Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Lexus IS vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

VS
Lexus IS
Lexus IS

$41,990 - $72,990

2021 price

Mazda 3
Mazda 3

$26,880 - $55,682

2024 price

Summary

2021 Lexus IS
2024 Mazda 3
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Inline 4, 2.5L

Inline 4, 2.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
4.9L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Slow
  • Busy interior design
  • Fiddly and over-complicated software

  • Small boot
  • Gloomy rear seat
  • No more manual
2021 Lexus IS Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

View full pricing & specs
Interested in a Lexus IS?
2024 Mazda 3 Summary

Half a decade on, the current-generation Mazda 3 has weathered a world of change.

Cheap cars have vanished. Electric vehicles are commonplace and the small car class it belongs to has been decimated by SUVs. Big names like the Ford Focus, Holden Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are history.

But while it looks identical to the car unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show, today’s Mazda 3 has also evolved, albeit gently.

Let’s see how competitive the latest and improved (as well as more expensive) version is.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2021 Lexus IS 2024 Mazda 3

Change vehicle