IS-SV

Lexus IS350 would be a great choice of cars of OP's intended usage.

Fizzboy7

I'm thinking the IS is too nice of a car to beat up with a ton of miles. But if it's just money, who cares. May as well do it in style. =)

IS-SV

I think the OP is considering the purchase of a used IS350 to lesson the initial depreciaton hit especially considering the mega miles.* And it seems the gas mileage of the IS350 is similar to his previous car which he considered to be acceptable.* So I don't blame him for wanting something a bit better and more fun than your typical commuter Priius/Civic/Corolla.

So if he can afford the premium car cost of ownership, the Lexus would tend to be lower cost to maintain and a bit more reliable versus the European cars that compete with it.

omelet1978

Actually, for a number of reasons I've decided to either get a Lexus used or just buy new and accept the kick in the nuts depreciation down the road. I've had 2 used cars in my life. Both had so many issues that I didn't really save any money...The BMW I'm driving right now is #2 and that thing is not holding up well with the drive. 4 major repairs in 4 months! Fortunately, I got an extended warranty, but I'll burn through it very fast with this drive.

I'm also a big safety guy and view VSC & airbags as a requirement. Finding VSC is difficult on used cars so thats one thing that led me to used luxury cars. The way I look at it if I get into a wreck and get injured it's going to cost a lot more than the car's depreciation...

omelet1978

I came close to getting an Altima as well, but the ones I looked at did not seem to be very well taken care of. These used luxury cars...alot of the owners are pretty obsessive.

Also looking at a TL Type S and even a Ford Fusion Sport. The latter has $2500 in rebates right now.

jackblack7

Who's going to let you put 40,0000 miles per year on a leased car?

sailing217

I commute 42k miles a year. Actually I telework a day a week now so only 36k a year. My almost 2.5 year old IS 250 mt has a lifetime MPG at 29.4mpg and 96k miles on the clock.

I thought I'd like to ride in some luxury and still be a bit sporty. Kinda killing 2 birds with one stone. If I had to do it again I'd get a low mileage but older used car and drive it into the ground. If I was buying new I'd look hard at the Ford Fusion sport. For the $15-20k saved would go towards a real fun car like a used s2000 or something.

Other than oil changes, I never go to the stealership. Regular fluids and parts that wear out is the only thing. No surprises.

When you drive that much, you don't want to drive at all on the weekends no matter how nice a car you have. I bought my wife an Evo X mr for a weekend toy and it's raw and a blast to drive but still I'd rather be chillin somewhere than in another car.

soupdawg

where did this stupid notion come from that you should get a cheap car just because you drive a lot? if anything the more you drive the nicer car you want since you will be spending so much time in it. putting on tons of mileage means he is getting his moneys worth out of the car. buying a car and driving it 5k miles a year is a bigger waste.

15951

It's not stupid, it's financially smart. Your opinion demonstrates a real lack of financial experience, and I'm betting you're no older than 21. You'll "see the light" eventually.

Now, if the OP is well-off financially and can pay cash for an IS350 without negatively affecting anything else in his life, then I say go for it. Otherwise, you're talking about financing a luxury car and beating the hell out of it, leaving it worth very little at the end of four years when you potentially owe another year or two on it. That's called being upside down, and that is pretty stupid.

shui3000

No and yes.

Yes, he'll get his money's worth if he drives the car into the ground.

No, it still doesn't make sense to spend more on a nicer car because he's spending more time in it. If anything he should buy a used reliable cheap car, put all of those miles on it, and use the rest on a fun used car (s2000, z4, miata, elise, viper, etc.).

Most importantly, it's never smart to buy a new car.

Tmirk

iTrader: (3)

Why does anyone buy a Lexus then. If you are going to say something stupid about financial ownership on a Lexus board you should sell your car and get into a civic DX manual.

outlaws

lexus is a toyota..... rebranded..... dont anyone else see this?
the only difference is lexus parts will be more expensive to buy, but other than that it's the same as owning a toyota...

currently i'm driving 50 mi each way just to see my gf even though my work is only less than 5 mi away from me. i was hoping that id put less than 10k in a year but lo and behold i'm at 10k in 6 months from the drives. so far i haven't done anything but put gas and change the oil. it's a pretty solid feeling car. the only thing that sucks will be buying sports tires that i can see is the main concern. that's the price you pay for having a "sports" car. other than that, it's just the usual maintenance.

shui3000

Because some of us are in occupations where image matters. Some of us value aesthetics over value.

This does not mean we do not know the difference between a good and bad financial decision.

R6_Dude

Did I just read that you are going to buy a 2007 IS350 for 40K? You can get a new one!

IS350HKS

iTrader: (4)