GenEric587

Hey guys, longtime member, first time with you ISF guys (IS300 previously). After a few years, I'm in the market for a new car. I've narrowed it down to either the 2014 IS350 F-Sport with ~30-40k miles or the 2011 IS-F with ~70k miles. They are in the same price range, with the IS-F being harder to find and generally in the upper end of the range.

In terms of value, I feel the IS350 is going to look more or less like the 2nd gen IS350 in terms of value in a few years, but I really have no benchmark for the IS-F. Any thoughts fellas? I know nobody can see into the future, but opinions never hurt!

EDIT: On another note, any problems popping up for higher mileage ISFs (70k+)? I haven't seen anything major from my research like the e9x M3 with the rod bearing issues, but I could be missing a few things.

nks979

Overall very reliable, but still budget for an expensive repair or a warranty if you plan to keep for several years. I would bet they hold their value pretty well, low production numbers among all the others +s to them.

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

yeah low production numbers I would think they'll hold decent, they have thus far. but as far as reliability the isf is pretty problem free(unless its been abused pretty badly). Coming from an E92 I can say ive spent about thousands less on maintenance

ISFTOMMY

Vally plate leak and the rear thumping when shifting from 2nd to 1st. and some non drivetrain parts failing ( vents in trunk i think ) short list compared to others lol

kiryu

get it as close to 20k as you can. It might take a long time for it to go under 20k on average, in that sense it will hold its value well. Not sure about 30k or even 40k, seems unlikely it will hold there with RCF and GSF depreciating fast

idoke1

iTrader: (5)

I have a 08 with 101k miles and I can honestly say it has been problem free and the depreciation value seems good compared to others. I daily it everyday and the only issue I had was the front hub bearings going bad and that's it. The rest were just simple maintenance such as fluids, belts, filters and plugs. I will tell you this, brake pads, front rotors and tires go through fast....depending on how you drive.

kolyan

There are bunch of 08s for $20k around 110-120k miles. There is one on CL with 128k and its listed at $16.9k. Value depends on condition and miles. Pretty rare car, with age it will be harder to find low miles mint condition ones, so if you dont drive it, it will hold that $20k value more or less Some cars go up in value small amounts like S2000, to alot like air-cooled 993 911s, I dont think ISF is one of those cars though.

KJH

Cars that were ridiculed when I was in college, like the Porsche 914 and 912 are now going for big bucks, as are some 1980s muscle cars. The IS-F has all the ingredients to appreciate over the years. First, it was Lexus' first "F" car. Nothing over time will change that fact. Secondly, it has very low production numbers in North America. Third, there is Lexus' reputation for durability and reliability, a record that cannot be matched by any other manufacturer.

Just three years ago, no one would have believed you if you said the MKIV Supra would sell for upwards of $100k, a car that last showed up on the shores of the U.S. in 1998. The IS-F has distinctive looks which likely will not be replicated by Toyota, as the spindle grill and derivations of it will continue to be the focus of the company's design architecture. Even a second generation IS-F should not hurt values much, if at all. As you noted, see the 993 versions of the Porsche 911 for reference... Of course mileage and condition will always be significant factors but there is a saying in the Supra world that "Condition Trumps Mileage" because of the car's bulletproof nature. The IS-F can make a strong case for itself on the same topic. If this, in fact, happens, there may not be much of a mileage penalty if the car is otherwise in tip top.

Ken.

kolyan

I am not a pro when it comes to this subject, but few things that are different between all those P cars, Supra, etc is that they had its own performance oriented chassis, they are raw, and they come with manual gearboxes. ISF is a factory hooked up IS250 family sedan with its nannies and automatic gearbox. Look at BMWs, e46s and e90s don't go up in value and never will, e36s do because they are raw, because they come with manual gearbox, and have somewhat classic design. Supras also go up in value because they are easy and cheap to mod for race cars, it's completely opposite for ISF. Air-cooled P cars are just classics, there is just no comparison between them and ISF

Even S2000s are not there....yet, and they have far better chance then ISF, all ingredients are there, high performance motor, manual, reliable, rare, 2 door sports roadster, easy and cheap to mod etc. You can buy one for as little as $10k now

Quadrphnia

I tend to agree with you here, although I do hope in the other direction.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong or if you disagree, but I'm also concerned that the name itself will impede upon the collectibility of our cars. Even today most people tend to think of Lexus as a retirement ride regardless of whatever they really know about the brand. The "underdog" status can go either way when it comes to value. I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this.

FNSSESPORT

We just need the IS-F to be featured as a hero car in a blockbuster movie and we're all set!
-R

Pqbrown

iTrader: (9)

I don't think anyone is saying that isf is going to be the next mkiv Supra (the gtr may inherit that crown), we're just saying it's probably going to be one of those cars, like the s2000 that people are going to value in 15+ years when everything is electric or autonomous. This car has the same element of appeal as an e30 m3 to me did back before values skyrocketed, a car with a motor shoe horned in and tuned to the best ability the chassis could offer, for the enthusiast that wanted Toyota quality. People will seek these out because they were unexpected cars you can use every day reliably and have fun in.

kiryu

That's a brilliant idea. For 10K I think the s2000 "might" appreciate in the future, and even if it depreciates more, probably not much more room to go down. There's no point chasing after the porsche bubble, that thing will eventually burst.

KJH

You guys need to inform yourselves by joining Bring-A-Trailer.com (or something similar). There are plenty of cars with automatic transmissions that are appreciating in price. I mean, an auto tranny has never held back certain desirable AMGs and you can't get a Ferrari with a manual transmission any more. Just because we think of cars with a manual transmission as more collectible, the rest of the world sees it differently. There was an article last week by a mainstream publication that lamented the dearth of cars with a manual transmission. I'll post a link if I can find it.

The last MY for the IS-F was 2014, three short years ago. It's far too early to predict what the car will be worth in 20-years, which is why I said it has the ingredients to rise in price over time. A good friend of mine purchased his MKIV Supra Turbo for $22k many years ago. His car, with over 100k miles was recently appraised at $65k. In fact, his car was featured in the "Condition Trumps Mileage" thread on Supraforums. As said earlier, cars that were considered buckets 30-40 years ago are now going for as much as ten times their original MSRP.


Ken.

ISFMichael

The S2000 has already been slowly starting to appreciate in value over the past couple of years and it's only going to keep rising over time. I've had my S2K for 10 years now and plan on holding on to it. It's a great fun car that you actually drive as opposed to the car driving you, like we have been starting to see more and more in modern cars with all the computer assistance. Nothing like having 3 pedals, a stick to shift through the gears with little computer assistance.

I love my S2K, pairs nicely with my ISF