slowturbo

Hi Everyone,

I am considering getting an IS-F, as I have always loved the way they look and it seems they are more reliable than their competitors. I found a car in NoVA local to me that appears to be pretty nice. I also saw that it has a red HPS intake hose, so thought that it may have been owned by one of the members here. Could you please share your thoughts and let me know what you think? The mileage is low for an 08, and based on the Carfax it seems the car has been regularly maintained.

Aside from ticking, blown speakers and coolant level, what should I look for when I go to check out this car? I am coming from the owning several Audis and BMWs, so am not too familiar with common issues/maintenance.

Is the ride height stock or has the car been lowered? I am trying to understand what other modifications have been done to it (if any).

In terms of price, what would be a fair number to pay for this car? Is 25k reasonable or is that a lowball? Should I be concerned that the car has had four previous owners? Please see the link below. Thanks for the advice!

https://www.tedbritt.com/inventory/u...-stock-p61496/

slowturbo

Thanks! I appreciate the advice. Any thoughts on the car itself?

JPxMODz

iTrader: (3)

I'm in Canada so... The price does seem high for an 08. I would think you could get into something a little newer for that kind of money. 4 previous owners would be an issue for me also. When I researched the IS-F before buying, I knew it would have to be 2010+ model with Torsen LSD

The only way I would jump on that deal...

. Super Low Mileage
. Accident Free
. One previous owner
. Car is Mint

ZDCATC

If i had to do it over I'd also get a 2010+. But that's only because everyone makes a big deal about the LSD and now I feel like I need one. Although if I did have an LSD I probably wouldn't push my car hard enough to feel the benefits from it. So I'm content with my '08. If you're worried about your car retaining it's value I would get a 2011+. In my opinion the 2008 and 2009 models will never be as desirable (assuming most people will never upgrade the factory differential). Having said that, the '08 and '09s are an awesome deal if you're on a budget.

All I can say about the car is it looks clean in the pictures (as always) and it looks like the spark plugs were done so that's a bonus. I see it failed a safety inspection in April '17 so hopefully the dealer can shed some light on that if they still have the printout in the glovebox (probably not since it passed 2 more inspections after that fail).

Have you seen this one in Manassas? https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...modelCode1=ISF

Vitveet

Clean car. Definitely looks lowered. Has an aftermarket HPS intake tube on it.
I'd try to talk them down a few grand....if they don't come down, o say spend 1-2 grand more and get a 2010. If you can afford an '11+ $34k to $45k mileage and condition dependant), go that route.

V.

Weapon F

If the car has been lowered and has after market intake then car has been modded. t To me that bring value of car down you can use this as leverage for bringing down the price when dealing with the dealership.

Quetion do you plan on doing any major mods such as coilovers, headers, catback exhaust,tune? You can also add aftermarket LSD such as OS Gilken unit which better than OEM LSD. So if you plan on doing major mods save the money on new car and look for super clean low mileage 08,09,2010 car.

If you weren't aware there are several other differences other than LSD between the earlier models 08,09 (2010 has new LSD) and the later model cars. 2011+ Updated interior dash, seats etc, suspension components,updated steering ecu, updated LSD, updated headlights with led strip.

So if you don't plan on doing any major performance mods other let's say what most guys do catback,intake, maybe tune keeping it close to stock go for 2011+ clean, low miles no more than two owner car.

Jz39

iTrader: (2)

We need to stop telling people to try to bring the price down...I'd like to keep resale values high myself

LexusfanVA

iTrader: (1)

I think it's a nice price for the DC area, less than a year ago anything 08-09 from a dealer with under 50k was $32k+ and private sellers were also wanting $29-31k. I barely scooped mine up for less and it took 8 months to wait for a deal/proper condition car. Looks pretty clean in and out. I would also check for headlight condensation, engine ticking(could be cracked manifold), and whistling AC.

slowturbo

So I stopped by to take a look at the car. Overall, the car was in nice condition inside and out (no warped dash, all speakers functioning properly, no dings or large scratches). That said, I may have heard the exhaust manifold tick on startup. The video posted on this forum a while ago was deleted so i am not sure if this is the same issue. It didnt sound like any metallic rattle, but ticked for a few seconds upon cold starting before going away entirely.

From what I could see based on a quick inspection and test drive, the car had bald rear tires, needs new front brakes, and has some clunk from the front when turning the wheel at almost full lock into a parking spot. I didn't hear the clunking on the drive until I was pulling into a spot. is this simply a control arm bushing? How much is it to replace? Otherwise, it seemed to be in good shape mechanically.

They wanted 32k out the door (after taxes, a $700 processing fee, and about $1100 for freight and inspection). Aside from the crazy high and extraneous fees, it seems the car needs at least $1500 in maintenance work assuming the exhaust manifolds are in good shape.

I know it has had four owners, but it seems it was maintained at Lexus with regular service intervals so I feel the car has been well cared for overall given its condition. Is it better to pass on this car? Given the above, what would you pay if in this situation?

ZDCATC

I swung by to check out the car. Overall it was okay. Here's some things I noticed:

Interior had no unusual wear and tear. The dashboard was immaculate. Touch screen had almost no scratches. Genie garage door opener left in center console and it doesn't look like they detailed the interior very well.

Engine bay looked normal. Only one missing plastic clip. The wiring harness is in tact. I couldn't see well enough to tell if there was dried coolant around the water pump. Car hadn't ran that day and the coolant was at the full mark. Engine started up fine and sounded completely normal. Driving around it shifted and sounded normal. Once it warmed up I did two "hard" pulls and it seemed a tad underpowered but its probably because I didn't quite go full throttle and it was hot outside. I stayed in sport and auto modes and it shifted quickly like it's supposed to.

The front brake pads have plenty of life left but the front rotors look like they're on their last leg. The "lip" on the rotor is very pronounced. I forgot to check the rear rotors but their pads were also good. The brake fluid looked brownish but it could've been the light playing tricks. The brake pedal felt amazing. I'm assuming these are OEM pads. Now I know what everyone means when they talk about the "initial bite" of OEM pads. My stop tech street pads make my pedal feel mushy in comparison (although maybe I need to bleed my brakes again).

The steering felt heavy and awesome at low speeds whereas my steering is loose and disappointing. Above 30mph it drove just like my car. By that I mean it wants to change direction a lot. I'm assuming this is because of the amount of toe out the factory recommends? The lower control arm bushings are stock ($350 to get a nice set from RR Racing). The lower ball joints don't seem to be leaking but it's hard to tell from my pics. The suspension is stock and not lowered.

Lower ball joints:



Like most black cars the body shows its scratches when you look at it up close. But 10 feet away it looks good. Very few chips in the wheels but there is a lot of brake dust and old wheel weight sticky tape on the inside of the wheel. The paint from at least one caliper is starting to chip (front right). The trunk does not line up properly. On the right side of the car, the trunk sticks up and there is some exposed metal that is rusting. Very little rust on the differential and exhaust components that can be seen while the car is on the ground. There is something that looks like a piece of glass stuck in the bottom left corner of the driver's side window. The black trim piece in front of the rear left tire is hanging down. Same thing happened to me. I can't remember how I fixed it. Either I got the part from the Toyota dealer or I used a generic fastener from autozone. No sunroof rattle or other rattles (although that all changes in the winter). Headlights were hazy but I saw no condensation inside. Paint chipping off of one of the windshield wipers.

edit: I forgot to mention there was no exhaust smell during my pulls. Just the usual rotten egg smell from the cats

Here's the good side:

Here's the bad side:


Glass in window:

Mud flap thing:


Personally I would move on to the next car. To me it's not the best example. I wouldn't pay more than $27k out the door. Pulled that number out of my butt. Again, I would check out that one in Manassas if it's in your price range. Sorry if my pictures are sideways. I'll try to fix it.

slowturbo

Thank you for taking the time to check out the car and post this for me! Much appreciated!

BlckGhst

Im looking for 08-11. Fair pricing for me would be mid $20s for an 08 with 50k-60k miles. Closer to $30k for one with super low miles, like the one in the link above. Low $20s for an 08 with close to 100k miles. Provided these are all stock. I've been seeing a lot of 08s out there at dealerships that are way overpriced

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Corrected for truth. "Overpriced" is an opinion, not a fact. Ask some other members here who have complained about overpriced, but never actually bought one.

The selling price is, and always will be, what someone is willing to pay. Not a penny more and not a penny less. So far, you haven't seen one that trips your value trigger. Fair enough. Saying they're "over priced" does not help anyone but you. In your mind, it's not worth the asking price. That's all it means.

I wouldn't sell my Supra for less than $35k. Does that mean it's "over priced" or does it mean I just don't want to sell it to anyone who has the cash? Oh, yeah, it's got 156k on the odometer.

LexusfanVA

iTrader: (1)

Funny, I thought similarly that many were overpriced a year ago and even thought I overpaid for mine when I got it though it was $3-4k less than anything comparable from other dealers. Now I have been toying with the idea of selling mine, and see that the price I paid it's still worth in private market and in retail, even after 20k in 9 months. Great resale value for sure and confirms I got a great deal

Within 300 miles there are only 5 08-10 ISF under $30k with <60k near me, and only one has a clean carfax. That's the exact one that OP posted which is in decent condition but clearly needs a bit of maintenance.

Vitveet

Doesn't get anymore true than this^^^^

V.