PlPete

Hey everyone! Glad to have found this forum and looking forward to becoming a part of the community. I'm looking to get myself into a Lexus IS350 most likely in the near future and was hoping to get some advice from some seasoned members here.

Here is some background...I'll be coming from a 2006 Audi A4 Quattro 6-speed. I really have enjoyed the car a lot, especially with the tune on it. I have been working on cars before I could drive them and have maintained the car myself for the most part but since a new clutch will cost me around $2k or so as well as few other items I'm looking to get myself into something newer and modern as I simply don't have the time and space to do the work any more. I really like the IS350 3rd gen model and will be looking at something used in good condition. For my spirited driving I feel the 300hp will be plenty coming from the Audi which was probably around 240hp with the tune and some more torque. I looked at the 200t model but doesn't seem like much of an upgrade in terms of power and seems to suffer from some bad turbo lag. As much as I do like the torque shove I sometimes miss the immediacy of NA motors.

Sticking with an IS350 it looks like they are available as RWD and AWD with the main difference between the two being the transmission. If I have it right, the AWD gets a 6-speed auto and the RWD gets the newer and faster shifting 8-speed auto. Believe it or not, this will be my first car with an auto transmission as all previous have been manuals! In terms of performance and overall driving dynamics and experience what's the real difference? It sounds like the 8-speed option has the rev matching a faster shifting (not dual clutch levels but quick). This is appealing to me and I've been curious about trying a RWD set up. Having said that, I really did enjoy having AWD and how well you can put down power at any time and in any weather. Will I regret having the 6-speed though? The last thing I want is a boring slow slush box of a transmission.

What's everyone's take here? I'd imagine I won't know till I drive both myself but curious to hear some feedback. I'm mostly set on the IS350 but still sort of considering an Audi S4, albeit slightly older given my budget ($25k max all in). I'd have a supercharged V6 with AWD and a great transmission. You can't beat the Lexus reliability and low maintenance costs though which is pretty important to me. Anywho...looking for any feedback on this and anything else I should consider as I make the decision.

Thanks for reading my novel

E46CT

i dont think the 6 speed in the AWD is meant for supercharged abuse.

the 8 speed is newer and is derived from the LS, IS-F. its built from the ground up for more torque/power so naturally it will be the more durable transmission. RWD always unless we're talking Audi Quattro.

BlazeL

My big thought when I was buying was strictly weather related. AWD provides more assurance in icy/snowy conditions. But if you're not worried about that then more power to you.

arentz07

Well RR Racing has been tuning the AWD model for a while. Not sure on longevity, but it is at least seems to work for them, even with the supercharger installed.

PlPete

To clarify, I'm not looking to put any superchargers on the IS350. I was referring to the Audio S4 option which comes with a V6 that is supercharged from factory. About 333HP stock.

E46CT

Oh ok. Then yeah if you want to keep it stock, and you need AWD. I think you have your answer. But honestly. i'd go for the Audi

The IS is too heavy and too cramped in the interior. I like it overall but barely. It doesn't have any overwhelming reasons to go for it. it's just middle of the road now due to its age.

wthrman2

PIPete - Welcome to the forum and reaching out to use for some advice. I am sure you are fully aware of the fact that the IS is now a few years into its model life so I am not going to try and tell you the reasons why you shouldn't or should get the IS, obviously you are here for some advice on RWD or AWD.

This is my 2nd IS350 - I had a 2015 model and now a 2017. Both were the F sport and AWD. When I ordered the 2015, I was on the fence about the RWD or AWD but when I was thinking resale and such, I felt AWD was better.

AWD
Positive: Better resale; better traction in snow and even rain, transmission while only a 6 speed is bullet proof too
Negative: A bit heavier, the hump over the driver side floor (not an issue for me), maybe a smidge less efficient on fuel due to the heavier weight/All wheel set up

The RWD will be a bit more fun to drive because of the full RWD plateform but can't really speak much as I never drove it.

After owning 2 AWDs, I don't regret it and yes, the car feels a bit heavy but you are not buying this car as a muscle car because you would buy a corvette, Camaro or Mustang is performance was all you were looking for. Overall, it is a great car and still look amazing despite the years and will provide years of reliability!

BEst of luck and keep us posted

arentz07

There's a well-known guy on these forums who went from an IS to an A4, and then switched back to the IS in just a few months. Took a big loss on it, too. But I think if you want more of a driver's car you'd prefer the IS. The A4 is probably a better do-everything car. That's the way I see it anyway, having driven a previous gen A4 and 3-series while shopping for my IS.

PlPete

wthrman2 - thanks for the input and those are great considerations. Having really enjoyed the AWD system on the Audi (and I feel it's the only way to buy an Audi) I'm curious to try the dynamics of RWD. Also, living in the mid-Atlantic area we do get some snow but it's nothing like further up north. From my reading, having solid winter tires and modern traction control makes getting around in snow very doable and again it happens for maybe a week or two out of a year. My A4 now has a dedicated set of winter wheels/tires and is a beast in the snow.

arentz07 - that's quite interesting! I wonder what won him over and back to an IS. At the end of the day what has drawn me to the IS is a fun to drive platform with what seems like enough power (I don't do track days or any silly drag racing) and mainly easy maintenance and long term dependability and comfort. There are a few twisty roads where I like to let it rip and then a good portion of highway driving. I need to find a local IS350 for sale and take it for a spin to see what the 8-speed transmission feels like.

Given my budget I think most cars I'll be able to find will be in the 50k miles range and up. Anything I should be considering there when looking under the hood? Do the V6 3..5L motors run on a timing belt or is it a chain? It seems like that engine has been in use for quite some time and in many models with varying tunes. What I really like is the direct and port injection. Don't even want to think what my valves look like on the A4. Are there any knows problems or things to look for?

Thanks for all the feedback thus far!

JDR76

It's just a preference thing. I don't think one is right or one is wrong. I am quite fond of the Lexus AWD system and very happy with the 6 speed. I have had this setup in two cars and have no regrets. But at the same time, I would have no problem with buying the RWD system with the 8 speed. The AWD system is still heavily rear biased so it's quite fun.

Perhaps search for the best deal and let that decide.

TonyN

iTrader: (1)

dizlex

No, real Winter tires provide more assurance in icy/snowy conditions. You'll be able to stop and steer better than any AWD with all-seasons. AWD helps you get moving, and may allow you to get by with all-seasons.

dizlex

You'll lose some fun, going to an automatic. The 8-speed's job is to upshift quickly for economy. The paddles are helpful, in some situations. Manual mode is also fun, on occasion, but you won't be wanting to manually bump up and down through 8 ratios, normally.

PlPete

I completely agree with this. I always ran a dedicated snow wheel/tire set up on the Audi and it was a beast while seeing other AWD cars struggle in snow because of traction issues. Living in the DC are we do get snow but it tends to be hit or miss and it's nothing like folks in Colorado or further up NE. Because of this RWD with winter tires should be sufficient.

I know no automatic will be as fun as a manual transmission but when I do want to play with the paddles and change my gears I'd like the shifting to be a but more engaging and from what I have seen with the 8 speed it should be the case.

Are there any maintenance items to be aware of when shopping for the IS350 with 40-50k miles? I looked through the service intervals on the Lexus site and nothing really jumped out at me. I know the drive belts get inspected and changed at some point but for the most part it looks like oil changes every 5k. No timing belt since there are chains. No carbon build up worries. Have the injectors been not a problem since there is 12 of them!?

nothomex17

If looking for something reliable, IS350 is probably the safer choice.

Lease is coming up on my 2015 S3 and I'm thinking on getting an IS350. I like the linear feel of an NA motor when carving the twisty roads. The turbo is hard to predict. Also the DSG tranny ain't no fun in traffic but nice when your having fun.

Audi hasn't gone with Dual injectors yet in the US.