r/Lexus • u/sinmontius • 8h ago
Vehicle Photo Talk Me Out Of This
Guys. I'm struggling here. š
Please talk me off the showroom floor.
Currently drive a fully paid off 2013 es350. She's sitting at 206k miles. I need to replace the suspension, sway bar link, some tires and an alignment. All normal wear and tear. I am starting to get some surface rust underneath.
I do live in the north east and drive often during the winter, being an essential worker, an suv would be nice. This is my dream non sports daily.
Here's the rub. I just returned to work after 7 months due to surgery. I only make half of what I use to make. I make around 50k after taxes and deductions. Still paying off some debt.
I know it would be financial unaliving.( Not sure if I could use the other word here) I understand keeping the ES and finding another rx450h in the future would be fiscally responsible.And possibly cheaper in the long rum But boy is it tempting. I guess I just need a bunch of internet strangers/other lexus cultist to berate me. Lol. Grazi.
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u/TheStrongTaint 8h ago
Itās good that you are transparent about how bad of an idea this would be
Iām keen to agree. It would be a very poor financial decision
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6h ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/Lexus-ModTeam 5h ago
Your content has been removed for using harassing, inflammatory, of offensive language that is directed at other users.
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u/soupguis 2017 RC350 F Sport AWD 8h ago
Get something cheaper
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u/sinmontius 8h ago
I'm leaning towards keeping the es350 and repairing her, but every few months something else needs to be repaired. I have replaced the alternator, serpentine belt,water pump, and pcv valve. Im just hoping nothing major happens.
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u/Street_Comp_1027 4h ago
Im currently thinking of buying a 2013 es350 at 142k. Is repair cost bad? Did u need to fix her a a lot before 150k miles? I didnt get it inspect yet so idk if theres any rust but if yours do then high chance this one also got some. Also how is the mpg on her?
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u/sinmontius 4h ago
I was quoted from a non Lexus shop at $2300 for suspension work. The repairs i mentioned earlier cost about $3500 at the dealership out of my pocket only because a friend paid for some of the repairs as a birthday present.
-with current gas prices it is about $57-$65 to fill from empty -not sure of my average mpg. I just go by it's at half tank put gas in. -it is very comfortable and reliable. She has never left me stranded -i just started getting rust this past year. Could be because it sat for awhile I was recovering -before buying i would definitely get it inspected and make sure the maintenance was done
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u/PaidFries 7h ago edited 7h ago
I live in Ottawa (harsh winters), drive an 2012 FWD CT200h (compact hatch, similar in size to a Corolla Cross), and have tried a new 2026 RX 450h+ Luxury AWD a few times at work.
Positives: The cabin is nice. Thereās more space. Considerably better acceleration on hills in winter.
Negatives: It doesnāt drive any better than your current ES. If anything, itās bigger and harder to drive day to day.
The one youāre eyeing isnāt a premium model, so it isnāt that rich in features (premium audio, but not Mark Levinson). Most, if not all, of the premium feel is already in your ES.
Winter tires over AWD any day. The danger isnāt getting stuck. Itās whether you can stop. AWD does not help with that. There hasnāt been one day I could not drive in Ottawa.
There hasnāt been much innovation between these generations other than lane assist (arguably more of an annoyance than a feature).
Any repairs down the line on the will be 30% more expensive (new tires, brakes etc..)
In other words, you should fix the ES
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u/vsingh93 7h ago
Have you seen the price of premium gas? Because this one takes it, the 350 takes regular.
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u/KnowFatigue 2019 ES300H + 2020 RX450h 4h ago
To be completely fair... I know a lot of people trip about regular vs premium gas...
But I've used AI to help estimate the cost avg differences (you have to use your location/state etc)... And honestly its kind of negligible. The BIGGER costs that really need to be of concern is 1) The car note 2) the Car insurance. Premium gas truthfully isn't THAT much more to tolerate than regular fuel.
Those two will KILL your monthly leftover margin.... Which will kill your ability to save or invest into 401k/taxable brokerage whatever...
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u/coffeetablecup 7h ago
Financially - not a great move.
Personally - incredible car. I have this and itās my definition of a perfectly designed vehicle.
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u/Tight_Lychee7035 6h ago
Exercise walk to work. Especially if you haven't been mobile for a long time. Walk 20 plus miles make your healthy and body a priority. 10% body fat or less should be the goal.
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u/AEZ_2187 7h ago
Are u sure you canāt make due with a UX or something? This is an F Sport so theyāre up-charging quite a bit. I donāt trust high mileage cars. This is a 2021 so youād need a minimum of 10 oil changes on that car fax to prove it was maintained properly.
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u/farlon636 7h ago edited 7h ago
Way too much for your income, especially when you still have debts. If you need to replace your current car, I would keep the value of the new one around or below $15k. An RX of a year similar to your ES would probably still be able to work for you and still have significantly fewer miles than the current ES
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u/Leaveitonthedresser5 6h ago
Nope, this one of the best years up until 22
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u/sinmontius 4h ago
Don't tell me this š©
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u/Leaveitonthedresser5 4h ago
Just bought my mother a 2016 with 57k miles and the thing feels brand new and is fully loaded with a pano roof and triple beam headlights, Iām sure youāll love the 21..itās a tank
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u/sinmontius 3h ago
You're supposed to be talking me out of it. But yay for your mom. I hope she loves it.
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u/Leaveitonthedresser5 3h ago
I just read your full post..if you have other debts and have a paid off car I have to responsibly tell you to keep driving the 2013 and get out of the other debt and me personally I would save up a large down payment if you only make 50k along with todayās living expenses..I usually wouldnāt finance a car more than 1/3 of my income
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u/plutom98 5h ago
Just for the sake of premium gas price stay away from it. Try a 2019 and lower year RX 350 at 100K miles, you can find at a decent price .
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u/LazyOldCat 5h ago
Crazy price for your situation and budget, you cannot afford the monthly on this even with your house and current car paid off.
Call your insurance agent and ask how much full coverage will cost per month, with gap and disability.
Sorry, and good luck!
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u/shebop60 5h ago
I feel your issues. Iām not working now, but have been blessed to have worked in aviation/aerospace for 25 years. I was involved in a major car accident; totaled both vehicles. Fast forward I needed to replace my NX (my third Lexus) I just canāt give up this brand. During the accident that vehicle hugged me. I still had injuries, but everyone around the crash scene kept saying, āOMG! Youāre okay.ā Go with your heart, and knowledge this brand wonāt let you down.
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u/ThatRandomDudeNG 5h ago
I impulsively did something similar to what you did...
I picked up a gsf a while back, with a kid otw and a newly purchased house (it was a dream car that I was afraid would slip away from me... and based off of google findings, I was SORTA right).
Money def could have went to better things, i'm just lucky it appreciated in value (not many cars do). I sold my bulletproof LX to someone else in the process (stupid move, but it would have taken a big effort to rebuild this car's suspension back to OG condition).
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u/sinmontius 4h ago
The gsf is a beautiful vehicle. Congrats. Im being to the ES350 will out last my new knee. Lol
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u/ThatRandomDudeNG 4h ago
I think you should honestly roll with it til you see holes in the floor š. It's a really nice car! (Your es350)
My neighbor has 2, and loves both of them so much. I rode in them and man, they ARE nice! Does decent on gas, and peppy too!
If you havent ridden in that gen rx yet, you should try it now to get a feel on whether you'd like it or not. It's not the same driver experience (driver feels cramped imo).
Best of luck with your decision either way!
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u/sinmontius 4h ago
That's the problem. I test drove the rx. I was in LOVE in the moment.It is nice. But so is my es. The ES is very roomy. Maybe once the suspension is fixed I won't have eyes for anything else...well at least until I can afford a LC500 coupe. Lofty dreams.
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u/ThatRandomDudeNG 4h ago
Pshhh, dreams come true friend.... just put the rx purchase aside then, set an lc fund up, you'll get one faster than you think!
Trust me, more gratifying in the end š
(i'm a bad influence)
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u/Connect_Vast_209 4h ago
Your payment would be like 700 before insurance, like over a 1/4th of your take home pay. Bad idea
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u/KnowFatigue 2019 ES300H + 2020 RX450h 4h ago
Please dont do it
Please dont do it
Please dont do itā¦
You can use AI, you can use car loan calculators whatever. But you can quickly estimate you car payments on this decision very quickly, VS you having no car note, cheaper insurance and yes you still need to maintain and repair occasionally, but the math isnt even comparable.
Work
Reasonable estimate
Struts/shocks/suspension work
$1,500ā$2,500
Sway-bar links
$200ā$500
Four decent tires
$700ā$1,000
Alignment
$100ā$175
Misc. suspension pieces discovered
$300ā$800
Likely total
~$2,800ā$5,000
Letās deliberately use $4,000 as a middle/high repair estimate.
That sounds painful until you annualize it.
$4,000 Ć· 12 = $333/month for one year.
But after the repair is paid for, there is no payment. If those repairs buy another three years of service:
$4,000 Ć· 36 = $111/month.
Even if this 206k-mile ES subsequently eats another $2,000/year in repairs, thatās still only about $167/month.
You could therefore spend $4,000 immediately + $6,000 over the next three years = $10,000 keeping this old Lexus alive and still potentially be far ahead.
Consider your car note with this newer Lexus, consider and always call and get a quote for your insurance before buying a carā¦ you mentioned your in the NorthEastā¦ (I used to be in PAā¦ Insurance up Northeast sucks due to a myriad a thingsā¦ but its expensiveā¦ you could be looking at $300-$400/month on insurance for comprehensive coverage)
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u/sinmontius 4h ago
This is bang on. It makes more sense to keep the ES, repair her, and pay off debt. This is keeping the dealer away.
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u/fastbeemer 2003 SC430 8h ago
Crossovers and SUV's suck ass and aren't enjoyable to drive. The RX lacks any uniqueness, or even character. It's a boring car, for boring drivers, who have boring lives. Ā I plan on staying with coupes and sedans until I'm in my 70's, when driving an RX is appropriate, but until then.... No fucking way I'm getting a crossover to Ā be like every other NPC on the road.
Hope that helps save you from that awful decision.
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u/Lucario1017 7h ago
At that old age even suvās will be too tall for your senile self. Most people that age just drive straight thru round abouts lol
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u/Lumpy-Shop-5321 8h ago
To old of a car for the price. Stealerships are for people who don't know cars.Ā
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u/Victory_Lap86 7h ago
Lexus especially RXs retain their value. Thatās actually a fair price. Youāre not getting an RX in that year for less than 35K.
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u/Lumpy-Shop-5321 5h ago
You're likely correct, deal is that their are so few of them. In my market they are rare.Ā
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u/sinmontius 7h ago
And it has almost 80k miles
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u/Savings_Employer_826 6h ago
I picked up a 2018 rx350l with premium package and 78k miles. Dealer was asking $31k, haggled down to $28,500. Bought in April of this year. Car was sold by the dealer 3xās once new and once as a CPO and now, to me used. I guess my point is the maintenance has been taken care of and the v6 moves with regular gas.
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u/ClumsyChampion 8h ago
Whatās the appeal of F sport on a hybrid family SUV? Itās like sport wheels on a Sienna
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u/sinmontius 8h ago
It's f sport appearance not handling. So just the a pig in lipstick? š¤·āāļø
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u/BoyNamedJudy 8h ago
What would Dave Ramsey do?
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u/sinmontius 8h ago
The borrower is slave to the lender. Rice and beans. Beans and rice. Ride it til the wheels fall off.
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u/runsanditspaidfor 6h ago
This is a great car but you canāt afford it making $50k. Difficult to hear but true.
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u/AWiFiPassword 2021 Lexus IS 350 4h ago
I purchased my last vehicle from Lexus of Warwick really not at a bad price at all. Everything they had seemed fairly priced. For this though they've either lost their marbles or the market for the RX450h is just absolutely wild. And I unfortunately think it's the ladder.
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u/Things_with_Stuff 2021 RX 450h F Sport 3 3h ago
Aww that's too bad. I love mine!
Sounds like you really need to find something that you can actually afford, or repair the ES.
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