New to the autoscene
 

Hey guys,


I'm completely new to cars and revscene and I'm looking for a car to buy. I have no idea around what price range cars are supposed to be so I've just been comparing them to the market. I essentially want a car that's already modded (pref lexus, acura or VW). I looked at this ad 2003 Lexus IS300 Sedan and I want to know people's takes on it.

I'm really looking for a good RSX type S, IS300 (2002-04), GTI or jetta. I essentially want a car that has nice aesthetics and has some power. Any suggestions on other cars to look at?


Thanks

Well, if you buy a VW, it will already be modded from the factory, if you know what I'm saying :whistle:
Look in the 4sale section, maybe you'll find something of interest. There is also a "craigslist good buys" thread that you may find useful :)

Welcome to RS! That Lexus looks fine. As with any vehicle purchase, make sure you look closely at it when viewing in person. Ask the common questions, How many owners? How long have you had it? Any accidents or insurance claims at all? Any major mechanical repairs? Any mechanical repairs required immediately?

From there, arrange an inspection(BCAA or similar) so you can get a clear picture of it's current state. Run a CarProof to ensure information received is correct.

An RSX Type S can be had for slightly less than that Lexus you posted. Same with a Mk IV GTI/Jetta.

Good luck :)

what's your budget? (assuming around $9k ?)
how will you be using the car? Daily driver?
what type of mods will you be putting on? (ie. suspension? looks? power?).

personally, i prefer clean cars.
you never really know what mindset the previous owner was when they did the mod
Unless i got it from a friend or someone within my network (or a member here with more than 1000 posts and an album of the shit they've done :troll: )

Well budget is around 10K, but it has to be a pretty good catch for me to pay that much. I want a car thats already modded because it would be a lot cheaper than modding it myself since I'd have to pay people to do it for me, but I see where you're coming from.

I'm looking to lower the car a bit, and a cold air intake, nice low sounding exhaust system, nice rims, spoiler, maybe a body kit. Just want it to look nice but I dont want to drive something with low power too. It'll be my only car so it'll be my daily driver. Oh and I would like manual too.

Do you know if it's safe to buy US cars that have already been imported? I've had a couple people tell me not to but they never backed up their reasoning.

Whatever you go with, be sure to do research and find out what problems are common with that particular model. There's nothing worse than seeing someone buy a car without knowing it's likely to give them a load of grief.

all the mods you're thinking of doing are things you can do yourself.

imo, the fun part of owning modded cars is doing the mods yourself or with buddies. You learn and experience so much.

i dunno so much about US imports but unless you're gunning for a specific car with specific usdm features or theres a good deal, you're honestly better off with the local market

like someone said, keep tabs on the good buys on craigslist thread, there are good cars posted there every now and then that may suit you

Would actually consider that is300 myself if I didnt already have my 330ci. Looks like a good find actually

Consider this from a fellow RS member
I believed he is a Toyota tech himself.
It is freaking nice IS300

http://www.revscene.net/forums/70574...d-l-tuned.html

Never mind, it was sold

Nah, you should use that money on a down for a condo

#realestatescene

welcome to RS

welcome! for 10k, an RSX would be probably a better bet. mods are cheap and compatibility with hondas are great. IS300 is nice and cheap now too, but i can only imagine that mods would be expensive. rsx base model also has regular gas requirements compared to rsx-s. as a daily, using regular is god-send.

Lowering/intake/exhaust/wheels can all be done in a few hours. It might be something you want to do yourself so you know what's being done to the car. as for spoiler and bodykit...well, truthfully, for these to look any good, you'd have to invest in paint/bodywork and that can easily rack up a lot of money unless you want to have a filipino special.

welcome. out of all the cars youve listed, 06+ GTI would be my recommendation.

GTI is one of the best cars ever made, and since the 70s it has changed how we think about our daily drivers. they are easy to mod, look great, can be very fast and can haul a family

I like the look of the IS300 more, but with what's on the market right now, I'd consider either or. I'm just afraid of modding myself because I've never done anything car wise other than fill up the oil lol.

I GTI is pretty much my last option because my family owns a 2015 GTI and I want to have a car that we don't have. Although the MK4's are sick, I just prefer a RSX type-s or IS300. Those were the cars that stood out to me when checking craigslist, but sadly there aren't many available :(

I was actually looking at that one, but he said sale pending so I was too late already.

E46 330ci or 325ci? :)

I always thought that bmw's break down after 4-5 years. I'd go for the 330 if anything, 325 is too slow I'd say.

:okay:
325's aren't slow, they're not fast but they have really smooth power delivery. 330 will be a lot better though yeah in terms of power, they're not too far off in price too but I'd say don't let just the power difference completely rule it out. I'd say e46's are more reliable than the newer gen bmw's. Go for a test drive in them, best way to find out in regards to power :)

for 10k, i'd get myself into an early sts built miata and use the rest of the money to autocross. learn how to drive :D

2004 Acura RSX type S

I was thinking of this car but it seems sketch because there are no photos are it seems too cheap to be good.

Nvm he just posted pictures

189xxx miles on the body
65000km on engine and transmission (rebuilt?)

I had an rsx before and loved the car
but I don't think that's a good price for a car that age and mileage tho
the rsx-s brand new was only$31K...

I would think most parts on a car are pretty much worn out after 300k KM unless they were really well-maintained...

its pretty slow dude lol. Had one myself and it wasnt fun times

i'd snap that is300 up quick if i were you. its so hard to find a manual one..

To be fair yours was an automatic. I've driven my friends automatic 325 as well and was tempted to jump out of a moving vehicle. I'm assuming the manual 325 probably feels substantially better (never drove an auto 330 so cant compare).