RXII

At what point do you put a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) on a Lexus?

I made the call suddenly this week with my 2007 RX, but I am just curious what people tend to think is reasonable/unreasonable amount of money to sink into an older car (my car had over 120K miles on it) …I keep hearing of people that have RXs with 200,000-300,000 miles on them and I can't help but wonder what they are paying to keep these cars on the road…

2010morx

I don't know why you wouldn't want to keep it? 7 years old with 120,000 miles is nothing for a Lexus.
It's paid for; your maintenance cost will be minimal especially if you take it to an INDY. You have already absorbed most of the depreciation.
As far as I'm concerned you’re playing with "House Money"

vlad_a

On a Lexus? I have an '03 IS300 and it is bulletproof. If maintained, it will keep going forever.
I spent somewhere between $2K-$3K last year to bring it up all of maintenance up to date, mostly preventatively.
At the same time, I improved stock suspension with progressive springs and Koni Yellow adjustable shocks.

I put an order on a '15 STi last night. I just can't wait for the IS to be in a state where it needs to be replaced.

We used the cash for clunkers program back in '09 on an '98 4Runner. It has 163K miles on it and was still going strong. The rust started to get to it here and there.

What happened to your '07 RX? That's not old at all for a Lexus.

RXII

Not really - there was a leak in the engine (I forgot the terminology, but the seal to something in the engine had broken), it needed 4 new tires, the back wheel bearings were shot, (forgive me if I mess up the terminology - when I heard the total cost of the repairs, I forgot what he said was wrong with the car!) I hit a deer a few years ago and the body shop (not related to Lexus…went through my insurance company) did a crappy paint job - the paint was chipping all over the front and several spots were starting to rust, somebody had taken a shopping cart and run it up one side of the car, one of the headlights was cloudy…the car looked "tired" …I would rather trade it and put the few thousand bucks that I would spend to repair that one into a new one with a warrantee, roadside assist, etc…yes, I had no car payment, BUT - a few thousand bucks here and there in repairs turns into the same thing! I got .9% financing, so I thought it was the better choice for me…

The car had been dealer maintained since day 1 - I am VERY hard on cars…I accelerate fast, I break hard, I take turns hard…

Mine was also an 8 year old car... 2007 that I got this exact week in 2006

Droid13

There is a difference between DNR and Trade-In. Some people I know are tired, fed up, and done with anything that is over 6 months old. "It's got a paint chip now and the mats are dirty, what a POS, time to trade it".

Sounds like you're tired of dealing with it. From your own words it sounds like you care a LOT more about driving fun than maximizing the value of your vehicle investment. Trade it in, get something you like. Simple. You can make more money, but you'll never get the time back to "re-enjoy" driving a nice car that you like now!

RXII

^^ I already traded it...I got a 2015 RX this week...I was just curious what people are spending to keep these cars on the road this long...

I am a girl on the road alone - I was sentimentally attached to the 2007; however, the MAIN reason I traded was because I want something I feel is safer and more dependable...I had AAA and roadside assist through my insurance company, but the times I needed them, after waiting 2 HOURS, they never came! My dealership was ALWAYS the one to rescue me.

Droid13

To me, if the vehicle is:

<2 yrs - a baby
2 - 4 yrs - young kid
4 - 6 yrs - a teenager
6 - 10 yrs - young adult
10-15 yrs - older adult (most going strong, but some not doing so well, rare fatality)
15+ years - senior (might be vibrant and active, or in sad shape, might go for years or pass away the next day)

oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

Wel if you're beating on it every time you're in it, then there is no way you're going to make it to $200k-$300k ever on any vehicle without putting a crap load of money into it. Unless you invest some money upfront to upgrade the components so that it can withstand that level of wear and tear.

My GS has more upgrades than it's worth in value (at least 3x as much) but I know it will run forever because of it.

Rainbird

Maybe you should consider a performance car like Audi or Porsche.

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

Agreed.

To help slow the aging process of the grandfather in my garage, I purchased a teenager.


Sounds quite odd out of context, doesn't it.

RXII

I have had 3 German high end SUVs - the Lexus is a FAR better car for the money…I am *trying* to change the way I drive

Where I am from NJ - the Audi dealerships are HORRIBLE - my mom just dumped an A8 for an RX because she couldn't stand the dealership…

RXII

LOL - Funny!

ejb222

I have a 2005 RX330 that just turned 250,000 this week. I've owned the car for 2 years and 55,000miles and only spent money on breaks and tires. I bought the car from my folks for $6 my wife and I agree that this car is worth spending $5000 on repairs for if needed. As that $5k would not provide an similar replacement especially as far as amenities are concerned. Thankfully we have had just routine maintenance and that's it. Why would I want to send the car to an early grave only to spend thousands on another car that may or may not last as long and gain what...Bluetooth? It may quite possibly be the nicest car I ever own. Hope she runs another 250,000 😁

JProdun

^^^^^^
Great to hear this!

I have an '04 with 115 and it runs better then most of my friends '13 muranos and pilots.

Going to take it for water pump, belts and plugs this month to have it properly running for another few years.

cdnewton

Our 2004 RX currently has 190,000 miles on it and in December, we put about $3,000 into it. Some of the repairs were preventative, others were needed as my wife was going on a cross-country trip. The repairs consisted of the rear main seal, front differential cover, transmission front pump seal, timing belt, water pump, idler bearings, cleared an air bag code, differential and transmission fluids, all wheel alignment, axle seals, drivers side cup holder (almost $450 to replace that ... stupid move on my part to break it), front brake pads and rotors.

The rest of the car is in such good shape, it seemed like the best investment to fix it. Assuming a new RX car payment would be around $600-$700 per month, the repairs covered 5-6 months of what would be new car payments. After that, we were back in the clear since it has been paid off since 2008.