Am I Too Young To Drive A Lexus And What Do I Need For A Peace Of Mind

[Akshay Chand]

Hi Everyone,

I am a first time new car owner and guess what, I went ahead and bought the 2007 IS 250 AWD with Nav and all that jazz. I am still waiting for delivery of the vehicle but while I wait, I am having buyer's remorse. Maybe it is too soon for me to be driving a high end car like that? I graduated from college in 2005 and I am getting nervous about owning a Lexus. I guess part of my uneasiness comes from the fact that when I went to the dealership, the sales rep did not believe me that I was actually going to buy the car. She kept making references to my age. I am 23 and will be paying for the car myself. I guess the sales rep could tell that I was a little nervous about the transaction so she started selling me all these protection plans that I can't really decide if I'll need. Can anyone recommend what plans are necessary and which ones can be avoided?

Any help will be truly appreciated.

Best,

AC.

[SW03ES]

You're old enough, especially for the IS. I was 21 when I bought my ES 4 years ago , and the ES is directed at a much older buyer than the IS.

The only mistake you made was doing business with someone who gave you a hard time about your age. I've owned businesses since I was 18, and one thing I absolutely will not tolerate is people looking down on meor treating me differently because of my age. At the first hint of it I walk out the door. Rarely happens because I seem much older than I am, but it does happen.

Be proud of yourself that you can afford a vehicle like the IS at your age. 65% of college graduates can't even afford to eat on their own. Now, if you're stretching to be able to afford a car like this thats a different discussion we'd be having ;) Lexus is a nice car, but its not worth having to wait to buy your first house or start an investment plan for.

Think about it this way, Lexus has a special financing and lease program for recent college graduates. If young people didn't buy these cars they'd have no such program. Its actually a good program.

As for the protection plans, what specifically is she selling you?

There are usually four things they try and sell, the extended warranty, paint & fabric protection, rustproofing, & Lojack. There are also things like window etching but most Lexus dealers are too classy to push them.

1. Extended warranty. Personally, I think if you plan to drive the car at least to 100,000 miles its worth the cost to get the warranty. The Lexus is a very reliable car but there are a lot of components that are extremely expensive to replace IF they break, like the nav screen ($4k), the amps for the stereo, etc. I've put a couple claims in on mine, its like an insurance policy. Now, what you need to understand is that you can buy the extended warranty at ANY TIME within the factory 4 year 50k bumper to bumper warranty, you don't have to buy it when you buy the car. You can also buy it from any dealer nationwide over the phone, and it is extremely likely you can save some money on it. The only benefit of buying it now is that you can wrap it into the financing. If you can't afford $1,500 cash at some point though 4 years down the road for the warranty, you shouldn't be buying a car this expensive anyways. You're going to be making a lot more money 4 years from now anyways, so I'd wait. I only bought mine after I decided to keep it past the original warranty, I think I had 49,500 miles on it when I bought the warranty.

2. Paint protection. Total scam, don't get it. Instead read up on the detailing forum here at the LOC, plenty of things you can do yourself that will offer better protection at MUCH MUCH lower cost. Same with the fabric protection. Worried about it? Buy some scotchguard. Thats all they do, they just charge you $500.

3. Rustproofing. I also wouldn't, improperly applied rustproofing can accelerate rusting, and the metal on the car is galvanized already and warrantied against perforation by rust for something like 10 years. This isn't required on modern cars.

4. Lojack. Your choice. Its pretty cheap, you might get an insurance break from it but probably not.

Hope that helps! Be excited! Don't be self concious about it.

[terry993]

Grad from college and paying for the car yourself. What's not to like. Get the car, not the protection package, and enjoy the well earned fruits of your labor.

[Akshay Chand]

Thank you both for your quick responses. I really appreciate it and feel good about buying the IS. I have been in love with this car ever since it came out and have been wanting it for about 6 months and now finally I drive it. I financed the car from third party financer that gave me a very nice rate. Not really stretching my budget too much (i.e. won't have to live on spam for two years). :)

This was actually the second dealership that I went to. The first one I walked out of because the sales rep was not trying to sell me the car. He was more worried about how I was going to finance it even before showing me the options and features in the car. Maybe because I was sporting my school (Texas longhorn) hat? I don't know. :) When I told the rep at the second dealership about my experience at the first one, she then started taking me a little more seriously. Overall, I wouldn't rate it as an A+ experience, but I got a good deal on my trade in so I went for it.

The protection plan that the rep was trying to sell me featured options 2 and 3 from your(SW03ES) post and a phantom footprint anti-theft protection for $995 (orig. MSRP $1995). Then she recommended that I get the R.O.A.D Tire protection plan since IS has performance tires which are not as durable as regular tires. She was selling me that for $650. I am assuming Lexus Roadside assistance should cover me if I am stranded roadside for any reason. Right??

[SW03ES]

LOL, yeah don't buy any of that crap. Lexus roadside will help for flat repair and tire changes etc, the issue is the fact that the tires will need to be replaced more often than standard sedan tires. Every 20k miles or so. That warranty makes no sense because for $650 you can buy a new set of tires...

Skip it all, the salespeople make HUGE bonuses off of that stuff thats why she's pushing it. You want the car at the price you negotiated, thats it. If she pushes, look her in the eye and say "If you ask me again I'm going to take my business elsewhere.

Its really hard to get some salespeople off of all this BS because of the bonuses they make on it. I remember we bought a laptop at BestBuy one time and the guy was to where he was being downright obnoxious about the warranty even after I said no 3 or 4 times. I finally just said "Look, either I can buy this laptop here now and you can get off my back about the warranty or I can walk out of here and buy it online". And he finally quit, but he was extremely nasty about it. BestBuy people only earn commision on the warranties, otherwise they're just paid hourly.

Now, being a commisioned salesperson myself (I broker residential real estate) I can understand the need to qualify people before devoting time to them, but there are subtle ways to do that that don't involve grilling and making people feel mistreated. Seems like you're dealing with bad salespeople, which are everywhere.

Oh well, rest assured that they could not afford a $40,000 car when they were 23...and may not be able to now.

[Akshay Chand]

LOL, yeah don't buy any of that crap. Lexus roadside will help for flat repair and tire changes etc, the issue is the fact that the tires will need to be replaced more often than standard sedan tires. Every 20k miles or so. That warranty makes no sense because for $650 you can buy a new set of tires...

Skip it all, the salespeople make HUGE bonuses off of that stuff thats why she's pushing it. You want the car at the price you negotiated, thats it. If she pushes, look her in the eye and say "If you ask me again I'm going to take my business elsewhere.

Its really hard to get some salespeople off of all this BS because of the bonuses they make on it. I remember we bought a laptop at BestBuy one time and the guy was to where he was being downright obnoxious about the warranty even after I said no 3 or 4 times. I finally just said "Look, either I can buy this laptop here now and you can get off my back about the warranty or I can walk out of here and buy it online". And he finally quit, but he was extremely nasty about it. BestBuy people only earn commision on the warranties, otherwise they're just paid hourly.

Now, being a commisioned salesperson myself (I broker residential real estate) I can understand the need to qualify people before devoting time to them, but there are subtle ways to do that that don't involve grilling and making people feel mistreated. Seems like you're dealing with bad salespeople, which are everywhere.

Oh well, rest assured that they could not afford a $40,000 car when they were 23...and may not be able to now.

hahaha. I wonder if you can use that line when the sales rep is being totally obnoxious. Anyway, thanks for your help... I guess the best protection plan you can get is a GOOD advice. To protect you from all the sales gimmick. Thanks very much.

[mdsbrain]

Grad from college and paying for the car yourself. What's not to like. Get the car, not the protection package, and enjoy the well earned fruits of your labor.

Exactly!! Although my IS250 is not my first car (its my 6th) I am 22 and loving it. Had it for 32 days and have almost 2,000 miles on it already. :whistles:

[MikeL]

Hi Everyone,

I am a first time new car owner and guess what, I went ahead and bought the 2007 IS 250 AWD with Nav and all that jazz. I am still waiting for delivery of the vehicle but while I wait, I am having buyer's remorse. Maybe it is too soon for me to be driving a high end car like that? I graduated from college in 2005 and I am getting nervous about owning a Lexus. I guess part of my uneasiness comes from the fact that when I went to the dealership, the sales rep did not believe me that I was actually going to buy the car. She kept making references to my age. I am 23 and will be paying for the car myself. I guess the sales rep could tell that I was a little nervous about the transaction so she started selling me all these protection plans that I can't really decide if I'll need. Can anyone recommend what plans are necessary and which ones can be avoided?

Any help will be truly appreciated.

Best,

AC.

I don't think you're too young, especially considering you're paying for it youself. I know lucky kids with amazing parents- these kids drive finer cars than the IS and don't even have to pay for it ('tis the way the world turns). I'm 22, and a recent college graduate (my Ugrad was a full-ride merit scholarship, thanks to state of Florida :) ). I pay my IS lease (the Lexus college lease, incidentally) along with working part-time and also studying like crazy for the LSAT. My cousin is also 22 and drives an IS. You're not an unusual case at all and I'm shocked that a sales person looking to make a deal would even hassle you, don't take it from them, if they're sales people who like to make money they'll look past arbitrary information like age, base their numbers off your credit score instead and appreciate your business :).

[92Lex]

Bottom line is...no, you're not too young. Heck, if you had the money...even a Ferrari wouldn't be out of line. You've earned what you're able to afford. Enjoy it while you can. At least until you're paying for your kids college tution, or fiance's 2.03 carat ring. Don't ask me how I know.

Maybe she's making references to your age bcuz she's impressed? ;)

**I'm such a bad influence** Haha

[Gryphon]

65% of college graduates can't even afford to eat on their own.

Huh? Where does this statistic come from?

[bartkat]

If the tires program is "Toyota Tires for Life", and you plan on keeping the car several years, I'd check into that one.

[PGSberg]

Go with the extended warranty. I didn't get it with my IS but may go back. I did get the extended warranty on my 2003 4Runner. It extended the factory warranty from 3/36 to 6/100. I paid $1350. I used it last year to have the engine drive pully replaced. I dropped off the 4Runner today because the moonroof jammed in the open position. Extended warranties can be dicy. I'm hoping that the moonroof is 100% covered. The moonroof isn't listed on the exempt parts list. If it's covered, then my warranty has more than paid for itself and I have 2/40 left on it.

Good luck on your purchase - Don't worry about the age. Only you know what you can afford. Since you are buying a Lexus, you at 23 most likely are making more than the salesperson. That may be hard for her to swallow.

[lexuus]

Hi Everyone,

I am a first time new car owner and guess what, I went ahead and bought the 2007 IS 250 AWD with Nav and all that jazz. I am still waiting for delivery of the vehicle but while I wait, I am having buyer's remorse. Maybe it is too soon for me to be driving a high end car like that? I graduated from college in 2005 and I am getting nervous about owning a Lexus. I guess part of my uneasiness comes from the fact that when I went to the dealership, the sales rep did not believe me that I was actually going to buy the car. She kept making references to my age. I am 23 and will be paying for the car myself. I guess the sales rep could tell that I was a little nervous about the transaction so she started selling me all these protection plans that I can't really decide if I'll need. Can anyone recommend what plans are necessary and which ones can be avoided?

Any help will be truly appreciated.

Best,

AC.

you're 23 and buying a nice lexus. if anything, you should be intimidating the sales lady! best hassle free way to get a new car is to exchange emails with several dealers in your area. choose the dealer with the best price, tell them another dealer is giving you a quote for $300 less, and then they will beat the price by about $50 and then you have an ever better deal. then just go to the dealer when they have the car you want. test drive it and sign the papers.

[SW03ES]

65% of college graduates can't even afford to eat on their own.

Huh? Where does this statistic come from?

Its sad but true, the percentage is just for fun I have no idea what it actually is, but more and more recent college grads wind up living at home with their parents with no way to support themselves because of the insane amount of student loan and credit card debt they acrued while they were in college, and the fact that its not as easy to find that great right out of college job that they expected to find.

http://www.cepr.net/publications/debt_college_grads.htm

Read the whole article, its interesting and remember its a few years old so things have gotten worse.

Case in point, my fiance was laid off from her first job out of college, an administrative job paying $38,000 a year. When we graduated from college she owed nearly $70,000 in student loans and about $3,000 in credit card debt (my parents paid for my education, thanks folks!). Now, with that debt her income of $38,000 a year was not enough for her to live. She was in the hole about $200 a month, if it weren't for the fact that I made so much more than she did and could keep her from having to buy food for instance she would have had to move back home to NJ or moved into some sort of scenario with roommates etc.

Now she just got another job, a much better paying job, but she had to look for that job for 7 months after being laid off. Again, if not for me, she would have had to move home to NJ...

Go with the extended warranty. I didn't get it with my IS but may go back. I did get the extended warranty on my 2003 4Runner. It extended the factory warranty from 3/36 to 6/100. I paid $1350

I agree he should get it, but no reason to get it now.

[stcmharb]

congrats on your lex... im straight out of high school and bought mine... paid for it myself working like a whipped slave to do so.. always with the second thought when i pay for the beast every month... paying too much that is.. no credit no good lmao

but i absolutly love my vehicle everything from the is's preformance to the comfortable seats wish i would have gotten a newer one tho that and the place i bought it .. those are my only regrets

[Akshay Chand]

congrats on your lex... im straight out of high school and bought mine... paid for it myself working like a whipped slave to do so.. always with the second thought when i pay for the beast every month... paying too much that is.. no credit no good lmao

but i absolutly love my vehicle everything from the is's preformance to the comfortable seats wish i would have gotten a newer one tho that and the place i bought it .. those are my only regrets

Thank you. I am still waiting for delivery. I can't wait to get my hands on that baby. It was love at first sight. Anyways, enjoy your drive and, as posted earlier on this thread, the fruits of your labor. :)

[Akshay Chand]

more and more recent college grads wind up living at home with their parents with no way to support themselves because of the insane amount of student loan and credit card debt they acrued while they were in college, and the fact that its not as easy to find that great right out of college job that they expected to find.

That is true. Between my freshman semester and my senior year in college, my tuition went up by 80% and since I was an international student, I was paying through the skin of my teeth ( and some help from my parents). But the point is... education is getting more and more over priced and the jobs aren't increasing compensation adequately, at least in most cases.

[SW03ES]

Oh yeah, we both went to GW and the undergrad tuition our senior year was $29,000 before room and board, now its $39,000 just 4 years later. Its another $11k to live there!

I shudder to think what its going to cost when our kids wind up in college 20-25 years from now...

One thing I do know though, is none of my kids will have to pay for their college themselves. If we both had $70k in student loan payments, even with what I make (I make a lot more money than most people in our age range) we would be seriously stifled as to what we could afford housewise and retirement planningwise. To make any meaningful dent in the debt you'd be talking about $3,000 in loan payments between the two of us. My parents paying for mine was an extraordinary gift.

[LexusBaller300]

I was 21 when I bought my IS300. At age 24, I upgraded to the IS350. If you got the money, do it. Life's short. I had the same problem with the age issue - they didn't seem to take me seriously but they checked my credit and were amazed at how good it is especially at my age! They were all over me and of course I gave in! I am happy - EXCEPT, my sub-woofer has blown twice in the last two months! Grrr

[drewj12]

Hi Everyone,

I am a first time new car owner and guess what, I went ahead and bought the 2007 IS 250 AWD with Nav and all that jazz. I am still waiting for delivery of the vehicle but while I wait, I am having buyer's remorse. Maybe it is too soon for me to be driving a high end car like that? I graduated from college in 2005 and I am getting nervous about owning a Lexus. I guess part of my uneasiness comes from the fact that when I went to the dealership, the sales rep did not believe me that I was actually going to buy the car. She kept making references to my age. I am 23 and will be paying for the car myself. I guess the sales rep could tell that I was a little nervous about the transaction so she started selling me all these protection plans that I can't really decide if I'll need. Can anyone recommend what plans are necessary and which ones can be avoided?

Any help will be truly appreciated.

Best,

AC.

I wouldn't say your too young to be driving a lexus, I'm 18 and bought my first car which is a 2007 Lexus IS 250 RWD Manual with the navigation/mark levinson premium audio package. no parents involved. buyers remorse? you just bought a very nice car enjoy it man.

[seohenning]

"Fake it till you make it"

I am also a young Lex Driver 24 when bought, 25 now... ahh 1/4 century.

Anyway, I agree with a few remarks, don't tolerate people who look at you bad for buying a nice car young. My fiance and I bought her Mazda 6 from a dealership 70 miles away from our house because the one in our city didn't treat us with the respect we thought we should get. No one approached us the first time we were there (about 20 min), then the second time I had called before hand and set up an appointment it still took at least 20 min for someone to even approach us let alone take us serious when we arrived for our "appointment".

We believe that is important to be taken serious and why would you want to give a business money when they don't want anything to do with you in the first place.

[drewj12]

"Fake it till you make it"

I am also a young Lex Driver 24 when bought, 25 now... ahh 1/4 century.

Anyway, I agree with a few remarks, don't tolerate people who look at you bad for buying a nice car young. My fiance and I bought her Mazda 6 from a dealership 70 miles away from our house because the one in our city didn't treat us with the respect we thought we should get. No one approached us the first time we were there (about 20 min), then the second time I had called before hand and set up an appointment it still took at least 20 min for someone to even approach us let alone take us serious when we arrived for our "appointment".

We believe that is important to be taken serious and why would you want to give a business money when they don't want anything to do with you in the first place.

I can definitely understand this and I don't agree with it at all. I'm sure if I hadn't pulled up to my Lexus dealership in the car I was in they wouldn't have bothered to help me until they had some free time to see what I wanted.