Used Car and the number of miles?

Question

Ok so i am looking to buy a used car. I found a 2003 Lexus IS 300. The only thing is that it has 102,000 miles. I'm guessing then it doesn't have the factory warranty but the selling dealership has put a 12 month warranty on the car.

Im going into soon college so i need something to get me around the city but something that wont break. Also i would hopefully plan on using it after college for a year or two.

Is that too many miles?

Has anyone had any bad luck with this car?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Everything is about the PRICE...

Go to kbb.com to price the car to see if you over-paid for the milage - private party price sounds fair.  

For reliablity, there is really no cars better than Lexus, but car with 100k miles needs maintence for sure. Even no major fixes required, you can expect you need smalll fixes here or there, but the main parts of Lexus should easily last over 200k miles. If you cannot put money aside after the purchase. It is better not to get a luxcury car, and getting a Honda/Toyota with less mile will be a better deal for you. (Well, if you got money ... I will get a lexus than Toyota for sure. It is much better and looks COOL..)

I like used cars with over 12000 miles per year as it kills the selling price, and I did drive much less than 12k miles per year, so it balances off the year and milage.

For reliablity and less cost on maintence, a Lexus is better than Audi for sure.  

Answer 2

102,000 miles is a lot for a Lexus because they don't tend to hold up for as long as Japanese cars. Sure you get a 12 month warranty but once you reach 130,000 it's gonna cost like a ***** to maintain. A great car for the price would be like a 04 Honda Accord. They will go 250,000 miles easily. The IS 300 is a nice car but you gotta have the money for some repairs.

If you want to find out problems that car has had visit carcomplaints.com

Answer 3

Lexus is known for making solid cars.

The dealership is going to be covering anything major with that 12 month warranty, so you're basically just looking at regular maintenance. I'm sure the car must be in half decent shape for them to be putting a 12 month warranty on it anyway.

I'd say you should be alright.

Answer 4

is the college close to where you are buying the car, if not the warranty is useless  

Answer 5

It's not really the miles that makes the difference. It's the actual condition of the car. Some cars with over 100,000 miles will be in great condition and will easily go another 100K. Other cars with 30,000 miles are junk. The only way to know the difference is get a mechanic to look your car over before you buy. Don't make your decision based on mileage alone.

Answer 6

You didn't say how much the Lexus was $$? 102K miles is about 50K miles too much. Nobody really goes by the 10K miles per year anymore, it's more like 12K per year.  Keep in mind that Lexus's cost slightly more to repair than a Kia or Nissan. I'd recommend finding something a little cheaper within your budget as a student and with far less miles.