Charvel

My question: Is it possible/likely for someone leasing an IS350 F-Sport to drive it so hard that it might significantly shorten the life of certain components (suspension, transmission, etc.)?

The background: I'm looking to buy an IS350 F-Sport, most likely a 2015 or 2016 lease return. I've considered buying new, if for no other reason to know that I've treated the car well its entire life. I hear that IS350s are pretty dang tough/reliable, but I still wonder if someone leasing one is going to drive the living daylights out of it; it's a *sport* sedan, after all. But, what exactly would hard driving do to an IS350 that wouldn't be caught in a certified Lexus inspection?

I know the used/new debate is often settled by how long one plans to keep the vehicle, but this will be my first sports sedan, so I'm not too sure how much I'll like it after a few years. I've thoroughly enjoyed my test drives so far, though! I've driven my last couple of cars for a few hundred thousand miles (they were 4Runners, so they last a LONG time), so that's when it makes sense to buy new. Of course, maybe an IS350 will retain its value so well that selling/trading it in a few years won't be too painful anyway.

Thanks for any advice on this!

SikhSipahi

Tell the dealership to print you full history of the vehicle from https://drivers.lexus.com/ or they should be able to access it on their computers with the VIN number

Everything is recorded in detail on there.

Charvel

I took a quick gander at that site. I see that it would provide maintenance records, but what other kind of information does it provide about how the vehicle was driven?

Thanks!

evident

As a whole, I doubt it

arentz07

I don't think you'd ever be able to know how the car was treated - i.e. if it was driven fast while the engine was cold - without just personally asking the prior owner, as that type of data isn't publicly available. Even then you'd be trusting them to tell you the truth. The main thing you can look for is the service history, damage, and accidents, etc. It should be fine as long as they have been changing the oil according to schedule, even if they redlined it multiple times a week, and got any damage taken care of. If you find something and the associated accident/repair, etc. is not documented, that'd be a red flag. Otherwise, if it were me, I'd not stress too much - it's a Lexus, after all, right? :P

Jay89

Whenever you buy used it's a gamble you'll have to take. Just because someone bought it instead of lease doesn't mean that they would treat it any better. It really depends on who the owner was and how they saw it. Being used anything could have happened before they sold it. Hard to say.

if it's that big of a concern, I personally would buy new. That way I know the history of the vehicle.

JDR76

I wouldn't worry about it being "driven hard" nearly as much as I'd worry about it being properly maintained. As long as there's sufficient evidence of it being taken care of maintenance wise, I personally would not worry.

EZZ

I feel guilty now that you mentioned redlining it a couple times a week. I do it couple times a day and sometimes, couple times an hour

arentz07

Well, I probably explore the area of the rev range near 6000 revs a couple times a week, but actually redlining, not so much... But, I was just trying to mention that because a lot of drivers think it's bad to do - when, it is really not as long as you've let things come up to operating temp, and your oil isn't too old.

Crossxup11

I push my '15 IS350 sometimes once it gets up to operating temperature. These engines are built to last 10 years no problem with proper maintenance.

Since you're buying a car that is 2-3 years old, you shouldn't have to worry about long term life as much. Lexus (to a fault maybe) sticks with tried and true engineering. They are super slow to adopt changes without rigorously testing them first.

I wouldn't worry if I were you, the 350's engine is happy in the higher RPM's and I trust that Lexus designed it to last with that in mind.

MX73

There is no way of telling. Just make sure that there are records of any maintenance done on the vehicle. I'm leasing right now. There are times I'll drive it like I stole it, there are times I'll hit the redline, there are times I'll baby it. No matter how I drive it, I always do the recommended maintenance to keep it in tip top shape.

skiracer

You could ask for a compression test on the engine just to be sure, but you'd probably be paying for that out of your own pocket...

jnesss

i’d be more concerned with sti’s, type r’s, s-lines, m powered vehicles etc. the 350 f sport isn’t a race car.

E46CT

Nearly impossible to tell but in general look at the tires for signs of hard abuse. also look at the seat bolster on the driver side for signs that the driver plopped himself in without a care. a sloppy owner will typically indicate some type of abuse. The chances you'll come across anything abnormal though on this car is ultra slim as these cars tend to be leased by mature people. Anyone looking to really hooligan a car isn't doing it with a Lexus IS350. Too soft/slow to be a donut/drift machine.

Really you have nothing to worry about.

MX73

Depending on the dealership, they'll probably replace the tires (if they show excessive wear) before they go on the lot. Seat bolster maybe. It depends on the person's size or their driving position (if they like to lean left or right while driving.) You're right about mature people leasing a Lexus but a lot of young couples 30+ are also leasing the IS. There are a few in my complex and boy, some are in tip-top shape and some are just horrible.

Maybe see if you can do an inspection with the service guy. Put it on the lift and see if are any major undercarriage scuffs.