WhoisJ

First of all hi to all. I am new here and yes this is another "I am thinking of buying an IS thread". I have read the forums and made some research but still I like to open a thread for interaction.

I am planning to buy a used car soon and planning to spend around 15K (a few K more or less but I really don't want to get close to or exceed 20K). I like to have a sporty car that I can drive everyday, have some fun while being reliable.
I previously owned a bmw 325i(E46), subaru fxt and have driven several sport sedans. Because of reliability issues I will not be buying another bmw until I can afford a new one with warranty, subaru's turbos also don't last long so I am also avoiding any turbocharged engined in used cars.

I also want a rwd (in california I don't need awd so rwd will be my choice) which leaves me few options including g35/37 and is 350. I am not a speed demon, I drive responsibly but I have to say 200hp is not cutting it for me so is250 is not an option.

My first question is are IS 350's reliable as daily drivers. It seems I will be aiming for cars having milage in the 80-100K range? Should I try to find something with less miles or saving a few K and going for a vehicle over 100K is ok?

My second question is "is a prepurchase inspection at a dealer " is enough? I will try to find a car with one or two owners with complete service history. Since every car is different I don't know what to look for and from my previous experiences I can miss some important details so I will trust in the prepurchase inspection this time.

Any advice is welcome.

cruzinZ

As with any used car you never know exactly what to expect. If you buy from a private party you will be able to speak with the owner and get a glimpse of the history of the vehicle. If the owner says he doesn't believe in oil changes and only gets them done every 20,000 to 25,000 miles you can run! If you are looking at that same car on a dealers lot they will sing any tune to get you to buy a vehicle from them right then and there.

As you've done research on these cars you'll notice they are reliable. If you don't mind working on them yourself you can take all of the dealer labor cost out of the equation. An example is the waterpump. You can do the job yourself for ~$200 in OEM parts or take it to a dealer for $1,500. Search the "how to" portion at the top of this sight. Also look on YouTube for videos on how to change the waterpump and other common wear items on the IS350.

If your sole purpose is to get a car at or under $20,000 you better be prepared in your hunt for the right car. DO NOT make an emotional purchase on an IS350. You should go in level headed and make it a business decision. How was it maintained? If it had all of its service history documented +20 points if not -20 points. If it was dealer maintained its whole life and you verified by looking it up on Lexus web sight +25points. What is the overall condition of the vehicle? How is the paint? Any curb rash/damage to the wheels, tread on tires? Interior condition? Carpet/leather/dash? The only thing I don't want you doing is returning to the forum about how you bought a higher mileage vehicle that turned into your lemon. Spending a two to three thousand dollars more can/might get you into a vehicle that could be a million times better than the other cars you are looking at. Then again you might find the perfect car for $16,000? As with any Toyota product these cars should go to 350,000-400,000 miles with preventative maintenance. BUT if you buy a used one and the previous owner beat the snot out of it don't expect anything but a headake. Look for the number of prior owners. If it's had 7 owners over the last 5 years take that as a huge red flag! If it's a one owner vehicle dealer maintained and had regular service every 3,000 or 5,000 miles at the dealer seriously consider it.

WhoisJ

Thanks for the reply I will definitely look for a car with complete service history and at most 2 previous owners.

Now DIY although it is simple requires tools and space of which I don't have. I am actually quite handy but not having a garage makes and time limitations makes it unlikely that I will do it myself. So do you think I can find some independent mechanics with reasonable prices? 1.5K for a water pump job seems very expensive, I believe water pumps of is350 are around 150$. How many hours does it take ?

When I buy the car I will probably have a few items replaced for preventative maintanence.

February

How quickly are you looking to buy? I think if you're not in a hurry and are patient you can get a pretty good deal.

Just to give you a data point, I purchased my AWD IS350 CPO for 24k. 2012, ~34k miles, luxury package, dealer maintained full service history. It's a bit more than what you want to spend but like you, I don't plan on doing anything DIY so I have the benefit of 3 years of warranty coverage.

cruzinZ

If you are able to save up a few thousand more you can get a much newer car with low miles. This in itself is nice because you'll be able to do all of the preventative maintenance on it and keep it running good for years/decades to come.

If not you can get an older/higher mileage car for cheaper. Just budget for anything that may come up. These cars are extreamly reliable but things do happen. This can be said for any used vehicle but it is more so for vehicles that have between 70,000 to 100,000 miles. Normal wear parts like breaks/rotors, waterpump, wheel bearings, suspension bushings might need to be changed out if they are wearing. On any used vehicle with over 50,000 miles you should flush out any and all fluids if you don't have wrecord said of it being done.

Not sure how mechanically inclined you are but the IS350 is relatively easy to work on. You can reduce the cost of ownership in half or more if you do your own maintenance. Also know where to cut corners on replacement parts. Only buy OEM parts for items like water pumps or suspension parts if you are keeping stock suspension all around. Break pads and rotors are really good stock equipment but you can save some money and get high quality parts for cheaper with aftermarket. The price of your first labor charge can get you a decent tool set that you will have for the rest of your life. You'll also save enough money to purchase a jack and jack stands. If you don't mind turning a wrench yourself you'll save thousands over the course of a few repairs. The DIY section of CL and a quick search through YouTube will get you going in the right direction. Sounds like all you need is a friends garage for an afternoon on a weekend.

When you say you want a sporty car to drive what exactly do you want? Something fun to drive around in town? Or are you going to go find windy roads out in the back country to explore? Any possible track days?

Riveroger

I have a really nice 350 in Long Beach i am considering selling. Its in great condition I bought it for my wife but it to sports car like for her , Its a blast to drive. rsotelor1@gmail.com

NickTee

If you're buying it used, bring it to a mechanic. They'll find stuff that the dealer usually won't.
Also, for that price you should be able to find a fully loaded IS350 with less than 90,000 miles. Forget anything that exceeds that, it's overpriced. I was looking at fully loaded IS350s and they were around $12,500 with 108,000 miles. $15,000 will get you lower miles. You just need to shop around. We are also in summer, which is when people like to jack the prices of these sport cars up. Just a couple months ago there was a beautiful fully-loaded, one-owner IS350 in SoCal with 70,000 miles on it for $16,000.

Just be patient and you'll find something good. Don't fall into the Summer trap.

WhoisJ

Great tips. Unfortunately I learned somethings the hard way in my previous purchases. So I am willing to research and go a few k more for the right vehicle. But on the other hand would it be bad to get a vehicle slightly above 100K miles if it was a one owner vehicle that was properly serviced?

What I want at this stage is a car that will be fun to drive on the windy roads or on the coast, If it is fun to drive in town too that's better. Since this will be a daily driver I am not planning to take it to a track. The seating position should be good too since I will spend more than an hour commuting almost everyday in this car.

By the way another reason why I want to stay under 20K is to avoid the urge to want to go even higher. For example I have seen new mustangs ecoboost with premium package going around 29K new and although I like IS more because it is a new car and interior is not bad I may just go for that which is something I don't wanna do.

brauski

iTrader: (1)

I live and work in Orlando and the IS350 is my daily driver. I think it's one of the best DDs you can buy. When you want it to be, its quick, agile, and fun. When you don't its comfy, quiet, and luxurious. Seems like we have some of the worst roads in America, and every single one is constantly under construction. Ride quality is great with the 350s. I have no problems at all on these miserable excuses for roads.

TLDR; Perfect DD.


PS - Bought my 06 with 115k for $12.5k a few months ago, have had zero issues. Runs like a top.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Just my opinion, the IS350 was been proven to be an overall more reliable powertrain than the IS250; so you're headed in the right direction.

As far as pre-purchase inspections, at the number of miles that your IS350 will likely be in the range of, I'd suggest it. The major things to look out for are making sure all of the recalls have been performed (Lexus.com), check the water pump for leaks (look for pink crust), and check for oil leaks around the timing chain cover. If everything is good, purchase it!

WhoisJ

I have been searching for a vehicle and I came across this one. I managed to get the service history report from the vin number from the lexus site.

I will be very happy if you can check to see if the vehicle is serviced properly. It is a long document (5 pages) you can find it attached.















It seems to be maintained well at the dealership but such a long record.

BTW I was going to purchase carfax and autotrader reports again but if someone can check this vehicle for me it would be great, afterall if it turns out this one is a good one I dont want to purchase subscriptions just for one vehicle.

MWIS350

IS350 is a best choice. But get it inspect by mechanic before buying and check clean carfax.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

The above listed Lexus maintenance records there are an example of a properly maintained vehicle. Looks like you have a gem there to be honest! All of the recalls have been performed, and common stuff like spark plugs and brakes/rotors appear to have been addressed at least once.

Overall, I'd say you've got a winner!

WhoisJ

Thanks for the reply, yes vehicle is maintained well. But there is a problem. The vehicle has 4 Owners to my surprise.

First owner had it from 2006-2012 putting 40K miles, second owner from 2012-2014 putting another 30k miles. Then it gets interesting 3rd owner had it for only 19 days and Current owner seem to be driving it for the last 7 months with areound 6k miles on it.

I think I should pass this right ?

WhoisJ

Thanks for the reply, yes vehicle is maintained well. But there is a problem. The vehicle has 4 Owners to my surprise.

First owner had it from 2006-2012 putting 40K miles, second owner from 2012-2014 putting another 30k miles. Then it gets interesting 3rd owner had it for only 19 days and Current owner seem to be driving it for the last 7 months with areound 6k miles on it.

I think I should pass this right ?