Is the 2008 Lexus IS 250 still worth it?
03-04-17, 12:00 PM
#1
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Is the 2008 Lexus IS 250 still worth it?
I'm looking to buy a car and I want to step out of the Honda/Toyota Scene and jump the gun and get a Lexus. I love the body style of the Second Gen IS and have heard it's very reliable. I will be using this car for college so I won't be driving it much.
I have a 10k budget and can go up to 12-13k if it's a great deal. How much can i expect a 2008 Lexus IS 250 to be? What are some major problems that I should watch out for? Is it even worth getting it, now that it'll almost be 10 years old? I don't mind not having power, but the 350 is very attractive, would you recommend that over the 250? Are parts for this car expensive?
Pretty much, I just need to know if I can count on this vehicle for the next 3-5 years to get me through college? This will be under my dads name and I am on his insurance, he has no tickets, nor do I, how much can I expect to pay in insurance?
I have a 10k budget and can go up to 12-13k if it's a great deal. How much can i expect a 2008 Lexus IS 250 to be? What are some major problems that I should watch out for? Is it even worth getting it, now that it'll almost be 10 years old? I don't mind not having power, but the 350 is very attractive, would you recommend that over the 250? Are parts for this car expensive?
Pretty much, I just need to know if I can count on this vehicle for the next 3-5 years to get me through college? This will be under my dads name and I am on his insurance, he has no tickets, nor do I, how much can I expect to pay in insurance?
03-04-17, 12:09 PM
#2
Depends on maintainence and up keep. Issue you need to worry about is carbon build up. Ask each buyer what they have done to address it. I dont care how many people say, no issues run smooths, these engines are known for that issue.
As far as insurance? Have your dad call for an estimate.
As far as insurance? Have your dad call for an estimate.
03-04-17, 12:18 PM
#3
I would stay away from the 250 to be honest.. too much uncertainty with the whole carbon build up issue.. I have a 2010 IS350 and absolutely love it.. I came from a 2008 IS250 AWD and I can tell you first hand after driving a 350 i would never ever buy another 250 (or anything in that hp range)
03-04-17, 12:33 PM
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I would stay away from the 250 to be honest.. too much uncertainty with the whole carbon build up issue.. I have a 2010 IS350 and absolutely love it.. I came from a 2008 IS250 AWD and I can tell you first hand after driving a 350 i would never ever buy another 250 (or anything in that hp range)
03-04-17, 12:34 PM
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Depends on maintainence and up keep. Issue you need to worry about is carbon build up. Ask each buyer what they have done to address it. I dont care how many people say, no issues run smooths, these engines are known for that issue.
As far as insurance? Have your dad call for an estimate.
As far as insurance? Have your dad call for an estimate.
03-04-17, 12:54 PM
#6
For a 2008 youre out of warranty. 350s dont havr the issue, but thats not to say they dont have their own gremlins.
As one who has owned both. The 350 give you more power, and not build up. With you being in college and asking about insurance, i would imagine that would not be kind.
For a 250, i did my own research as the is250 is not the first car to have carbon build up. After driving my 09 after having it done i immediately had my 06 done. The difference is night and day.
Im willing to have that part of my maintainence going forward every 40k, because its worth it. Everyone else with them, just thinks there is no cure besides an engine rebuild. That is false
As one who has owned both. The 350 give you more power, and not build up. With you being in college and asking about insurance, i would imagine that would not be kind.
For a 250, i did my own research as the is250 is not the first car to have carbon build up. After driving my 09 after having it done i immediately had my 06 done. The difference is night and day.
Im willing to have that part of my maintainence going forward every 40k, because its worth it. Everyone else with them, just thinks there is no cure besides an engine rebuild. That is false
03-04-17, 12:58 PM
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For a 2008 youre out of warranty. 350s dont havr the issue, but thats not to say they dont have their own gremlins.
As one who has owned both. The 350 give you more power, and not build up. With you being in college and asking about insurance, i would imagine that would not be kind.
For a 250, i did my own research as the is250 is not the first car to have carbon build up. After driving my 09 after having it done i immediately had my 06 done. The difference is night and day.
Im willing to have that part of my maintainence going forward every 40k, because its worth it. Everyone else with them, just thinks there is no cure besides an engine rebuild. That is false
As one who has owned both. The 350 give you more power, and not build up. With you being in college and asking about insurance, i would imagine that would not be kind.
For a 250, i did my own research as the is250 is not the first car to have carbon build up. After driving my 09 after having it done i immediately had my 06 done. The difference is night and day.
Im willing to have that part of my maintainence going forward every 40k, because its worth it. Everyone else with them, just thinks there is no cure besides an engine rebuild. That is false
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03-04-17, 01:04 PM
#8
Im just saying you do have options even witg carbon build up on a 2is. Just know that going into it
03-04-17, 02:34 PM
#10
I wouldn't recommend a high mileage IS350, which is what you'll find in your budget range. these cars are driven pretty hard and a high mileage sports car is not a wise investment on a budget.
As noted, the IS250 (and GS350) suffer from carbon build up issues that were a deal killer for me personally.
A couple cars I'd recommend w/ 10k budget:
2001-2005 GS430 (300hp v8, bulletproof car as long as timing belt is done)
2001-2005 GS300 (bulletproof, more economical engine, and also not as likely to have been driven hard)
99+ Toyota Solara SLE v6 (bulletproof, quick, nice stereo,)
2007+ Lexus ES350 (modern bells and whistles, very common car so you can find a low mileage one)
as noted, with Lexus it's all about how it's been maintained. look for a documented history of maintenance, receipts, and cars owned for a long time by the same person.
do NOT buy from a dealer. find a private party that's loved their car and you'll find your money is well spent. GL
As noted, the IS250 (and GS350) suffer from carbon build up issues that were a deal killer for me personally.
A couple cars I'd recommend w/ 10k budget:
2001-2005 GS430 (300hp v8, bulletproof car as long as timing belt is done)
2001-2005 GS300 (bulletproof, more economical engine, and also not as likely to have been driven hard)
99+ Toyota Solara SLE v6 (bulletproof, quick, nice stereo,)
2007+ Lexus ES350 (modern bells and whistles, very common car so you can find a low mileage one)
as noted, with Lexus it's all about how it's been maintained. look for a documented history of maintenance, receipts, and cars owned for a long time by the same person.
do NOT buy from a dealer. find a private party that's loved their car and you'll find your money is well spent. GL
03-04-17, 05:26 PM
#11
I wouldn't necessarily mind an IS350 with high miles if it's well taken care of. With the IS250, you need to deal with carbon build up, but if the owner recently had the repair done (it was under extended 10 year warranty), I would go for that to meet the budget. Both models are known to have water pump issues that needs replacement sometimes; check if the owner had it replaced if it's high miles -- some have the water pump leak around 60K. Other than those 2 issues, the Lexus is generally very reliable.
03-04-17, 05:39 PM
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I wouldn't recommend a high mileage IS350, which is what you'll find in your budget range. these cars are driven pretty hard and a high mileage sports car is not a wise investment on a budget.
As noted, the IS250 (and GS350) suffer from carbon build up issues that were a deal killer for me personally.
A couple cars I'd recommend w/ 10k budget:
2001-2005 GS430 (300hp v8, bulletproof car as long as timing belt is done)
2001-2005 GS300 (bulletproof, more economical engine, and also not as likely to have been driven hard)
99+ Toyota Solara SLE v6 (bulletproof, quick, nice stereo,)
2007+ Lexus ES350 (modern bells and whistles, very common car so you can find a low mileage one)
as noted, with Lexus it's all about how it's been maintained. look for a documented history of maintenance, receipts, and cars owned for a long time by the same person.
do NOT buy from a dealer. find a private party that's loved their car and you'll find your money is well spent. GL
As noted, the IS250 (and GS350) suffer from carbon build up issues that were a deal killer for me personally.
A couple cars I'd recommend w/ 10k budget:
2001-2005 GS430 (300hp v8, bulletproof car as long as timing belt is done)
2001-2005 GS300 (bulletproof, more economical engine, and also not as likely to have been driven hard)
99+ Toyota Solara SLE v6 (bulletproof, quick, nice stereo,)
2007+ Lexus ES350 (modern bells and whistles, very common car so you can find a low mileage one)
as noted, with Lexus it's all about how it's been maintained. look for a documented history of maintenance, receipts, and cars owned for a long time by the same person.
do NOT buy from a dealer. find a private party that's loved their car and you'll find your money is well spent. GL
03-04-17, 05:52 PM
#14
That's average; the owner might have drove the car as a daily driver. Go to http://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/ and create a user account there. You can enter the VIN of the car and see all the work that has been done on the car if the owner had taken the car to a Lexus dealership for service.
03-04-17, 05:52 PM
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