b2884987

Hi guys, I am now in the market for an IS250 manual transmission. Since I've been searching for over half a year for a clean unmolested stock IS300, I've been unsuccessful in finding one. They're either beaten to death, riced to hell, high crazy asking price, or too clean for me to buy it (I plan on dailying the car, I don't want to ruin a good one). On the other hand, there are an abundance amount of IS250 manuals in the market, clean stock unmolested examples, all while their prices are much lower than its first gen predecessor.

I've done a fair amount of research on the 2nd gen IS250, but not enough to present myself as an expert. So I need your help.

Talk me out of buying one or talk me into buying one. Should I pull the trigger and buy one? I've read that the manual transmission is based off the Tacoma, so the shifts and the transmission isn't smooth. This is caused by the flywheel design and clutch (correct me if I'm wrong). However, I also read that this can be resolved using a Fidanza flywheel and an aftermarket clutch. Is this true? If not, what are your recommendations?

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Though you'll miss banging gears, test drive an IS350 and never look back!

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Don't do it! The IS250 MT is the clunkiest transmission I've ever driven. You'll hate it. Get the auto 250 or 350, you won't regret it.

Petet

I was shopping for a 250, I test drove 1 and bought a 350. I really wanted awd for the winter. Now I just need to save up and buy a newer awd 350

soulific

iTrader: (3)

I own a manual is250, and honestly it’s not all that bad, but not all that great either. People touched base on the issues such as the clutch and The shifter.

the clutch is a bit clunky, and you need to get used to it. But it can be improved. The Fidanza flywheel actually causes chatter as some members discovered.

the exedy single flywheel and clutch kit for 1.5k from Australia seems to be the best solution I’ve read. I have yet to try it but will be doing that when my clutch goes out... knock on wood.

for the shifter you can get a fsport quickshifter. And it’s proven to solve the shifter issues. But the part is discontinued and hard to get. I have one and have yet to install it.

I would suggest purchasing the car only if your a diehard Lexus fan. And are willing to do the improvements... this is pretty much the last Lexus manual model. That’s why I purchased. I’ve driven the first gen is300 manual and it does feel better. But for what I wanted the is250 is fine. I owned a manual sc300 also which is pretty much same feel as the is300 manual....

If I were to do it again , I’d buy a year 2009+ . I own a 2006. 2009+ I believe they improved the clutch , and also the bad piston issue has been addressed.

NinjaSocks

iTrader: (3)

I like my manual. I daily drive the car about 15 miles a day. I would like to get the fsport quick shifter though to help with the shifter issues. Overall very happy I got a manual IS, which is my 2nd manual IS250 over the years and I had a manual IS300 previous to that.
If there were no manuals available then I would not get an auto 250 and I would just get the faster 350.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Not really - this is a function of the direct injection and that can't be fixed.

Ultra4

The IS250's AY6/RA62 transmission actually shares the same shift points as every other manual transmission Toyota's ever offered for mass production, where the IS250 6MT's engineers pooped the bed was in the combination of dual-mass flywheel and far too mechanically steep a ratio in the open differential . Our first impressions of this car was also that the trans needed to go, so I plugged in the ratios I found on this forum into mfactory's flash-based transmission plotter, and put them next to one of her previous cars she loved the gears on ('05 tC), then realized that you just need to go to a 4.1 diff ratio with a 25.8" tire to almost exactly emulate the gear spread of her tC. So, as everyone with 3 pedals who's gone to the FR-S/BR-Z's y38 differential will tell you, it's actually a really fun car to row gears in, once you correct Toyota's mortal sin with this platform. Next big sin being the DMF, which, at some point, I bet I'ma find out that a $75 MZ taco flywheel works just fine, since I already know the disc, pressure plate, throwout and everything else is either Tacoma or Camry parts. I know the 4.0l GR has a larger flywheel ("big truck" pattern) thanks to Ray Hall Turbocharging.

Here's the graphs, if you wanna compare them yourself. Change trans 2's final to 3.73 and the tire size to 26 to get what the factory gave you.
http://www.teammfactory.com/calculat...500/6400/1/0/2