First Car

[bluedevil1550]

I am a 16 year old guy looking for a first car. I have loved Lexus' for many years and am wondering if a 1993 sc300 is a good choice. I imagine that they are still reliable after 10 years, but is it a good buy for a teen?

[jzz30]

i would call you spoiled if your parents bought you one (just jealous ) its a great car even after 10 years some parts may need changing in the suspension and engine mounts, and trans mounts, but otherwise its all good. im still trying to convince my dad to buy me a manual 300. but its not happeneing so i will probably need to buy it on my own <_<

[Lexual]

I wish i had parents who bought me cars, i have had t buy all mine on my own how many miles are on the car you are looking at??

[AWJ]

The SC is a great car. But handling tendendcies will make the car difficult for a first time driver. I feel the car is not ideal for a first time driver. That doesn't mean it isn't good for a first car, but I think a front wheel drive car is the better choice for a first time driver. The first time the SC is mishandled, it will be totaled. One plus is the driver will walk away.

[advan7]

I agree with AWJ, the car is a great first car after you get the bugs worked out of it if it has any, but for a first time driver the rear wheel drive and the power it has even catches me off guard at times (especially if the ground is wet), and i've been driving for years.

[southernsc300]

get a 4cyl ford ranger for your first car, drive it for two years until the tranny explodes. by a sc300, crap your pants and smile. thats what i did :D

[Lexual]

What does rear wheel drive have to do with anything??? Just learn how to drive. My first car had a 390 v8 a manual transmission and rear wheel drive with no traction controll, I should note i got my licenese in the middle of winter in Wisconsin. No biggy, dont let rear wheel drive keep you from getting a car just make sure you learn how to handle it, dont be one of those stupid honda drivers that cant even handle their measly 175 hp at the crank of their FWD. JUST LEARN HOW TO DRIVE i would like to keep emphasizing that, dont do anything stupid on public roads untill you can go out and learn how the car handles, even then probably stay away from stupid stuff with the general public around.

[bluedevil1550]

its a 93 lexus sc300 with 76,000 miles. $5,600

[grnsc40095]

Bluedevil1550, If you do purchase the '93 Sc300? Just keep your foot off the accelerator, (under 55mph) with any type of wet conditions on the road surface. It looks like you won't have to worry about the white stuff (snow) as much, living in South Carolina. But it is known, rear wheel drive and snow don't mix very well. Another good tip is to check your tire pressure and tread regularly. Good luck! In whatever car you decide to buy.

[Sonic2719]

I couldn't agree more with AWJ mainly because i did that exactly i slid off the road a few weeks ago DROVE the car home and next day took it to the macanic and they told me it would cost 10k to fix. For that price though with those miles that is an absolutly a steal. I paid 7k for mine and it had 90k on it. Id say go for it but be careful. also keep a reserve fund for the lex because you will have a 1000 dollar job come at the worst time. I had to replace my clutch and it cost me 850. so be careful and be prepared. It is one of the most beautiful machines on the road today. you will have the envy of all those you see. have fun and enjoy....

[Sadistic]

In my opinion any Lexus would make a bad first car. I'm sure almost all of you can think back to when you first got your license and all the time you spent beating the hell out of your first car. I think everyone did it. I would personally start with something that you can beat on and it won't kill you with repairs. The fact is there's a 90% chance you're going to get tickets, you're going to get in an accident, and you're going to break things.. Do you really want to stick this guy with a Lexus repair bill?

I suggest something early 90's fwd or rwd, that doesn't have prestige along with it.. Buy a 5th gen civic, or a 1st gen DSM. If you want something to learn how to REALLY drive RWD, start with an F-body.. Much cheaper to fix, much cheaper to maintain. You might not be the coolest kid on the block, but I can garuntee you'll enjoy being able to drive the car because your repair bills won't take all your gas money.

[SPORTcoupe300]

An F-body having lower repair bills than a Lexus? That'll be the day.

There's a reason I went from a 98 Camaro to a 96 Lexus, and it wasn't to increase my bills.

Something broke in the camaro every few thousand miles.

Not sure whether this kid actually saved up enough to buy his own or his parents are nice, but if it's the 2nd then I'm pretty sure they'll cover his initial expenses for him as well.

If I could turn back time, I don't think I'd get the Lexus to begin with just because after experiencing the Camaro, this car is God's gift.

[Sadistic]

Any car you beat is going to break. And I meant something more like a 3rd gen F-body, not a 4th. I think they would be cheaper to maintain even if you beat the hell out of it.

But, I can see your point.. If someone else is paying for the repair bills, go for it I suppose. My first vehicle was an early 90's Explorer that was dead within a few weeks of driving due to mechanical failure on the dealerships part. Second was a Pontiac Sunfire. I totally destroyed that car. But, in doing so I learned respect for an automobile. I learned what they can and can't do. After that I got my first 300ZX TT. And I'm glad I had a car with a warranty or was cheap to repair. Because the Z definitely wasn't cheap to fix. And I had learned the respect I needed to not drive like an idiot and destroy it.

[Bubbles]

Jeez. I'd have to say get a large to midsized family sedan, perhaps a camry/avalon/accord. The power is above average and since the car is fairly large you'll learn a lot about managing your space. I'd go with a 4-cylinder camry because you'll appreciate the better cars out there. It's kind of like a racing game- you progressivley move up the car classes, you don't just start driving the mclaren f1. You could also dish out $500 or so dollars in a highway survival course. You should also get a car with automatic with four wheel disc brakes w/abs.

[advan7]

I think the Lexus SC4 or 3 would be a great choice if you can responsibly learn to drive it and maintain it, you would definitely be the envy of your peers as well as a receiver of jealous stares. It is a ultra-reliable car that'll last you forever if you take care of it, if you don't, expect to put in some major money to have things fixed or replaced. Now, the parts aren't exactly cheap, but if you can do most of the work yourself, or know someone that can, and find a car that has already had most of the major maintenance problems taken care of, then you should be good to go. As with any RWD car, the blip of the throttle can get you sideways and in trouble in the blink of an eye. If you can refrain from beating it up (which is common among most teens learning/starting to drive, i know i'm guilty of beating up my mom's 85 prelude), and learn how to get yourself out of a sticky situation, then by all means go for it.

Otherwise pick up a 90-98 240sx that is also RWD, but not as powerful, and fun to drive.

[Smartazz91]

The SC is a great car. My 93 has 222k miles on it. She's still running strong.

16? First car? The SC is a heavyweight. Do you have a mechanic who is willing & able to work on it for a reasonable price? They are very reliable cars. But, expect to dig deep if something goes wrong. Some shops won't touch them beyond basic service work. The dealership will charge a premium. Went there once to have mine checked out. I didn't realize it, but my tag bulbs were out. They wanted $95 to change 2 bulbs. Budding mechanic? It's not the car you want to learn on. Screw ups are too costly.

Then there are it's driving characteristics. Even with good tires, RWD makes it easy to get sideways in the rain. That could land you in a ditch. Or worse, around a pole or partnered with another vehicle.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like people in my back seat. Wait until 3 of your larger buddies want to ride with you. You'll wish you had an Accord. With fold down seats and a trunk large enough for a pair of 12's and pretty much anything else you'd want to carry, it's a much more practical car.

Right now, filling up from "E" in the SC will cost close to 30 bucks. "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only". I recommend against it.

You can be "THE NEW HOTTNESS" later.

My opinion

[SPORTcoupe300]

filling up from "E" in the SC will cost close to 30 bucks. "Premium Unleaded Fuel Only"

Good point.

Here in California the Premium now runs for about $2.10/gal

That's a $40 tank of gas.

But then again, at 16 you'll probably be getting a handy Platinum joint account card for all your gas needs.