evident

If so, what are your opinions? seems like in the northeast, AWD is pretty much the only thing you can get so i'm interested in people's opinions on the awd versions. RWD is nonexistent and forget about RWD and DRS option on the GS. how much faster is the IS compared to the GS? handling, etc? what about interior appointments?

I am tempted to get a GS because the '13's can be had for mid 30's, but in my area, dealers are selling 14 IS's for 41K still.

The biggest equalizer in my opinion is the convenience of the fold down seat in the IS vs the bigger cabin space of the GS in general, but i'm really torn at this point. any personal experience would be greatly appreciated!!

BOBFSPORT

I drive them back to back every other day or so. Ill answer your questions as precisely as possible. The GS feels just as fast (basically in the real world you won't be able to tell the difference) Handling the IS feels sportier because its smaller and the seat height is much lower but the GS handles like a beast in its own right and is much lighter for its size compared to the IS. In some ways id say the IS feels larger than it is and the GS feels smaller than it is.The GS interior is a step above in the luxury department mostly due to the wrapped leather dash and huge nav screen. The IS interior is more sporting and driver focused. A funny quirk that you hit on is that the IS can usually fit bigger objects (think flat screen tv) because of its fold down rears. Also if you really want a RWD you can find one in the northeast.

AdvanSLF

i think getting first impressions from other members are good, but really you need to go drive the two cars yourself to really get a feel of the situation. there description will come close to the comfort, setting, etc., of what you feel when you're driving both cars. this is my impressions and over all description of the entire car. i've driven the IS 350 RWD, AWD, and GS350 AWD. In the end, i prefer the 350 RWD and purchased that.
for the most part i agree with BOBFSPORT with a few exceptions. personally i've always loved sports sedans and coupes. the IS gives me this raw feeling of being in one from the steering wheel, TFT gauge, and driver centric console. in terms of handling both feel quite tight and responsive and has a go when you step on the gas. for whatever reason though when you need to accelerate quick, the GS has this weird burst of speed even though its larger than the IS, and they both use the same engine.. hmm, not quite sure why that is but this was just a feeling i got. i still think though the IS ekes out a bit more in the handling department, its more tight and precise and i felt more connected between seat, to steering wheel, to tires, to road. its quite comfortable, but may be not for everyone due to their physique. i'm 220lbs. with a athletic build (think crossfit) but i think anyone above 230-240lbs would have quite a hard time sitting in the seats for long periods of time. smaller bodies like my petite wife whose 5'4" has said the seats are very low and deep, and has a difficulty getting comfortable since the side bolsters are quite large. everything in the IS cabin is within reach, i can still sit in the driver set and extend my arms as far out as possible to push the glove box and get something. the GS cabin is quite luxurious however it feels quite large, good though if this is your thing. side bolsters are more mild and automated/adjusting on the driver side, but is static on the passenger side. the cabin is very large, larger than most cars i've sat in, though some would disagree--remind you this is my impression based on the fact that the gauge is wide, the nav screen is wide (prob twice as wide as the IS), the armrest is wide, it just feels wide overall. the IS is feel right to me but not suffocating. i do appreciate the rear legroom and expansiveness of the GS, the IS isn't bad, but getting in and out of the rear doors kinda sucks. however, you can fit four 6'0 adults pretty comfortably still.

silvaIS

iTrader: (2)

the navigation technology package is better in the IS. You can speak entire address at once with the IS. The GS feels like it takes 2 min to do the entire address using voice commands.