Justify Spending +$36k

[frogs9497]

Alright, I'd like to know what everyone's rationale is for spending so many $$ on a really nice car versus a new car priced in the mid $20k's. How does one justify it? I've always felt OK spending top dollar on vehicles for my wife (why, I do not know). However, I just dropped +$36k on an 08 IS250 for myself and feel a little queezy. Don't get me wrong- love the car. I just don't think I NEED the car.

Just curious as to your thought processes when spending so much.

Thanks.

[IceZ]

Alright, I'd like to know what everyone's rationale is for spending so many $$ on a nice car. How does one justify it? I've always felt OK spending top dollar on vehicles for my wife (why, I do not know). However, I just dropped +$36k on an 08 IS250 for myself and feel a little queezy. Don't get me wrong- love the car. I just don't think I NEED the car.

Just curious as to your thought processes when spending so much.

Thanks.

I looked at it this way...i drive 36 miles to work one way, I want to be comfortable doing it. Plus I think the IS is one of the best looking cars on the road. Its made by toyota so the reliability is there. Plus they were willing to come down on the price quite a bit, 41+ sticker for under 36. I just couldnt pass it up comfort, looks, ease of mind reliability, and a hell of a deal.

BTW im taking delivery of mine today. Why dont you go snap some pics of it and post them up here that will make you feel better. :D

[CrunchySkippy]

I'm rather unconventional - where I keep cars for about 8-10 years before trading them out. May as well be something that is comfortable and reliable (theoretically). I've got a year and half with this one at about 16,000 miles. No intention of getting rid of it anytime soon.

[frogs9497]

I'm rather unconventional - where I keep cars for about 8-10 years before trading them out.

This is the fiscal discipline I need, to be sure!

[Gaugster]

The only way I can seriously justify the premium price is based on the advanced safety features. I.e. Multiple airbags, Advanced stability control, etc….

Most cars are available with these features but the premium cars seem to have the more advanced versions. Who knows it they work and we hope that they never have to be used but it is nice to know that they are there.

Otherwise, we are just paying a premium because we want to or can. It is an emotional decision at that point IMO.

Regards,

[smooth1]

I think at some point you have to determine where the sacrifice line is. In my opinion, right around the 30K is that line. Under 30K I feel I am making sacrifices, or having to decide what is more important, and what isn't so, and then letting which car fit that be the real determining factor. Once you get over that line, I don't think I'm sacrificing anywhere near as much. Under 30K I kept finding myself saying " It's nice, but not enouph power", or "Lots of power, but it rides terrible, and lacks all the refinements." It isn't until you get to that 30K + mark that you start seeing cars with enouph power, and all the refinements, and class, and all the other amenities. That's why I don't think I over spent in the least. In fact, I think this area is where Lexus excels. You get alot more car for what 5-10K more than a premium Honda, Toyota, Nissan.

[Knightshade]

I test drove a lot of cars before buying my IS, including some that were cheaper.

For example I test drove a V6 camry (though honestly it was still like 30k which is insane)

When I sat in it my wifes first remark, which was the same as my thoughts, were "This feels just like a 10 year old camry with a bigger engine"

There wasn't anything especially great about it compared to just an old used one.

Honestly, in the 30k and below category the nicest car we test drove was the Saturn Aura (probably the current Malibu based on it would be similar). It would've been around 25k pretty much loaded. It had decent power and mileage, and especially for GM a pretty decent interior.

The IS350 though was the first car we sat in that -felt- like a 30+ thousand dollar car.

Combine with having the best performance of all the cars we tested (well, tied with the G35 really, but better than all the others including the Acura TL-S, Caddy STS, the V6 Camry, and a number of others) as well as offering excellent mileage compared to most of those, and BY FAR the best brand reputation for reliability, and it was a pretty easy decision.

I wanted a car with good performance, and excellent reliability and a really nice interior experience. Lexus didn't make one of those prior to the 2IS. Toyota hadn't made one since the Supra and the prices on the mk4 supras are -way way way- beyond insane for even a 10-15 year old one.

GM hadn't made a car like that since the 94-96 B-body, excluding maybe the vette (again insane pricing) and a few recent caddys that just fell short compared to the Lexus....the Aura was a nice surprise but you could really see what you got extra for the $ comparing it to the 2IS.

Infiniti had the G35, and that was my second choice really, but the 2IS just just a little better in a lot of ways.

Nissan has the 350Z but it was basically an inferior G35 for my needs.

Acura was vaguely close with the TL/TL-S but it was a clear 3rd behind the G35 and 2IS.

Honda hasn't made a car like that ever.

Ford.... sorry...can't even keep a straight face there... ditto Chrysler.

Subaru has the WRX but the STi don't come in automatic and the interior honestly sucks.

Mitsubishi has been hemmoraging money for so long I wouldn't even consider em, and the EVO has similar issues as the WRX.

BMW besides all the reliability jokes on the 335i about doubles the price of the car if you want any options in it, and you still get a dated crap interior compared to the Lexus.

Believe me, if there's been a 20-something grand car that compared well to the IS350 I would've seriously considered it.

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

Alright, I'd like to know what everyone's rationale is for spending so many $$ on a really nice car versus a new car priced in the mid $20k's. How does one justify it? I've always felt OK spending top dollar on vehicles for my wife (why, I do not know). However, I just dropped +$36k on an 08 IS250 for myself and feel a little queezy. Don't get me wrong- love the car. I just don't think I NEED the car.

Just curious as to your thought processes when spending so much.

Thanks.

frogs, and everyone else, I hope you don't mind an 08 ES UL guy adding something here. Your question intriqued me so I felt compelled to post. The quote that fits well here is what the Lexus salesman said to me; which is applicable here...."People who buy Lexus do not NEED a car; they WANT a car". Hmmm. that probably has some merit. Now, for the practical side for me was that the Consumer Report ratings and reliability ratings for the ES were high. And, the Edmunds cost of ownership were pretty good. As Knight said, I looked at Infiniti, BMW, and others but for the value and comparing reliability/Consumer Reports/Cost of Ownership, the Lexus ES was the best. Hopefully, time will validate this as a car I can keep longer! (Side Note: I looked at the Lexus GS but CR have low reports on this and I felt that the ES was even a better value than the GS...go figure!).

[IS_Willie]

Alright, I'd like to know what everyone's rationale is for spending so many $$ on a really nice car versus a new car priced in the mid $20k's. How does one justify it? I've always felt OK spending top dollar on vehicles for my wife (why, I do not know). However, I just dropped +$36k on an 08 IS250 for myself and feel a little queezy. Don't get me wrong- love the car. I just don't think I NEED the car.

Just curious as to your thought processes when spending so much.

Thanks.

For me, it is a simple answer. I have worked very hard to get to a point that I can afford to have a nice car. The decision to get a Lexus was a combination of want, and practicality. The Lexus is built well, and holds its value... aside from being a great car to drive, with great style. Once I was happy with the deal I was getting, I had not one second of doubt about the purchase.

[frogs9497]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

[IS_Willie]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

So, since we're assuming, :D can I assume that you are thinking of taking the car back??

I mean no disrespect, but if not, I think that you're just spitting in the wind here. Lamenting over what you might consider to be a bad choice tells me that you bought the car for the wrong reason.

It is not too difficult to spend $37k on a car with far less amenities and quality. This is far from the flagship of the Lexus line.

[IceZ]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

Reliability is a fair assumption as the camry and accord are both great cars, and would probably run forever. Resale % is possible...that might be reaching a bit tho. Bottom line is you will not get the same overall performance, luxury, reliability, style, etc in a accord or camry. I am not sure the price on those two but arent the fully loaded versions pushing into the 30k mark?

[frogs9497]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

So, since we're assuming, :D can I assume that you are thinking of taking the car back??

I mean no disrespect, but if not, I think that you're just spitting in the wind here. Lamenting over what you might consider to be a bad choice tells me that you bought the car for the wrong reason.

It is not too difficult to spend $37k on a car with far less amenities and quality. This is far from the flagship of the Lexus line.

Actually, the "queezy" feeling has gone. I took forever to decide if I wanted to spend that much on a car, so I did my due diligence (the "need moral support" in title was really in jest). No regrets- just curious as to how others come to the conclusion to spend on a car. And perhaps partly playing the "devil's advocate." I doubt that I've made anyone else question their decision, which was not my intent. Human behavior, to me, is very interesting.

And I agree, btw, that $37k isn't anywhere near the top. It's all relative, needless to say, and I think most have a price point in the decision process- whether they're buying a $60k or $35k car. Anyone who can afford $75k and up- well, maybe they have the luxury of not caring.

[IS_Willie]

Actually, the "queezy" feeling has gone.

Glad you came to your senses!

Now you can enjoy that beautiful new car!

B)

I've been in that frame of mind after making a big purchase before. I know exactly what you were feeling. My way of dealing with that as I have gotten older, (because I AM older than dust. lol), has been to do TONS of research prior to making the purchase. Sometimes it validates my decision, sometimes it reveals that it is not such a great idea. Either way, it soothes my mind at the time of laying my signature down.

[Knightshade]

A loaded V6 Camry was -over- 30k when I test drove it (though not much over) and had a lot less features than the IS350 did... I was massively underwhelmed with what you got for the price... though I'd not doubt it would be a reliable vehicle.

[JENunnez]

I bought my car 4/28 of this year. I'm not rich or anything but I saved my money to buy me a good car. When I started looking at different models anything under 30,000 was like smooth1 said," nice but not enough power, nice but for a 18 year old, nice but I'll look like granpa, etc." Once I looked and studied all the cars the only one that kept popping up was the IS350. I could have bought new but they had this one with only 13,000 miles on it and I paid $30,000 total. Just what I had in my pocket. And I saved around 8 to 10 grand or more and I don't owe anybody anything.

At first I felt a little quezy but that very quickly disappeared and I was sure I got the type of car I wanted.

Enjoy it and congrats.

By the way the insurance for the IS was cheaper than for my previous car which was a 2000 Celica GTS, I was amazed.

[Randy&Bonnie]

..

[bartkat]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

Sure you could maybe assume that but one thing you cannot assume with those cars is the fun to drive factor.

[bartkat]

Interesting question. I agree with the previous posts. The "justification" for me talking my wife into buying a $38,000 luxury car for her was several things. One, I wanted a high rated crashworthy vehicle for her to drive. Two, she has always really liked the looks of the Lexus cars (not the SUVs). And three, since she is a conservative person (doesn't really spend much on herself) I told her we can afford to "splurge" on ourselves a little.

Besides, she looks really good driving it!

It's funny how we DO seem to go through a "justification" process to make a purchase like that.

I never thought for one minute about justification. I had a IS300 and had followed the info on the upcoming 2nd generation with great interest. When the first one arrived at the dealership I said to myself, "self go buy that car". I went over and bought it off the showroom floor. Test drove a 250 and decided I wanted the 350 without even driving it.

[frogs9497]

Interesting question. I agree with the previous posts. The "justification" for me talking my wife into buying a $38,000 luxury car for her was several things. One, I wanted a high rated crashworthy vehicle for her to drive. Two, she has always really liked the looks of the Lexus cars (not the SUVs). And three, since she is a conservative person (doesn't really spend much on herself) I told her we can afford to "splurge" on ourselves a little.

Besides, she looks really good driving it!

It's funny how we DO seem to go through a "justification" process to make a purchase like that.

I never thought for one minute about justification.

My guess is that most do consider whether it is justified. And most are probably able to justify it- I evidently did. :)

[Dogmeat26]

Hi just bought my IS 250 over the weekend and I was feeling the same. My first major major purchase since I graduated college 7 years ago. Looked at hybrids and thought it was insane to spend MSRP and go on a waiting list for a ugly Prius. Decided to spend to say F it and spend the extra 10 grand for the car I always wanted. Big upgrade from a beat up 8 year old altima! Got over my cheap concerns and just finished waxing her. haha. Now I'm debating if I want to spend the extra money for a clear bra from aerotect.

[tex2670]

Further to my original question, let's assume one could achieve comparable reliability with a Camry or Accord, etc. Perhaps we could even assume the same resale % of original purchase price. Are these fair assumptions?

So, since we're assuming, :D can I assume that you are thinking of taking the car back??

I mean no disrespect, but if not, I think that you're just spitting in the wind here. Lamenting over what you might consider to be a bad choice tells me that you bought the car for the wrong reason.

It is not too difficult to spend $37k on a car with far less amenities and quality. This is far from the flagship of the Lexus line.

Actually, the "queezy" feeling has gone. I took forever to decide if I wanted to spend that much on a car, so I did my due diligence (the "need moral support" in title was really in jest). No regrets- just curious as to how others come to the conclusion to spend on a car. And perhaps partly playing the "devil's advocate." I doubt that I've made anyone else question their decision, which was not my intent. Human behavior, to me, is very interesting.

And I agree, btw, that $37k isn't anywhere near the top. It's all relative, needless to say, and I think most have a price point in the decision process- whether they're buying a $60k or $35k car. Anyone who can afford $75k and up- well, maybe they have the luxury of not caring.

We should not be "convincing" you to buy any particular car. You should do what you are comfortable, and fiscally able, to do.

[vi926]

I test drove a lot of cars before buying my IS, including some that were cheaper.

For example I test drove a V6 camry (though honestly it was still like 30k which is insane)

When I sat in it my wifes first remark, which was the same as my thoughts, were "This feels just like a 10 year old camry with a bigger engine"

There wasn't anything especially great about it compared to just an old used one.

Honestly, in the 30k and below category the nicest car we test drove was the Saturn Aura (probably the current Malibu based on it would be similar). It would've been around 25k pretty much loaded. It had decent power and mileage, and especially for GM a pretty decent interior.

The IS350 though was the first car we sat in that -felt- like a 30+ thousand dollar car.

Combine with having the best performance of all the cars we tested (well, tied with the G35 really, but better than all the others including the Acura TL-S, Caddy STS, the V6 Camry, and a number of others) as well as offering excellent mileage compared to most of those, and BY FAR the best brand reputation for reliability, and it was a pretty easy decision.

I wanted a car with good performance, and excellent reliability and a really nice interior experience. Lexus didn't make one of those prior to the 2IS. Toyota hadn't made one since the Supra and the prices on the mk4 supras are -way way way- beyond insane for even a 10-15 year old one.

GM hadn't made a car like that since the 94-96 B-body, excluding maybe the vette (again insane pricing) and a few recent caddys that just fell short compared to the Lexus....the Aura was a nice surprise but you could really see what you got extra for the $ comparing it to the 2IS.

Infiniti had the G35, and that was my second choice really, but the 2IS just just a little better in a lot of ways.

Nissan has the 350Z but it was basically an inferior G35 for my needs.

Acura was vaguely close with the TL/TL-S but it was a clear 3rd behind the G35 and 2IS.

Honda hasn't made a car like that ever.

Ford.... sorry...can't even keep a straight face there... ditto Chrysler.

Subaru has the WRX but the STi don't come in automatic and the interior honestly sucks.

Mitsubishi has been hemmoraging money for so long I wouldn't even consider em, and the EVO has similar issues as the WRX.

BMW besides all the reliability jokes on the 335i about doubles the price of the car if you want any options in it, and you still get a dated crap interior compared to the Lexus.

Believe me, if there's been a 20-something grand car that compared well to the IS350 I would've seriously considered it.

wow, you really went out of ur way to find the right car.

[SW03ES]

You're going to drive yourself crazy trying to justify the purchase, because it cannot be justified.

A Lexus, or any luxury car, is a luxury purchase. It is not a practical purchase, you don't NEED it, you WANT it. If you've worked hard and its within your budget, and it something you really want, just buy it. You only live once, and if you're not going to suffer for the purchase why not?

Enjoy it!

[JENunnez]

You're going to drive yourself crazy trying to justify the purchase, because it cannot be justified.

A Lexus, or any luxury car, is a luxury purchase. It is not a practical purchase, you don't NEED it, you WANT it. If you've worked hard and its within your budget, and it something you really want, just buy it. You only live once, and if you're not going to suffer for the purchase why not?

Enjoy it!

Very well said.