diablo1

Just curious, since both of these options are available on the 250 (although not at the same time). If you could only have one or the other on the 350, which would it be?

Up here in the Northeast, gotta be AWD for me.

Gojirra99

IS350 6MT of course
I live up a hill & have a few days of snow per year, plus we have a rainy fall & winter so AWD is an asset, but 6MT RWD with a set good winter tires would work fine.

Trexus

How about an IS 350 AWD Manual?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I think the general public wants the AWD (it's more functional), because the manual only pleases "enthusiasts."

I myself would rather have a VDIM-off-switch (one button, not a whole elaborate ritual) before a manual tranny.

Gojirra99

You can disable the VSC/TRAC portions of the VDIM already, so don't get your priorities reversed

I do agree the general public would prefer to have an AWD before a manual transmission.

kensteele

I would much rather see the AWD. I would never purchase a manual vehicle again.

diablo1

Interesting, it's pretty evenly split so far. The interesting thing is that no one has said "I don't want either one." So it seems like Lexus might have a market out there for either version... But I agree that AWD would appeal to the general population a lot more. Though in parts of the country where it's above 20 F right now (man it has been cold lately), I bet most people would stick with RWD for better handling and fuel economy.

Cypren

Personally I'd rather have a 350 with a sequential manual transmission than either. Significantly faster shifts if it's built correctly and less chance of driver error blowing the engine when downshifting under pressure.

vwong

IS350 6MT

I don't care much about AWD. I sat in an IS250 AWD, and I didn't like the hump on the floor pan on the driver side. Somehow it's just not comfortable for me.

Gojirra99

I did sat in an AWD too & it's pretty annoying, not something I want to get used to

diablo1

Ya, the paddles are slower than I would like, which takes some of the fun out of it. They claim it's the fastest auto-manual in the world, but I guess they just mean that the physical shifting is very fast. Cuz there is always a 1-2 second delay between when you hit the paddle and when you feel the shift, at least for me. The world's fastest transmission doesn't do you that much good when it's handicapped by the world's slowest transmission computer.

shaolin

iTrader: (2)

wow, pretty even vote right now....

NINEZeRO

well, when i test drove two different IS 350 sport packages, they both shifted noticably faster then when i use my triptronic on my G35...

4CYLNDR

6MT.

Please, lets not make the boat of a lexus any heavier.

Cypren

The transmission computer isn't slow; all auto transmissions have a delay while they RPM-match to change the locks on the planetary gearsets. (See this article for more information on how an automatic transmission works.) Sequential-manual transmissions actually do use different gear sets to get their ratios, and can change much more quickly without having to RPM-match first. (See this article for a detailed explanation of their workings.)

Lexus billing this transmisison as "world's fastest automatic" is not in any way dishonest or avoiding the issue of the computer's timing; it's just an unpleasant fact of physics and the underlying technology of a torque-converter based transmission. Interestingly enough, though, the automatic transmission in the IS350 is the same one that's going into the Team Lexus sport car, so obviously the company has some faith in its performance.