hello all,
new member and im looking at purchasing a 2016 is200t base(22k miles for approx 24.9) vs a 2016 is200 f sport(29k miles for 25.5). the car is for my daughter, thus the dilemma as I see that the fsport has different tire sizes, sport suspension and the dash is electronic...I am listing the things that i think will be much more costly down the road if any issues arise or just need replacing(suspension/tires/brakes)etc .
But what I really wanted was some input from you guys who own both types or know a lot more about them than I and can give me some good input on which one would be a better choice as a long termer . I like both cars, though the fsport is a blue and beautiful, makes me want the car actually, but the base can be had in white or red or black, so a few more color options etc... any reason for not getting the f sport as this will be a long term keeper...7 years we hope.
we have an rx350 for my wife and love the reliability , so hoping this will be the same with the is200. Anyway, it is for my daughter and she is 17 and wondering if the fsport will be lost on her(i'll get to enjoy it some days of the week). all cars are cpo and being that price is so close and mileage is not too far apart etc just wanted some input... thanks guys appreciate the input.


thanks

 

 

yeah, that was my first thought as well, though she is into cars, but not a gear head or anything to that extent, but she likes her cars etc..i think that i like the fsport, the blue is something i dont see too often, so it makes that car that much nicer, just considering the long term parts in the event they dont hold up or need replacing...once in college, I am sure funding her car wont be priority ...really just want to hear real life owner input etc and see if that helps me out in deciding....

 

I've seen no real reasons to believe f-sport will not hold up as well in terms of longevity.
But one of the reasons I sold myself on being ok with a non f-sport was the same as your concerns about some of those extra electronic parts failing. But again, may not be much to read into.

The ultra sonic blue is really really nice. Itll definitely stand out more if that's a good or bad thing idk.

That being said...I vote for lower cost and lower milage non FS for your needs. Also lower maintenance costs being you can rotate tires and the oem brake pads lasts much longer for non f-sport.

 

I'd choose the F Sport but then again I don't mind the extra maintenance when it comes changing the brake pads sooner and changing the tires sooner than a non-FS. The brakes are different and the tires, being staggered will eventually cost more when the time comes to replace them. They're both similar in reliability, so the real issue is, what I mentioned above.

 

If this was my daughter, it would be an easy choice - is200t.

 

Yeah, I would just go with the F Sport if they are both the 200t. The looks make a big difference and I feel like there could be regrets if you go with the base model. The F Sport has "tweaked suspension" too so it will technically handle better than the base model.

 

...except our cars aren't German.

 

I'll echo what others have said about the F Sport. I wouldn't worry about it being expensive to fix down the road. If the brake pads wear out quickly, you can just replace them with the non-F-Sport pads or aftermarket. I haven't heard of any issues with the TFT gauges either. That being said, since it's presumably a first car, I'd just go with the lower-mileage, cheaper option. Seems like a better deal.

 

Hey, thanks..that is my reasoning as well, but what a different looking at each car when side by side etc...

 

yes, the aesthetics is quite remarkable and while I thought I valued long term cost reduct..man, that blue is a beauty and the car guy in me says to go for fsport but yes, been there on buyers remorse , so a solid point on that one....

 

damn...you had me thinking one more for fsport and then ....wham.... switch arroooh...but yes, I read about the tft and not hearing of issues , but guess in 5 or so years , that may be a different and possibly expensive story etc...

 

agreed and that's what I'm hoping in that someone or more will input some basic costs they expereinced on fsport....i did some pricing and aside from instrument cluster tft going bad, the tires , brakes seem to be the next most noticeable difference in ownership cost....car won't be modded so it will stay as is...so yes, the extra cost may not be substantial enough to not get it....

 

yes , had 3 of those.....nice but problematic in long term and that was true for all 3 that we had...

 

my initial thoughts ....until I saw the fsport in person.....then I started doing dad math....