New Car

[Mark3Supraholic]

Ever since I wrecked my daily driver awhile back, I have been looking for a new car. My mom keeps helping me and has given me a $7K budget to buy a car. So I am trying to find a car that she would love to drive. I am currently looking at a 1998 Lexus GS 300 with high mileage. 145K, needs some body work (bumpers need paint), lots of options, but leaks a little oil. Since it's a 2JZGE I have a fairly good idea of where it's coming from. I could find an economy car, but want something luxury oriented that my mom could also drive around without feeling cheap. Should I be looking at anything else, or is the Lexus a sound investment?

 

[Facime]

high milage, needs body work and leaks a little oil? Hell I bought that in my mk2 for $1400

I could have a REALLY nice car for $7k that didnt need a damn thing but my ass and a tank of gas.

 

[Mark3Supraholic]

Like..?

 

[SBM713]

dude you could look for a sc300 if you want luxury

 

[Figit090]

7 grand is a nice budget to work with. you can certainly avoid crappy fix-up work like that....

 

[Mark3Supraholic]

Looked at the SC300, but its a bit too small for my purposes. I need to be able to swap cars with my mom from time to time, and she usually totes around 2 or 3 people with her. It's hard to find a 98+ GS in my area for less than 7K though. Well, the guy listed it at $6700, and I told him $6000 due to the body damage and probable maintenance needed. He said $6200 is as low as he wants to go. I could certainly avoid fix up work if I went to another type of car instead of a luxury vehicle. I found one GS300 that said $7500 was rock bottom, had full maintenance and was immaculate according to him. All vehicles in this price range that are more luxury oriented I have seen thus far are very high mileage or need some details worked out to make them perfect. That being said, I am not the type of person who can just drive an Accord or Camry or Civic. I don't know why, but those types of cars seem suitable for people who don't care a hoot about what they drive to me.

 

[Mark3Supraholic]

I bought it for $6200... Maybe not the best deal, but I like the car. A lot.

Plus, I didn't even notice a "other cars" section. Mods are on top of it as usual..

 

[SBM713]

dude on auto trader there is an 01 lexus is300 turbo for like 9 i think i like it lol just need some lotto tickets haha

 

[DonS1mpson]

I bought it for $6200... Maybe not the best deal, but I like the car. A lot.

Plus, I didn't even notice a "other cars" section. Mods are on top of it as usual..

Good luck, if the car is how you described, you're going to need it.

Why didn't you go with a MK1 GS?

 

[Mark3Supraholic]

Like I said, it had to be something me and my mom could drive. Sometimes she totes my sister and my nephew around, and a 2-door car would be impractical. Same reason I overlooked an SC as well. I don't think it's as bad as I described it, I just pointed out what I nitpicked about. Only the bumper parts are scraped/damaged, and the worst of it is at the very bottom right. A friend told me it's a "Platinum Package" or something. Comes with Self-leveling HID headlights, Yellow foglights, memory seating, navigation, leather interior, VSC (although I think this is standard on all GS's), etc. Doesn't leak too much oil though, compression test came back good, trans shifts smoothly, and of course, it's Lexus Quiet (a sure high point for my mom).

 

[Figit090]

I like the car. A lot.

That's what counts.

It might be expensive in some cases but...meh.
so do we get pics?

get on it

 

[Mark3Supraholic]

I'll work on that. I want to clean it up before I take pics. And in the meantime at least get some touchup paint on the spots in the bumper that got gouged to the plastic.