[brad]

I agree with you, Eric.

Originally posted by brad:
Toyota-NO. Only SUV Toyotas. I came very close to buying a SR5 w/TRD's supercharger, putting that badboy in the sixes, low sevens w/ 4wd.

And I agree with you, obviously, when it comes to SUV's. SUV's are made for going offroad, dogs, and weekend Home Depot hauling.

[This message has been edited by brad (edited September 27, 2000).]

 

[onefortheroad]

If the IS300 was FWD, I would have a hard time justifying it over the ES300 or any other FWD sedans.

1) If it was FWD, it will probably have the same engine and drivetrain as the ES rather than the GS. I have never seen a transverse mounted inline 6 in FWD cars.

2) The car will be nose heavy. The balanced feel of the car will be compromised.

3) The feel of being pushed is different from being pulled.

FWDs are great, but a true sports sedan must be RWD.

As for the IS being a Lexus or Toyota, it doesn't make a difference. The car's target has always been BMW and Audi, so it will always be a Lexus wherever Lexus exist in the world.

 

[TEG]

I would not have considered a front wheel drive IS. Its stock performance would have probably been a bit better, but when doing mods you would quickly run into traction issues.

Also, the front wheel drive mechanisms would probably have messed up the sweet steering feel.

Also, the extra front weight bias would have made it less balanced.

Also, it would be unlikely that they could have used the inline 6 with a front-wheel-drive installation. They would have needed a V6 just like the ES300.
(The only front drive inline 6 I know about is the much wider Volvo S80).

I would have bought the car regardless of the Toyota/Lexus badge.

 

[S38]

Eric,I agree with you about the A8. Simply a gorgeous, elegant yet muscular car. I don't know how it can be dated when I see one like every 6 months here in Calif. Audi blew it marketing that car. Now that they adjust to make more room in the backseat, BMW is releasing the new 7 series. They aren't giving that car enough attention.

 

[Agent Smith]

You guys ever see Ronin? The S8 (w/ NO2)in that movie made me crazy...the driver was a real pro.

If you haven't seen it get the DVD you can que up the chases if you don't have time to watch the whole movie. The S8 kicked a$$

[From TEG: The chase scenes in that movie kick A$$... I was sweating just watching them weave through traffic the wrong way like that. ]


[This message has been edited by TEG (edited September 27, 2000).]

 

[mrclam]

my honset opinion, fwd/rwd really is not goig to make a real big difference unless you're going to go racing, and i don't think many of you are really gonan go to the track and FWD is actually better for weather conditions.......so it really shound't affect a whole lot of is300 owners..just my thought

 

[kota]

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[This message has been edited by kota (edited October 19, 2000).]

 

[croddy]

Never would have considered the IS with Front Wheel drive. That might be a little bit of an over-statement, But it IS really apealed to me because it is rear wheel drive. I am a driving enthusiast and the difference in fwd/rwd is night and day when pushing hard. Fwd cars have come a long way, but you for true sport driving, you have to have rear wheel drive.
Lexus/Toyota-does not matter to me. I like the name & hope I like the "premium service" but have yet to experience it.
I am taking my IS to Maine for the Foliage this weekend, I can not wait to get on those mountian roads!

 

[EricK]

Originally posted by mrclam:
my honset opinion, fwd/rwd really is not goig to make a real big difference unless you're going to go racing..

I disagree Mr.Clam the difference I notice in everyday driving is reason enough never to consider a front wheel drive car. I one time drove a front wheel drive Chrysler Town & Country (minivan with 3.8 liter V6) in the rain. When on an incline and you just barely push the accelerator the wheels just spin. When you floor a front drive car all the weight is shifted to the rear and you lose traction. The driving/steering feel is just so much more rewarding in a rear wheel drive car. As I said earlier, Lexus makes their IS,LS, and GS series rear wheel drive for good reason (just as BMW makes all their cars... just thought I should add that since you're a bimmer fanatic...)

Believe me BMW couldn't hold the Slogan "THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE" if their cars were Front-Wheel-Drive.
Eric....


[This message has been edited by EricK (edited September 27, 2000).]

 

[S38]

Yes, I like Ronin too, guess why? The best scene has an E34 M5 in it. At least they wreck a 525i instead of the M5. They used at least 3 or 4 different BMWs for that chase scene. However, according to the director, they took the M5 too a track and taped all the engine noise--which is the best part about an M5.

 

[mrclam]

like i said, i agree with all the things you gys mention, but realistically most of the time you're not even doing this stuff on the street....i knwo a lot of people are going to say they want rwd blah balh blah and spit out the reasons given above...but i doubt half the people on this board(maybe less than half) can tell the difference in everyday driving. now of course we do have the true enthusiasists who CAN tell and who do want rwd...but that number is a lot smaller than the number who just want to say "it has rwd and therefore better cornering"....like they know somethin g=)

 

[dude]

Originally posted by paulwu:
I bought the car for the nameplate and reliability and looks. FWD would only change the nimbleness of the car slightly. I would still get the IS......

Not just the nimbleness, but the whole steering system will feel very different.....
That's actually enough to prevent me from getting the IS.....

 

[dude]

Originally posted by kota:
Better yet, how many of you would buy it if it was sold as a Toyota?

I certainly would (if they keep everything the same), smaller engine would be fine also...

 

[chiem]

I think you're still missing the point mrclam. Anyone can tell the difference between a FWD and RWD car. I'm wouldn't call myself an enthusiast, but I can tell the difference blind folded.

--k

 

[Scooby]

I'm sorry Kota but I have to question how you came across your markup figures...if you think that BMW markup is much lower than Lexus than you are just kidding yourself...

I won't reveal any figures but I am a Sales and Leasing consultant with the top volume dealer in Ontario for a major manufacturer which I shall not mention and I can assure you that your figures are not correct.

Unless of course there is that much of a difference in markups from US to Canadian Dealers, which I don't think is the case.
Just my two cents. Cheers!!!!

 

[Daniel]

Toyota here in the US are known for their high markups, that is why I used to hate Toyota alot. I even told my dad to buy a BMW when he was considering the ES300, but I am glad he stay with Lexus and actually got the GS300 instead of the ES. The thing about Toyota/Lexus markup is that they are high, but almost all dealers are willing to come down on the price and get close to the invoice. I know we had done that with our GS and RX, both were purchased slightly above invoice (<$1000 above). The IS was the only car purchased at MSRP, and I had no choice (My Eclipse started to fail, as I have mentioned many times before).
The thing about BMW is that they are not willing to take more than $1000 off the MSRP, at least that apply to all the So. Cal dealers that we went to. They may seem to have less markup than Lexus/Toyota, but the fact they are not bargaining means they end up making more money per car than Toyota/Lexus.

 

[kota]

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[This message has been edited by kota (edited October 19, 2000).]