jdog777

Hey all, I'm in the market for a used luxury car, and whereas convertible isn't a necessity (I'd love a RC if they were cheaper than a Boxster) I seem to have narrowed down to two options: The IS 350C and a 2011-2014 Porsche Boxster...
I have a few questions mainly regarding the IS which is why I wanted to post here,
1. as I don't see many super high mileage listings (200+) online, does this car become worthless at this level of wear? or if I care for it and am willing to replace parts can it go further?
2. How comfortable is seating, mainly in terms of 150+ mile road trips? For contrast I have heard that while Boxster seats are uber adjustable, and comfortable, but once you have driven for around 2 hours you start to get very uncomfortable.
3. How is the audio system? I know the ML upgrade is super rare on this age of vehicles, but I was wondering with, and even without it will I desire to upgrade/add speakers, and a more powerful amp to the system?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I appreciate any help or advice given to me.

ronkelley

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Some folks will give more detailed answers, but as to (#1), parts for most of the car are the same as those for the IS350 2nd generation and are usually available. That is when the part numbers are the same. I can't imagine Boxer parts are really easy to find.

(#2) The seats are adjustable, but I also use a cushion in a specific part of my back on longer rides. But I have that problem with most vehicles.

(#3) I find the stock stereo (cd's or Sirius XM) is great, even with the top down works well.

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AmyUD06

iTrader: (1)

Um, the IS-C is based on the 2nd generation IS sedan (MY 2006-2013 in the US), and shares most of its parts with that, not the 3rd gen.

And I totally agree on the adequacy of the stock, non-ML, stereo system.

SlenderKen

Hello!

Between the two, the value of an IS350C will hold its value well over the IS250C. Especially if you have a 2011+ model due to the newer headlight design. Even at 200k+ miles, I would say the value of the car should not drop below $7,000. These cars use the same parts as the 2nd generation IS sedan, so finding most parts would be easy. Axleback exhaust, seats, trunk and convertible assembly are a few of the main items that are different than that of the sedan.

Regarding comfortability, I have taken my car on 4-10 hour road trips with minimal stops with no issue. I even upgraded suspension to performance coilovers, but it still retains really good comfortability. The only issue I occasionally have is lower lumbar support, which can be fixed by adjusting the seat (there's a setting to adjust). The seats are like 30 lbs a piece, so you can only imagine how much cushion is in there.

Speaker quality is good, but not great. The bass is pretty strong, but the treble and mids suffer when the bass is turned up. Compared to modern cars, it isn't the best, but it still has a powerful sound output, adaptive volume control and personally, the speaker works for me in its stock form.

All in all, I would suggest this car as a more comfortable daily over the boxter, but if you want more spirited driving, I would recommend the boxter over this one.

james350c

I bought my 350c with 140k miles and it’s at 265k now and I’ve done no maintenance other than brakes and oil changes and diff oil. They are extremely reliable but they do tend to burn oil past 100k miles if you get a pre 2011 or even an early built 2011. Compared to a boxter I’d say it would be cheaper more reliable and a more enjoyable ride in pretty much all aspects, the ML sound system is still very comparable to modern luxury cars as well, it comes with an open air sub.