one swell foop Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Visited my local Lexus dealer(Tom Williams Lexus in Birmingham, Al) today to look at and potentially test drive an 07 IS250 w/ manual tranny. They didn't have any on the lot, and upon asking I was told that they had stopped producing the car with a manual transmission...... Is this true? If so it sucks, I'll wind up buying a 328i with a 6 speed(which will be awesome, but cost a few K more)
lambobaby1218 Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 Visited my local Lexus dealer(Tom Williams Lexus in Birmingham, Al) today to look at and potentially test drive an 07 IS250 w/ manual tranny. They didn't have any on the lot, and upon asking I was told that they had stopped producing the car with a manual transmission...... Is this true? If so it sucks, I'll wind up buying a 328i with a 6 speed(which will be awesome, but cost a few K more) As far as I know, you can get the manual transmission ONLY in the IS250, which also offers auto in that car. In the 350, they only have auto. I just looked on the Lexus site, and they offer manual trans. Seems the salesperson doesn't know what he's talking about.......
Benzoserviceguy Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Visited my local Lexus dealer(Tom Williams Lexus in Birmingham, Al) today to look at and potentially test drive an 07 IS250 w/ manual tranny. They didn't have any on the lot, and upon asking I was told that they had stopped producing the car with a manual transmission...... Is this true? If so it sucks, I'll wind up buying a 328i with a 6 speed(which will be awesome, but cost a few K more) TOTAL CRAP & B.S!! Once again, the moronic, dim witted sales person is selling what they see, they don't care to see what they can sell. take you biz elsewhere. Visit LEXUS and use the build your own site. It will search inventory based on your zip code. Find out a few zip codes of neighboring towns or states that are nearby and use those zip codes to conduct/widen your search. GOOD LUCK!!!!
bartkat Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Talk to Graham Wright at Lexus of Huntsville 256-824-8050 He might be able to look into it for you.
one swell foop Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 good to know this is incorrect, cause that 3 series would be a lot more expensive. Didn't have time to check the lexus site before I went to work. I'll definitely check lexus of huntsville, but will travel a few hours for the right deal if i have to.
Rillo Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Didn't think you yanks liked manual gearboxes??!! :P
SW03ES Posted January 11, 2007 Posted January 11, 2007 Thye overwhelming majority if us yanks don't, thats why carmakers have a hard time justifying the R&D and build costs of manual options.
one swell foop Posted January 11, 2007 Author Posted January 11, 2007 While there I asked another sales person whether or not he, or the dealership, could communicate my displeasure with lexus at the supposed removal of the six speed manual as an option. He said that they'd take it more seriously if I contacted them via the web site or by phone and then went on to explain the following: Upon the release of the IS250/350 there weren't a lot of cars around, and the two manual tranny behicles they got sold rather quickly as they were the only ones left on the lot. The next time they ordered a manual tranny IS the cars were more abundant and the car sat on the lot for five months before it sold, all the while that autos were selling like hot-cakes. It's pathetic, but most of the market in the US are housewives and businessmen that were never taught to drive stick, and just want something to get them from point A to point B as easily as possible. I truly wish that there were more auto enthusiasts in the population, but no such luck...the mediocre masses dictate what cars we can and cannot buy and what options are available due to their often uninspired and uninformed preferences.
bartkat Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 While there I asked another sales person whether or not he, or the dealership, could communicate my displeasure with lexus at the supposed removal of the six speed manual as an option. He said that they'd take it more seriously if I contacted them via the web site or by phone and then went on to explain the following: Upon the release of the IS250/350 there weren't a lot of cars around, and the two manual tranny behicles they got sold rather quickly as they were the only ones left on the lot. The next time they ordered a manual tranny IS the cars were more abundant and the car sat on the lot for five months before it sold, all the while that autos were selling like hot-cakes. It's pathetic, but most of the market in the US are housewives and businessmen that were never taught to drive stick, and just want something to get them from point A to point B as easily as possible. I truly wish that there were more auto enthusiasts in the population, but no such luck...the mediocre masses dictate what cars we can and cannot buy and what options are available due to their often uninspired and uninformed preferences. There are all kinds of stories floating around pertaining to erroneous info that people got from uninformed salesmen. So don't be going off on car preferences and availabiltiy until you have confirmed what you've been told. Try going to http://www.lexus.com/lexusConfigApp/index....mp;modelCode=95 Look at the selections and to the far right you will see "IS250 RWD Manual". Click on that and "build your own IS250 manual". Its there on the Lexus website. If they aren't making them, then take it up with Lexus, and don't be coming around here badmouthing other drivers or Lexus until you know for sure. I've been driving for 50 years and can drive just about anything you want to throw at me, but I prefer auto trans, and have been driving them mostly for the last 20 years.
lambobaby1218 Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 While there I asked another sales person whether or not he, or the dealership, could communicate my displeasure with lexus at the supposed removal of the six speed manual as an option. He said that they'd take it more seriously if I contacted them via the web site or by phone and then went on to explain the following: Upon the release of the IS250/350 there weren't a lot of cars around, and the two manual tranny behicles they got sold rather quickly as they were the only ones left on the lot. The next time they ordered a manual tranny IS the cars were more abundant and the car sat on the lot for five months before it sold, all the while that autos were selling like hot-cakes. It's pathetic, but most of the market in the US are housewives and businessmen that were never taught to drive stick, and just want something to get them from point A to point B as easily as possible. I truly wish that there were more auto enthusiasts in the population, but no such luck...the mediocre masses dictate what cars we can and cannot buy and what options are available due to their often uninspired and uninformed preferences. There are all kinds of stories floating around pertaining to erroneous info that people got from uninformed salesmen. So don't be going off on car preferences and availabiltiy until you have confirmed what you've been told. Try going to http://www.lexus.com/lexusConfigApp/index....mp;modelCode=95 Look at the selections and to the far right you will see "IS250 RWD Manual". Click on that and "build your own IS250 manual". Its there on the Lexus website. If they aren't making them, then take it up with Lexus, and don't be coming around here badmouthing other drivers or Lexus until you know for sure. I've been driving for 50 years and can drive just about anything you want to throw at me, but I prefer auto trans, and have been driving them mostly for the last 20 years. "Housewives," ey??? I'm a housewife and a full-time worker. I prefer stick. And like Bartkat, I can drive anything you throw at me ;)
bartkat Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 While there I asked another sales person whether or not he, or the dealership, could communicate my displeasure with lexus at the supposed removal of the six speed manual as an option. He said that they'd take it more seriously if I contacted them via the web site or by phone and then went on to explain the following: Upon the release of the IS250/350 there weren't a lot of cars around, and the two manual tranny behicles they got sold rather quickly as they were the only ones left on the lot. The next time they ordered a manual tranny IS the cars were more abundant and the car sat on the lot for five months before it sold, all the while that autos were selling like hot-cakes. It's pathetic, but most of the market in the US are housewives and businessmen that were never taught to drive stick, and just want something to get them from point A to point B as easily as possible. I truly wish that there were more auto enthusiasts in the population, but no such luck...the mediocre masses dictate what cars we can and cannot buy and what options are available due to their often uninspired and uninformed preferences. There are all kinds of stories floating around pertaining to erroneous info that people got from uninformed salesmen. So don't be going off on car preferences and availabiltiy until you have confirmed what you've been told. Try going to http://www.lexus.com/lexusConfigApp/index....mp;modelCode=95 Look at the selections and to the far right you will see "IS250 RWD Manual". Click on that and "build your own IS250 manual". Its there on the Lexus website. If they aren't making them, then take it up with Lexus, and don't be coming around here badmouthing other drivers or Lexus until you know for sure. I've been driving for 50 years and can drive just about anything you want to throw at me, but I prefer auto trans, and have been driving them mostly for the last 20 years. "Housewives," ey??? I'm a housewife and a full-time worker. I prefer stick. And like Bartkat, I can drive anything you throw at me ;) :D :D :D :D
one swell foop Posted January 12, 2007 Author Posted January 12, 2007 If you're a housewife and have taste the props to you! you are the exception rather than the rule and help steer car makers and others in the right direction!
lambobaby1218 Posted January 12, 2007 Posted January 12, 2007 If you're a housewife and have taste the props to you! you are the exception rather than the rule and help steer car makers and others in the right direction! Yeah, so why don't they listen?????? :P
Zoomin Dan Posted January 13, 2007 Posted January 13, 2007 Visited my local Lexus dealer(Tom Williams Lexus in Birmingham, Al) today to look at and potentially test drive an 07 IS250 w/ manual tranny. They didn't have any on the lot, and upon asking I was told that they had stopped producing the car with a manual transmission...... Is this true? If so it sucks, I'll wind up buying a 328i with a 6 speed(which will be awesome, but cost a few K more) Ha, my dealer told me that Lexus doesn't build RWD IS250s any more; they're all AWD. I think what he meant to say was, "We don't have any RWD IS250s on our lot, and we don't like ordering custom cars."
Sidney07 Posted January 13, 2007 Posted January 13, 2007 I do find it odd that the manual trannies aren't in as much of a demand as the auto. Same situation with the Subaru Legacy GT. They don't even offer the GT in a stick for 07, much to the chagrin of many enthusiasts. I, sometimes regrettably, purchased my first auto in several years a few months ago. I must say I do miss the stick, but whenever I get stuck in traffic, the auto is very nice. Now the six speed in my wife's IS, that is one nice automatic. Very smooth. The car would be much more fun to drive, imho, though, in a stick. I'm guessing it's just a bottom line thing with the manufacturers...not enough of a demand for the stick. The masses outnumber the enthusiasts, and it just doesn't pencil out....? As for the car salesman saying the IS wasn't available anymore in a stick...does it really suprise you? NEVER let him be the final authority on anything! Do your research yourself, and then, if he doubts the research you've already done, walk away, find another salesman, whatever....how many car salesmen really know the cars they sell? They know what the comission is on the sale, I guarantee you. ..
one swell foop Posted January 13, 2007 Author Posted January 13, 2007 yeah man...the salesperson outright lied...which is something the honda and VW dealers I talked to never did, I know my stuff about them, especially VW, and if they didn't know something for sure then they'd go find out for me rather than risk giving a wrong answer... I'm guessing the reason they don't offer a stick in the lagacy GT as subaru promotes their real "enthusiast car" as the STI, so they want you to spend the extra money for it.
Sidney07 Posted January 13, 2007 Posted January 13, 2007 Well, the Legacy GT Spec.B does come with a six speed manual. But for the same money you could get an IS 250 AWD. The Legacy is quite a bit faster, but the cars are just different. The Lexus has more luxury features. I'd have to go with the Subaru's AWD system though...sorry to get a bit off topic.
shoafb Posted January 15, 2007 Posted January 15, 2007 as bad as the MT is maybe they should cancel it. I am thinking of trading back in for an auto but just don't want to take the hit. The stick vibrates, clutch shudder...you name it. Sucks all the way around. Dealer says "normal" Get it right or just don't do it.
SW03ES Posted January 15, 2007 Posted January 15, 2007 It's pathetic, but most of the market in the US are housewives and businessmen that were never taught to drive stick, and just want something to get them from point A to point B as easily as possible. I truly wish that there were more auto enthusiasts in the population, but no such luck...the mediocre masses dictate what cars we can and cannot buy and what options are available due to their often uninspired and uninformed preferences. Well, just because you don't share an opinion doesn't mean that people who do share that opinion are wrong, or uninformed. American motorists just overwhelmingly don't care for manual transmissions. A lot of it has to do with how our roads are in the US vs in europe. Driving a manual in bumper to bumper freeway traffic is not fun. On the Autobahn its fun, on backcountry english roads its fun. On the capital beltway its not. I'm a 25 year old businessman, and I can absolutely drive a stick. I also have track experience. I would not however ever purchase a car with a stick. The roads in the area I live are too congested its not fun...its work. It doesn't mean I'm stupid, I just don't want the extra work. My 60 year old mother however loves stick (boy does that sound wrong...) and prefers it to auto. She doesn't commute anymore though, when she did guess what she drove? An automatic. If I lived somewhere with no traffic and fun twisty roads I'd probably drive a stick, but the vast majority of Americans don't live in places like that and they want automatics. So, I think your analogy that businessmen and housewives can't drive sticks and thats why we don't have sticks is pretty worthless. We don't have sticks because they're not compatible with our lifestyle. You also can't blame the car manufacturers for not building something only 3% of the consumer public wants. Just buy a BMW, they all have sticks. Lexus just has one to say they have one anyways.
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