Hi all,

Now that the 3rd generation IS has been out for a while, I was hoping to get a sense of the likes and dislikes of the car. My mom has a 2012 Camry and I love the performance of the 6-speed transmission, which I believe is the same used in the IS. I know the engines are different, but is the shifting quality good? Do these have a lot of rattles and squeaks? Is the 250 model underpowered? Also, is the satellite radio a Sirius or XM unit? I know it's the same company, but the Sirius units seem to have awful sound quality whereas the XM units do not.

Thanks!

Mike

 

The AWD is 6 speed. The RWD is 8 speed. Shifting is ok. No rattles for me so far. The 250 is by no means fast. I didn't notice any mpg improvements when driving a loner vehicle so I'd go for a 350. I suggest you drive both an decide. The standard audio is pretty decent but not the best.

 

Shifting is pretty fast for both transmissions, but the 8 speed is quicker probably by a few milliseconds. Yes, the engine in the 250 is under-powered, which is why Lexus is replacing that engine with a turbocharged one. I have had no rattles or squeaks so far. Don't know much about the radio, sorry.

 

I have some squeaks coming from the center console area on my new 2015 is350 f sport. Don't get the 250 unless you don't care about performance/power at all. The 8 speed transmission is only available on the is350 RWD. is250 rwd comes with the 6 speed. The shifting is pretty quick in sport+ mode with manual mode on on my car. I've drove many smg transmission and I would say the shifting is better than the smg but not as good as dct. I'm coming from a 400hp evo x and so far loving the car.

 

I think only the IS350s come with a 8-speed. Had a loaner car with the 6-speed and didn't notice anything wrong with it. If you're just looking for a comfortable daily driver then it has enough power on local streets imo. It has a XM radio unit.

Also, my IS350 Fsport rattles like hell. Apparently it's a problem with the 2014s since the Lexus representative said "Oh, you have the 2014 rattles too..."

 

A few points:

The Camry and IS do not share the same transmission. The gear ratios are different and are made by separate manufacturers. The Camry transmission is usually engineered in-house by Toyota whereas the IS transmission is made by Aisin. I don't know the specifics of the Camry, but I would assume that the gear ratios are spaced closer on the IS to allow for more aggressive shifting and acceleration.

I have a 2015 model and it's completely squeak and rattle free after more than 3000 km and outdoor temperature ranges from 20C to -30C. The only issue I have is an occasional clunk when accelerating hard from a stop turning left. This is documented in a thread by others as well.

I would say the 250 is more refined in the City and less jerky for stop and go driving. I purchased the 350 because I do more highway driving and the power for passing is great. There is also negligible difference in the fuel economy between the two models. In fact, I would say the 250 has terrible mileage for its low output. If you are looking for a smaller engine, you could wait for the 2.0 L turbo from the NX to appear in the IS, although no official statement on when that is.

Following the Sirius XM merger, there is no difference in the units so our unit is a "Sirius XM" unit. Satellite radio is unbearably poor quality with the best sound systems. The IS with the Mark Levinson package does not offer much improve to satellite radio.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your purchase.