Another new car... shocking eh?
 

So in the last 10 months we've been through 5 different cars.

Started with a move to downtown Minneapolis which meant we could downsize to one car, sold my IS250 (for exactly what I paid) and drove my fiance's accord for like 2 weeks before I realized I hated everything about it. Traded it (got $500 less than we paid) towards an Acura RL, drove this for a while and then bought a place in the burbs so needed a second car again. Bought an Acura RSX with super low miles (only 60k on an 05') for $6000 inlc TTL. Fiance' starting driving the RL and hated how big it was so we sold that (for what we paid +taxes - came out even on the car minus an oil change). After that sale picked up the newest to the fleet. IS350 (we both loved the IS250 that much) which only had 60k too and we scooped it up for $17k.

It was a mess buying / selling, but in the end we went from having $600/mo in payments on two cars with a combined 250k miles.... now have $400/mo. payment for the two and they only have a combined 124k miles (~60k each)... we did add a year to each one's loan though.

The new IS350
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...74092629_n.jpg


..... hopefully I can make it until they both hit 100k until I switch things up again.

Thought she wanted a midsize SUV? So who's driving this one now?

Nice, I see you post on Club Lexus, wife drives an is250

She wanted a MKX or Nissan Rogue...... or a small "zoop zoop" car. This was limited to IS250/IS350 or Audi TT. Couldn't find an automatic TT coupe anywhere, and this IS350 happened to pop up in Madison while we were back in Wisco for the weekend so we jumped on it.

.... yesterday we were next to a Rogue at a stop light and she said, "So glad we didn't get that thing", I agreed.

So far she has been driving it and I've had the RSX - except the day it needed to be licensed and taxes paid, how convenient she let me take it then. I think we're going to switch off the between the two, and I'll probably do the IS3 in the winter because its RWD.

They're such beautiful cars, only a few sedans I think are more attractive, but those are like $100k+

You know why you couldn't find an automatic Audi TT anywhere? It's because it's a bad idea. A sports car may as well be a mini van if it's auto. If you want an Audi in automatic then get an A__ (fill in the blank with Audi saloon car number of your choice). I did my best not to be too rude with that comment. I just can't stand it when I'm searching for a sports car on craigslist and I find the exact car I was looking for .... then I see the word auto and wonder what someone was thinking when they bought it new that way.

Oh I dunno.... Same drivetrain as mkv r32 with dsg and that car has been pretty well received.

My wife's dd is an mkv r32. It's pretty friggin sweet for an auto.

I like the Quattro tts with dsg.

It was ultimately going to be the Mrs's car and she refused to get a manual since she would be going into downtown with traffic, and I don't blame her. If our commute consisted of back rounds and winding country side, standard s the way to go... stop and go traffic, I'll stick with auto too.

Because of price we were looking for the TT with the 3.2, TTS was a bit out of the range, even still was a fun car... its like a go-cart

That IS is sick! Looking at getting my fiancé into one as well... If you don't mind me asking, what year is it and how is the insurance cost on it? I haven't got any quotes yet...

I'm sure it isn't apples to apples since everyone's driving history and everything is different... what I can say is it is the CHEAPEST car of any I have owned to insure. I believe it was a top safety pick car for a few years which helps bring the cost down.
Cheaper than my prelude, civic, RSX, RL... everything.

I finally got off my mom's policy this year (about time I guess)... so a 25 year old male with a speeding ticket on the books, two cars and a HO6 policy (for discount sake) has me at $110/mo.
.... when I had the IS250 under my mom's policy but me as the primary driver I was at $800/yr. for the car and my prelude before that was $980.

The one we just got is a 06' IS350 - 62k miles - loaded: nav, heated/cooled seats, backup cam, ML sound, etc etc etc
clean title, all the books/manuals, service records, 3 sets of lexus floormats, 2 sets of rims tires -- 19's with summer tires, stock 18s with winter tires, new brakes for 17k