Hello Lexus family, i have somewhat of a dilemma going on. I apologize in advance if this question or a similar one has been asked before.
This is actually my first post, even though I’ve been a member since 6 years ago.

I bought a 2016 IS300 F Sport about four months ago. I really like the car but I don’t love it like I thought I would. I feel like the awd is a little boring for my taste. I had an Ecoboost Mustang and prior to that an E46 M3. This is not my first lexus, i had a 01 and 05 IS300. So i do like the brand... anyways my question is mainly for those of you who have driven both RWD and AWD, am I missing a lot because of my AWD? I’ve been considering trading mine for a 2016 RWD. have any of you done this just to get the 8speed/rwd? Should I just tuned it instead? Please share your thoughts. Thanks in advance

 

When I was looking at getting my Lexus, all I knew was that I had to have an F-Sport, and at least a 300. I drove probably 20 different ones, just to get a feel for what kind of experience I truly wanted. That being said, about a third of the way into the search, I realized that I had to have a RWD (which required a hell of a lot more driving, since AWD is much more common here). While there was nothing WRONG with the AWD system, there were a couple of things I was iffy about.

For starters, I came from a Subaru, so I knew most of the tropes (tire tolerances in particular). Okay, I know what I'm getting myself into, no biggie. But I started to realize the differences in the transmission... I've always liked fewer gears; less things top undoubtedly screw up at some point, more power per shift, etc. That being said, the shift times were noticeably slower, and it felt like I was consistently either bogging down or in the redline with no power in between. Could it have been a bad batch that I drove? Sure, but after four or so of the same issue, I figured I'd just avoid taking unnecessary risks there.

All that being said, the 8-speed is not without its issues. You can search around for problems with it, but it's not a whole hell of a lot faster than the 6-speed. However, I will say that the way the car puts the power to the rubber is noticeably different, and I wouldn't trade mine for an AWD any day, despite semi-regular snowfalls.

 

I appreciate the detailed and informative reply. I completely understand everything you’ve stated.
I definitely should’ve done a lot more research and obviously should’ve driven both before i made my purchase. For some stupid reason I kept thinking AWD is definitely better than RWD with no LSD... now I realize after reading many articles that the 2018+ come standard with an LSD. The only problem is that the 2018 it’s out of my price range for now. I guess I’ll keep this one for a little while until i come across a good deal. Not a wise move financially but I’m sure I’ll keep the next one for a long time. Which was my initial plan with the IS300.

The car handles great, the 6 speed is ok but it’s definitely missing performance for my taste. Thanks again

 

Just remember if you are sticking with the IS300 and considering trading an AWD for RWD, you are also trading the V6 for the turbo 4. If you want a RWD V6, you need to bump up to the 350.

 

Yes, off course. I’m sticking with the 3.5 so I’ll be getting a 350. It could be maybe a year out but I’m definitely considering that rwd 350 F.

I want to test drive one pretty soon...

 

In the case of any car which is fundamentally a RWD chassis with AWD simply tacked on, RWD is almost always going to feel more "balanced" and natural.