macmaster

Last week my beloved Prius was hit in an accident and after talking to my adjuster today, all signs point to a total loss. As you can tell from my profile, I've long been in love with the Lexus IS and so now I'm wondering if it is time for me to finally make a move. However, because I'd want to make a smart purchase and it's been a long time since I was a part of the Lexus following, I have a few questions:

All I know now is that I want a slightly pre-owned Lexus IS and I'd like it to last me for the next 10 years hopefully. I used to only want a 350 or F, but life happened (got married, I'm still finishing my PhD, etc) and my budget probably only dictates a IS250/200t. I'm thinking below $25k and even $25k is a lot. (I don't imagine getting more than $9000 for my Prius.)

What would be considered "low-mileage" for this type of Lexus?
What would be a good price range for this type of IS 250?
Are there any dealerships (or even salespeople) that are better than others that I should visit? (I live in Southern CA)
Any years or models to avoid?
Anything else to know? Thanks Lexus community!

-Matt

skiracer

If you're looking for a new purchase, I got a great saleswoman in Woodland Hills, CA

E46CT

If you're in socal, the best deals will absolutely be had at Longo. They got the volume to back it up. Literally the #1 dealer in the world in terms of size, sales. They can afford to give great deals.

As far as Prius vs IS, looking back I wish I had kept my Prius or CT. The Lexus gets horrible fuel mileage.

E46CT

and yes avoid 2014.

macmaster

But they're the cheapest 3rd gens!!! Any specific reason other than that it's the first year?

arentz07

They are known to have battery drain issues, which you can find lots of examples of on this forum. If you're okay with that, by all means.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...d-threads.html

JDR76

My IS was a 2014 and I had no issues with it. The navigation system will be slower, but if you can live with that they're exceptional cars.

doodlebug

I would not say "avoid" the 2014's, just do research on one before you buy it. The only issue my 2014 had was a corrupted Navi/infotainment system (replaced) under warranty. I have 48 months on my original battery - no issues.

Panzer126

Yeah why avoid the 2014? In this case a 2014 might be your best bet because it should be the cheapest 3is year. Just be prepared to pay a lot more for gas. My old matrix was about $40 (CDN) bucks, this 350 awd is about $80 a week and that's with it being in eco mode and feathering the throttle for 80% of the time.

skiracer

Wasn't 2014 the first year of the third generation? Usually the first model year of a new generations will have the most bugs in them which are subsequently fixed in later years...

JDR76

While the 2014 was the first year of the 3IS, it has still been quite reliable. Think about it - the engines didn't change so they've been tweaked and honed for years. The platform and suspension were sized down from the GS, which had been in service for nearly 2 years. The navigation was standard Lexus, just with new software. There wasn't a lot of "new" systems in it. It's a low risk car.

If there was a parasitic draw on the battery, by now (as in, late 2017) it probably would have shown up by now and been addressed. They also released firmware updates to the navigation system that addressed many of the bugs.

I would not hesitate to recommend or own a 2014 IS again.

sbcluser

Too funny - I traded in a 2010 Prius in 2014 for my 2015 IS350 F-Sport AWD. Incredible upgrade! Both vehicles were driven for performance - just different kinds of performance lol.
So 3 years later, I still look forward to climbing into the IS every time I drive it.
woohoo!

tea

I've had my 2014 for about 4 years now. No problems with it at all

jmull3r

iTrader: (1)

i mean if you look for a 2014 with higher miles you could MAYBE find a 350 for that kind of price, which i would highly recommend over a 250

evident

Only issue i had with my 14 is that battery drain which eventually got fixed. I wouldn't hesitate either.