Dannis

ALL, Need some help in deciding how much is too much in terms of mileage on a Used IS 350.

I'm in the market for a 2006-2010 IS 350 and while mileage is relative to the owner(s), I am trying to decide what is too much? I see many used IS 350's with 135K plus miles on them, but is it really worth the $13,000 sticker the dealers are asking for? Sure KBB and the like's suggest the market Value for the car, but If I am going to drop 13K on a vehicle and walk into the shop 6 months down the road... Not sure it was a good investment (Which i know cars are not)

Just looking for thoughts or maybe what you got your car for and how many miles...

Couple Examples: (I really want a Silver one, but is it worth the extra 20K miles?)
2006 $11,897 with 110K Miles (Silver)
2006 $13,000 with 97K Miles (Black)
2007 $13000 with 110K miles (silver)
2008 $14,900 with 84K miles (Silver) (Private Seller)
2008 $12,995 with 114K Miles (Gray)

Dan

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

I would go for the 2008 84K and try to negotiate with the seller. I got my 2008 IS350 a few years ago with 35K for around $26K. The IS 350 is pretty reliable. You should read the FAQ sticky.

Dannis

Thanks! @NoSurprise...

Read the FAQs which were very helpful! Thanks for that. It does sound like though in your opinion that the lower mileage vehicle I had as an example seems to be the best choice. Price may not have even been a factor in your "pick" as it was the highest price... Maybe potentially the "easiest" to negotiate though because of a private seller?

I guess I want the good feely in my stomach, that buying a 100K plus vehicle for 13K is ok to do. I plan on putting 5K miles tops/yr on the vehicle i end up getting so I know I will get pretty good life still...

Dan

cmiser

Try to check the service history and see if it's a northern car. A well maintained southern car is ideal in my opinion and it's a major plus if they have done the plugs recently.

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

Yes, you can check the service history by getting the VIN and registering the car on Lexus Drivers website.

I'm looking at the relative prices of the same 2008 year cars, and the difference between them is 30,000 miles for extra $2,000 without any negotiation -- I think that's worth it. What kind of equipment the cars have will affect the prices as well, but since none are listed, I didn't consider them. From what I hear, these cars are very reliable into 100K miles and more, so the chances of it breaking down is low.

Dannis

Thanks again all...

I think I'm going to see about that private seller. The other concern I had was obtaining the finances for a used non dealer but that might not be as hard as I think it might be....

One last question.... I keep seeing the 250s often more $$$$ than the 350s... Any reasons. I've been looking at the 350s mostly because the HP but trying to figure out why the variance in price... Most times more than the 350s

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

Most likely the difference is lower miles or more equipped (like the luxury package and navigation).

carlos3366

Go for the 08 private seller and negotiate, OR, go for the 2006 w/110K miles and negotiate. I have 125K w/o any problems so far. Be aware that these cars destroy tires from the inside and you will have to replace them often, they cost about 1K for all four.

Placemtrs

I've got mine on the market but up here in WV.

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/...357264005.html

Stereorob

good question. I haven't seen many 2-IS with really high miles and I work in the service dept at a huge dealership so that should say it all. there was one, an 06 with 248,650 miles I remember showing up and it was really bad. seems like the 2-IS suffers some of the same symptoms and the early LS, flickering needles, blurred out climate control displays, interior was shredded. this one was an exeption cause I could tell it was horribly neglected. sad to see them like that.

02camryle

iTrader: (1)

The lower the mileage the better of course. ..i just bought my 2011 is350 last week and i think its worth every penny..its not 13grand i paid ofcourse but still i dont think theyre consider overprice these days

scott1256c

yeah, there are other things to look at as well. Seals around doors to see if it was parked inside or out, or if they were maintained. Look at seats and carpets to see condition. It is unlikely they did thorough mechanical maintenance and neglected the interior, and vice versa. So condition of one will be a indicator of the other. I have a friend who does autobody repair. He thinks Lexus are great quality. He expects 200k out of the seats, for example because he thinks they use better (thicker??) leather than some of the competition. Generally higher quality parts designed to last longer than some of the competition. Also, higher mileage may be more highway than city which has always been considered to be easier on the car. That is difficult to know though. An interior inspection might help you determine that.