Hey guys, I'm about to be a new driver soon and I would like a lexus as my first car. I'm not really sure what to get but I know I would Like something with stick shift and rwd that would last me a little while my budget is 3500 please help thank

****Alright scratch the above what is the best lexus or any car in general for my price range looking for something pretty decently fast that I could maybe work on later something reliable that won't die on me and something with a wow factor like I want people to think I have a nice car perferably still with rwd and stick but not mandatory I'm also okay with just rwd or just stick

 

Welcome to the Club!


Lexus stick shift RWD, and only $3500?


Only thing you'll find is a very old SC300 with very high mileage.

You can't get an IS300 or IS250 at that price, unless something's wrong with it.


BTW, these cars are notoriously expensive to insure, especially for a new driver. Add that to the budget.

 

Some early 1990s ES250 and ES300 too ?? ... but even so, they must be hard to find ...

Edit *** ES not rwd, missed that

 

ES are RWD going backward

 

high mileage IS300 w/ auto tranny can be had for $3.5k. but your looking for a stick shift, and those have gone anywhere from $6k-$8k in my area.

for your price range i would say MK3 supra, 240sx, miata, MKI/MKII mr2. good luck

here is a SC project car

http://ocala.craigslist.org/cto/4843363006.html

 

For that price, may I suggest a 1995-1998 Nissan Maxima 5-speed. Super quick, Gobs of torque, excellent sounding Bose sound system,and excellent reliability. This Nissan is before Renault's influence of lowered reliability.
You will catch everyone by suprise by how powerful and fast that car is.

 

PhilipMSPT said it. You're looking at a 92-96 SC300 or a really messed up IS300. What you can do is buy a really cheap SC300/400 and use the remaining $$ to do a tranny swap to stick. But a Lexus for $3500 + stick, you will be hard pressed to find something besides an SC300.

 

Motor Trend, Road Test, June 1994 (the 1995 Nissan maxima)
"Our tester, a five-speed SE version of this fourth generation of Maxima, produced a blazing 6.6-second 0-60-mph time, and a 15.2-second, 92.4-mph quarter-mile run. Ask us,
and we'll tell you how the Maxima SE will whip the Integra GS-R, and Taurus SHO;
the new Maxima also shows no mercy on its Nissan stablemates: It'll stomp the normally aspirated 300ZX, and drivers of automatic-transmissioned 300ZX Turbos best not be snoozing when the light goes green.
This demure-looking family car is the quickest Japanese sedan available in the States."

http://www-new.nissanx.com/old/htdocs/mt1.html

 

Didn't you mean to post this on 4/1?

 

Yeah like I said in the edit I'm just looking for a nice first car something kinda fast, reliable, and can work on later.stick and rwd are preferred but not mandatory

 

a miata?

 

Another vote here for miata. If your budget is 3500 you'll most likely be spending at least another 1k for maintenance on those high mileage SC's

 

Wouldn't insurance be kind of high for a new driver isnt a miata considered a sports car?

 

Miata is slow and cheap to fix, I am guessing insurance cost is low.

 

If you have a budget of $3500 on a car, insurance isn't something you have to worry about. A budget of 10k however...

I can recommend the Miata's with Lexus aside, my Dad DD's a 00' 6spd. Just remember every 100k the clutch will need replacing. Already had to replace one on the 00' 6spd at 105k. My brother DD's a 99 Miata as well...it was my Dad's before it was my brothers and my Dad says it was the most reliable/cheapest vehicle he has ever owned in his life...and he has owned stuff from Dodge to GM all the way to Lexus even...