Misterjim

Looking to buy an IS 350 f-sport but trying to decide if the 8 speed is worth it. I'm really a stick guy and I know it's not going to be the same. Has anyone driven both and compared the two? I realize the 8 speed is only available on RWD models.

3actual

I came from a 2014 EX-L Accord V6 6MT. The 2016 IS350 F Sport is a really nice car. It handles better than the Accord and the front seats are world's better, but there is still a void left by the 6MT accord.

I plan on keeping the Lexus as of now, but I see a 6 or 7 speed manual transmission car with a V8 in my near future.

EZZ

The 6 speed is geared more aggressively and does better from a stop. The 8 speed is more responsive everywhere else. You really need to test drive both.

Olasek

Not sure what you mean by "worth it". There is no additional fee for the 8-spd transmission.
I tested different IS-es and some had 6-spd and some 8-spd, frankly I didn't see any difference.
Ultimately I decided on the RWD - but my decision had nothing to do with number of gears.
It is an extremely smooth and intelligent transmission.
I like the stick too - my other car is 2001 Z3 - stick, this is the car I like to take if I crave
for some 'stick' time on a windy beach road.

RocketG35

As you mentioned, 6 speed is only available on AWD models. So the cost actually increases if you go with the 6 speed as there's an additional $2000 cost for AWD.

​I believe the 8 speed was meant to help with fuel economy. And if you like quick shifting, make sure you are in Sport / S+ Mode for more responsive shifting. Otherwise it will severely lag between shifts - especially in ECO mode.

Answer

I've never driven the 8sp, but I can say that the 6sp isn't that responsive in manual mode. Let's say that it's world's away from a twin clutch when it comes to responsiveness. Still a good tranny, but aggressive driving will show it's weaknesses.

manchild

I'm coming from a GTI with the twin clutch dsg gear box. The 6 speed is so much more laggy than the dsg but way faster then I could shift my STI. I've never missed gears 7 and 8. They are for long highway cruises and sadly idiots on the road prevent proper long highway cruises.

EZZ

All the reviews say that the 8 speed is way better in manual mode (less laggy) however, nothing mimics a manual. I say both will disappoint the OP if they like to drive manual.

Olasek

The opposite is true. In ECO it will upshift very fast to put you in the highest possible gear, in sport mode it will stay longer in lower gears to favor acceleration.

I disagree. It shifts way faster than I could do it in manual. Again being 'laggy' is a virtue if you want sportiness.
I did not find any fault in the way it shifts (if you selected the mode of your liking).
By the way, I did not see any reviews (out of my collection of reviewers that I consider reputable) that would complain about shifting.

EZZ

The 8 speed is a good tranny but not as good as the BMW ZF or VW's DSG. There is always a slight delay from when i hit the paddle to the shift...you just get used to it and anticipate the shift happening with the delay. Although I don't really use the paddle shifters that much as sport+ mode has been tuned aggressively enough in auto mode.

Olasek

These are double clutch transmissions so of course by definition they will be faster.
I don't compare apples with oranges, if someone is on the market for such super fast gear changes
then he/she should be looking outside of Lexus. I am 'stick' guy and from my perspective this Lexus
transmission changes gears a lot faster than I could ever hope to do it using my legs and hands.

MatrixPC

The 8 speed tranny is great. Very responsive in both manual and auto mode. But it's no where as fun as push the clutch and shift yourself. I try manual a few times but didn't like as much as a true manual because there is something missing ....

Olasek

I know what I am missing - not being able to go directly to some intermediate gear bypassing gears I don't want.
Therefore I really don't do manual shifting and my only manual 'intervention' is when using engine for breaking in low gear.

If I really care for some manual experience - I get my 16-year old Z3 out of the garage.

RocketG35

In Sport/S+ mode, I think it shifts very well and it's a huge difference when you drive ECO most of the time like I do. The shifts are much faster - resulting in very good kick and acceleration. It also hold gears very well in Manual mode either upshifting or downshifting. In ECO mode, it shifts very fast through the gears, where you'll be in 8th gear driving 50mph+. I think in Sport, you'll be in 5th or 6th at this speed?

There have been times when I want to gun it to change from a slow lane (i.e. dead stop in traffic) to a faster lane, and forget that I'm in ECO mode. That is a huge mistake on my part because it doesn't take off as fast I expect or need it to. I should remember to switch modes if I want/need that instant take-off.

I think this is a good smooth and fast transmission when I need it. But in order to not be caught off guard, I have to remember to "unleash the beast" (switch to Sport/S+) before I need it - or drive in Sport/S+ mode 100% of the time. ECO saves gas by 1-2 mpg, but it's slooooow.

dizlex

The manual mode works pretty well, for occasional use. I use the stick because the paddles are in the wrong place unless you're going straight ahead. More fun to use the stick, too. I like that it's a real manual mode - flooring it will not cause a downshift. You can even bounce it off the rev limiter, if you turn off the stability control.

A couple problems - 8 ratios is really too many. The top 5 ratios are so close together to be silly. For the vast majority of the time, it's not worth the effort to shift manually.

Ironically, the lower gears are too far apart for a "cammy" engine like the 350. You'd better be near redline before you downshift, or you will fall-off the torque, which is best above 4000 RPM.

As a practical matter, sporty driving uses 2 gears, second and third. The stick works well for that. But, of course, it's not as engaging as a true manual tranny.