Advice for a future ISF owner?
02-28-17, 02:48 PM
#17
02-28-17, 03:53 PM
#19
[QUOTE=bnizzle87;9786323]If the numbers and budget allows for it, an IS F will be a definite upgrade to your current vehicle. But I'd forget about the mods and additional parts, unless some are absolutely necessary (brake pads, tires, oil, etc.).
I know the better bet would be to find a 2011MY, but if it's not financially feasible at this time, there isn't anything wrong with the 08-09 IS F. It might not have the Torsen LSD, the newer headlight design as with the later years, or the upgraded suspension, but you first have to make sure you account for the items you will be utilizing everytime you start the car.
-Insurance CAN be quoted to what you are paying currently, but I'd opt for as much as full coverage as the budget allows. Being 23, rates will still be somewhat high. The upside to this is that in about 2 years, rates should drop significantly. I've owned my F for nine years (Feb. 29th being the ownership date), and honestly, I didn't see a drastic decrease in my premium until I was about 25-26.
-Wear and tear items will need replacing. With an IS F, it's much faster than the 250, so brake pads and tires will wear. Nothing major, but tires especially can eat into the budget if it's not planned for ahead of time.
-Maintenance was something 2008ISF and idoke1 touched on greatly. Having a first year or second year IS F means it has more recalls and maintenance items that need to be addressed. The water pump can be a DIY, but I'm not entirely sure if the valley plate can be. And this beast takes nearly 10 quarts of oil on every change. Be prepared to handle some jugs haha.
And after all these items are accouted for, then you can prep for mods. It only makes sense to take care of the car first before adding items to it. Wheels, suspension, aero/aethetics, and the rest will all be available to you. But you definitely have to make sure that budget is in order. Having owned my F for so long, tires, brake pads, and oil changes are all she needs to give you unlimited smiles per gallon. Take care of her, and she'll never let you down.
Best of luck to you my friend, and take pics when you do get your IS F
I know the better bet would be to find a 2011MY, but if it's not financially feasible at this time, there isn't anything wrong with the 08-09 IS F. It might not have the Torsen LSD, the newer headlight design as with the later years, or the upgraded suspension, but you first have to make sure you account for the items you will be utilizing everytime you start the car.
-Insurance CAN be quoted to what you are paying currently, but I'd opt for as much as full coverage as the budget allows. Being 23, rates will still be somewhat high. The upside to this is that in about 2 years, rates should drop significantly. I've owned my F for nine years (Feb. 29th being the ownership date), and honestly, I didn't see a drastic decrease in my premium until I was about 25-26.
-Wear and tear items will need replacing. With an IS F, it's much faster than the 250, so brake pads and tires will wear. Nothing major, but tires especially can eat into the budget if it's not planned for ahead of time.
-Maintenance was something 2008ISF and idoke1 touched on greatly. Having a first year or second year IS F means it has more recalls and maintenance items that need to be addressed. The water pump can be a DIY, but I'm not entirely sure if the valley plate can be. And this beast takes nearly 10 quarts of oil on every change. Be prepared to handle some jugs haha.
And after all these items are accouted for, then you can prep for mods. It only makes sense to take care of the car first before adding items to it. Wheels, suspension, aero/aethetics, and the rest will all be available to you. But you definitely have to make sure that budget is in order. Having owned my F for so long, tires, brake pads, and oil changes are all she needs to give you unlimited smiles per gallon. Take care of her, and she'll never let you down.
Best of luck to you my friend, and take pics when you do get your IS F
Last edited by Jz39; 02-28-17 at 03:57 PM.
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Brad3275 (02-28-17)
02-28-17, 03:56 PM
#20
We'll, others have mentioned it but let's break this down....
you male approximately $1200 per month. Your payments will be $400-$500 per month. Insurance $200 per month (minimum). That's $600-$700 gone per month. If this is your only car, you'll run thru oil changes in NO TIME....Let's be generous and say $100 per month oil change and $100 per month gas. We are at $800-900 gone of your month salary ($300-$400 left). Can't forget, you have to eat....Being generous again (if you don't eat much), $100 per month. Other miscellaneous items to live on monthly (clothes/shoes, hygiene items, tools you may need to work on your car, etc etc), being generous again, $100. That's $100-$200 left of your monthly salary. Multiply that by 12 and we have $1200-2400 left PER YEAR. I'm sure you bacteria here and there....And may have a lady or 2 you wanna take out....Or family members to buy gifts for for bdays/Xmas.....Bro, you could be down to $1k per year after all necessary things are paid for.
We haven't even gotten to any maintenance items (valley plate leak, approximately $1k, brake pads and rotors, all over $1k, water pump/radiator/timing belt/thermostat $1k, body/paint protection/cleaning, maybe a few hundred per year, etc). And God forbid you get a ticket....Lawyer fees and insurance hikes here we come....
Let's not mention if you decide you want to move out of your parents house.....Or get forced out.... Easily $500-900 gone per month for your own place
Point is, I believe you're far in over your head here with this car given your salary. You won't be able to properly maintain the car, which will lead to more problems sooner than normal. I'm not here to tell you to not get the car, just pointing out the obvious (or maybe NOT so obvious). Of course you could get a better job/earn more money but reconsider before you force yourself to live miserably until the car is paid for/until you get better pay. An is350 will be a big bump in performance for you, you could get one with lower miles (requiring less maintenance), and overall cost of ownership is significantly cheaper than the F.
Thanks for reading!
PS:. With leaving yourself with under $2k a year to yourself, forget headers, exhaust, etc. FBO+tune is well over $4k, before any installation. Would take you 2-4 years to save up for this things at the rate you're at now.
V.
you male approximately $1200 per month. Your payments will be $400-$500 per month. Insurance $200 per month (minimum). That's $600-$700 gone per month. If this is your only car, you'll run thru oil changes in NO TIME....Let's be generous and say $100 per month oil change and $100 per month gas. We are at $800-900 gone of your month salary ($300-$400 left). Can't forget, you have to eat....Being generous again (if you don't eat much), $100 per month. Other miscellaneous items to live on monthly (clothes/shoes, hygiene items, tools you may need to work on your car, etc etc), being generous again, $100. That's $100-$200 left of your monthly salary. Multiply that by 12 and we have $1200-2400 left PER YEAR. I'm sure you bacteria here and there....And may have a lady or 2 you wanna take out....Or family members to buy gifts for for bdays/Xmas.....Bro, you could be down to $1k per year after all necessary things are paid for.
We haven't even gotten to any maintenance items (valley plate leak, approximately $1k, brake pads and rotors, all over $1k, water pump/radiator/timing belt/thermostat $1k, body/paint protection/cleaning, maybe a few hundred per year, etc). And God forbid you get a ticket....Lawyer fees and insurance hikes here we come....
Let's not mention if you decide you want to move out of your parents house.....Or get forced out.... Easily $500-900 gone per month for your own place
Point is, I believe you're far in over your head here with this car given your salary. You won't be able to properly maintain the car, which will lead to more problems sooner than normal. I'm not here to tell you to not get the car, just pointing out the obvious (or maybe NOT so obvious). Of course you could get a better job/earn more money but reconsider before you force yourself to live miserably until the car is paid for/until you get better pay. An is350 will be a big bump in performance for you, you could get one with lower miles (requiring less maintenance), and overall cost of ownership is significantly cheaper than the F.
Thanks for reading!
PS:. With leaving yourself with under $2k a year to yourself, forget headers, exhaust, etc. FBO+tune is well over $4k, before any installation. Would take you 2-4 years to save up for this things at the rate you're at now.
V.
02-28-17, 04:52 PM
#22
I remember back in my college days, guys used to drive nice cars and order juice in bars and clubs, drink half and fill the other half with vodka in the bathroom lol
02-28-17, 04:55 PM
#23
as much as we want you to get the ISF which is a fantastic car, it's afterall just a car. Unless you have cash saved up from previous years, you shouldnt spend more than 50% of your annual income on a car (which is already the maximum % assuming you are a frugal car enthusiast who spends on nothing but car-related stuff ). You should get your priorities straight, either save up for a house, build an investment or invest into your career. There's nothing wrong making $400/week, but based on that number you will feel stretched whenever there's a repair or cost or when the monthly gas bill comes....which will kill your ownership experience. The worse is to sell your car at a big loss because of some unexpected life expenses. ISF is probably one of the most reliable sports sedans out there but still the upkeep will definitely be higher than your IS250. I agree with someone else here that you are already very fortunate to have a IS250 with your current income, you should really keep the 250 and you will have lots of time and choices ahead when you are ready to get a toy in the garage. You are on the right track though picking on the ISF because it's pretty much depreciated to the bottom so you wont lose much when you sell
02-28-17, 04:57 PM
#24
You will have to maintain any car, ISF no better or worse than any other 8-10 year old car(outside of Germans). However, I would advise to hold off on this type of car at his point in your life. The joy of buying a car does start to wear off but The payments continue. In a few years you may want other things, house,apartment, knock some chick up then the car will go bye-bye. My advice......$400 a month does not equal ISF.
02-28-17, 05:15 PM
#25
there are kids straight out of college at my company, making under $40k, living w/ parents, and leasing brand new IS 200t's and 350's. i'm sure their parents are paying for their ins., gas money, spending cash, free rent, etc., etc. heck, they might even pay for the lease.
OP, i will second what many have already said; the upkeep costs can add up, esp if you plan on taking care of the costs w/ your stated/limited budget. also, the power difference between the 250 and F is considerable. 416 is not all that much by today's standards but coming from a 200 hp car, esp all at the rear, might be a handful. in any case, good luck w/ your search.
OP, i will second what many have already said; the upkeep costs can add up, esp if you plan on taking care of the costs w/ your stated/limited budget. also, the power difference between the 250 and F is considerable. 416 is not all that much by today's standards but coming from a 200 hp car, esp all at the rear, might be a handful. in any case, good luck w/ your search.
02-28-17, 08:33 PM
#26
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
Speed costs money. How fast can you afford to go?
Seriously -$400 a week? I make that before lunch on a bad day. This isn't your 250 and won't be especially if you have to depend on external resources for maintenance. Consider a decent set of front (only) brake pads could cost you a week's salary. Unless you are content buying the tiger and declawing/detoothing it.
Wait. Seriously. Having the resources to comfortably afford what you desire is far more important than being the first to have it in your peer group. I am reminded of the young bull and the old bull...
Seriously -$400 a week? I make that before lunch on a bad day. This isn't your 250 and won't be especially if you have to depend on external resources for maintenance. Consider a decent set of front (only) brake pads could cost you a week's salary. Unless you are content buying the tiger and declawing/detoothing it.
Wait. Seriously. Having the resources to comfortably afford what you desire is far more important than being the first to have it in your peer group. I am reminded of the young bull and the old bull...
02-28-17, 09:18 PM
#27
If you want the car then buy it. I'm sure you did the calculations and know what your expenses are. If you're going to pay for something then make it something you actually enjoy instead of your 250.
02-28-17, 09:59 PM
#29
V.
