Hello all, I’m in the market for a 3is. Previously had a GS350. I live in Canada, and was initially interested in a AWD is350. However, there seems to be some “shudders / vibrations” that are associated to the AWD models, specifically with the 3 & 4 GS350. Having said that, is the RWD model recommended for long term reliability? Looks like there are plenty of examples of the RWD guys surpassing 200k plus with no issues. Again, I’d prefer the AWD model, but, will sacrifice that for long term reliability. If any one is able to chime in, that would be great!

 

I have the AWD 2014 3is FSport with zero shudder. I would imagine said shutter would come from the wheels not being balanced correctly or folks playing with tire sizes (which I have done). From a reliability perspective Repairpal.com, CR, Edmunds, TrueDelta, etc., site no evidence that the RWD is more or less reliable than the AWD. 200K miles seems an easy reach for most of our cars if you take good care of them.

I suspect that maintenance on an AWD, plus fuel costs, will be slightly higher per year ($200-400) based on how much you drive and where you drive.

Hope this helps.

 

The 6 speed in the AWD models is old, they used it in a lot of vehicles. Never heard of a failure. I’ve got a 2015 350 AWD FSport, no problems. Fuel economy on paper is almost even, RWD gets like 1 mpg better.
maintenance wise, you’ll have front diff fluid change to do every 50k or so but other then that it’s the same schedule.

I live outside of Ottawa, we get apocalypse like blizzards with multiple feet of snow and ice so bad the town will actually shut down on those days so for me AWD is a must. If you’re out in Toronto or BC you could probably manage with RWD, good tires and common sense.
When I bought my car I noticed RWD models were about 2K cheaper then AWD.

Also, I believe limited slip differentials we’re not offered on RWD until 2019 or so, so really the early model RWD’s are 1 wheel drive.

 

Same deal with the BMW E46 community. The RWDs can bang for 300,000 miles plus, easily. While the AWDs are riddled with vibrations later in life because of.. well.. more parts. Those joints wear out, leak grease, dry out and the play can cause vibration. par for the course in AWD cars. Periodic checks are recommended for leaking grease and serviceable joints kept serviced.

 

awdlyf - I had two IS350 F sport (2015 and 2017) and both were AWD and never had the shudder you are referring and was quite enjoyable. As you know, the AWD has that hump on the driver side so make sure you are OK with that, I am a slim and that hump has no impact on me, my leg doesn't feel it. You must be looking at a used model as the RWD is not available in Canada in the 350 version.

Personally, I had a choice to order a RWD back in 2015 but that was removed by 2017 but the reason I went with the AWD was that I lease my vehicles and the dealer told me that it would be harder to get out of my lease early with a RWD so I comprised and chose the AWD but it wasn't a bad choice. Is it a must, I would say no, especially if you have another vehicle because let's not kid ourselves, the only time the AWD is really needed is during the storm itself because shortly after, roads are cleared and salted.

Keep us posted but don't shy from the AWD based on reliability issues, the car is bullet proof

 

Some AWD vibrate/shudder when lowered. Not an issue with stock suspension.

 

Never heard of the AWD 350 having issues, none on my AWD 300 which is the same engine and transmission and since the RWD 350 uses the same engine the only diff is the transmission which I have not heard of any issues with either...neither will fail you but in Canada I recommend AWD.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. It’s good to hear the Is has nill to none transmission issues. Unfortunately, as stated before, the 3 & 4th gen gs350 AWD guys seem to have this “shuddering” issue at the 100k mile mark. Question to the “long term” owner guys. Do you recommend changing transmission oil or leave it alone.. Also, we’re there any updates in reference to durability with the 3is AWD trans versus the 2is AWD trans.

 

The 3IS(350/300) AWD transmission shares the same transmission as the 2IS(350) AWD.

 

If you have a link to the shuddering issue on the GS, please post it. Given that the indication of the shudder would seem to relate to mileage, this could suggest it may just be some mount of bushing that is wearing over time...that probably needs replacement.
Without more info on the shudder, it's hard to say what might be causing it on the GS. So far the IS trannies have been fine, so hard to say what could be up with the GS.
I know some GS owners have mentioned a shudder when turning at speed, like on a long sweeping turn...which they chalked up to a characteristic of the AWD system, as it doesn't happen on the RWD.
With AWD vehicles when making certain turning maneuvers some driveline binding can occur, which is normal, and this can translate into a shudder for the driver. Again, without details on the GS shudder it's just a guessing game as to what it is.

In regards to the fluid, definitely change it...I don't think anyone is believing the "lifetime fluid" hype.

 

For any automotive-related fluid, there's going to be a fluid exchange needed eventually. While I didn't keep my IS long enough to need to do this, I think I would have probably done it at 50,000-60,000 miles or so. Something that would be cheap enough to knock out while you're, say, doing a brake fluid flush. Might as well make it worth it to put the car on a lift.

edit: Let me give another example. On my GTI, there's no official service interval listed by Volkswagen on the differential fluid. However, in Europe, there is one - every 3 years regardless of mileage. So, it's similar to the whole "Lifetime fluid" situation, where perhaps VW believes someone who owns or leases the car new will not need to deal with differential fluid. However, I think we all know limited-slip differentials have a lot of work to do, should drivers engage them... It makes no sense to think the oil isn't going to eventually get heat-cycled enough to lose some of its viscosity.

 

Interesting.

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...n-shutter.html

 

Thanks again for everyone’s reply . Looks like most of you, RWD & AWD guys are not having any issues which is nice to hear. I see from time to time some high mileage is250 AWD which is reassuring. To the RWD guys in the northern states and Canada.. how does the car handle with winter tires?

 

For those of you that have driven both, is there any difference in steering feel between AWD and RWD? It seems like AWD would have a little more steering resistance and a heavier feel.