinder supercars, so you can still find 10-cylinder supercars.

V8s may become a niche, but as long as combustion engines are an option, we’ll probably see the popular 8-cylinder stick around. The Porsche Panamera E-Turbo combines a V8 with an electric motor to achieve a 3-0-60-second time with the Sport Chrono Package and a top speed of 196 mph, so hybrids may not replace the V8 so much so that it remains relevant. the foreseeable future. The same is true of the new BMW M5.

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The Lexus IS series as a whole is, in itself, a niche model. Lexus sold a total of 22,521 units in 2023. We don’t have numbers to tell us how many IS 500 F Sport Performance models were sold, but the IS 300 ranks as Lexus’ most accessible, affordable daily, starting at an MSRP of $40,085. , probably taking the lion’s share of sales. In other words, if you’ve been looking for a V8-powered luxury sports sedan, the IS 500 isn’t your best choice for 2024; it might be your last chance to get one for less than a hundred. If you want to buy a new one, that is.