I need a car now. None of the dealers in my area stock the 350F sport in RWD. All of the favorable reviews of the the 350 F sport have been the RWD model .What are the disadvantages of AWD

 

I test drove both and went with the AWD. The only thing negative is that some aftermarket parts won't fit on the AWD because of the Diff. The MPG is pretty much the same. The AWD also sits a little higher and has a 6 speed trans instead of the eight.

Still not really differences to me.

 

Everything Lextacy03 stated, there really isn't huge disadvantage unless your getting rear steer.

 

I think MPG should be worser for AWD. Around 10-15%?

 

The AWD and the RWD models actually sit at the same height.

 

Here's what I would list:

1) Extra weight - about 145 pounds
2) 1 to 2 fewer miles per gallon, depending on driving conditions
3) "Hump" in the driver's footwell
4) Extra drivetrain loss from powering 2 more wheels
5) 6 speed rather than the 8 speed automatic
6) Up front cost - MSRP is more
7) Stock comes with all season tires rather than summer tires

With that said, it should be pointed out that the performance differences between the RWD and AWD models is remarkably slim. I have the AWD and would do it again in a heartbeat. 0-60 times tend to be .1 to .2 second slower than the RWD, but it depends on a lot of conditions. Reading the mileage thread makes me believe there is not much of a real world difference in fuel economy between the two.

Club Lexus member carderoni has owned both, and his thread will give you lots of information about the differences.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...sport-rwd.html

 

This is a pretty comprehensive list of what could be called cons to going with AWD. The mileage is indeed lower by about 2MPG but. The hump in the driver's foot well never bothered me, but I know it bothers some people. If you don't notice it in the test drive odds are it'll never be an issue.

The biggest con, to me, is the 6 speed transmission. It's a very good transmission on its own, but the 8 speed does shift faster and provide better fuel economy in city driving. The competing models from BMW, Audi, etc all use 7 or 8 speed transmissions, too, so it just feels a little dated. If they could marry the 8 speed to the AWD model that would be ideal, but from what I understand there is no room for it due to the AWD system's transfer case.

Edit:
All that said, if you want some pros to going with AWD it would certainly be the traction and, arguably, the tires. The car, despite its all season tires, still has good grip when driving aggressively on dry pavement. The car is so stable on its own that the traction control system is nowhere near as aggressive as it is in the RWD model, though you can completely disable it in either car. Now that I own a RWD model, when winter comes I will need to get a set of all season or winter tires, and these will probably go on a new set of wheels which will also require a new set of tire pressure monitors. All totaled that'll come out to at least a couple grand.

 

Staggered set up for wheels isn't all that recommended for AWD..

 

A very good point, which is true of basically all AWD cars. When it comes time to replace any given tire you need to replace ALL of them to avoid potentially damaging the system. And AWD cars, in my experience, tend to eat through tires more quickly.

 

If there's any chance you'll ever need the AWD go for it. With this past winter we had in the Northeast, I couldn't imagine not having the AWD. As others have mentioned, the MPGs are a little lower than I expected, but I still manage 26-27 on the highway depending on speed.

 

OP since you live in New York I would pick a AWD over a RWD easily. You will be very happy in the winter.

 

I live in Quebec where we get worse winters than NY and I opted for RWD. After driving my wife's 335 for 1 year (and reading carderoni's thread) I couldn't settle down for a slower 6-speed transmission.

It all boils down to your tires : tires>drivetrain.

If you don't want to buy winter tires then don't bother with RWD. In Quebec they're mandatory by law so in all cases I would be buying a set of the best thing I can find.

Btw you also get VGRS with the RWD.

 

One thing I did not see mentioned is that you cannot get "variable gear ratio steering" with AWD. It is only available with RWD.

Slap on some good Blizzak winter tires and the car will handle as well as AWD with all season tires in snow.

 

1. midpipe - nobody makes a bolt on midpipe or catback for the 2IS/3IS AWD yet
2. coilovers - limited options, all low end (for 2IS...I'd assume the same for 3IS)
3. dat wheel gap doe - stock sits higher (and hence, uglier) than rwd
4. if you live down south, awd is just less fun vs. rwd
5. 8spd vs 6spd tranny, the 8spd on the rwd (originally from the 2ISF) is a great tranny
6. heavier weight
7. higher gas consumption
8. lower whp
9. staggered setup not recommended - does not apply to 3IS as the AWD F-Sport comes stock with staggered setup

pros
1. if you live up north, awd = good
2. more stable launch
3. more even tire wear
4. can rotate wheels to maximize tread life - does not apply to 3IS as the AWD F-Sport comes stock with staggered setup
5. more stability in winter (??) - this can be debated as a RWD with LSD + good winter tires will out do any AWD with all seasons. Not to mention Toyota's AWD system is pretty inferior vs. competitions.

 

Inferior to maybe subaru audi but I think the toyota AWD is pretty decent IMO. I was driving in mounds of snowstorms with no problem this past winter getting to work when no one else could. The only thing that gets annoying is traction control which corrects alot harder than I thought. I lose traction, it quickly snaps it back into line almost jerking the car

Regardless of modifications to the car, the AWD 3IS has significantly better grip and handling than the RWD. The 8spd vs the 6spd is both a pro and con since alot of people complain that it shifts to quickly. The 6speed has been around for sometime and I actually like it. If your living in NY, the AWD is a no brainier after this past winter and the interior amenities are almost identical so that shouldn't be an issue. Just choose a path you want to go, More performance oriented or More Year Round reliability? Performance, I say keep looking for a RWD but year round reliability i would say AWD