jinzo11

Hello everybody. Long story short, I recently fell in love with Lexus and decided that I will get one in the next 2-3 years, due to the fact that they are reliable as hell (right?) and a lot cheaper than its german rivals.. Although im a BMW guy and it's my favourite brand, I am young and realize that I should leave german cars for later in life when the bank account is a lot bigger.

Anyways, its the new IS and RC models that I became attached too.. I just cant believe how sexy they are. I was pretty dissapointed to find out they do not come with a 6 speed manual, and even more dissapointed when I found out the RWD variants only come with the 8 speed auto! I mean, the 6 speed has to be better right? (I am not talking about MPG) 8 gears is just too much?

Does anyone know if the new lexus's still have good reliability. Are the new v6's still strong as hell and will they most likely respond well to mods and be able to hold a decent amount of power.

The biggest complaint I hear about the 8 speed gearbox is that its just always "changing its mind". Should I avoid it dearly? I mean, honestly AWD wouldn't be a bad idea, it would be fun as hell in the snow (I live in canada ontario). ALSO i believe its a 30/70 rear split correct? However I read somewhere it will go to 50/50 if needed? Does anybody know if it can be just left at 30/70?

Does anybody know if lexus announced that the RWD variant would be released with the 6 speed sometime in the near future?

thanks

JDR76

The RWD is not going back to the 6 speed. If anything, they'll find a way to eventually get an 8 speed into the AWD model.

The AWD model is split 70% rear, 30% front, with, as you noted, the ability to go to 50/50 in certain traction situations. No, that cannot be changed, but really there's no need to. It's completely seamless.

E46CT

I come from highly modified BMWs. Two M3s, an E46, etc. Manual.

While I miss manual driving, I love the 8 speed auto in my IS200t. I prefer it. Rev matched down shifts, crisp and fast shifts. It's the way of the future. A manual does not belong in a car like this. It's too big and heavy and luxurious. Not that type of car.

Just go for it. You won't be disappointed.

brendanf

First and fore most.. Welcome..

Secondly, Lexus reliability has not changed..

As for your question regarding the V6, it is a great motor, most people here would consider them 'under powered' but only compared to the competition. My feelings on the matter is that they produce plenty of grunt and more then enough to have fun with and get into trouble.. Lets be honest, just how quickly do you want to get to the speed limit and where can you possibly find room to open it up? Especially in the Toronto area... Traffic is disgusting around here and it is only getting worse.. Anyway there will be plenty of people on here who will string me up for my opinion but oh well, those are the same people who think Lexus should be doing everything the Germans do, because if the Germans are doing it, it must be right.. (sarcasm).

I wouldn't worry about the number of gears in the transmission.. There really isn't any stopping companies from adding more.. I'm not sure why they are doing it but my guess is for emissions and mileage. I have an AWD which comes with a 6spd and it fine for me.. I don't drive like a molested monkey so it is plenty for me.

I can't comment on the torque split.. I don't think there is any adjusting/changing it..

EZZ

The 6 speed is an older transmission and not as responsive as the 8 speed. The 8 speed is a derivative of the last generation ISF and shift much better than the older 6 speed. I believe the only advantage of the 6 speed is a more aggressive gear ratio which aids in faster 0-60 times from a stop. In all other situations, the 8 speed is the better tranny.

E46CT

^Do we know exactly what the difference from the 8 speed in the IS-F and the 200t/350's 8 speed? From everything I read, the transmission is a direct carry over. Software maybe?

EZZ

Not exactly. It has a sensor when you are in turning or cornering, it will hold the gear until you are finished with the cornering. I don't know what other changes are present.

tff

I've had my '14 IS350 for a few months now. I find the 8 speed automatic to shift at just the right times, whether in normal or sport mode. Shifting is much smoother, more predictable, smoother than my wife's '14 Grand Cherokee. As far as an automatic goes, i think it's great. What I also like is when downshifting (in auto mode), the downshift is temporary till the car figures out to go back into full auto. (My wife's car doesn't go back into auto... once you start using the paddle-shifters it stays in manual and you have to actively change it back to auto... not nearly as convenient as the way the Lexus is designed.)

My only complaint with the car is the popping like noise from the door seal(s) on the driver's side... back to the dealer for the 2nd time for that issue.

corradoMR2

As brendanf stated, welcome to the forum!

Being in Canada, some key things you need to know about product availability. The 8-speed is only available with the 200t (2L cyl turbo) which is also RWD only. All V6 models (300/350) are AWD-only models here and come with the 6-speed. 2015 and prior models offered RWD and the 8-speed with the V6 engines. Not anymore, likely due to low RWD sales up here.

Reliability - best in the automotive industry, worldwide.

AWD torque split is not driver adjustable. Car will adjust it depending on conditions. On this note, the slick thing with the IS is the VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) and combined with AWD makes for one fun drive in snow. Unlike stability control, VDIM will proactively apply power and steering input to help correct an under/oversteer situation, of course all within the limits of the the laws of physics. Great traction and control, even with the staggered all-season rubber!

Mrg02d

I have 46k miles on my 2014 is350 now and can say that it is a pleasure to drive. It won't beat a BMW 335 and above in a drag race, but it handles great.

Its also very cheap to maintain so far. My oil changes at my Toyota dealer is $41. Front brakes (lasted till 45k miles) and rotor resurfaced was $250 all in. Good luck paying for German car maintenance.

The is350 may not be the boss out there, but won't be a push over either. Unless someone is willing to pop a felony speed, they won't be overtaking you. I've made many BMW and Porsche have to hit some rediculous speeds to pass me. :-)

1Louder

I can only speak to those two questions.

When I was shopping recently I had all the consumer reports data on the 14 and 15 IS models - reliability is ridiculously high. Almost perfect marks across the board. So you're good there.

As for the gearbox, I haven't driven a ton yet but I don't think its indecisive at all. The F-Sport I have has paddle shifting - if you want some control look for that. The paddle shifts are crisp and very quick.

evident

I love the 8Speed on my RWD IS350 F-sport. In fact, it was one of the reasons why i went w/ RWD.

Crossxup11

Is Lexus reliability still what it was?

Let me assure you this:

You could drive your Lexus to war, only having to change your oil when you get back.

goldengame

What are you looking for in a car? I have a 2015 IS350 F-Sport AWD and I've driven many of the competitors (e.g. 340i, XE, etc.). In terms of feel, the IS feels a bit more connected than the other cars in the segment. The other cars feel more artificial in one way or another (e.g. lack of steering feel or overly boosted electric steering). It's also very reliable (no issues so far) and better priced than the German competitors. The downside is that the engine is old (and the transmission too if you get the AWD version) so in a straight-line, the Germans have it beat.

Are you looking for a reliable, but still sporty car? Or are you looking for more cutting edge performance?

treymoczy

I have not seen any other posts about this on CL (maybe I've missed them) but I can corroborate this issue and express my similar annoyance. I had a previous 2014 IS350 that had this issue; I had it fixed only to be involved in a major accident literally a few days later. Long story short, I bought another 2014 IS 350 after the accident, and this new one I got not only has this same issue, but it's even worse than on the previous one I owned.

I will say for the few days following the repair I had on the older model, it was night and day. They replaced the weatherseal on the door and it completely fixed the issue. However, based on your post and my experience, seems like these weather seals may only last so long before needing to get replaced. I imagine it has something to do with heat as I live in Texas and it gets damn hot down here