Madasian87

hey guys. im an owner of a first gen GS300 and i was thinking about trading in my car or selling it in the near future and purchasing a first gen IS300. I did a search on the forums but couldnt find any information regarding the first gen IS and the automatic tranny vs the manual tranny. I was wondering if either one had more power and was also wondering if acceleration times were different for each. Does every year for the first gen IS300 have shift-tronics? If you guys have any suggestions i would greatly appreciate them.
thanks!

gs400998

Information at lexus.com:
The engine, using continuously variable valve timing, delivers keen acceleration. Of course, the sedan with the five-speed manual is quickest. According to Lexus, 0 to 60 mph acceleration times are 6.8 for the sedan 5MT, 7.3 for the sedan AT, and 7.4 seconds for the SportCross AT, and quarter-mile times are 15.1, 15.5, and 15.6 respectively.

Link here: http://www.lexus.com/models/is/eshift_road_test.html

Madasian87

thanks for the information. i really appreciate it! the link is for the 2005 model. does the 2001 model come with eshift as well?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the manual is quite a bit faster than the auto. i have the manual and i can totally tell. if you mod your car, the auto will be able to handle more power if you do forced induction. if you can stand driving manual, there is no reason not to get it imho

oh and nop, 01 are all auto. it's not until 02 that they have manual

Madasian87

thanks for the feedback.
do you think ill still be happy with the performace of the 2001 is300 with eshift?
or should i go with a manual? my driving preference would probably be auto for convenience, but if theres a big gap in performance then i would probably want the stick. basically i was just wondering if an auto with eshift would be pleasing enough. can an auto still perform well with aftermarket parts?
sorry for the noob questions!

thanks again

rominl

iTrader: (4)

no problem, just ask anything you want, we are more than happy to help.

if you don't like manual in traffic, get the eshift. it's slower, but faster than your gs3, and it's stil a decent car. i have no problem with traffic, having a manual has always been our dream, so the decision was easy

Madasian87

thanks for being so helpful.
i realized that the hp and torque numbers for my gs300 and the is300 are almost the same. im guessing the vvti and the weight make the is3 faster.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

yeah i think weight is an issue, and also i THINK the is300 has a more aggressive rear end?

plus the is300 is smaller and the handling is a lot better.

Madasian87

i always loved the way the IS3 looked. the colors that they come in are also pretty fitting. cant say it will be easy to leave my beloved 2jz-ge but at 130k miles... it might be a little easier

EDIT
wait a second! is the engine for the is300 a 2jz-ge? i saw this in another post. i didnt think that the 2jz-ge engines had vvti. hmmm.

amy011079

well a friend of mine has a vid of two IS's going head to head at a track, one was modded and manual and one had the same kind of mods and was auto. it was a great example of what the difference is. it's really not much of a diff. i don't think you will be dissapointed with any IS IMO. Good luck! have fun!

curiousg

Stability control is not available with the manual. That is one of the reasons I am considering the auto over the manual.

Madasian87

when you say stability control do you mean VSC? i also heard that there is a winter driving button and such. the only buttons i have in my gs are power, overdrive, and trac. is the is300 a 2jz-ge? i thought it was a 3 liter v-6 rather than an inline 6

rominl

iTrader: (4)

yes, it's the 2jx-ge. it has vvti. same as that one on the gs300. i think the old yrs of super they have the engine without vvti right?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well, you forgot a big difference -- the drivers and mods help too to certain degree. imho, driving a manual good is not easy

Madasian87

2jx-ge? i thought the is300's were v-6 and gs300's were inline 6's..... im sorry im repeating myself so much im just kinda confused. when you say 2jx-ge do you mean 2jz-ge? my car is a 96 gs300 and its the same engine as a supras and im pretty sure it doesnt have vvti. also... by stability control do you mean vsc?