Trek

The lease on my GS expires this year. I don't know what to do! This was my first ever lease. In the past I always bought. I think I will lease again, but I'm viciously torn as to what to go for. I'm seriously considering keeping the 4GS, but I'm torn! Help! This is my first Lexus, so I'm not a real fanboy. Nothing against Lexus. There are brands I won't touch (can you spell F-O-R-D?) but otherwise I don't have a favorite. I'm not brand loyal, nor am I biased in favor of Japanese vs. German vs. American vs. Korean, etc. I don't care about that stuff.

Here is my dilemma. This next acquisition is likely my last new car, get what you want and can afford car. I'll be retiring in four years and I'm not rich. But right now, I can get close to whatever car really interests me, if it is below 100K. At the same time, I'm scared about spending too much. What will happen after the lease? Will want this car when I'm old? If I give it up, what will I drive then?

So here is my dilemma. I love my 4GS. It has AWD and is unbelievably good in the snow, and I've always lived in snowy states. None of the California, Texas, Florida or Arizona stuff and I don't expect to retire to any of those places. Calfiornia is too expensive and culturally/politically my wife wants no part of the other states. So we'll likely stay in the snow belt.

MY choices seem to be:

1. keep my 4GS, which is the safe but kind of boring choice especially knowing this is my last luxury car. Boring because it is the same old, same old. This is negative to me.
2. Satisfy the pull in my loins for a brand new Dodge Charger HELLCAT. 707 HP, fastest sedan in the world. There is something visceral about the idea of owning this car. Maybe it's the old school in me. When I was 20 years old no respectable American would touch a "foreign" brand. I became less provincial as I grew older, but I've never been prejudiced against American brands like many younger people are today. The negative: RWD, although it does have traction control.
3. Porsche Macan S. It's a small SUV but it's a Porsche, and every review has been stellar. You get performance, AWD, comfort (with air suspension), and even off road capability which I would likely never use. The negative: Lux sedans are easier on my sore back than SUVs, even a Porsche. And I worry about repair costs with lux German brands. I really worry.
4. My ultimate dream car but the most expensive by far, the Jag F-Type R Coupe with AWD (new for 2015). I keep telling myself 'you only live once.' The negative: cost plus the guilt I would feel doing something this impractical (only two seats and limited trunk space) as well as expensive.
5. Lease/buy a 2016 Lexus GS. The negative: It will still be 4GS not 5GS. Also, I tend to like change over familiarity or habit. The only time I bought the same brand in consecutive purchases was as a young single guy when I bought four Chevys in a row. But my last Chevy purchase was 25 years ago.

If you were me, what would you do? Agonizing over this big decision is eating me up.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

#1 and modify it a bit to make it more exciting.

Save the rest for pending retirement. I'm conservative like that.

ItzFilyO

If ur 4GS is still good and has been good then why not keep it? It'll probably only need new tires and brakes and some oil changes, it's still a Toyota, u get a low maintenance and good luxury car. Other cars may have problem and u'll be stuck with it after u retire.

Trek

I suppose I could mod it, but I'm not a modder. I have next to zero interest in doing that. Nothing wrong with modding, it just isn't my thing. I've always tried to get exactly what I want in a car, looks and tech, right from the factory or I won't get it. The same with houses, computers, everything I buy.

What about the yearning for something different? Especially given it is probably my last rodeo. Don't you guys ever want to try something different? Seriously. The Charger HELLCAT is also a four door sedan. Couldn't it become a collector's item down the road if I keep it? I was thinking that with this choice I could enjoy the unparalleled performance now (3.7 to 60, top speed 204) in a family sized sedan that only costs 65K, then when I'm too old to do that anymore, clean it up and keep it as a classic car. Hellcat has got to be the greatest name ever given an automobile. That smells like down the road value. It's not just any Charger. It's a limited production HELLCAT.

ItzFilyO

Yea but is it reliable? Do u need reliability in a car? If not then go get it.

Crispy

iTrader: (3)

Hellcat = undriveable in the snow

I would keep the GS or choose another AWD vehicle.

MEAHT

iTrader: (1)

Get the Porsche Macan.
The jag is awesome but the problem with that is you have to deal with the snow for part of the year :/

At least with the Porsche you have performance plus AWD.
good luck
thanks
Cisco

ECL

In the distant past, I have owned five Porsche's, three 911's, a 930 (911 Turbo) and a 944 Turbo. I have driven a Lexus for the last 20 plus years, but I often get an urge to have another Porsche. I almost bought a 2009 Porsche 997 just before I bought my GS F-Sport. Today I looked at the local Porsche dealer's web site, and they have a 2013 911 and a 2013 911S for sale. There were links to Carfax. In two years, the 911 had only been recalled four times. The 911S was the winner of the recall battle with seven recalls! I will stick with my Lexus, thank you.

blacksun

Starting with your 5 selections and knowing you don't want to do "boring" this is what I would suggest:

If this was really going to be my last new car then I would get something fun (i.e. choice #4) on a lease. After the lease is over and I'm close to (or in) retirement, I would probably buy two cars:

1) an inexpensive and practical low mileage used car with a good reputation for reliability and low maintenance costs to use as a daily driver (ex: Lexus ES [if i wanted comfort] / Chrysler 300 / Legacy/Outback [has awd] / RAV-4 or Highlander Hybrid)
2) an inexpensive also used "fun" car for track days and/or weekend trips to the country (Miata / Challenger RT / 350z / G35 / etc).

TangoRed

Given that you have an Acura RDX at your disposal (looking at your sig) I would go with the Charger Hellcat out of your choices. I have an F-type (RWD) myself but you're going to suffer monster depreciation and need to be prepared for that if you go that route. Also repairs will not be cheap, guaranteed. The Macan is good but to be honest it still drives like a crossover- just a great driving one. Also if you really want to load it up with the performance and luxury goodies it gets VERY expensive VERY quickly (not even talking maintenance).

My personal choice would be a lightly used, CPO Mercedes-Benz CLS63/E63 (AWD) or a CPO Audi RS7.

ItsJustMe

You only live once so why not get your dream car with the Jag !?

It doesnt make sense but then again most 2 seaters don't

Goooo for it !!

mmarshall

Why do you dislike Fords so much? You did not make the reason clear. For one thing, they are a completely different company today than ten years ago.

If you are going to stay in PA, especially in the colder parts of the state, my advice is, unless it is going to be stored properly for the winter, simply forget about the Hellcat...or any other high-powered RWD muscle or high-performance car, traction-control or not, even with winter tires. That alone should cut down on your agonizing...it will simply be one less thing you have to worry and fret about.

Dave and some of the other posters also have a point (and I'm retired myself). Take care of your retirement needs first, with whatever nest-egg you have built up over the years. Then, when you know how much retirement is going to cost month by month, THEN you can look a a new (or another used) car.

SW17LS

The 4GS is the first car I've had in a long time that I could see myself keeping a long time. I'm considering keeping mine too.

With that said, you do only live once, and you can't take it with you. If you can do it without it hurting you financially...get what you really want. Everybody who works hard deserves to have what they really want at least once in their lives.

Get your Jag.

Trek

I thought about the snow thing, but I'm old enough to remember when there was no such thing as AWD on a car and 90% of the cars on the road were RWD. I drove them in the winter. Is the winter worse now? Besides, snow is only occasional and only really possible four months out of twelve. Maybe I what I really need is to recapture a little taste of my youth and get what would've been every American boy's dream car back in the 60s and 70s, if they had 'em then-- a 707 HP HELLCAT. Think about it. The HELLCAT cost the same as a loaded GS F-Sport, probably 20K less than a loaded 2016 GS F, and will smoke the upcoming GS F into slowpoke status. I keep thinking about that.

Some of you have given some wise advice about taking care of retirement money first. If I do that then the Jag is out of the picture. That leaves the Porsche Macan S (Porsche still has cachet), the HELLCAT, a 2016 GS or keep my 2013. I think I'd rather keep my 2013 then get a new one. After all, it will basically be the same thing, and I'll only have 24K miles on my 2013, so that eliminates the 2016 GS.

Macan S or HELLCAT or boring but relatively cheap and reliable. This is hard because I hate being conservative.

spwolf

Why not something like new Tesla? Can you charge it?

With Tesla, you get something unique, plus your costs will be down and it will be great talking point. Wicked fast too.

IMHO, I would do that or keep the GS, which is wonderful car.