looking to make a switch
 

Im currently looking at getting a 2015 IS250 with 33k miles or 2016 IS300 with 35k miles.....Im currently in a 2006 3gs so i dont have much experience with Is models other than knowing the 2gs & 3gs had some similar parts in-common so moving up in years should be a breath of fresh air. Is there anything i should look out for ? Both of these car are in the 21k-22k price range. I wanted to ask advice on pricing as well ? also thinking about purchasing an extended warranty if they are still offering one..... Good idea or a waste of money ?

With that mileage, I would hope those cars are certified pre-owned - but honestly, you might not need the warranty. Most issues that occur with the 3rd-gen IS are wear items - a lot of forum members here have reported that tires wear out quickly, especially in the front, as well as brake pads. There are fixes for those, however. You could try installing stiffer lower-control-arm bushings to help reduce the tire wear, and you could get aftermarket brake pads such as ones made by Akebono. That being said, the 250 and 300 (which have the same engines as the 2IS) are reliable.

My initial guess is that you probably should be paying mid-20,000s or lower for either of those.

Extended warranty would be good only if you inspect each car carefully. Such as electronics and other stuff. Ask for the carfax and look at the maintenance history and for any accidents and stuff or even repainting. You can always find the suggested maintenance intervals for both cars and compare them to carfax history, but seems like they were leased cars which should have been well taken care of. Not too sure if Lexus offers free maintenance on their leases but lease returns are always a good thing to save on money.

Driven both cars before jumping into a 2018 IS300 and def. love how the IS300 is a turbo that I can have fun in at the same time save some on gas(not really, heavy foot and aggressive driving style on freeway)

2016 IS300 is a 3.5L V6!


I had the same options when buying my car. Ended up with the 2016 IS300, mainly due to the increase in power as I go up a large hill almost everyday, so it felt better. I've only had my car for 2 months, but it's been fairly reliable aside from brake squeals (there's lexus service bulletin fix for that).

I'd go with the more powerful engine hands down. i would not even consider the 250. that's only if you really really really want a 3IS.