STi2350grl

Hello all. I've been lurking on the Club Lexus forums all year while researching and comparison shopping. You guys are an entertaining and knowledgeable bunch and have helped me learn more about the IS than I ever could have by simply reading or watching reviews. My local Lexus dealer had to pull some strings with another dealer in order to get the car I want...a white on red 350 F-sport with F-sport exhaust. It shipped from Japan today and should arrive at my local dealership around the first of the year. I'm supposed to put a deposit down on it tonight. As excited as I am about having a shiny new car parked in the garage in a month's time, I'm also feeling a little apprehensive about buying my first-ever car without a manual transmission. Yeah, I'm one of those - firmly believe that driving a manual well is a skill and a dying art and you just don't have the same connection to a car with an automatic transmission. I've owned three cars, all with manuals. I currently own a 2007 STi and love it. But I've had it for 8 years and my husband and I have both reached a point that we want a vehicle that will offer us a few more creature comforts while offering our passengers a more pleasant ride. I cross-shopped the BMs and Audis with the IS purely because I had the option of a manual with those makes. I determined that 1) there really is no such thing as the perfect car, and 2) you take my hang-up with the transmission out of the equation, and the IS is the best car for the money hands down. It is also the most attractive in my opinion, and for me that's a big part of loving a car...loving it's looks.

I'm not looking to debate the merits of BM vs Audi vs Lexus or manual vs automatic - trust me, I've heard it all and read it all. I guess I'm just looking to hear from those of you out there who made the transition from a manual to an automatic. Did you struggle with the decision? Do you regret it?

I've taken the IS on two fairly spirited test drives. During both drives I was in manual mode and shifted the car with either the console shifter or paddle shifters (which were more fun and less hokey than I thought they'd be). I foresee myself primarily driving the car in manual mode so I can still have some sense of connection and control. Are there those of you out there who primarily drive in manual mode and do you have any comments about that?

I hope to hear from some of you and look forward to being a more active member of the Lexus family.

JDR76

Welcome, and congratulations on your decision and upcoming purchase!

I too am a diehard manual fan. I wanted an IS for years, but always put it off because I wasn't willing to give up my manual transmission. After a year in my IS, I do admit I miss a manual and don't find the manual mode of our automatic transmission to be a real substitute. I typically just leave it in automatic mode, though occasionally make adjustments with the paddles.

However, with all that said, there is enough about the car that I love that I have not regretted it. So yes, I miss a manual, but no, I don't regret my decision. The car is a hoot, and a great looker!

HanaleiISF

I grew up with all manual cars and started on a 1987 Toyota MR2 in high school....dam still miss that car. Anyway I don't miss shifting that much in the IS 350 and manual mode isn't a viable replacement. That said I would not be sad at all if it magically turned into a stick overnight in my garage.

Spagolli94

If I'm just commuting, I rarely use manual mode. However, if I'm having fun on some back roads, I'll put in in manual to spice things up a bit. Still not as fun as a real stick shift though.

This is my first automatic and given my current location (I live in the city and spend most my time rolling in traffic), the AT just makes more sense. But, I will say that I miss driving MT so much that I just picked up an S2000 as a weekend car.

jarabanos

I made myself drive in manual mode with paddle shifting for a week straight just so I could be able to make an informed decision on which mode I prefer and to get the full effect of the manual mode to where it seemed like second nature when I shifted gears with the paddles.

Honestly it was a lot of fun. I feel like the acceleration on our cars (and I have a 350) is missing that oomph in the low rps when in auto mode and can be addressed by using manual mode instead. I downshift and even get the rpm blips just so it feels like im really driving a stick. I like having control over my engine and feel that manual mode gives me that.

From a convenience perspective, In LA it's nice to have the ability to switch between auto and "manual" depending on what kind of driving condition you're in. Paddle shift manual mode is a more user friendly option when you're sitting in stop and go traffic as opposed to constantly battling between clutch and gas pedal balancing at every stop and go movement you make in rush hour traffic.

Plus sometimes I just really don't feel like having to worry about switching gears. Nice to be able to switch back and forth based on what I'm in the mood for.

I would say I do 70% of my driving in manual mode and the other 30% in auto mode. I've definitely taken more of a liking to shifting the gears myself. There's my 2 cents!

AndreaL

I always had manual cars, and I'll admit first and foremost that I miss it. I was struggling with the same choice you're making when I went to buy my IS. But the pros of having the IS definitely outweighed the con of no MT. In a perfect world, the IS would come in manual, but in reality I still love my car even though it's an automatic. I never use the manual mode. I don't see the point. It's a weird foolproof system that will override the manual mode if the car believes you're in the wrong gear. It's just not the same so I don't like to pretend that it is.

dizlex

No, it stays in the gear you want. At least the 8-speed does. Unless you redline it or come to a stop.

jarabanos

In regard to the override of manual mode, that is not entirely true. See the fifth post down: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...f-sport-3.html

I tested this out was was able to bounce off the rev limiter once traction control was fully disengaged. I believe this is only be for 8 speed auto models though which means if you have a 250 (F-Sport or non) this won't work. I could be wrong about that one, but from what I've seen, people in 350 models were able to get this working while people driving 250s could not successfully do this.

Loe

8spd auto here, hold down the traction control until a yellow symbol appears on the speedo cluster (I think its either a car skidding or a TRAC light, I forget) and bounce off that rev limiter all day...

if you just hit the traction control once and place it in manual mode, itll upshift at redline in all gears but 1st where itll upshift at around 6200rpm like it normally would in full auto w/ TCS on.

Bass Mech

for the most part your going to be disappointed with the manual mode, if you wait to shift as it approaches redline it will shift itself and then your shift will cause it to jump 2 gears.
so when i want to get the most out of the engine i leave it in manual mode and let it shift itself. it will rev a little higher and a more solid shift than using the paddles.
I've tried to turn trac control off and i get the same results, it always shifts and i have the 8 speed F sport as well.
but as long as you short shift which defeats the purpose anyway it works fine.
you also can't use 8th gear while in sport mode unless you shift it there manually.
the car also won't stay in sport mode the next time you drive, you always have to put it in that mode every time you drive. once you get to the highway you have to put it in normal mode if you want to use all 8 gears.
I'm getting rid of mine as soon as my lease it up. I'm frustrated with it.

tC2IS350

My husband loved having a manual for his fun/nice weather car, and then he got a manual also as his DD. And he really wishes he hadn't. He enjoyed having the option of driving a stick, but needing to do it on a daily basis (in traffic, in snow, etc) is not as great. We are trading in our third car for something else partially so he can get a break from shifting.

Loe

Seems inconsistent with one 8sp IS to another in regards to banging onto the rev limiter or not, I wonder what the cause is?