ror105

Hi All,
New to the forum and Toyota owner for over 20 years. I made the mistake of trading off my 2005 Corolla for a 2014 Subaru Crosstrek several years ago thinking it may be a fun car to drive. Now, it isn't much fun. Minor mechanical issues and it isn't a Toyota.

Fast forward to today. I will be trading up to a Lexus GS or IS in the next 6 months after spending an afternoon at Lexus of Seattle. I just love both cars and it is time to reward my years of toiling away at work with a car I want. My son just turned 16 and my original intention was to find him a used Toyota Tacoma from somewhere in the south (to avoid rust issues; we are in PA). Then I started thinking (since his grades have vastly improved) that an IS250 with around 100k on the odometer would be in the same price range.

So, my questions to the members follow:

1. Dependability of the 2007 and 08 IS250? How are they? I assume it is going to be robust like a Toyota and need little attention and maintenance. Is that the case with this model?
2. I have seen him looking at the SC300 from the late 90's. I have always been a Supra fan and thought that might be a way to go.
3. Part of the rationale for the Tacoma for him is little passenger room to discourage a car load of teenagers and the benefit of 4wd. How do the AWD systems in the IS250 hold up over time?

Please excuse my lack of knowledge on the brand. As I said before, we have owned so many Toyota's that just hold up over time and in my opinion nothing can compare to there longevity and build quality. Wife is looking to order 4Runner #3 in the spring. I am hoping this forum can educate me on what I hope to be my next favorite brand to own.

Thanks in advance!
-Rob

JDR76

Welcome.

My only advice on the IS250 is to spend some time looking up the carbon build up issues for that engine. There are several threads about it here on Club Lexus. Other than that, it's a pretty solid car.

I'm a huge Tacoma fan so personally I would probably go that route.

Good luck in your search!

RNM GS3

Get an IS350, 250 are anemic.

2nd gen GS300/400/430 are bulletproof and are really cheap now.

JDR76

For a 16 year old, anemic can be a good thing!

ArmyofOne

LOL, get him an 05 ES330 He will never get a ticket.

SW17LS

Get him the Tacoma. I realize the cost is similar, but the Lexus is a luxury item, I personally don't think giving kids a luxury item like that is a good idea. The Tacoma is safe, reliable, practical, and I think that's an awesome first car.

ArmyofOne

^agreed, plus, he will appreciate having a truck as a teenage guy, trust me on that.

BrownPride

My first car was a 13 y/o Camry w/ 90K miles on it. Based off my positive experience w/ that car I'd say the Lexus should be fine. But I'd have to agree w/ the above, that getting a luxury car for a kid isn't the greatest of ideas. He's 16, so college is just a couple yrs away and [depending on where he studies] a car is something he could likely do without.

Whatever you do, don't engage w/ the crooks across the pond at Lexus of Bellevue.

mmarshall

Welcome to CL and Car Chat.

One word of caution....just because a vehicle is from the South does not mean it will not have rust or other moisture-related issues. Inspect whatever you look at carefully...under carpets, deep in the engine compartment, under trunk insulation, etc.....for signs of flood-damage such as mold/mildew, odors, corroded electrical connections, and stained/discolored upholstery. Many thousands (perhaps millions) of vehicles, from Texas to Florida, were recently flooded by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma....and unscrupulous persons or dealerships may try and pawn them off to unsuspecting buyers.

MattyG

Tacoma is too much for a 16 year old who may or may not know how to drive a RWD-based truck, AWD or not. He won't know anything about shifting it into its different modes or when to use same.

Forget about IS/GS/SC. Expensive fixes when they're not maintained. My instinct would be to get a Chevy Cobalt and let him have at it, with the pop can exhaust and the big gigantic rims and tinting, posing and the various "wraps".

If you are determined to stick with a Lexus, get him a well used but reasonably looked after RX300. Your bank account will thank him and you in the short run.

pman6

My parents would have never gotten me a lexus for "vastly improved grades"

but this is used, and anything 10 years old is pretty cheap compared to a new car. Plus, a used lexus is about the same price as a used camry !!

After any mechanical parts are replaced, it should run like new.

riredale

I hate sounding like one of those folks who are fond of saying, "When I was a lad I had to walk 10 miles through the snow to school," but really I'd be looking at a real beater--definitely Japanese, probably Toyota--but the cheaper the better, perhaps in the $2K range. It will still be fully functional yet it will establish a starting reference for when he buys much nicer cars on his own in the future. Plus it shows you know how you got well-off in the first place, by saving money.

Lex_Giorgio

Hey Rob!

For the IS250 AWD, it handles well in Quebec, Canada. So if you're worried about the AWD system, don't be
Slap on a good set of tires and he's set.

I've put 60,000 KM on my 2010 IS 250 and it didn't require any repairs.
Maintenance wise: Oil change, cabin filter, air filter, disc and pads. Nothing else. Rotors and pads are not cheap if you're going the OEM route, at least over here it's not.

If your son wants Bluetooth in his car, 2010+ models in Canada have them (which is why I opted for a 2010 at the time), I don't know if the States is the same or different.

He's lucky to get an IS! My first car was a Honda Civic! :P

Aron9000

Don't buy an IS250, it is perhaps the 2nd worse car Lexus has ever made(I'm counting SC430 as #1 just based on looks). The engine in the IS250 is prone to carbon build up issues, which if bad enough, will lead to a complete engine rebuild or replacement. Plus they cost the same as a used IS350, they have 100 less horsepower, and get identical fuel economy as the IS350.

Personally I think the IS350 might be a bit too much hp for a young person as their first car. 300+hp in a light RWD car means hooligan shennaigans/drift/burnout time. I'd go with the Tacoma, even though you can buy a hell of a lot nicer/lower mile Lexus IS350 for the same $$$$.

Used 4wd Toyota trucks are not a very good value for money IMO, resale is insane. Of course that's true of most used pickups, be it a full size Ford, Chevy or Toyota. trucks are HOT right now. As far as Toyotas 2wd ones are a lot more reasonably priced I've noticed, same thing with Tundras, they're around the same price used as Tacomas, but you do get a lot more truck.

And actually, if you can manage to find a 90's SC that is in good shape with maintenance records, that's a good cheap first car IMO. Its also a fairly easy car to turn wrenches on, in the 5 years I've owned my SC I've only taken it to a shop once, that was to fix the A/C(needed a recharge). The SC forum on clublexus is a great community and resource as well, easy to diagnose problems if you just do a search/read the stickies.

SW17LS

He'll learn, that's part of the fun.