dgsvt

I was just as surprised as you seem to be... Go to their web site and search the pre-owned section. I just checked and all three are still there. All three say Factory Demo... No pricing listed??? I was also shocked that one was a blue with alpine interior.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

id be interested in a used IS-F, maybe in a few years tho.

SC430inVA

I received a second chance offer from ebay seller for a NM with 4K for $52K.
Had a few scratches

Scythe

do the ones going for low 50's have the nav/ml system though?

cliffud

iTrader: (3)

scythe - yes.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/car/735500709.html

gl.

c.

SC430inVA

All three were Lexus exec demos which according to them have never been titled. I was told factory warranty had not started and would start with the first buyer. The cars range in miles from 2,xxx to 5,xxx. The asking price is $54,900, but I believe a serious buyer could do better.

As for me, I constantly look for year old low mileage cars when I buy because of the intiial depreciation. The dealers will tell you that a lexus does not depreciate as fast as others, but in fact, they do depreciate and at a faster clip than the dealers will lead you to believe. Even tho the MY 08 launch date for the ISF was early 08, I understand the MY 09 will be out in late October/early November. If that is the case, a buyer should be able to argue a full year depreciation discount very soon. Another thing I noted is that the dealers alottment of ISF's are sitting longer than they like, prolly because of the economy and not ISF related.

Anyway, I believe my next car will be an ISF but first I need to sell my existing mode of transportation (2007 BMW 550i). I am finding it difficult to sell because of economy but I will keep it before letting it go for wholesale.

After driving the ISF I came away impressed by 2 things. Power and the fact it is a lexus.

nuttybar08

They're basically asking invoice, and I fully agree that a dedicated buyer should be able to knock a good chunk off that. Those cars will be a great deal for someone...

I've visited two dealers so far and both tried the "no discount because it's a niche car" shtick. Nice try but pure BS because as you've also noted there are plenty of '08s sitting in inventory. If you aren't picky about color it's a buyer's market.

You're also right about the general market environment...///M3's particularly 6MT sedans are gathering dust and the discounts are getting better every day. It doesn't help dealers that BMW pulled the rug out from under them with DCT, then announced the iDrive upgrade and exterior refresh for '09. Since there are no major "must have" upgrades for the '09 IS-F, I will be ready to drive a very hard bargain on a new or lightly used '08 at the end of the year.

SC430inVA

What can you say. They took a great car and made it greater with the DCT. It is light years ahead of the SMG. That said, the price point is $10 large over the ISF. The sales manager at BMW is a friend of mine, yet he would not not deal much on the DCT ($2k off of $73.5K). As you noted, the 5manual M3's on his lot can be dealt with.

There are pluses and minuses with both, but after driving both, I would buy the ISF. And it's not like I am not familiar with the BMW brand. Since 2002, I have owned an 02 540i, an 01 M roadster, an 03 M5 and currently own an 07 550i (all manuals). I am trying to sell my 550i now and find that luxury V8's are a bit hard to move in this economy. I could sell it wholesale easliy, but not ready to go there as yet.

I am approaching retirement and I am looking for a car that can take me well into that next phase in life. From a reliability standpoint, that means Lexus. Plus they finally made a car that has piqued my interest. My wife has an 02 SC430 which has been bullet proof.

Sorry for the longwinded response, but I am a car guy and am always looking for a conversation, hehehe.

al

LexFather

Great post.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

DCT has a ton of issues currently, hopefully they are straightened out

Namir

I think the biggest appeal with the m3 is the availability of a manual. Maybe its just me but if i were considering a M3 it wouldn't be in DCT.

That said, I'm broke and can't afford a M3 or an IS-F anyway :\

nuttybar08

I'm always down for a decent discussion. I'm not retired...still working...and looking for a high-performance daily driver. Although I admire the M3 it's a pretty fair bet it'll disappoint me repeatedly in the reliability department if pressed into daily service. And that's even if I opt for the manual (and I would...don't care if DCT is faster). And in case some here don't know, BMW is no longer CPO'ing ///M cars which gives you an enormous clue how expensive they will be to maintain and repair ex-warranty. Frankly I do not desire those hassles for a car I intend to keep long-term.

I would be happier if the F came with a manual but it isn't a deal breaker since I drove one recently at the latest Lexus event. It's hard to find fault with the auto although I'll keep griping that it has one gear too many.

Interestingly enough, I got a call this weekend from a local BMW dealer asking me to come down and drive a DCT coupe that just arrived. Weird, since all I've heard is that they can't keep those particular models on the lot...

s4play

iTrader: (2)

Yea I've been looking at these in the used market as well to replace my e46 bmw m3.

I'm shopping for a white one as well


rk

Brian231

Nice write-up. Looks like you do your consumer homework.