Lexus As A First Car ?

[sweetsmiles9]

I am planning to buy 2005 RX 330 .Since this is my first car I'm a bit concerned ,since everyone tells me to buy a less expensive car at first.But I seem to like the RX 330 a lot.Is it ok to have a lexus as ur first car?Since i'm not going to buy another car soon, i hope i wont be making a mistake in buying the RX. I'd really like some help on this front.Thanx

[TOY4TWO]

I am planning to buy 2005 RX 330 .Since this is my first car I'm a bit  concerned ,since everyone tells me to buy a less expensive car at first.But I seem to like the RX 330  a lot.Is it ok to have a lexus as ur first car?Since i'm not going to buy another car soon, i hope i wont be making a mistake in buying the RX.  I'd really like some help on this front.Thanx

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Why not get a RX300 that just came off lease. You'll get just as much out of it, have a warranty, and save $10,000 in depreciation.

[BillT]

If you plan to keep this car for 10 to 20 years, buy an RX330 with everything.

In 10 years the average car will have the same stuff as your RX330.

To avoid regrests, check the RX 400H, which goes on sale 15 April 2005. You

might or might not want to spend the extra money for the hybrid. Checking it

now will save you regrets later. I try to keep my vehicles for 300000 miles and

20 years. Most people do not do this. Do not take my advice as instructions for you.

The Lexus vehicles have very high reliablility, which makes the cost of ownership

much less than for many other cars.

[HRP]

The biggest problem you are creating is the belief that all cars are going to be as good as your Lexus. You really need to own and drive "comparable" vehicles to really appreciate the Lexus. I'm a physician, have driven Buicks, Ramblers, Mercedes (gas and diesel), Packards, Excaliburs, VW's, Fords, Pontiacs, and Cadallacs and even a Kiser). My friends have waded through similar quagmires of vehicles. Now they, like me, drive Lexus. My best friend said to me after coming off years of being a Cadallac loyalist, "You know, this 2003 LS430 is the first real car I've ever owned"

Your appreciation of a really great car is amplified by prior ownership of a "good" car.

[SW03ES]

HRP, thats exactly how my dad felt when he got his first LS in 98, coming of Cadillacs he felt it was the first real car he'd ever owned.

BUT, not everyone's situations are the same. If you've got the money and thats what you want, go for it. My only advice would be to get into a cheaper car if having the RX is going to create a financial burden for maintenance or payments etc. A car isn't worth having financial burdens in your HS/College years. I watched too many friends miss out on all the fun the rest of us were having because their BMW payment was due or their Audi needed struts. Its not worth it, you've got plenty of years to drive a Lexus when the financial burden won't be as destructive.

BUT if you've got the bucks and its not going to cut down on your ability to have fun, why not?

[HRP]

Remember, you only buy your FIRST Lexus once!

[denslexusgx470]

HRP, thats exactly how my dad felt when he got his first LS in 98, coming of Cadillacs he felt it was the first real car he'd ever owned.

BUT, not everyone's situations are the same. If you've got the money and thats what you want, go for it. My only advice would be to get into a cheaper car if having the RX is going to create a financial burden for maintenance or payments etc. A car isn't worth having financial burdens in your HS/College years. I watched too many friends miss out on all the fun the rest of us were having because their BMW payment was due or their Audi needed struts. Its not worth it, you've got plenty of years to drive a Lexus when the financial burden won't be as destructive.

BUT if you've got the bucks and its not going to cut down on your ability to have fun, why not?

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[PharmGuy]

HRP, you are so definitely right. I've owned Ford's, Honda's, Ford Truck,

and a Pontiac besides some others before I bought my Lexus. I wanted to

make sure my son got through college first, and we didn't have a mortgage

to worry about, before I bought it. And I was sick of doing trade-in's at

little or no value also.

So far I absolutely love it. The ride is smooth, it's dependable, it's good

in foul New England weather, and I'm sure I'll get a fair return when I trade,

as long as I do the maintainance regularly and take care of it.

PharmGuy

P.S.----"Brings back memories--- I had a F-150 pickup, I couldn't kill it, but the

ride could have killed me. I think they put the seat belts in so you didn't

get bounced out the windshield as you drove along"

[strmrdr23]

my rx300 was my first car (that i bought for myself, that is). i did quite a bit of research for cars in my price range (ahh, the dot com boom days) and the rx was the top choice, hands down. i expect to own it for quite some time so it's reliability and comfort were big factors. i was "downsized" 3 years ago but thanks to my large initial down pmnt my monthly pmnts were still manageable till i got another job ("you want fries with that?" j/k). just make sure you can afford it but it's a great choice...

I am planning to buy 2005 RX 330 .Since this is my first car I'm a bit  concerned ,since everyone tells me to buy a less expensive car at first.But I seem to like the RX 330  a lot.Is it ok to have a lexus as ur first car?Since i'm not going to buy another car soon, i hope i wont be making a mistake in buying the RX.  I'd really like some help on this front.Thanx

←

[dchan865]

I share most of the feeling expressed here. The RX was the first Lexus I bought 4 years ago and the only regret I have is not getting the 4WD. If it doesn't effect your wallet and you plan to keep it for a long time( I plan to keep it for 10+ years), I would say its worth it.

In my experience, RX has been trouble free and maintenance is low. And don't forget the Lexus reliability rating is #1 in the business(sound like I am making a sales pitch but its true).

[JDC]

Having also owned, among others, a VW GTi, Acura CL, and a Cadillac Fleetwood, and, now a Lexus RX, it is certainly a very fine vehicle. But, echoing other peoples comments, the contrast between driving several different vehicles allows one to view them with perspective. All of the cars were right for me at the time I owned them. I'm not sure the RX would of been right for me in my mid twenties but in my mid 40s it feels right.

And you can get tired of a car over time. After about four or five years I generally find I've had enough and it's time to look at the market again. I really loved the Cadillac but found it damned hard to park in small area parking slots. So rather than make a 10 year commitment, make say a 4 year committment and ask yourself is it still right for you?

[sgriffith]

When I got married in 2001, my wife drove a 94 camaro with 130K on it. I knew it wouldn't last much longer (and really needed a new clutch) so we decided to shop for cars. We ended up purchasing a 99 RX and have just loved it. I will echo what others say, make sure you can afford the maintenance. Our car payment is no problem (because it is scheduled) but the maintenance isn't always something we can just run out and have done. However, this site is full of DIYers and that is how I handle most of our vehicle maintenance. This way, I only pay for parts. So, MOST of the maintenance it can be affordable....it you take the time to learn how to do some things yourself. We also bought an extended warranty when we purchased our vehicle. It has paid for itself time and time again. Not many things go wrong with these cars...but when they do, it is generally expensive. I hope this helps a little!

[sweetsmiles9]

Thanks everyone for the valuable input. I think I'm going to buy the Lexus I've always wanted, after all how many times does one buy their first car!!

[cduluk16]

hi

im a 16 year old junior in high school. Pretty soon i will be getting my license, and as any other kid of my age, is looking foward to driving a nice car. Being as fortunate as i am my parents said that i could choose a car in a reasonable price range no more than 30 as long as i would keep up my grades as i have been in the upper A range. They also said that i would have to pay for all services and insurnce etc when i get older which i'm not really worried about. They said that i could get it as long as it was safe, reliable and would last for a good 10 years until i get a real job etc. I would also like to sell it after this period for some resale value. I was wondering if the 2001-2003 rx300's would be a good choice? i know that the 01 rx300's are in the price range of 24-29k ish so that's what i think i would get. the only thing im worrying about is the problems it has been known to have;The transmission etc. do you think that a 2001 rx300 would be a good choice for me? If so, is the 2wd better than the awd and 4wd with these problems? my parents said that they'd rather me get a 2005 highlander for around 25 thousand rather than a 4 year old rx300 for the same price. they say that it would have less headaches and would make my life easier. The only thing is that i love the look of the rx300 and HATE the looks of the highlander. I have been a car lover for many years and would hate to drive something i totally dispised. The thing that my parents don't believe is that the 4 yr old lexus would perform as well as the new highlander. Is it worth to get a new car i absolutely hate over an older LEXUS i love? I would like some advice from someone who might have had experience purchasing their first car and who may have made a mistake that i could prevent...

thanks a ton,

Chris

[LexKid630]

if it is true that your parents will allow you to get a car in this price range, then i guess it all depends on what you like best. Since you like the rx300 and hate the highlander, take it from me DO NOT get the highlander then; you should get the car you like. It is obvious that you are a fellow lexus lover, so get it. I personally think the hihlander is a better choice for you for the reason your parents have; yes the rx300 will have more problems then the highlander. BUT...the rx300 does look better and like it was said before, you only buy your first car once!!

Good luck and hope you like it

[SW03ES]

Chris- I can see what your parents are saying. The Lexus is a reliable vehicle but when you start looking into cars 3,4,5 years old they're going to need repairs and maintenance that is going to cost you money you may not be prepared to spend, tires, brakes, shocks, more expensive maintenance items that cannot be skipped. Thats why I bought a new ES instead of a 3 year old LS, I didn't wanna have to pour lots of money into brakes/tires/expensive maintenance packages right away. AND I'm an adult with a job ;)

I'm not saying you should go that route but I can see where your parents are coming from.

[LexKid630]

hi

im a 16 year old junior in high school. Pretty soon i will be getting my license, and as any other kid of my age, is looking foward to driving a nice car. Being as fortunate as i am my parents said that i could choose a car in a reasonable price range no more than 30 as long as i would keep up my grades as i have been in the upper A range. They also said that i would have to pay for all services and insurnce etc when i get older which i'm not really worried about. They said that i could get it as long as it was safe, reliable and would last for a good 10 years until i get a real job etc. I would also like to sell it after this period for some resale value. I was wondering if the 2001-2003 rx300's would be a good choice? i know that the 01 rx300's are in the price range of 24-29k ish so that's what i think i would get. the only thing im worrying about is the problems it has been known to have;The transmission etc. do you think that a 2001 rx300 would be a good choice for me? If so, is the 2wd better than the awd and 4wd with these problems? my parents said that they'd rather me get a 2005 highlander for around 25 thousand rather than a 4 year old rx300 for the same price. they say that it would have less headaches and would make my life easier. The only thing is that i love the look of the rx300 and HATE the looks of the highlander. I have been a car lover for many years and would hate to drive something i totally dispised. The thing that my parents don't believe is that the 4 yr old lexus would perform as well as the new highlander. Is it worth to get a new car i absolutely hate over an older LEXUS i love? I would like some advice from someone who might have had experience purchasing their first car and who may have made a mistake that i could prevent...

thanks a ton,

Chris

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In case you didn't know, the 2 wheel drive rx300 version won't have the bad transmission problem as the Awd and 4wd. You can tell your parents that their wonderful highlander 2wd and 4wd will have the problems too! lol...since you're from mass (near me :P ) i dont know if they want to to have a 4wd car with all this snowey weather. Of course the 2 wheel drive rx is better than any other 2wd car in the snow so you can tell them that too...yeah i'm kind of on your side on this one; i wish my parents got me a lexus as my first car. I had some 5 year old pontiac..lol P.O.S!!

Besides MY rx300 i think any other rx300 will be fine...what year are you interested in? 2001? Must be because of the lights, ha..lol that will be fine for you as a first car. i would suggest the 2wd though. not a big difference. It will have a better trade-in value as well then the highlander. don't get me wrong the highlander is a great car but i will admit it's a bit ugly..lol...

well good luck and keep fighting; they'll give in

[cduluk16]

hi

im a 16 year old junior in high school. Pretty soon i will be getting my license, and as any other kid of my age, is looking foward to driving a nice car. Being as fortunate as i am my parents said that i could choose a car in a reasonable price range no more than 30 as long as i would keep up my grades as i have been in the upper A range. They also said that i would have to pay for all services and insurnce etc when i get older which i'm not really worried about. They said that i could get it as long as it was safe, reliable and would last for a good 10 years until i get a real job etc. I would also like to sell it after this period for some resale value. I was wondering if the 2001-2003 rx300's would be a good choice? i know that the 01 rx300's are in the price range of 24-29k ish so that's what i think i would get. the only thing im worrying about is the problems it has been known to have;The transmission etc. do you think that a 2001 rx300 would be a good choice for me? If so, is the 2wd better than the awd and 4wd with these problems? my parents said that they'd rather me get a 2005 highlander for around 25 thousand rather than a 4 year old rx300 for the same price. they say that it would have less headaches and would make my life easier. The only thing is that i love the look of the rx300 and HATE the looks of the highlander. I have been a car lover for many years and would hate to drive something i totally dispised. The thing that my parents don't believe is that the 4 yr old lexus would perform as well as the new highlander. Is it worth to get a new car i absolutely hate over an older LEXUS i love? I would like some advice from someone who might have had experience purchasing their first car and who may have made a mistake that i could prevent...

thanks a ton,

Chris

←

In case you didn't know, the 2 wheel drive rx300 version won't have the bad transmission problem as the Awd and 4wd. You can tell your parents that their wonderful highlander 2wd and 4wd will have the problems too! lol...since you're from mass (near me :P ) i dont know if they want to to have a 4wd car with all this snowey weather. Of course the 2 wheel drive rx is better than any other 2wd car in the snow so you can tell them that too...yeah i'm kind of on your side on this one; i wish my parents got me a lexus as my first car. I had some 5 year old pontiac..lol P.O.S!!

Besides MY rx300 i think any other rx300 will be fine...what year are you interested in? 2001? Must be because of the lights, ha..lol that will be fine for you as a first car. i would suggest the 2wd though. not a big difference. It will have a better trade-in value as well then the highlander. don't get me wrong the highlander is a great car but i will admit it's a bit ugly..lol...

well good luck and keep fighting; they'll give in

←

does the two wheel drive rx300 lack any of the luxury features/packages of the four and all wheel drive models? All i'm really interested in is the spoiler and hid headlights. Also the heated seats :D I don't think my parents even know the difference between two wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. mom's got a 2003 avalon and dads got a 2002 volvo s..something. they don't know much.

What are more pro's and con's of getting the older rx300 than a new highlander?

[LexKid630]

does the two wheel drive rx300 lack any of the luxury features/packages of the four and all wheel drive models? All i'm really interested in is the spoiler and hid headlights. Also the heated seats :D I don't think my parents even know the difference between two wheel drive, all wheel drive or four wheel drive. mom's got a 2003 avalon and dads got a 2002 volvo s..something. they don't know much.

What are more pro's and con's of getting the older rx300 than a new highlander?

←

To your question of does the 2 wheel drive lack any other specific features as the other drive train, i would say not necessarily. when the cars are first made the shells don't really know what transmission they're going to be fitting onto. The company tries to make different combinations to suit different customers. you might find a 4wd rx that's stripped and a 2wd with everything. I have the coach edition which has pretty much everything. But i saw some coaches that didn't have navigation for example it is an option that some people like and otehrs not. If you are planning on having a certain color etc, you should start looking quickly! When are you planning to have it for? Because it may take a looooonnnngggg time before you find one you're interested in. Some colors/combo's are rarer then others. And also remember that beggers can't be choosers lol.

I would also suggest getting a CPO from a dealer, NOT a private owner. A lot of times when people selling expensive cars themselves there is something wrong with it and they know it wont be certified. Also if you see one priced unusualy low there's probably something wrond with it. And if possible try to see where it is coming from; i mean the kind of people. You would rather have a car owned by older people that drive safely then some new student driver (not implying that kids cant drive ).

And depending on how you would drive and how long each day you drive it, it should last you as long as any other car. I would also suggest getting a 2002 rather than a 2001. The prive isn't that much more and it will be a WHOLE YEAR newer, and last you a whole year longer (hopefully).

[SW03ES]

Not to mention the AWD isn't as neccisary on the RX as some other vehicles as the car is FWD to begin with. a FWD model with VSC will go through 90% what an AWD model will.

A RWD Explorer vs 4WD would be another story for example.