Sc300 For My First Car?

[seang]

Before you even say "Kid, get a Honda", let me explain. No, I'm not 17, I'm 32, single, no kids. However, I've never owned a car ever. In fact, I have a total of about 3 hours behind the wheel, and I don't know anything about cars, engines, etc. (Please excuse the long post)

I've lived in areas with great public transportation and I've never really needed a car. But this is changing. So, my first thought was "Hey, I have the money and I can buy what I want." I limited myself to $10,000 simply because I wouldn't want to wreck anything over $10,000. Moreover, I want a used car so I wouldn't have to pay for the insurance for a new one. I live in New Jersey curently which has the highest insurance in the nation. It's so bad here, State Farm (and others) don't offer car insurance in New Jersey because they were losing money.

Ok, so my first inkling was BMW or Mercedes! "Yeah, a German car is well made and reliable." Well, not neccessarily... I started doing some research and found that, well, for $10,000, I could get a 10 yr old BMW or Mercedes with 100,000 miles. I searched Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com about BMW and Mercedes reliability. The findings didn't make me happy...

So I called a friend who knows about cars, and he said "Nope, don't get a BMW or Mercedes, get a Lexus." He told me about how expensive BMWs and Mercedes are too repair, especially for something 8-10 yrs old. He also told me a story about his father, who owned a 1991 Mercedes which blew out the AC compressor. He went to a Merc dealer, who wanted $1500 for the part/labor. He then went to a trusted mechanic who explained that the compressor was actually an $80 AC Delco part, and that Mercedes only slaps a Merc sticker on there to make it much more expensive. This turned me off. So... ok BMW it is then. Nope... their reliability with Consumer Reports/Edmunds/J.D. Power was average or poor for a $10,000 93-95 used BMW. Ok, Lexus?

I was blown away by the reports on Lexus reliability. It made the BMW and Merc look like Yugos. Wow, I gotta get a Lexus, I thought. For $10,000 I could probably get a decent Lexus. My first Lexus experience was with a 1990 Lexus LS400. My friend's father had just purchased a new one for 40k. He turned on the engine, and I didnt hear a sound from it. I didn't know the car was on. The ride was even more amazing.

I started to do more research online to see what I could get. I checked Ebay, Cars.com, Autotrader.com for Lexus cars. I learned that some are just too expensive for me, the ES is basically a Camry, the SUV's are 20k and up even for old ones, I want a 2-door and I want to spend under 10k.

Why a 2-door? I'm single, no kids to stuff in the back seat, and I don't want to park a huge limo-sized Lexus in my cramped city area. Oh, the SC's are nice, I thought. Do I need a more expensive SC400? Nope. Do I need 8 cylinders? Nope. Is the SC300 just as attractive to buy? Yep.

I'm an artist and I like style. I like the look of things. The style of the SC's are unique and gorgeous. Nothing really comes close to the look of a Lexus SC. Some of the Acuras (CL) can try to mimick a SC maybe, but not even close to the look of a SC.

Moreover, since reading the Lexus messageboards, it seems that you Lexus-owners are really quite proud to own such an excellent automobile. I'm amazed at the amount of websites there are totally dedicated to pictures of the owner's Lexus. I see nothing but pride and satisfaction.

So, is a Lexus SC300 as a first car for me ridiculous? I don't think so. As for my limited time behind the wheel, for the first week or two I will only drive around my neighborhood streets to get used to it, then venture out onto the evil New Jersey highways to get to work.

My co-worker asked me, "Why don't you get a Pos to just get you to work and back. Insurance will be high on a sports car?" I said, "What's a Pos?" He said, "A Piece Of S***." I said, "I don't want a piece of s***."

I've seen what $10k can get me in a Lexus... ~ a 1995 SC300 with 100,000 miles. $8000 or less can get me a 1993 SC300 with 120,000 miles basically.

I have my eye on 3 more SC300s. There is one in Queens, NY, at $9500 for a 95 Blue/Tan with 100,000 miles (clean). It will be tough to get to Queens from where I am, but not paying tax is nice. There are 2 SCs 3 miles away in my state, a 95 SC300/112k miles/black on black/$10500 (1yr/15k miles warranty included) (slight bumper accident in Mass) and a 93 SC300/128k miles/light green on tan/$9800 (clean record) (1yr/15k miles warranty included). There are many more examples, since the area I am in is quite populated, I can find one close.

Should I spend $7000 on a higher mileage 93 and save $3000 for possible repairs... or spend $10,000 right out on a nicer 95 SC? Insurance will be about 2-2.5 k/yr. Are you going to tell me to get a Honda? :D

I appreciate the help. Thanks and sorry for the huge post. I just see you guys posting about buying a 92-94 Lexus with 100,000+ miles and being totally happy. It's amazing, I have to have one!

Thanks,

Sean

[AWJ]

You could buy a Toyota, Nissan or Honda. But Lexus is definitely not a bad buy. That is really high insurance. I would move first. Buy a 95.

[91CRXsiR]

wutever you do don't buy a black/black 5spd. i hear those things are cursed.. look at AWJ.

[AWJ]

;)

[JSC300]

im 17...with a sc300....

[seang]

Oooops, there is nothing wrong with being 17 and having a SC300 :)

I was hoping for a "Hell YEA!" and some support here! I need to know if my reasoning is correct. Maybe I should have posted in a general car forum somewhere...

Yeah, insurance is hell here. $2500 would be the worse case senario. I'm hoping for $1500. I guess they call the SC300 a sports car, but I don't see it as such... There are alot of cars to choose from here. The unfortunate fact is that I have no car and no way to get to some of the further out locations.

[Throbblethorpe400]

ok, here goes-Hell Yea! Id say you are definitely on the right track with a lexus sc. I myself am an artist and I really appreciate the lines of my sc. It looks better than 95% of the cars on the road in my opinion. I just bought my 400 for 5200. It has alot of miles, but the car and engine bay are immaculate. It runs and rides great and is reasonably quick.

Im 25 and im paying 225 a month in Phoenix az. My old car (which was stolen) was a 1992 Accord 4 door. I paid 160 a month plus a 140 a month car payment. Its cheaper to own my lexus since I dont owe on it.

Ive only been driving it for a couple of weeks, but in that time Ive had no problems and am very happy with my new (old) car.

You should get a Lexus :magic:

[seang]

Thanks, Throbble, that is what I was looking for! This is the car I have my eyes on...

It is 3 miles away. It has 112000 miles on it. They just lowered it from $10500 to $9995 online. Its a "fully loaded" black/black 1995 SC300. 1yr/15000 mile warranty and a slight bumper accident in 1998 when the back end hit a guardrail. I want to pay cash. I don't think it has the very nice stereo system in it.

What do you think I can get them down to and is paying cash gonna get me a better price? I don't know about other states, but having no note means I don't have to have collision insurance on it, and as I've said, insurance prices are the worst in the nation in New Jersey. I really appreciate any replies! Thanks,

Sean

[eXo]

mah gawd !! that's beautiful !!!

take it !!..

I want one of those L badged steering centres, anyone wanna swap a Soarer badged one for a L ?

[pacoson]

I have a 94 SC400 and just turned 105k and love it.

Ibought it 17mths ago with 93k just gas, oil changes done to it.

Now I'm looking to do some mods to increase the performance.

Good luck and enjoy!

[91CRXsiR]

thats exactly what i want.. expect in 5spd please.

[rickasap]

I bought a 1992 SC 300 5 spd for $10K with just 55K mi which my son drives for all the same reasons. He was 17, and is learning to take good care of it. A new Mustang? No way!! A 10 year old Lexus was a far better car, and who could tell it was 10 years old?.

[AWJ]

mah gawd !! that's beautiful !!!

take it !!..

I want one of those L badged steering centres, anyone wanna swap a Soarer badged one for a L ?

YES. I do.

[seang]

Well,

I went down to the dealer and checked it out. I had the seller drive it, since I need to practice a little more with driving first :) We took it for a spin. It turned out a little embarrassing for the seller as the car shook a little bit. He said it was the first time that had happened.

I saw some typical problems with these cars (AC vents cracked). The sunroof didn't make any noise until he opened and closed it again. Maybe he didn't close it the whole way, I'm not sure. It didn't take bumps the way I expected it to, as the ride was a little bumpy. However, overall, it was a nice ride. I checked the passenger seat controls, which worked fine. It even had the cell phone stand in the armrest. The stereo had been replaced with a Kenwood AM FM casette and the speakers had been replaced with these horrible purple things... I would have to get the Nakamichi back in there...

When we got back, his mechanic said the shaking was due to the sparkplugs. He then ordered factory plugs on the phone, and would have them installed on Monday. I told him if that fixed the problem, I would come back to look at it and drive it myself next time. He gave me a ride to the train station, and when I got out of the car and the car drove away, I noticed a non-typical "Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" coming from the muffler. This could be related to the spark plug problem, right?

I asked about rust on the phone and he assured me there was no rust. The only rust I saw when I got there was behind the rims on what I am guessing is the anti-lock break thingy. Is this common? The wheelwells were fine and free of rust though...

Any suggestions? The asking price for this 95 SC300 is $9995. Should I still pursue this car? I will take a ride in another SC300 just for comparison soon.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Sean

[seang]

One last thing, they do offer more extended warranties for decent prices... The car comes with a 1yr/15,000 mile one covering the engine, transmission, drive axle assembly, seals and gaskets, labor, rentals, towing, and 24-hour roadside assistance.

[HoodLexusSC]

actually i have a 92 sc 400 gold with 110k miles on it with wiring probs but ill sell it for 7200$ has 18 inch lorenzo chrome rims on it .i live in orange nj right next to newark. contact me at 9736744497 or 908 561 0997 ask for jeff.

[seang]

Damn, you shouldn't have told me about the wiring problems... :D Out of curiosity, what kind of wiring problems?

As for the 1995 black/black I saw yesterday, after thinking about it last night, I don't think I will pursue it very much. I want it as original as possible (Nakamichi, etc), not to mention the other problems I saw. And he wants $9995 for that? I dont think so...

There was a 92 w 49000 miles (garage kept) on Ebay for $9750 which no one bid on, but its in Illinois... I'm not sure I want a car delivered to me that I have not tested. There is the 95 in Queens (98k miles), but that is such a pain in the !Removed! to get to...

[HoodLexusSC]

its in one of my prior post about the wiring problems but the cars great i had the tune-up done with platinum plugs and a oil change it runs sweet. u can check it out if ya want. ill meet ya somewhere. e-bay is a ******* because of all the damn reserves the people set. you could win a car for3000 and have to pay 5000 plus a extra 1000 for shipping then all those extra "sign over" fees. buy mine.......cash, title (ill put it as sold it for 0$) registration so youll be payin basically 7400 for the car to legally ride it. not to pressed to sell it but i been thinkin bout a clk :o . wish i had a digie cam to take a pic. but in any case any probs on the car and or modifications u wanna do u have bout 3000 left to play with. already got the rims. (i love chromies). like i said just lemme know bud. but i do love black SC's dunno why i got gold

[seang]

I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to inheret any major problems. I found your other post... wow.

After calling alot today, I'm frustrated. Either the Carfax check left it unwanted, or the dealer sold it, or never had it, or I can't reach it... I'm starting to lean toward the 95 SC300 black one again...

How much should I offer cash on it? He wants $9995, but he ain't getting that :)

[SC400SunDevil]

Sean,

To tell you the truth, buy the car, but for about 9, not 10. If he try's to stay firm Check KBB.com to get a real price. Also, Get a 2 year warranty just to be sure, you never know who owned it before you, Grandma or 16 year old kid. The car looks beautiful. Good Luck.

[seang]

Yeah, I know... I probably should, especially since the black/black combo is rarer. KBB says the car is worth $12,675. Unfortunatley, it doesn't give you options to take into account cracked AC vents, windy sunroofs, door seals that seem off, the lack of the original Nakamichi system, passenger seat damage, small dings, etc.

I'm sorry I'm keeping this damned thread going, but I really need your help on this. I really have no one else to turn to, I've never owned a car and I want my $10,000 not to be wasted in a money pit of repairs. Yes, I know, buying Lexus is the safest thing out there when it comes to this.

I just got a bad feeling when we test drove the car and it shook. He said he was going to get new spark plugs today to see if that solved it, but I have not heard back from him. Lexus are supposed to handle bumps in the road extrememly well, but I wasn't impressed. Maybe I just don't know how well it actually did handle them... I wanted to test another SC300 for comparison, but that won't happen for days. Everything else in my area is either sold or unreachable by public transit, or a piece of resculpted salvage.

I expected the motor to be totally quiet too at 40 mph, but it wasn't. Maybe I am expecting too much.

The carfax search did show an accident in May of 1998, "Accident Reported/Involving a rear impact/or collision/It hit a guardrail" I thought, maybe he spun out in snow? Not in May, even in Mass... He sold it a month later. Also, I don't like the idea of the car being sold twice in the last 2 years. It makes me think something is wrong, especially after 100,000 miles.

Then I see Ebay, with its abundance of seemingly nice SC300s and 400s. I think "Man, I would pay $xxxx for that!" Or, "Buy it Now for only $10k? Nice!" Apparently, only 1% of cars are sold this way. I wonder how many have problems when they arrive to the buyer. And then what do they do? I want to start a forum poll on people's opinions of buying through an out-of-area dealer. (Can you tell I'm obcessed? :) )

However, I did find this... A local car dealer will issue warranties on cars not sold at their lot, meaning I could buy a privately sold car, and get a warranty through them. Sounds refreshing and secure. Damn, I just don't know. I usually spend months deliberating purchases, even if it is a $1000 TV or computer. I've never spent close to $10k on anything!

With the 92-97 Lexus SC cars, I see it this way... Since the car really didn't change during these years, a 92 = 93 = 94, etc. The only thing I should consider is the mileage and they expectation that Toyota parts start to give out at 100,000 miles. Right? But then I read about a person having a SC for 200,000 miles and only needing a new radiator at that point...

I hope it doesn't take me forever to decide. Thanks for reading my long posts and any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sean

PS- You can tell me to shut up now :)

[jdmSOARER]

haahhaa...First of all I want to say that I am 21 and i used to own a Honda Civic Hatchback prior to this, that was stolen, So instead of going out and buying another Honda, I opted to get one of the cars that i always wanted...Sc300. i'm paying for it myself as well as insurance. It's pretty much if you want some something, get it.

A Lexus would be a great first car, definitely take car of it. It's not exactly a Dodge Omni.

[Bubbles]

Maybe you should get a less expensive used car that doesn't accelerate and handle as well as the sc300, I'm thinking a used Honda Accord Coupe 4cyl 5spd. It's probably just as reliable too. That way you'll better appreciate the sc when you get it. :whistles:

[pacoson]

Sean in your above post you mention that you live in Mass.

As do I and No there aren't many SCs around (but I got mine :) )

If you go to the local Pizza shop they usually have those free car mags to read and I usually see 1 or 2 SCs in there for sale.

The shaking you mention, if it is a short burst of vibration for only a sec it sounds more like a tranny "shutter" thishappens when sub-grade ATF is used the tranny needs to use Toyota type 4 and most quick lube places will use dextron2 or equiv.

Not a hard repair!

[seang]

Fellas, I'm pretty set on a Lexus SC :D

I live in Jersey City actually. As for the black SC300 with the shake (prolonged shake), the dealer gave it a tune up and he says it's just fine now. However, I looked into the history a little more. After its supposed slight rear bumper accident (guardrail hit) the car was driver for 2 miles total in over a year. This doesn't sit right with me... I decided not to take a chance with that.

BUT, when I emailed him and told him I wouldn't be considering that car, he said he had just gotten a 1993 SC400 gold/tan with 129k miles on it and he is asking $7500 for it... Hmmmm :) I checked into the history of it. 8 years in Florida with regular service records reported. Sold to a guy in Mass who put like 60k miles on it for its latest 2 years. No accidents, no funny business with this car's history. I am definitely considering this one.

It also has the Nakamichi with CD changer in it, which I must have. I asked about the rims and he said they were not rusted but not in tip-top shape. My friends says for a little over $100 I can have them redone. The only thing I dont like is the 129k miles, the gas mileage and the color. He offers a pretty good warranty with it, which will cost me about $200 extra. As for the color gold, uuugghh. Remember, I am an artist :) I could always paint it later, right?

As for the timing belt... it should be changed every 60k miles on these cars? Doesn't it say on the engine when it was last changed?

One last thing... Like the other guy mentioned above, if I am going to buy a SC with alot of miles on it, I should have 3k in reserve for repairs. I can get the SC400 for under $7,000 probably, leaving me $3000 for repairs :)

Any help is appreciated, as I am going to see this car on Monday.

Thanks,

Sean