Fondue

I'm in the market for a 2008/2009 IS F and while hitting up the usual sites for car sales I notice that some of the vehicles are previously leased. I've only bought new or 1 owner cars in the past and have not had to deal with leased vehicles before, are they something that I should steer clear of? My concern is that since they are leased that they may have been driven hard knowing that they would not be keeping the vehicle and wouldn't have to worry about the sale. Any advice or previous experience would be be appreciated, thanks!

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

one thing i would be worried about is the car not being properly broken in.

N54MPower

iTrader: (3)

IMO it's no less risky than buying a 1 owner car at dealer or used car lot. You generally have no idea what that person did with the car either. With a lease most people tend to take the car in to a dealer to have all the service performed and try to keep in the car in overall good condition because they don't want to have to pay more money when returning the car because of visible wear and tear.

It's no different than any other used car purchase and should be evaluated as such. Good luck.

PurduePete

Indeed! Another way to look at it is leased cars tend not be modified, especially engine mods due to the owner not wanting to put any more $ into a car they don't own. I actually prefer buying a car that was leased.

Also, don't ever try to buy or take over a lease from a private seller. No bank wants to deal with that even if you have outstanding credit.

bnizzle87

i think it might be the opposite. if a driver knows he/she must return the car later on and walk away, i would think they'd beat it up with engine mods and trying to beat the crap out of it before they can take everything apart and return it back to the dealership after the lease has ran out. id be wary of a leased car. I can agree with PurduePete in that some who are leasing will keep it stock and not beat it up, but seeing both sides, i can say I would not get a car that was once leased.

the same can be said about pre-owned vehicles, but some will actually take great care of their vehicles. it is a case by case scenario, so i suggest going to the dealership and checking what they have to offer as well as searching for private sales and speaking to the owners who are selling their F's. best of luck in your search!

Autobacs

iTrader: (1)

Be wary whether leased or not.

I use a checklist for every used car I buy and for a Lexus that would include a VIN Maintenance check.

It's all about your research and your read of the owner if what your seeing is agreeing (or not agreeing) with what the owner is saying so trust is a big factor in a one owner/lessor car.

Whether the car is owned or leased by itself is inconclusive into the car's actual condition.

Fondue

Thanks for the insight guys. What you are saying makes sense and I'll make sure my ducks are in a row before pulling the trigger on any purchase I make, leased vehicle or not.

Raralith

If the car's CPO, it's been looked at, and you know you'll be covered for at least 3 years.

Dymelos

iTrader: (1)

My 08 IS-F was a previous lease that had been visited at sacto lexus every 5k miles. I say check the service records and see what has been done to it. Are you buying from a private seller or from a dealer? If its private party I would take it a trusted mechanic for a glance over. Also if your under 50k miles at least the bumper to bumper will take care of everything should a problem arise.

OneSiCkF

iTrader: (9)

I'd would stay away from a leased car... just my .02

516IS

iTrader: (12)

Yes, what he said...

MicaISF

i believe a leased one is no better or worse than any other used car, it's the previous owner that is the most important factor. unfortunately, 99% of the time, we don't have that info. certified really means very little for a 1-2 years old used car. Few parts will break in the first couple years and some result of the abuse may not show up until a few months or even years later after the car is purchased. An engine that was not properly broken in would not show any signs until years later.

having said all that, modern cars are very well made and lexus cars have a lot of protection mechanisms that helps to minimize damage to transmission and engine. As long as the car you want has good service record it should be fine. if you find a car you like and the price is right, go for it. if it is not meant to be a race car, i doubt most of us will notice any difference.

ub2slow2

I have a leased 08 ISF and only has 15,000 miles on it. Never driven in the rain, not one single scratch on it and I've never beat on it. Sure I WOT it to hear the sound etc but that's normal. I tend to not race my cars much even though I buy high powered cars, yeah makes sense huh? My type of racing is beating down cars at stoplights when they wanna try and get me, but when I hit the speed limit or a little over that's it.

I'm sure there are guys out there that lease them and beat on them but no more so than a guy who owns the car outright.

I have a 2011 ZR-1 coming my way and will be buying my IS-F off the lease and re-selling it since I can make some money on it with such low miles and in absolutely mint condition. When I do, I will make a post here so if anyone is interested they can contact me.

GuyFromFL

yeah, buy a CPO car from a dealer. For anything to qualify for Lexus CPO, it has to be stock, clean carfax, under 70K miles, less than 6 years old, and goes through a 161 point check. If everything is good, it gets a 3 year, or up to 100K warranty and roadside assistance. It's just not very easy to find them. We just sold one last week. 2009 ultrasonic with about 9K miles. It went for about $50K. It's the first CPO F I've seen since starting in May.