jobra

What times did you hit in the 8th? i've been there a few times, but not in the 350.

lamar411

Come on guys lets get back on topic.

Anyways, Everyones different. I would personally buy a 250 because I would never use the extra power. I driver 90% of the time in heavy traffic in the city. If i had a job where i drove on the highway, i'd get an 350 because i would probably be able to use the power more. Good luck with your purchase.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

So you were on your way to doing that yourself driving that car in snow :P

And we are trying to educate you. Really.

If you plan to drive in snow 100% of the time that's true.

But NJ doesn't get that sorta snow.

You've already had people both in NJ itself and from many places with far worse snow, that you'd be just fine with RWD if you put decent tires on the car.

What tires were you planning to put on an AWD car then?

Because I'll take a RWD car with snow tires all day every day in the snow over an AWD car with summer tires. And I'll drive circles around the AWD car doing it.

(intentional circles, not those OMG I CAN'T CONTROL THE CAR kind!)


You could put all-seasons on the AWD I guess. At which point if you drive intelligently you'd get 99.9% of the same snow driving experience in the RWD car, and still get significantly better mileage and performance without the useless AWD system when there's NOT snow on the ground (ie most of the year).

But to me all season tires are a compromise that aren't really GOOD at anything.


If I lived in NJ (well, being from NY originally that'd never happen, but let's go with it for this example).... I would do this:

Buy the IS350.

Buy a cheap set of winter rims and put GOOD snow tires on them.

Put GOOD summer performance tires on my good rims.

From May through roughly October I'd drive on the summer tires.

From November through April on the winter.

And I'd get the best possible performance and traction year round, rather than "kinda ok" performance and traction all year with all-seasons.

But more importantly, I wouldn't be taking the AWD performance and mileage hit the majority of the year when there's no snow out.

(and obviously you could adjust those dates where you switch the tires a few weeks either way depending where you live in NJ and exactly when you know snow season begins and ends...basically swap the tires in fall a couple weeks before there's any chance of snow at all, and swap em back in springs a couple weeks after the chance ends.)

And so far every 350 owner is telling you that it's just fine in the snow with decent tires.

Unless you're planning to drive like a maniac in the snow because the car has an AWD badge on the back you'll do just fine in the 350 with good tires, and you'll enjoy the car a LOT more the other 80-90% of the year there's no snow on the ground.

So that's pretty much your choice... do you want a car you'll enjoy a lot more 80-90% of the time and still be just fine if driven smartly in snow or a car you'll be able to drive slightly less sanely in the snow in 10% of the time but be less happy with the other 90% of the time?

GiantsFan

iTrader: (9)

For a DD you cant go wrong with an is250. Take the 4 grand You would have spent on an is350 and get an intake, exhaust, and rims.

204Hp is plenty for commuting... It's not like we drag race to work everyday lol

Plus, you have the stang to have fun in...

Initial_K

iTrader: (2)

I agree, if money is tight. The IS250 is plenty fast for normal every day driving, unless you're a wannabe speed racer. It even save you gas as I average about 30/mpg per tank. Both cars look the same, just one take off faster. If I had the money I spur it on the IS-F instead just to show off to the ladies.

I'm not sure abut NJ, bu living in LA where's there's traffic 80% of the time during the day and evening, you can't really drive fast anywhere without being block in all lanes and the cops here are dicks when it comes to speeding.

JonBeast

I'm not really looking for something fast...I have about an 45 min commute to work, and most of it is highway but lots of stop and go traffic. If I get an IS it will be an AWD 250.

mikez

Thanks for your perfectly useless opinion and contribution to this thread

Those on clublexus that have seen me drive knows I am the last person to drive crazy, speed or drive enthusiastically.

I drive base on what I feel is safe for the condition and traffic, and I am sorry if I am not like most clueless folks on the road in NJ (maybe you included) that goes from way above speed limit to 50mph on the hwy once it drizzles.