INTMD8

Hello,

A few years ago I owned an IS F and am now considering a GS F.

The trans or just overall calibration of the IS bothered me as it seemed hesitant to downshift under heavy acceleration on corners.

For example, if I turned into a fast corner and stomped the gas on corner exit, it would not give me throttle/downshift until I had the steering wheel nearly unwound straight.

Or, if on the end of an on ramp, mash the gas to the floor in an attempt to merge with traffic and met with a delay that felt dangerous. Like I might get rear-ended before this thing takes off.


If you have driven both would you say they are the same as the trans is the same or is the GS improved in that regard?

Of course I will test drive the car but would likely avoid it all together if things haven't changed.

Thanks!

designo

iTrader: (6)

That will definitely be the case in the GSF..... if you're driving in Normal mode.
In Sport+ it's a totally different animal.

My advice for eliminating this phenomenon is to use Manual shifting mode and get in the right gear before entry.

Flying3

I would say the same thing. I've owned both and both are crippled in normal mode. I don't even bother. And you will need to use the paddle shifters to hold the RPMs above 3500 to get the true performance. For normal commute driving, I run it in sport or sport + and automatic.

shu5892001

In Sport+ mode the GS-F downshifts pretty aggressively, it would downshift from 8th to 5th or even 3rd on the highway if I braked a bit hard....

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

I own both and drive them interchangeably daily. They're different, but I never drive the GS F in anything but Sport mode (Sport + isn't really good for the street). The GS F will still have the mash the gas and wait a moment before it believes you are serious, but I have learned to slap the shifter over and use manual mode if I want real control in both cars. It's really the only way to immediately get its attention.

designo

iTrader: (6)

Yup, great experience sharing.
My E60 M5 was so bad in auto mode, it would make my GSF look like a GT car.

Lurker9

Even in Sport Auto mode, there is a slight delay in the downshift if driven lightly. So you need to wake it up by either going to manual mode or simply stab the gas pedal. Once the downshift happened, it would hold that gear and the fun begins. In Normal Auto Mode, the transmission wants to be in the upper gears as soon as possible.
Sport+ Auto mode shifting is lightning fast, but I also found it way too aggressive for city streets.

INTMD8

Thanks for the info everyone! I drove the car and was hoping downshift response would be improved over the IS F......I think it feels exactly the same.

In normal mode it's dangerously reluctant to downshift and accelerate. Can't understand why that is, I've never driven any other car that exhibits that behavior. Even my old LS430 would immediately downshift and accelerate if floored.

Sport plus was much faster to react but seemed to hold gears for an annoyingly long time in normal driving.

Manual mode isn't a good solution for me as with 8 speeds it's still going to take me forever to go gear by gear until I'm where I want. (should just be able to punch it and go if trying to make a quick move around someone or in/out of moving traffic)

Would love to have access to the calibration to fix this.

For now I've passed on the car. Going to do some research and see if any aftermarket tunes are available to correct this.

Thanks again

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

No one is playing with the TCU to fix this issue directly. An aftermarket throttle controller does help according to those who have installed them.

I agree, when you punch the throttle it should interpret this as an immediate need, not an optional request. I have learned to drive around it, much the same as I have learned to drive around the little issues the Supra has with it's manual 6 speed. I suspect the attorneys for Lexus decided this parameter because they feared the average Lexus owner would be unprepared to deal with the power this combination puts to the ground. They didn't anticipate us well at all. The '06 IS 350 we had didn't seem to have any trouble in this department at all, and the wife still says it was her favorite car.

designo

iTrader: (6)

8 Speed transmission!
GO FIGURE

Has anyone driven the new BMW M5 and/or the Merc E63 AMG?
I hear they are similar in kick down response.

shu5892001

What I do is I usually drive in manual and sport plus, if I need to downshift a few gears I will put it in auto mode, mash the gas pedal and it would skip gears to the lowest gear and then I put it back in manual.

Lurker9

Why would one be caught napping in the 8th gear while driving in manual mode? Is it not a requirement to anticipate your gear selections when manually shifting your gears? Also, the transmission won't allow manual upshift until the car is at a certain speed. It will automatically downshift if you don't maintain the car's speed. So I can't think of any time where you would have to go from 8th to 5th or 4th gear in normal driving.

designo

iTrader: (6)

Try this, when in manual mode, pull on the downshift paddle and don't release. It will immediately go to the lowest gear possible allowing you to take off quicker!

TrevorR

iTrader: (2)

Even the current model CTS-V gets the same complaints AND the recent 2020 Nissan GTR despite having a DCT has the same exact complaint while in auto mode. I think you would be hard pressed to find any car with an automatic transmission (traditional torque converter) that will get the immediate response that most want.

TrevorR

iTrader: (2)

The holding of gear is as intended for track driving. Useful for holding gear while cornering so that the car isn't upshifting or downshifting.

The Lexus GSF really does a good job striking a balance between normal and performance driving. They do this by utilizing driving modes. Really the only way to mash the pedal in the GSF is in the driving modes.

I doubt we would ever see a calibration for the transmission for normal mode. Theres nothing wrong with the transmission or its calibration in my opinion.