So I'm in the market for my first car and am looking at buying an IS350 before I go to college. The two options I'm split between are a 2015 AWD (102k miles) and 2014 RWD (82k),, added plus the AWD has red interior lol. Price difference between the two is around 3-4k with the AWD being the more expensive one. Anyone have any insight on which year would be the better option? Is there any issues with either that I should be aware of or anything like that? And for some context as well I'm from California moving to St.Louis, so I'm also looking at the AWD because of the snow but not sure how necessary it truly is . I'd probably put it on some all season tires, can't have winters because I wouldn't have anywhere to store them

** I also came across a pretty nice IS250 that I'm considering, but don't know a lot about the reliability on that trim. How does that compare too?

 

are you able to view the carfax/autocheck reports on the cars? how many owners? what type of owners - lessees? fleet? rental? dealer loaner? any accidents? look at the maintenance history. also, you can create an account on the lexus site and add a vehicle via the vin to view service performed at lexus deealerships.

there isn't a huge difference between the 14 and 15 other than some having issues with the head unit that someone mentioned in the thread you created about the salvaged car. also, there were some who had (parasitic?) battery drainage issues in the early years of the third gen. i had a 2014 250 until 2018 and didn't have issues with the head unit but did have issues with keeping the battery charged. i eventually just hooked it up to a battery tender if it was going to sit for longer than a week or so.

the 250 is a lot slower and it'll need more maintenance as the intake valves/cylinder walls will need walnut blasting as it's only direct injected and super prone to carbon buildup. the 2l turbo and the 3.5l engines are both direct and port injected, mitigating the carbon buildup issue.

good luck - the 350 is a solid car.

 

Thx for the response! Do you know if the V4 turbo on the is300 has similar problems or? Best to stick with 350?

 

the problems with the inline four turbo are limited to the vacuum regulator valve, a pretty easy fix if it does go bad. they also come with the 8-speed transmission vs the 6-speed transmission found in the 250.

my IS has the 2l turbo and the vacuum regulator valve did go, but lexus fixed it under warranty. if it weren't under warranty, it'd be around a 350-400$ fix at the dealership. the is200t was available in 2016-2017 and renamed the is300 but only in rwd configuration (the 300awd runs a detuned version of the 3.5l engine used in the 350 rwd). 2017-2020 received the facelift, so the car looks newer to those who know what they're looking at. the 2014-2016 models with nav also get a much smaller infotainment screen compared to the 2017-2020 post-facelifted models. (edit: the safety suite is also better on the 2017+ models.)

the 2l turbo is a pretty solid engine but it's not quick. it suffers from turbo lag and it's built for reliability more than fun. it's a hell of a lot better than the 250, though.

the mpg between the 2l, the 2.5l and the 3.5l isn't super significant, so if a well-taken care of 350 with a clean carfax/autocheck is available and you can afford it, go for that, then the 2l turbo, then the 250.

the 250 will be cheapest, the 2l will be more, and the 350 will be most expensive assuming that they're all in the same condition with similar mileage, etc.

 

If you can't/won't put on winter tires, then don't get the RWD, you will hate your life. Go for the 2015 AWD. I still strongly recommend winter tires even with the AWD, it's not really the ability to get moving from a stop that you want out of winter tires, it's the ability to come to a stop without skidding because the tire compound is designed to remain pliable even in cold weather. Tire compounds not designed for winter will turn hard like a hockey puck, and will act like a hockey puck on snowy surfaces, meaning that you will most likely skid and slide when you hit the brakes. For the all seasons, stick to Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 or Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4, don't put on cheap all seasons.

Also, stick to the 350, the 3.5L V6 is a better engine. Given the mileage on the 2015 AWD, you should also budget for a transmission fluid change, as well as changing the fluids on the front and rear differentials. Some Lexus dealers will claim that the transmission is a sealed unit, which just means it doesn't have a dipstick. It still has a drain plug, it's just that the dipstick is internal and is like a straw / tube that overflows when the transmission fluid is warmed up and at the correct level. In other words 'sealed transmission' is B.S., the fluid can still be (and should be) changed.

 

that said, you're a college kid, so don't stretch yourself too thin because college living is financially tight as it is. a later model (2011-2013-ish) 2is350 in good condition is also an option.

 

I'd probably go 2nd generation IS as well if you are a student. It's tried, true, and proven. The 3rd Generation IS although (in v6 form) uses the same reliable powertrain, it has newer more expensive electronics. Things like LED headlights/DRLs, the amp, blend door servo motors, are known to go. Unexpected costs.

As far as Turbo IS.. not only do you have the unknowns stated above, but you add onto it turbo stuff. needs more careful and more frequent maintenance.

 

I don’t agree with this at all. The 2l turbo has been used beginning in 2015 in the NX and a year later in the IS, followed by the RC and GS and has shown to be just as reliable as any other typical Lexus product.

 

And if you get one with enough miles, whatever initial problems it may have had would've been fixed by now unless they still have them.

If you are concerned about it, I could make the argument for either a 2IS 350 or a 3IS 250. The 350 is not going to have carbon build-up like the 250, but from what I understand, the 3rd-gen 250 is better in this regard than 2nd-gen.

 

yep, toyota/lexus made some change to the 2.5l engine used in the 250 to try to ameliorate the problem. apparently 2010+ model years fare better w regard to carbon buildup.

 

So if I'm able to put some winter tires on the RWD I should be fine? I'm looking into places that do seasonal tire storage

 

Whether you get snow tires or good all seasons, this same advice applies: Be leery of the first snowfall. Roads are slick because the road treatments haven’t kicked in yet, and everyone is still driving like idiots.
Maybe you can stop, but what about the other guy?
Another piece of advice: learn how your car and tires behave on snow. Get up early after a snowfall, find an empty parking lot, and go have some fun. How far does it take you to stop at 10, 20, 30 MPH? At what speed for a particular turn radius do you lose front tire grip? Practice your recovery from a slide. Compare normal and ‘snow’ modes. And then have some fun, do some donuts! If you’ve got AWD, lock the steering hard left or right, and then just floor it. Try it from both a standing stop, and while under forward motion, that 4 wheel spin while looping around, is pretty wild.
But, be careful of curbs and light poles, they can pretty much ruin your day.

 

On topic of the carbon build up, Reddit user, 2009 IS250, 400k miles, never did carbon cleaning

https://www.reddit.com/r/Lexus/comme...mile_club_yet/

 

AWD helps with acceleration (if one of the 2wd wheels doesn't have grip). It does not improve cornering or breaking.

If you want high-performance acceleration in snow then you want AWD, if you only want to be safe then you have no need for AWD.

AWD = performance / less chance of getting stuck (not really relevant unless you are off-roading).
Winter tires = grip = safety