2002 IS300, Good deal or not?

2002 IS300, Good deal or not?

Today a guy I work with told me he was selling his 2002 IS300 w/ 29k in Mint Condition (and I mean mint, not a scratch, stain or anything inside or out). The car has the 5 speed auto tranny with buttons to shift on the steering wheel. I drove the car and absolutly fell in love but I wanted to know if the price he is asking is good. He wants $22k not including tax or licensing. I tried to widdle him down but he wants $22k firm. He said he has to offload the car within 20 days because his new IS350 will be delivered by then but he is giving me first dibs on it. If you have ever driven an IS300 or know a lot about them please let me know if this is a good deal.

Car
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2002 IS300
29k miles
Black leather inside/Light silver outside
No navigation
Heated/Electric seats

Thanks in advance.

Just look on ebay, they've got 04's low miles going for practically the same price. I think you'll be ok if you wait for a better deal.

dude my friend is still selling his!, its an 01 IS300, mint condition, under warranty till 100k

you can get em for less,

that one has some low ass mileage tho, if thats important to you

eh I say wait around a little bit more man, I'm sure you'll find a 5 spd manual around and stuff even though they're rare but just keep looking out for them, they're out there.

I'm actually not sure if I want the manual. I've always owned manuals and after driving the e-shift I'm kind of sold on the push button shifting Granted its going to cost a little performance but I'm looking for a nice daily driver. I think I might hang out for a better deal though. Has anyone purchased a car on ebay before? I'm wondering if it comes out legit most of the time?

Woah, I'm thinking the eBay might be worth the risk. Check out this baby. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lexu...43918QQitemZ4581731495QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW I could totally get this. Shipping to my location is only like $800 and they appear to be reputable.

You are better off with the auto anyway. I was looking into a 5 speed IS but the manuals have so many problems.

X

what kind of problems?

I did research on the 5 speed and apparently many people have issues with 1st and 2nd gear not engaging when the car is cold. If you live in colder climates it gets even worse as the temperature drops.

There is also problems with the clutch dampening device (CDD) in that the logic it uses seems to burn clutches/flywheels prematurely as it holds the clutch too long before it engages and burns it. The flywheels can't be resurfaced because of how they are fabricated, and many people had to replace both cluthces and flywheels around 20K miles at a cost of around ~$1000.

Believe me I was in love with the car, but after reading one after another complain about the 5 speed I just decided to abandon the idea of getting one. It also appears that the problem stems from not too many IS300's being sold with 5 speeds so the techs at the dealerships really do not have the right oils/knowledge to work on the car when it needs maintenance.

Tis is a good thread on my.is http://my.is/forums/showthread.php?t=233996 WHich describes a lot of the problems.

GL

X

that is sad to hear...cause i was really interested in getting an IS300 5spd in about 6-8months...we'll see...:sad:

Yeah tell me about it, this is why I just went with the Legacy GT. I was also afraid of losing control in the snow with it. If it snows where you live snow tires are a must. But the space issue also put me down. It is smaller inside than the 9th gen Corolla.

Oh well. I forget about it really quickly as soon as I hit max boost on third on the GT! :ninjastea

X

what 5 speed does the IS300 have? W58 I assume?

No I believe it is a W55

X

yeah figured it wasnt the W58 because 3rd is usually the weak link w/ that tranny. I havent heard of many problems with the IS 5speed though. For the price he's asking I would pick it up, once you have the car checked out by someone experienced with IS300's if possible.

Das too much ...

what year?

2005 Legacy GT Limited 5 speed

Here is a link to pics if you wish to see it

http://deexboy.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=legacy

No need to hijack the thread anymore! lol

X

i love the is300, great looking car. i have heard that it drives like a tC. i could never afford a lexus though

I didn't buy the car I am still looking for one because the IS300 is a sweet ride. I would have to say you can't really compare it to a tC since I drove in a TC and it was not nearly as smooth of a ride.

How much was your legacy?

It was 27K. Got the limited with leather and sunroof, etc., but you can get the GT for 22 give or take, and sometimes you can get the Limited for 26.5 depending on where you are geographically.

X

I don't like the Legacy body, I think if I was going to go with a scoobie due I would go for the STI.

I decided between the two. It really came down to how much attention I wanted to attract (both good and bad) and the Legacy was the hands down winner. Of course I am also over 30 so I think that played a role in the decision as well. Also the Legacy is roomier and more luxurious, and with a small investment it can be made as fast as the STi. Of course it all comes down to personal choice, so good luck with whatever you decide.

X