Lexus: four used models that came with a manual

Jalopnik's starting point is that Lexus was never really a manual-transmission brand. It built its reputation on quiet, smooth, efficient luxury cars, kept un-turbocharged V8s around longer than most rivals, and once built a V10 supercar it did not have to build. The one current manual it gets credit for, the LBX Morizo RR crossover, is sold overseas only. But Lexus arrived in the U.S. as the 1980s turned into the 1990s and spent roughly its first 15 years building cars in an era when a stick shift was still a mainstream option. That is enough for Jalopnik to name four used models where a manual was on the order sheet.

The first ES

Lexus launched in the U.S. in 1989 with the LS 400, which took the headlines, and a smaller, cheaper ES so the brand would not be a one-model make. Jalopnik says the first ES was a midsize car that shared plenty with the Toyota Camry of its day, including a 2.5-liter V6 that made 156 horsepower. A four-speed automatic was the common gearbox, but a five-speed manual was offered too. Not because the ES was sporty, Jalopnik says, but because that was simply what cars were like then. For a shopper, that is the useful part: a manual ES is a curiosity rather than a performance car, so it is hard to argue it adds much to what an automatic one is worth.

The first SC

The SC is one of the few two-door cars Lexus has built, and Jalopnik says the first generation is the one to want. It calls the second-generation car a Florida realtor favorite, and describes the first as essentially a Toyota Soarer, or a more refined Supra. The SC 300 used a non-turbocharged version of the Supra's 2JZ engine, a 3.0-liter straight-six rated at 225 horsepower, and a five-speed manual was optional. Few buyers chose it. Reported: Jalopnik puts factory manual SC 300 production at 3,883 cars. Because the real thing is scarce, used examples often turn out to be W58 manual swaps, which Jalopnik describes as a known procedure on this car. Whether the transmission is original is the first question worth asking.

The IS 300

The first-generation IS 300 compact sport sedan was built to take on the BMW 3 Series, and in the U.S. it used the 2JZ straight-six from the SC 300, here at 215 horsepower sent to the rear axle, with a five-speed manual as one option. Jalopnik gives the chrome metal ball shifter its own credit line, comparing the feel to an old Italian supercar, minus the metal gates. Lexus also sold a SportCross wagon, automatic only, though Jalopnik notes people have swapped manuals into those as well. Its summary of the package: a manual, rear-wheel drive, a non-turbo straight-six, Toyota build quality and four usable doors.

Jalopnik, on that combination: "Sometimes we forget how good we once had it."

The IS 250 C

Lexus also built a convertible version of the second-generation IS, and Jalopnik calls the manual one a unicorn. The six-speed manual came only with the IS 250 C, which used a 2.5-liter V6 rated at 204 horsepower, not the 3.5-liter V6 of the more powerful IS 350 C. The convertible was rear-wheel drive. Reported: Jalopnik, citing a ClubLexus source, says just 90 manual IS 250 C cars were sold in America between 2010 and 2012. At that volume, finding one is a matter of patience rather than shopping.

Who should skip this list

Jalopnik's four picks are enthusiast answers, and the manual versions are the rare ones, so they need the same checks as any older car plus one extra: whether the transmission left the factory with the car. Where it did not, the swap is a modification to inspect and price on its own terms. Anyone who wants a modern commuter under warranty, or simply does not want a third pedal, is better served by the automatic versions, which are far easier to find. Jalopnik gives no prices for any of the four, so there is no shortcut there either.

• IS 250 C
• IS 300
• Lexus
• manual transmission
• SC 300
• used cars