Lexus announced IS350 MSRP is $35,440
10-12-2005, 04:18 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by Christople,Oct 12 2005, 06:00 PM
The IS300 didn't have a manual the first year either.
10-12-2005, 04:50 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by turbo_pwr,Oct 12 2005, 04:18 PM
Which to me, makes me wondering WTF Lexus is thinking. The made it available for the IS300 because people wanted it. If this is truly a sports sedan to compete with the 3 series it just makes sense to make the manual available from the get go.
10-12-2005, 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by beanolo,Oct 12 2005, 07:50 PM
It's probably gonna come out after 2 years of production.. much like the Acura CL and IS300... they always wait a bit before the manual comes out..
10-13-2005, 05:20 AM
#35
A six-speed automatic with steering wheel paddle shifters can't be that bad! Now, I would prefer a manual too, but look at it from Lexus' perspective...less blown motors and no clutch warranty claims with an automatic. Not to mention, that a very small segment of the driving population actually prefers manual transmissions, so from a cost and R&D development standpoint, it's probably a hard sell to the penny pinching Lexus executives.
10-13-2005, 05:43 AM
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Making small improvements or model additions (like a manual transmission) are a way of flattening out production numbers over a car's life cycle. Our S2000 has done the same thing, though trying to appeal more to the non-enthusiasts as the years have gone by.
10-13-2005, 05:52 AM
#37
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Originally Posted by AbusiveWombat,Oct 12 2005, 05:54 PM
I could be wrong, but I think he expects the winning car of a 7 car comparison not to have an anti-lock brake failure, a problem with the push button start, and have the "air bag malfunction" lights come on during the testing.
do you think EVERY 330i made will have these problems?
so they got a lemon, or an overly-abused media-stable car....it happens.
the test cars have probably seen the hardest initial mileage that any car will probably face.....
just as an example, when the new E39 M5 came out in '99, our company (we produce TV shows) was doing a men's gadgets and lifestyle program....every episode had a regular joe doing a "test drive" segment on a hot car...i offered to do the E39 M5 segment.
i picked up a mule from BMW HQ that already had 10K on it, tires were half bald, brakes were shot, clutch was shot, i had to take it to a dealer the day before the shoot MYSELF b/c it was indicating a low engine oil level....they added a few quarts.
i even mentioned the brake vibration in my on-screen segment, with a caveat that it was probably do it being a press test car. i suspect BMW persuaded the producers to cut out that line, b/c the line never made it to air.
i had the car for 5 days....and i beat the shit out of it - some of my friends did too. i returned it to BMW and i'm sure it was "signed out" the next day for some other press use....
my point being that even though i mentioned the bad brakes, in the same breath, i was applauding the car at every turn, applauding the car for what it was...i was gushing over it.
you have to be able to see past the defects - in context.
10-13-2005, 10:51 AM
#38
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Originally Posted by turbo_pwr,Oct 12 2005, 04:56 PM
I don't doubt that it will come out eventually, but why miss out on a potential market from the beginning? There are die-hard people out there who just won't buy one until there is a manual.
Bastards
10-13-2005, 12:40 PM
#39
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Originally Posted by turbo_pwr,Oct 12 2005, 04:18 PM
Which to me, makes me wondering WTF Lexus is thinking. The made it available for the IS300 because people wanted it. If this is truly a sports sedan to compete with the 3 series it just makes sense to make the manual available from the get go.
Sam
