Solomoan

I think I can honestly shed some true light on the debate over why people bought the different models of our IS that we did.

Those of you lucky enough to be living in warm climates with good streets (Texas, Florida, California etc...) are truly justified in the performance and handling & acceleration of the 350, not to mention the standard 18 inch tires and better looking OEM wheels that come with this model.

Those of us involved in the winter storms in the midwest & northeastern parts of the country since January, appreciate the peace of mind provided by the AWD, & "snow mode", despite the lower hp.

After expiriencing the snow/ice/bad road conditions of the midwest this winter, and assuming I live here for the rest of my life, I've accepted that I'll always own either an SUV (full time 4WD) or an AWD sedan.

The best case scenario which I know alot of this community has, would be to have a nice, dependable 4WD (Toyota 4Runner) to use on the crummy days, then a fabulous RWD sports sedan (BMW 540, Lexus IS-AF, MB 600 series...) for the warm, sunny, clear, clean days...one can always wish!

IS_Mine

Ouch. But that makes perfect sense!

How many months of warm sunny days do you have?

I'm just going to rub in I have 9 months of Beauty and 3 months of blah.

Thus the reason I have an 350, and why I want an S2000 really bad!

phatboyc

If I had to chose only one vehicle. I'm not sure a IS250 AWD would be sufficient enough. Perhaps until we have kids but definitely not enough space when we do.

Darn mission to reproduce.

Bichon

I'm in the northeast, and you are right, the vast majority of 2IS cars I see on the road and on dealers lots are the all wheel drive model. People certainly do seem to be buying into the "peace of mind and security of AWD".

I'm not sure that mindset is justified, however. The road departments in this part of the country are very quick to clear the streets during and after a storm. I'd estimate that in an average year, about 355 days (of 365) the roads are completely clear. For the 10 or so days that the roads are snow covered, my IS350 with snow tires have proven more than adequate for the task.

If Lexus had offered an IS350 AWD, I'd have bought it. Since they didn't, I bought a RWD IS350. Shod with appropriate rubber, I'm not in the slightest bit regretful about my decision.

clubfoot

Totally agree with Bichon, this is my second winter with my IS350 on 18" performance winter tires and I have no regrets! I am totally surprised at how well this car behaves in the white stuff, however, if my kids weren't still living at home I'd have a RAV4 or Hylander just for winter

AM1

iTrader: (6)

yeah but lexu sshould have done what infiniti did and offered an AWD is350, for people who live in colder climates. just another case of lexus not taking this segment seriously.

LexusNut13

Last year BMW had the 330xi, and this year they only offer the 335i no more xi. I think Lexus understood the segment better then most people think.

WhatYaGot

I agree 100%!

G35TOIS350

i run snows, live in NW IN, and own a 350. no issues here......

Lenscap

I live in the Chicago area and plan to get an IS within the next year. I will only buy the 350. The 250 is simply too underpowered in my opinion, especially when you have Camrys and Accords with far more horsepower.

As for the AWD, I could care less. Winter tires are what is important, and with the 350 you simply need to switch the tires in the winter. A friend has had an M5 for four years. When he puts on the winter tires the car goes through anything and stops on a dime. It is unbelievable the difference the tires make.

It is a total myth that only AWD, and not RWD, is good in the snow, ice and bad weather. All AWD does is help you get going. But when it comes to turning or stopping, which is where 95% of all accidents in snow and ice occur, AWD does nothing. If anything, it gives drivers a false sense of security (check out the news on wintery days and see how many of the vehicles that skidded off the road are SUVs because the drivers thought they could drive like it was July).

The best scenario in bad weather is AWD and winter tires. But given the choice between one or the other I'll take the winter tires any day. And enjoy the power of the 350 all spring, summer and fall.

neova

Solomoan does have a point, but I have a slightly different interpretation:

IS250 RWD > Cost-concious, younger buyers
IS250 AWD > Saftey-concious buyers
IS350 RWD > Performance minded buyers

RWD with proper winter tires will do just fine in winter, but having AWD provides an added piece of mind. Keep in mind that Mercs and BMW's have been selling in Northern Europe for decades and the majority of them are RWD, so the 4matics and X-drives are great driving aids but not mandatory.

Lenscap has made a similar point I made in another thread about winter driving. AWD helps maintain stability but it's the tires that help you stop/turn. So whatever you drive get proper winter tires no matter how little snow you get as long as you get some.

I live in the North and I see more IS RWD than AWD, and our winters lasts 3-5 months of the year. So while where you live might influence your decision on which drive configuration to buy, it doesn't deter what you end up buying because owner perferences always win in the end as long as they're understand what they're getting into.

G35TOIS350

wonder why there are all these threads trying to figure out why people bought what they did. honestly....who cares? did what they did for a reason.

hapaboy

anyone know the regional breakdown for IS sales?

seems like out of roughly 2-3K vehicles a month 1/4 of that are in los angeles alone luckily no one gets breakwater blue

krazykanuk

I'm pretty sure a 335xi is coming though.

Johnny Mo

I bought my 250AWD because I wanted to have a car again...I had been in an SUV for 13+ years as my primary vehicle, and was looking for a change. Why I didn't go with the the 350 may not be so obvious, but it was tough to justify getting the 350 AND keeping my GS400. That being said and seeing how well my IS performed in this past Northeast storm - my GS's days may be numbered (for a much LESS practical - 2nd/fun car). As for the kids and space thing - yeah the IS is a bit tight with my 2 kids, but it can carry me and my son + all of our hockey gear - so for most of the time that's all I need.