i dont think it takes 7.4s for the 250 to accl to 60, that chart looks a bit off to me

 

You're right... 7.4 is overly generous.

Lexus themselves says 7.9... which is also what Edmunds reports-
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2008/lex...538/specs.html

 

trust me get a awd 250 i was regretting getting a 350 everyday in the snow up in detroit

 

I have driven stick shifts, and I have driven powerful cars.
But then there comes a vehicle that is neither stick shift nor powerful, but feels just right.
That car for me is the IS250. Light free revving engine, very good low end torque, yet a smooth high end; a lighter engine on the front axle makes the steering nothing short of amazing. Very nimble I must say and not at all tiring.

Test drive both and make your decision!

 

I test drove both of them, I drove them for about a half hour each. I kind of feel bad I put a lot of miles on the 42k dollar IS250. However the 250 in awd felt underpowered, absolutely it did, I had the gas pushed to the floor and it was moving but like I mentioned before nothing to brag about at all. The 350 on the other hand was as fun to drive as a clk55amg my buddy owns. Even my lexus GS300 felt more powerful than the 250(as it should be) but I think the GS300 is wayyy too underpowered for the size of the car. I had an Audi A4 with the awd 1.8 turbo and this is what the 250 felt like, underpowered and boring.

 

felt the same way thats why i hoped on the 350 but car just simply drives like **** in snow

 

Hmm, I've never really had that problem with the GS but then again its a bigger car and has almost 100 hp less

 

It'll drive great in snow... even better than the AWD model with the OEM tires... if you put proper snow tires on it.

It's remarkable how few people bother with proper tires for road conditions though.

RWD with snow tires will run great in the snow... that's how most folks drove in snow for most of the last century after all... and folks in upstate NY, the upper midwest, and even Canada seem to get around fine in the 350 once they put the right tires on it.

 

I'm new to the Lexus (used), so brand loyalty has not had time to build. I am facing my first winter with my 350, and with the predicted heavy snows, I will admit I'm very apprehensive about the cars ability to cope safely. I think the wide tires and abundance of power are going to make this car pretty tricky to properly control. We will see....
Coming from a less reliable Audi A4, I was sad to find that the Audi certainly "drove" far nicer that the Lexus (inspired far more confidence and enjoyment). Perhaps the AWD 250 would have been a closer match-up for me and the weather we have here in the Pacific Northwest.

2 cents
Vince

 

Dude, seriously, put snow tires on the car (not all seasons...all seasons are crap in the snow compared to real winter tires), put the ECT in snow mode, and the car'll be fine.

I learned how to drive in NY, I spent some time living in Canada including the winter, and I've even driven in the rockies (Colorado) in snow... my first car was an old RWD V8 american muscle car with gobs of torque and no benefit of modern traction controls... and I've never had a problem in snow. Good tires and intelligent driving vastly trump how many wheels the car has powered.

 

I have to agree with the statement above. Even though AWD helps drastically it does not solely depend on that. I uded to have an AWD yukon denali and a jeep cherokee with the wrong tires and they were both garbage in the snow, hell my RWD with the right tires was better. Like its been said, put snow tires on it and you won't have anything to worry about, my GS plowed through the snow no problem at all, now my mustang on the other hand I couldn't even get out of my driveway, ( I wasn't going to drive it its a show queen I was just being silly).