The IS 350 is one of the last sports sedans in North America to feature a naturally aspirated engine. The 3.5-liter V6 unit produces 311 hp at 6,600 rpm and 280 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. Not incredibly high by modern standards, as the BMW 340i, for example, has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that makes a whopping 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, aided by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system for better throttle response. As a result, the Bavarian sedan hits 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds!

However, looking at Lexus' V6 just by the numbers would be doing it a disservice. While it is down on power, with acceleration figures only comparable to four-cylinder turbocharged engines, this is an incredibly smooth unit that sounds quite nice, giving you a vibe that most turbocharged sports sedans can't match. Crucially, it has also proven to be reliable and durable and less susceptible to breakdowns due to infrequent maintenance. A supercharged form of the same engine is even used in Lotus' Exige, Evora, and Emira sports cars, which certainly says something about its toughness.

Let's also not forget that the IS 350 remains a value proposition in its category, costing as much as competitors with four-cylinder buzzers under the front bonnet. So, you might not enjoy sports-car-like acceleration in the IS 350, but the smoothness and refinement of its engine are hard to beat!