Sffd103

iTrader: (16)

The IS250 can be at that 25K but it will lack the power you want. and that high MPG.

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

Yeah you should be able to find a 09/10 250 AWD with low miles (~50k) for $25k.
You should even be able to find one CPO which would be excellent for you because while your under the CPO warranty the majority of things are covered under warranty and you get a loaner car every time so you'd never be without a car if you had to make a warranty claim.

If you found one with about 50k miles (which seems like it would be in your budget) you'd get about 2 years of driving it under warranty at your 25k/yr driving rate.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

Test drive them all then decide......

If you want an IS...go with a CPO

jhumbo

Only one left to test drive. Here are my very brief test drive notes.

• Kia Optima SX - impressive. Very little turbo lag, decent handling (not too much body roll on quick lane changes, but the nose dives into hard turns), plenty of power, comforable ride. Car outfitted the way I want would sticker around $29k. I could probably find a gently used 2011-2012 and save some significant coin. Main reasons I'm keeping the Kia in my list is pricing and looks. I think this is the best looking of the bunch (especially with aftermarket wheels which I would be able to afford).
• 2014 Mazda 6 - handles very well, a little underpowered for my taste, nice and roomy, blind spot detection was a nice feature. With tech package, sticker is over $30k. I was quite impressed.
• Lexus IS 250 AWD - test drove and was surprised how much less power it had than my TL. (I did make sure to test drive the 250 before the 350.) Otherwise, I loved the car. Very nicely executed. My only complaint was that the suspension seemed awfully stiff/choppy. (And I have the Acura A-Spec suspension and 18" wheels on my car, so I'm coming from a pretty stiff suspension.) Definitely higher quality than the above two vehicles (and some others that I test drove.) I'm sure I can find a used one in my price range without a problem.
• Lexus IS 350 AWD - test drove and loved it. Same complaint about the choppy suspension.

Still need to sit behind the wheel of the Fusion.

Samieee

iTrader: (1)

How about Subaru WRX? Brand new seems to be in your budget (2013 MSRP $29k. I'm sure you can knock it down) and has most of the features you're looking for.

Lestrade

I'll be the voice of dissent on the Lexus board... the 2011+ Kia Optima is actually not terrible. I had a hybrid version for about a week back in December and drove from Eugene, OR to Seattle, WA (600+ miles) and back on a single tank of gas. It was quiet, comfortable, and had a lot of amenities for a Kia. You can tell it's not as expensive of a car as a Lexus or BMW, but they've made a lot of progress since their earlier cars. I think after depreciating for a couple years, if they get down into the low-teens, they'll be a good deal.

nonford

iTrader: (1)

Listing those vehicles, I think you might want to look at the Accord, especially their coupe.

syzygy

The IS250 is too anemic, a used IS350 within your price range will almost certainly be RWD only (which doesn't fit your needs), and an AWD IS350 will be out of your price range. Based on your criteria, there's no way an IS is going to work.

You don't want a 250 if you prefer to have a decent amount of power (0 to 60 in the 6 second range).

jhumbo

Thanks syzygy. I think you just summed it up!

I've got no hard time frame, so I might try to patiently see if I can find an IS350 AWD price well enough that I won't have to stretch my budget too far. Otherwise, I'll probably end with a 2012 Kia Optima because I'd be stretching my budget for any of the other cars the way I'd want them outfitted anyway.

Appreciate everyone's comments. It helps to hear feedback from all of you.

6mtftw

I've driven all of these cars except the ford. In my opinion the IS350 is in another league from the rest of these in refinement, performance, fit and finish and attention to detail. I'd certainly go IS350 if you could somehow fit it into your budget. Though the IS350 is not going to get 35 mpg for sure.

From the rest of the cars, I think the Optima is best. I must admit I would have never ever considered or recommended a KIA to anyone a year ago but my friend owns an Optima SX and I got to try it and I must admit that I really was impressed. KIA (and Hyundai) have come so far in the last 8 years or so. Considering it is a mid size family sedan, it has tons of features like heated steering wheel, heated and cooled seats in the front and heated in the back, etc. The interior, while not up to lexus levels never feels cheap and is for the most part very well put together and the design is unique and modern. The car also looks fantastic on the outside and the 2.0T engine is quite efficient and can hold its own against much bigger V6s. Not to forget it has the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.

Many people still havn't realized just how different the Korean cars of today are compared with just a few years ago, but if you can't manage to get an IS350 in your price range, you'll probably be pretty happy with the Optima SX too.

Mingus

Don't be the guy who stretches his budget to buy a car.. Especially a USED car. CPO or not.

Is AWD a need or a want? Good winter tires on either a front wheel drive car or a RWD car and a sandbag in the trunk will be just as good 90% of the time.

My advice is I think if you bought a CPO IS350 AWD for the price you want, several months down the line you're going to be kicking yourself for spending so much money on a USED car. Especially the IS if you are complaining already about the choppy bumpy ride they have... (the ride does not get any better unless you're driving on smooth pavement)

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking for something NEW for less than 25K. Or barring expensive known repairs coming up on your Acura, I'd keep driving that for another year or two.

Sevn86

I'm in a very similar situation as u. I currently drive a 10 RX350 and I will be needing a new car soon as we are adding a new driver in the family, i plan on giving my sister my RX350. I've actuallly considered the same cars ur looking at except the ford. I really like the optima SX in white or Corsa Blue. I also like the IS250 as I'm not going to be needing all that power. If we buy a IS250 it will be used. Budget for me is anything around 30k. So if I was u I'd either get the IS350 or Optima SX.

jhumbo

Just a quick update that I finally settled on something and bought a 2012 Kia Optima SX fully loaded with every feature imaginable. I really wanted to get myself into an IS, but it just wasn't a good fit and syzygy summed it up nicely.