FastTags

Exactly!! I have to shift down like 2-3 gears. Stupid. M mode is nice but i want to drive in Auto

Kingkrs

iTrader: (1)

for what its worth, I really liked the 8 speed transmission on my IS F. it was super smooth and responsive. cruising in 8th gear and needing to pass, only one click of the paddle would downshift 2 gears. To really get some power on the IS F a second downshift click would bring me to 5th and I would have more than enough power. Now I understand the GS is not the same thing, but the transmission should be identical right?

My AWD GS has the 6 speed and it is pretty responsive I must say. But I am still having to get used to the way the 6 speed drives compared to the 8.

AL13NV8D3R

If the IS350 daytime running led lights were one piece with the head lights like the GS350 than I would have bought the IS350. I think the DRLs on the GS350 look way better.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

I think it's because we don't have enough torque, another 50 would match with the tranny nicely.

Afrosheen

150% agree with the headlights being one piece.

I remember seeing the outgoing IS350 next to the 2014 IS350 at the Dallas Auto Show back in March and when I saw those separated DRL's I nearly poked my eyes out with my keys. The GS and LS should never go this direction, especially not the GS-F. It's sad to see the RC has inherited the Nike lights, I was getting excited about the RC-F until I saw the lights. Deal breaker.

SW17LS

The separated lights and DRLs are coming to everything, GS & LS included. Look at everything they are releasing, its on all of them. All their concepts...its coming.

I disliked it at first, but its grown on me.

ItzFilyO

It is growing on my as well but I still like the one-piece design like in our GS more. But that isn't the deal breaker for me when I had to choose between IS and GS. It's the options and pretty much the smaller size of the IS.

LexFather

There is no loss of Performance with the 8 speed in perception or actual results. FYI the Lexus 8 speed is lighter with less parts and less weight than the 6 speed and has proven to be just as sturdy. It debuted in the LS in 2006 and then the IS F and last generation GS 460. Now even the RX F-sport uses it.

ItzFilyO

So the GS' 8-Speed is the same as the ISF's right?

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I don't know about the new 8 speeds in the IS or GS but I doubt they paddle shift like the IS-F which has a true paddle shift manual mode.

ItzFilyO

One thing I noticed when I'm in manual mode is that the car wouldn't downshift automatically even when you floor it. It stays in the gear you're on until you change it manually, but when you're slowing down or come to a stop, it downshifts to a lower gear automatically. When u stop it always goes to 1. I don't know if that's the true manual mode or not.

However, the Camry's manual mode just holds the gear that is displayed on the dash and wouldn't shift any higher than what you have on there, but it still downshifts automatically when you floor it. So if I have 4th gear on the dash, it'll just upshift and downshift automatically from 1-4 only.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Unless things are different with the 8 speed in the IS/GS,the only thing the paddles do is let you set the maximum gear the fully automatic transmission can use.

Paddle it to 4 and it's an automatic transmission able to use any gear between 1-4 and shift automatically between them.

Paddle it to 3 and it's an automatic transmission able to use any gear between 1-3 and shift automatically between them.

And so on.

At no point can you ever directly shift the transmission..

The IS-F has a a true manual mode.

In Detail: The Lexus IS F 8-Speed Sport Direct Shift Transmission.
Old article,though.
http://www.autospies.com/news/In-Det...mission-22472/

ral2531

I know this is an old thread, but I had to respond to the issue of 6 vs. 8 speed.

I was shopping in Jan. 2015 for either a GS350 or IS350 (RWD). Had to eliminate the IS early because of size. Was willing to consider years 2013/14/15 for the GS. Didn't want F-sport or hybrid versions, though. Don't really need AWD either, since I live in southern California.

I did many comparison test drives of RWD GS350 from years 2013/14/15. To me, the 6-speed of the 2013 was clearly more peppy around town, and just more fun to drive. The 8-speed always felt sluggish, even in Sport Mode. The only advantage of the 8-speed was at highway cruising speeds (and on a long drive). I don't know how some people can argue that the two trans feel the same.

Eventually I decided on a CPO 2013 RWD GS350, mainly because of the transmission. Of course I could have purchased a newer AWD GS350 to get the 6-speed, but somehow the AWD didn't appeal as much during test drives.

I wish Lexus offered 6-speed as an option on their newer RWD cars, but I realize it would be expensive to have both sets of parts at the factory.

dchar

I kinda felt the same way about transmission when I got my 2015 with the 8-speed, but after having the car for a few thousand miles and training the ECU to my driving habits, it is now just as responsive or better than the 6-speed. With a small flex of my big toe, it downshifts 3 or 4 gears immediately and I'm off!

GregCanada

On my 6 speed AWD GS, in manual mode, it will hold whatever gear it is in, unless you are going too slow and it will stall. I can leave it in 6th, slow down to 1200-1500rpm and punch it, and it will NOT downshift. Not sure what you are talking about.