I was just looking over whether or not to purchase the is250awd or the automatic. I'm thinking about the automatic just because it's cheaper but then I also like the added safety from the awd. I've been in an accident before because I lost traction going down a slight slope while it was raining--so I'm pretty paranoid about that kind of thing now. Do you guys think the awd would be worth the extra 3k if hard rain is the worst weather I'll encounter living in California? How much difference would the awd make in slippery conditions? Is the traction control enough to pretty much keep me out of accidents that involve losing traction? (btw, I dont know much about traction control etc). Thanks!

 

Think of it another way: the way you drive is the biggest factor in safety.

If you drive the 350 safely, you should have no trouble. Get good tires and drive safely in the rain.

If you drive poorly in the rain, the AWD will help, but it isn't the first source of safety. All other safety nannies are found on both models.

Go with the 350 and drive safely in the rain. This is California!!! We don't need AWD!!!

 

dont need AWD in CA it doesnt snow heavily there, just get RWD you have VDIM traction control to help and go easy on the gas in inclement weather and keep your tires well maintained thats all there is to it

 

If you lost traction down a hill in rainy weather, then neither AWD or RWD would help you. What matters is your tires, as they are the only thing making contact between your car and the asphalt. Traction control (which senses wheel slip and slows your car down accordingly), proper tires, and your attention to the road should all be sufficient enough in avoiding accidents- AWD just sends torque to the front wheels in the event that you break traction while accelerating (which you shouldn't be doing hard in the rain). It can help in rainy situations, but if you're accelerating hard enough to break traction in rain, its your own foot you must watch. AWD will also be heavier do to driveline components, and for other reasons also get worse fuel mileage. Traction control can also work against you when you need to accelerate quickly, but in everyday defensive driving, you should be fine with either.

 

IS 250 RWD with good tires brakes and traction control should be no problem in the rain. Just drive safely and you wont have to worry. AWD is good but if your skidin out your skidin out you know.

 

Haha..someone who has never been to Lake Tahoe. LOL. They measure snow there by the yard. Chains are routinely required over the passes. If you ever plan to go to Tahoe or in the Sierras get AWD.

Apart from that, CA's can't drive in the rain. The first rain of the season brings out all the accidents and people driving 10mph because they're afraid. It's hilarious, coming from the east or south where people can handle a little water.

You don't need AWD for rain.

To the other poster, VDIM doesn't come on the IS250 RWD.

 

The IS 250's AWD system defaults to a 30/70 front/rear torque split, though it will shift to 50/50 depending on wheel slip so for whatever reason your wheels are slipping the AWD will grip the road better than a straight RWD car.

 

i was going to say the same.

 

Take a look at the Road and Track AWD sports sedan comparo article from last month (where the IS scored 4th but drew a lot of high-praise but lost mostly due to lack of oomph by the way). As a side note in their comparo, they also compared a RWD G35 vs. the AWD G35x. While they expected the RWD to handle better, they were surprised to see that the AWD G35 outperformed its RWD brother in every category in terms of handling. Now, the G35 is obviously not the same as an IS but they are both RWD biased until there is slip detected so I think the results may be applicable.

Also, in various forums, I have seen a many posts citing a serious loss of control or an accident that they experienced as the reason to switch to an AWD version of the same model. Many involved wet conditions, tight, fast highway ramps etc where the owner felt that would not be a problem in an AWD car. Anecdotes are anecdotes and they are not rules. However, I have never heard someone say that they had a serious accident due to poor handling in an AWD car as a reason to switch to the RWD version of the same car. Before anyone starts to ask if I would take an IS 250 AWD over a Ferrari for handling, I want to clarify that I am talking about AWD vs RWD in sport sedans. I would personally get it in a sports sedan.

My 2 cents worth.