Is the IS the right car?
08-03-13, 05:18 AM
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Is the IS the right car?
I am looking for a car and one of my options is the Lexus IS, an '06-'08 model. Is the model old or fine?
The ones I have found have mileages ranging from 80,000-130,000. I just have some questions regarding this car. One of my main points in choosing the car is the maintenance and repairs and how much I'm looking to spend on it annually.
As well as gas wise, is it costly or not? The car will stay with me for the next 2-3 years.
Is the car spacey for road trips from a state to an other?
I also want to know the pros and cons of the Lexus IS.
What should I consider to know if it's the right car?
The ones I have found have mileages ranging from 80,000-130,000. I just have some questions regarding this car. One of my main points in choosing the car is the maintenance and repairs and how much I'm looking to spend on it annually.
As well as gas wise, is it costly or not? The car will stay with me for the next 2-3 years.
Is the car spacey for road trips from a state to an other?
I also want to know the pros and cons of the Lexus IS.
What should I consider to know if it's the right car?
08-03-13, 07:35 AM
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The 06-08 is becoming dated, but nothing major has changed until this year (2014 IS). It's still a great year range to own an IS, that's for sure. It's fine.
It looks like you have a certain budget to work with, and you won't find something with CPO/Warranty at those mileages I assume. Lexus is a good brand here though because it is reliable. Understand that at those higher mileages though there will be the normal expected maintenance seen there but nothing that wouldn't be worth it and take you to 200K easily. Regular Maintenance + Lexus = Drive it forever or until you're done with it.
Gas wise - this is relative. Cost factors really into how much you'll be driving it. They aren't the highest mileage cars out there (IS250 is better than the IS350, but not by much).
Space? Not so much - at least for passengers in the back. It's just me and the wife for now, and I've been on a few trips and I drove a ton on the weekends - it's comfortable for sure. I wouldn't suggest 3-4+ hour drives with passengers in the back. Doable, but not comfortable for taller folks.
Pros? Reliability, great looks, depending on where you live great service from the dealerships. Could also be relative, but if it's what you like, go for it.
Cons? Relative. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. Maintenance can cost more than your typical Honda/Ford/<insert cars made by the millions here>, but it's just as reliable if not more reliable than those.
What car are you coming from? What do you plan to do with it? Do you have kids or drive lots of passengers? If we know your plans it'll help us help you.
But really, I don't think anyone can provide the one answers as to whether or not it's right for you. We could certainly give you our opinions though as to what works good and what doesn't. Hope that helps.
EDIT:
Another thought. What are you looking at in terms of alternatives to the IS? I myself almost bought the BMW 335i because I thought I'd want to have something I could mod for power, but in the end I needed the reliability. So I choose Lexus. Even though the 335i may have been the better performer, it wasn't the reliable one. I think my only regret was not going for broke and seeking out the IS F.
It looks like you have a certain budget to work with, and you won't find something with CPO/Warranty at those mileages I assume. Lexus is a good brand here though because it is reliable. Understand that at those higher mileages though there will be the normal expected maintenance seen there but nothing that wouldn't be worth it and take you to 200K easily. Regular Maintenance + Lexus = Drive it forever or until you're done with it.
Gas wise - this is relative. Cost factors really into how much you'll be driving it. They aren't the highest mileage cars out there (IS250 is better than the IS350, but not by much).
Space? Not so much - at least for passengers in the back. It's just me and the wife for now, and I've been on a few trips and I drove a ton on the weekends - it's comfortable for sure. I wouldn't suggest 3-4+ hour drives with passengers in the back. Doable, but not comfortable for taller folks.
Pros? Reliability, great looks, depending on where you live great service from the dealerships. Could also be relative, but if it's what you like, go for it.
Cons? Relative. Everyone has their likes and dislikes. Maintenance can cost more than your typical Honda/Ford/<insert cars made by the millions here>, but it's just as reliable if not more reliable than those.
What car are you coming from? What do you plan to do with it? Do you have kids or drive lots of passengers? If we know your plans it'll help us help you.
But really, I don't think anyone can provide the one answers as to whether or not it's right for you. We could certainly give you our opinions though as to what works good and what doesn't. Hope that helps.EDIT:
Another thought. What are you looking at in terms of alternatives to the IS? I myself almost bought the BMW 335i because I thought I'd want to have something I could mod for power, but in the end I needed the reliability. So I choose Lexus. Even though the 335i may have been the better performer, it wasn't the reliable one. I think my only regret was not going for broke and seeking out the IS F.
Last edited by Tarrant64; 08-03-13 at 07:38 AM.
08-03-13, 08:55 AM
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Yea, I agree with most of what Tarrant mentioned. I have an 06 250 awd, and have no complaints. I have 110k on the odometer and personally put 85k on it. I have only changed oil, breaks, spark plugs and tires. I have zero complaints.......the 06-08 is getting dated, but if your on a budget the newer models are not that much "newer"....excluding the 14'.
08-04-13, 07:53 AM
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It's an extremely nice toyota. You will have to pay more for normal maintenance (Do it yourself to offset cost and take pride in it), but you get all the perks that come with an extremely nice toyota. Smooth ride, quiet ride, luxurious interior that trumps many of the other "luxury" brands, good oem stereo, fun driving characteristics, toyota reliability and the status of driving a lexus.
In my is350, I average 25mpg. City 21 HWY 27-31
It's a small car. I really enjoy it for road trips and have been told the rear seats are fairly comfortable with decent leg room as long as they sit behind the passenger with his seat up a little. No leg room behind my seat. Trunk space is a little limited.
The other con is that you will like the car so much that you may find yourself spending more time with it than planned (detailing, DIYs, etc.). I find that anything I do on the car takes twice as long as it should because I am so meticulous about it when compared to any previous work I've done on run of the mill cars.
It's funny, I considered cost of maintenance a factor upon purchase, but now that I"m in love with the car, I buy top end parts and fluids for everything, so that factor went out the window. Then again, this great forum is so rich with information, you could honestly do pretty much all normal maintenance if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and that will save you a chunk of change.
Cost of premium gasoline is a factor that will vary greatly on the amount you drive and what other vehicles you are comparing the lexus to. If they require regular but get 3mpg less, it will even out etc.
Out of all the luxury models, I must say the lexus is your best bet. I researched cars for over 3 years before landing on the lexus. And my research was extremely in depth. If you want a luxury car, your best investment is a Lexus.
In my is350, I average 25mpg. City 21 HWY 27-31
It's a small car. I really enjoy it for road trips and have been told the rear seats are fairly comfortable with decent leg room as long as they sit behind the passenger with his seat up a little. No leg room behind my seat. Trunk space is a little limited.
The other con is that you will like the car so much that you may find yourself spending more time with it than planned (detailing, DIYs, etc.). I find that anything I do on the car takes twice as long as it should because I am so meticulous about it when compared to any previous work I've done on run of the mill cars.
It's funny, I considered cost of maintenance a factor upon purchase, but now that I"m in love with the car, I buy top end parts and fluids for everything, so that factor went out the window. Then again, this great forum is so rich with information, you could honestly do pretty much all normal maintenance if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and that will save you a chunk of change.
Cost of premium gasoline is a factor that will vary greatly on the amount you drive and what other vehicles you are comparing the lexus to. If they require regular but get 3mpg less, it will even out etc.
Out of all the luxury models, I must say the lexus is your best bet. I researched cars for over 3 years before landing on the lexus. And my research was extremely in depth. If you want a luxury car, your best investment is a Lexus.
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08-04-13, 01:12 PM
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Yeah, wow. 25MPG? More like 20-22 mix of highway/city for me. If I'm all highway (ie. road trip) I can get 25-27 at most, and that's going easy. 27-31 is 'impressive' on a 350 (I would think).
08-05-13, 07:52 AM
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@Tarrant64 Thank you for your reply.
The other car I'm looking into is the infiniti ex25. And yes, I am on a semi-tight budget. I live in San Diego, so I hope the dealership and service places are professional enough for maintenance work. I like the infiniti more because of its larger space (both in truck and back seats), and that it has more in cabin features (like 4-way camera, navigation, and aux). It's priced around the same as the IS, but uses a lot more fuel.
It's mainly gonna be me and my flatmate who ride the car. Maybe a few friends to sit in the back, if they come over on holidays.
The IS '06-'08 all have high mileage, I haven't found one with less than 120 K on it. That worries me, because it shows that the car was heavily used.
So, if it was you, would you chose the IS over the infiniti? Especially when the price difference is just a coupld of grand between the two (the IS being cheaper).
Thank you
The other car I'm looking into is the infiniti ex25. And yes, I am on a semi-tight budget. I live in San Diego, so I hope the dealership and service places are professional enough for maintenance work. I like the infiniti more because of its larger space (both in truck and back seats), and that it has more in cabin features (like 4-way camera, navigation, and aux). It's priced around the same as the IS, but uses a lot more fuel.
It's mainly gonna be me and my flatmate who ride the car. Maybe a few friends to sit in the back, if they come over on holidays.
The IS '06-'08 all have high mileage, I haven't found one with less than 120 K on it. That worries me, because it shows that the car was heavily used.
So, if it was you, would you chose the IS over the infiniti? Especially when the price difference is just a coupld of grand between the two (the IS being cheaper).
Thank you
08-05-13, 07:53 AM
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Thanks, that makes me feel more comfortable knowing that high mileage is not a big negative factor. And it's not like I have much choice, if I want an affordable IS, then it will have to come with high mileage.
08-05-13, 07:55 AM
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Yea, I agree with most of what Tarrant mentioned. I have an 06 250 awd, and have no complaints. I have 110k on the odometer and personally put 85k on it. I have only changed oil, breaks, spark plugs and tires. I have zero complaints.......the 06-08 is getting dated, but if your on a budget the newer models are not that much "newer"....excluding the 14'.
08-05-13, 07:58 AM
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Can I ask you about the steering? I know it's power steering, but does the steering wheel turn easily or with a little force. I ask this because I test drove an infiniti ex25 (the other car I'm looking into), and I was surprised at how hard the steering wheel was when turning.
08-05-13, 08:00 AM
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It does sound like you and everybody else never had issues with this car, Great to hear that. I feel more comfortable hearing that this opinion is widespread.
08-05-13, 08:04 AM
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It's an extremely nice toyota. You will have to pay more for normal maintenance (Do it yourself to offset cost and take pride in it), but you get all the perks that come with an extremely nice toyota. Smooth ride, quiet ride, luxurious interior that trumps many of the other "luxury" brands, good oem stereo, fun driving characteristics, toyota reliability and the status of driving a lexus.
In my is350, I average 25mpg. City 21 HWY 27-31
It's a small car. I really enjoy it for road trips and have been told the rear seats are fairly comfortable with decent leg room as long as they sit behind the passenger with his seat up a little. No leg room behind my seat. Trunk space is a little limited.
The other con is that you will like the car so much that you may find yourself spending more time with it than planned (detailing, DIYs, etc.). I find that anything I do on the car takes twice as long as it should because I am so meticulous about it when compared to any previous work I've done on run of the mill cars.
It's funny, I considered cost of maintenance a factor upon purchase, but now that I"m in love with the car, I buy top end parts and fluids for everything, so that factor went out the window. Then again, this great forum is so rich with information, you could honestly do pretty much all normal maintenance if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and that will save you a chunk of change.
Cost of premium gasoline is a factor that will vary greatly on the amount you drive and what other vehicles you are comparing the lexus to. If they require regular but get 3mpg less, it will even out etc.
Out of all the luxury models, I must say the lexus is your best bet. I researched cars for over 3 years before landing on the lexus. And my research was extremely in depth. If you want a luxury car, your best investment is a Lexus.
In my is350, I average 25mpg. City 21 HWY 27-31
It's a small car. I really enjoy it for road trips and have been told the rear seats are fairly comfortable with decent leg room as long as they sit behind the passenger with his seat up a little. No leg room behind my seat. Trunk space is a little limited.
The other con is that you will like the car so much that you may find yourself spending more time with it than planned (detailing, DIYs, etc.). I find that anything I do on the car takes twice as long as it should because I am so meticulous about it when compared to any previous work I've done on run of the mill cars.
It's funny, I considered cost of maintenance a factor upon purchase, but now that I"m in love with the car, I buy top end parts and fluids for everything, so that factor went out the window. Then again, this great forum is so rich with information, you could honestly do pretty much all normal maintenance if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and that will save you a chunk of change.
Cost of premium gasoline is a factor that will vary greatly on the amount you drive and what other vehicles you are comparing the lexus to. If they require regular but get 3mpg less, it will even out etc.
Out of all the luxury models, I must say the lexus is your best bet. I researched cars for over 3 years before landing on the lexus. And my research was extremely in depth. If you want a luxury car, your best investment is a Lexus.