Hello all and nice to be part of the forum.

Not yet an IS250 owner but would like to know the merits of either manual or auto boxes please on an IS250. I have driven both on test drives and found the clutch take up very high on the pedal for the manual.
Is this normal across all IS250 manuals?

Thanks
Martin

I suppose the obvious difference is the lower CO2 emissions from the auto, hence less TAX. We tested about every combination possible before buying the 250 Sport, that was for the better road holding and we both prefer a manual box. You need to decide if you like auto or manual, a very personal choice. Have not noticed any high clutch travel on any i have driven.

Yes, the lower emissions was what got me interested in trying out the auto. I did rather sucuumb to it but I'll be trying a manual very soon again to compare.
On the subject of the Sport model, do you think it handes any taughter and does the ride suffer for being on 18" rims?
Many thanks for your feedback.

Yes we found it handled better than any model we tested, in fact the first test drive of the new 250 lasted only an hour as we found the ride not up to the level of our IS200SE. We took the cars over known problem stretches of roads in and around Telford before we settled on the Sport. Some say the ride is hard, and yes it is compared to the IS200, but overall the bigger wheels and lowered suspension suit us better. IMHO.

Auto is smoother,faster & more economical,mine has now done 20k. & mpg averages c. 33.5 which is excellent.
Tel.

Oh well, my rougher, slower Sport only averages 30mpg. So go for the IS250 Sport Auto, and have the best of both worlds.

Many thanks for your replies guys and I'll also have a read of the other postings in the IS250 area of the web site.

I was sceptical of driving the auto but the dealer did a good job (Lexus Reading) of getting me into one and I have rather sucuumbed to its relaxed nature. I must admit feeling a little detached from the mechanicals using the paddles or the sports shift.
Lets see how I get on with the manual test drive soon.
Cheers

I took delivery today of my IS250X black on black and it is sensational. These days I wouldnt bother with a manual in almost any vehicle given that most decent manufacturers give you the sports mode (steptronic, tiptronic or whatever its called) with the auto.

The simple answer lies in how much you enjoy the interaction of a manual box- the auto is very impressive, and is generally in the right gear, or quick to respond on demand. The 'pwr' mode has a character all of its own, downchanging when you brake hard into a bend to give you some extra grunt on the way out. Or if you are a control freak, then you have the paddles. However, once the novelty wore off, I've not touched mine, seemed a bit too much like having a dog and barking yourself, but they do look nice.

The auto is more economical too which is a bonus.

My only criticism is why they buried the 'pwr' mode switch behind the wheel, rather than simply having a separate 'sport' position on the lever.

I found in the two manuals I have tried that the clutch take up was very high / late on the pedal coming upwards and it was very
hard to pull away in 1st smoothly. Trying the auto in SE form and it certainly made for smoother progress. The dealer didn't tell me
about the "pwr mode" button and I confess to not finding it despite a good read of the user manual.

Has anyone else found the "pwr mode" button on the IS250 autos?

Thanks.

Found mine in December 2005 and have yet to switch it off

nice car mate!
tring to make a deal on a is250se auto but starting to struggle, the price offered on the is200 is alot less than i was expecting.