tv66

Hi all! I just joined the forum, this is my first post. Some change in circumstances will be forcing me on trips across the rocky mountains and I'm shopping for a dependable, quiet second ride with AWD. I haven't owned a Lexus before, but that's what immediately popped into my head. Depending on the circumstances, I'll be putting on about 15-30k miles a year, so I'd like to find something that's already been depreciated out, won't nickel and dime me to death, and still be able to get me reliably through snowy mountain passes in -20 weather.

Can anyone give me a guide on which models/years to first start looking into, and how many miles a Lexus can have to reasonably assume it will remain reliable? I'm open to sedans and SUVs as long as they have AWD/4WD.

Since this is my second car and it's going to get used pretty hard, I'm hoping to keep it under $8k.

shadow1118

Honestly bro, you may want to look into an older land cruiser for sale. I just looked at gx460s and like the cheapest one in the country is about ~$15k, about double your price. I think you would fare well into an older toyota rav 4 w/ awd. Thats my recommendation to you. its not a lexus but still the same reliability rating as a lexus.

mmarshall

Welcome....glad to have you.

There are many other good 4WD and AWD vehicles out there, particularly in the price range you are looking at....you don't necessarily have to spring for a Lexus. Subaru, for example, has a long history of producing some of the best AWD systems on the market, though the boxer-engines don't always have the reliability of those from Toyota or Honda.

pbm317

Welcome, as others have pointed out, finding something under $8K and that you want to put 15-30K per year through mountain passes on seems like a tall task for any vehicle. With that kind of mileage I would think that the first gen LX is not really ideal, and horrible on gas.
For a Lexus specifically, you're probably down to a first gen RX or the first few years of the 2nd gen (up to about 2006 model year).
Maybe something like this https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...4069/overview/
Not many lexus sedans will have AWD in that price range except i believe the 3rd gen GS (again early model years of this gen). https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...2791/overview/

geko29

You can get a high-mileage (150k+) 2007-8 RX350 within your price range, and they are generally pretty reliable. If it hasn't been done already, make sure you get the oil cooler hose (front of the engine, right behind the bumper) replaced with the revised metal part (original was rubber), as it has a tendency to rupture and spill all your oil on the street within about 10 seconds. Part is about $100, I had mine installed and the oil changed at the same time, total labor was about $100. That's the only major weakness I'm aware of, and we had ours for 11 years and 170k miles. Other than that, you'll run into normal maintenance stuff like belts, pulleys, coilpacks, etc.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

I found a 114k mile 2008 IS250 AWD in great condition for $7500 USD, but I only found one and it's a Canadian car. Spend the remaining $500 on a used set of winter wheels and tires and you should be okay. Only big potential issue is the carbon build-up on the intake valves, but if your commutes allow the engine to get up to operating temps and you put the car through its paces every once in a while, it shouldn't be an issue. I had a 2008 IS250 AWD for a little while, took it from 56k kms to around 130k kms. Nice, quiet ride that handled the drives to and from Banff, Alberta quite easily. Outside of regular maintenance, the only thing that had to be done was a water pump recall.

If you need more space or an even quieter ride, the high-mileage 07-08 RX350 is another good option.

Johnhav430

That's interesting, does the RX350 have an engine oil cooler, and why? My wife's car has a PS cooler which I always found odd when getting under it. My 335i has an external oil cooler mounted in the front of the right wheel arch, not sure if your 335 has it or not.

The hose did rupture on my uncle's 1996 Suburban. He's good and they were able to cheat and replace the bearing caps on the ones that went bad, with the engine still in the vehicle. It could be a point of failure when one thinks about it...if a RX350 is that cheap, it may be a good car for anyone, not just those with a limited budget. Like Warren says, be greedy when others are fearful. In this case, probably nobody really wants the car, which is when value hunters can go in.

geko29

Ironically enough, the RX350 does NOT have an engine oil cooler. Just an oil cooler hose. It does have a trans cooler, which leaked on ours at about the 10-year mark. Wasn't terribly expensive to replace though.

My 335d does have an external oil cooler. I think it's in the same place as yours but haven't checked.