mikeho

I had an IS250 AWD loaner today and to be honest, I wasn't really impressed. I realize now why ISx50 owners say the 250 is slow. No offense to any of the AWD owners - this isn't a "mine is better than yours" thread, but I wanted to put up some interesting thoughts/impressions. Please, if you have an IS250 AWD and have also driven a RWD, let me know if you agree or disagree.

It was a 2006 IS250 AWD, cashmere interior and blue exterior.

1. It felt heavy. I don't know why, but it just did. It wasn't as responsive and quick as mine. The steering felt slow and the car turned more like a boat than an IS. I wonder if it's the 17" wheels or just the larger turning radius (and thus a different steering ratio?) due to the AWD.

2. It felt slow. Acceleration with the AT was just abysmal. I really understand why people say it's slow. The transmission shifting is super smooth, but the car definitely doesn't want to go anywhere in a hurry. It likes to rev high if you sit on the gas pedal, but if you let go just the slightest, it decides to upshift and then you lose power. Forget the paddle shifting; there's enough of a delay in the shifter that I found it annoying. Downshifting was jerky and because of the delay, it felt worse because I anticipated the lurch early and it came much later.

3. What's the bulge impeding my right foot? I know... it's the transfer case for the front wheels, right? Driving with cruise control on is very uncomfortable in this car. When I'm in my car, I can just pull my foot back. The transfer case is in the way in the AWD. Who the heck decided to compromise driver's leg room and not the passenger's??

Fit and finish were nice, just like my car. I like the perforated seats and such, but I don't think I'll be going back to an AT anytime soon.

llamaboiz

BECAUSE in Japan thats the passenger side and in todays mass production marketplace, they gonna retool just for 'export' markets??? hahaha, Japan takes care itself first n foremost, NIPPON ICHI!!!

mikez

Yeah I have an all wheel drive.

I cant say its slow though, because its faster than my old Integra, its faster than my friend's Corolla, its faster than my friends old civic, its faster than my parent's old ES, its faster my best buddy's Sebering... gosh those people must feel like hell driving such "slow" cars

I cant say it feels like a boat either, it has less body roll than.... you guessed it

However much body it has I remedy most of it with the F sport shocks lol.

I think the AWD is a very economical car for the masses, in normal mode the gas pedal is very unresponsive unless you floor it, which is why I can do 30mpg in this car and get 420 miles a tank doing 60% city and 40 % hwy.

And man the bulge is annoying as hell, but I got used to it now and I dont even notice it anymore.

All I can say is, its not fast where you can go and show up all the Honda rice boys, but it felt a lot quicker than all the other cars I've driven and plenty of power for the normal road use.

Memout

i rest my right calf on the hump....kinda like a leg rest... LOL...

i have yet to try out an RWD IS....but part of me doesn't want to....cuz i know if i try it...i'll like it...ignorance is bliss....

anyway liking any car is relative....if u drove M3s and Porches's you'll think the AWD is sluggish....but if u come from a Toyota Echo....then the AWD will be awesome...

i came from a honda accord 91 ...lol ...therefore awd = awesome!

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I have an AWD and yes it's slow but not too bad when punching on the highway.
The AWD great in snow and that's why most people buy it in my area.I haven't seen a RWD in my area except for a stick shift at the dealer .
IS 350s are pretty rare here too.Only have two in the past year and one is Koz's.
I'm looking forward to my getting an '09 350 for the extra power but more for the luxury plus package.Mark Levinson and to a lesser degree NAV with the NAV/ML package.Items I don't have now.I think if I had those options,I'd probably keep the car.It's in excellent shape with only 22K miles but the perforated heat/cool seats aren't enough.The radio stinks too.

Sh0gunkid

iTrader: (1)

Most people get AWD cuz of the weather factor. If i lived in SoCal or Florida or Texas, i'd be drivin a RWD no doubt about it.

kuuqi

I have an AWD and it's my daily driver as per why i bought it. Steering wise I felt it was a good compromise of comfort and responsiveness. Great for daily driving and turns has good response when you want to take up onto the hills. On the straight it doesn't accelerate all that fast but it is enough to get away from most cars on the road. It didn't feel heavy to me though. I knew it was heavy but it sure didn't feel like it to me. And yes the bulge is there but it has never bothered me. Maybe it's because I have long legs and my foot goes right past it.

Of course again I came from a Volvo S80 and a Toyota Highlander. It was a good step up and it's my first car for myself. I knew of the power difference between the AWD and 350 but also 1) I needed AWD for the snowstorms that come in. It plows right through it no problem where as I see other cars stuck. 2) I didn't want to buy a relatively fast car now that when I buy my next car I'll be forced to buy a more expensive one to have a lead in performance.

Besides, the luxuries were very nice. It suited exactly what I needed and wanted.

steedis250

I came from a 1998 Dodge Neon Sport w/3spd automatic. You haven't driven slow till you drive a 3 speed auto with an engine that delivers most of it's power at 5500rpm.

I find my 07 AWD more than fast enough for my needs. Granted I live in Ontario Canada where if you drive over 93mph you get your car impounded-no questions asked. Plus I got the car fully loaded, so it's far nicer than the old Neon.

I did drive an IS350 before buying my car, but in a province where speeds really makes you pay, there was no point. Also here in Canada the AWD model has better resale value.

Dbak

steedis250 do not tell people you get your car impounded automatically by driving more than 93. I have had a friend who was caught doing 153 in a 100 and he did not get his car impounded. BUT yes, we do have strict laws...my friend is currently dealing with the court and has a minimum 1k-2k(forget) fine and possibly up to 10k. A little off topic but wanted to clarify. :P

GSE25

Saying the car is slow doesn't mean jack. Next to the 350 of course it's slow. If you're used to driving high hp/torqued cars, then of course its slow. But for those who "moved up" from "slower" cars such as a '91 Camry V6 then it does not feel slow.

I just bought this car for its usability as during that time, I felt that the AWD would suit the weather conditions winters better than the RWD models. IMO, there is no such need to get a 350 with the same reasoning as steedis250 or if you just want bragging rights. The only real reason I would imagine myself getting a 350 would be if I tracked the car enough times to be able to use all that power. And let's be honest, how many of you actually track your car each year... and when I say track, I don't mean just a drag strip, but more like a circuit.

The paddle shifters are really just a gimmick imo... The only time I use them are for holding gears to pass and engine braking.

Body roll, yes quite a lot but that is to be expected as the car sits higher than the rwd's. My DF210's and 19'' wheels with 225/35/19 spec tires greatly reduced this...

Btw, you don't know slow until you've pressed that snow button.

DrGP

If you were thinking of buying the IS250 because you were looking for performance you are really going to be disappointed. 0-60 in 8.3 sec doesn't win many stoplight drag races in my area.(BTW I'm 58). If you want performance you should buy the IS350 or the really the ISF. The IS250 is a comfortable AWD entry level luxury car. Alternatively, if you want performance get a BMW 335i(which is what I drive) 0-60 in 4.8 secs 19.7 mpg in mixed suburban driving. AWD available if you want it. BTW, my IS250 is actually my wife's car. She loves it and I do too for everyday driving. Not for performance though.

steedis250

Well he got lucky because the law says it should be impounded. For reference:

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/274514

J250

iTrader: (13)

yea thats the same thing with Vancouver.. AWD are the most common to find here cause of its weather

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

I just drove my sis's is250awd today and I will soon be taking over it cuz I want that car as my daily driver, instead of the is-f...(gas prices) I think the is250awd gets the job done and it does get good milage for a luxury car. Plus it has a smoother ride than my is-f, but they are totally different cars....hehe

Torii

It is a lot heavier than the rwd and isnt the fastest, but it was what I wanted and i love it.

A 350 awd would get me thinking, but due to gas prices I would still keep my 250awd.

seems like everyone in the city now drive like grandma to save gas

I hate getting behind a suv or pickup most of the time at lights because they accelerate so slow and most have 300+ hp