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How can anyone possibly go past the Lexus? Honestly they're by far the most refined automobiles known to man. They're meticulously refined and sophisticated with opulence and luxury.
Get the Lexus ISC, not only is it the epitome of luxury but you will also enjoy Lexus reliability and dependability. The ISC behaves like a coupe that is able to drop the top
The lexus is running a 204hp/185 ft lb NA 2.5l V6 lugging around 3800 lbs. It's certainly *unique* among luxury brands.
Lexus still hits their price point by cutting corners. In this case using an older technology engine that also gets the worst gas mileage in the group.
I have a convertible - Camry Solara, and I hate Toyota for discontinuing it.
Having said that, the Lexus looks too much like my Solara so I am biased against dropping $20K more on it - the looks are very similar, including the steering wheel and so on.
What other options do I have for the $30K-$50K price range (almost the same as OP)? Four-seater is a must even if the rear two seats can only fit starving midget kids.
The lexus is running a 204hp/185 ft lb NA 2.5l V6 lugging around 3800 lbs. It's certainly *unique* among luxury brands.
Lexus still hits their price point by cutting corners. In this case using an older technology engine that also gets the worst gas mileage in the group.
IS350C my friend. The motor in that has the highest torque/L of any naturally aspirated engine available
And it's super smooth and powerful
"Moreover, Toyota’s V-6 has sparkling throttle response, using DIG’s torque-enhancing characteristics to pull hard from virtually every engine speed – and it all comes with a large dose of Lexus-typical mega-refinement.
So quiet, the acceleration is deceptive,” says Senior Editor Alisa Priddle. “An excellent example of DIG.”
How can anyone possibly go past the Lexus? Honestly they're by far the most refined automobiles known to man. They're meticulously refined and sophisticated with opulence and luxury.
Get the Lexus ISC, not only is it the epitome of luxury but you will also enjoy Lexus reliability and dependability. The ISC behaves like a coupe that is able to drop the top
IS350C my friend. The motor in that has the highest torque/L of any naturally aspirated engine available
And it's super smooth and powerful
"Moreover, Toyota’s V-6 has sparkling throttle response, using DIG’s torque-enhancing characteristics to pull hard from virtually every engine speed – and it all comes with a large dose of Lexus-typical mega-refinement.
So quiet, the acceleration is deceptive,†says Senior Editor Alisa Priddle. “An excellent example of DIG.â€
I'm not sure the existence of a better, old school engine negates the outdated, underpowered is250. Worse, Lexus doesn't seem to have any updated gas engines coming either so who knows how long they'll keep offering the entry level equivalent of a 2001 bmw 325i vert.
An E-class convertible does not have to be a proposition in excessive amounts of money to keep the vehicle on the road as it ages. The 350 has the tried and true Mercedes V6 that powers the larger E-Class sedan as well as other vehicles in the lineup, and is generally reliable. It should not be terribly expensive to maintain, not on the order of an S, SL, CLS, or G, by far. However, the 550 will tend to have higher costs, long-term, but the vehicle is much faster, if that's a factor. It will be higher than an average car to maintain, but that's true for many vehicles, and can be mitigated by using an independent Mercedes specialist mechanic as the vehicle ages. You can also hedge bets and buy an extended warranty on the vehicle, but I would not be as afraid of an E-Class, or an E-Class cabriolet, which is based upon the C, since Mercedes folded the CLK line into the E series because of the price point.
The Lexus is a good vehicle, too, but the IS is a better premium sedan than a convertible. It's not sporty, but is well built, and offers excellent reliability. Lexus do tend to cost a bit more to own than a Toyota, however, and the dealer service rates are on par with Mercedes, at least in my experience. I would cross-shop a Lexus with a 4-series BMW as they are in a similar price/size category as premium convertibles, whereas the Mercedes is into luxury territory at the E-Class mark. The 4-series is much sportier than the Lexus, even in base trim.
Have you considered the Audi A5? It falls between the luxury of a Mercedes and the sportiness of a BMW with average reliability. It's not a bad consideration, though I would expect it to cost more in the long run than a Mercedes E-Class, since reliability is about average for the class. The issue with the Audi is that you have to get away from the base cabriolet because the vehicle has no sporting character at all, or even cruising character -- it's not very responsive a platform with the CVT and base engine.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
I have a convertible - Camry Solara, and I hate Toyota for discontinuing it.
Having said that, the Lexus looks too much like my Solara so I am biased against dropping $20K more on it - the looks are very similar, including the steering wheel and so on.
What other options do I have for the $30K-$50K price range (almost the same as OP)? Four-seater is a must even if the rear two seats can only fit starving midget kids.
Looks might be similar, but the Lexus is RWD, not FWD like the Toyota.
The C70 was discontinued in 2013, and by that time, it had gone virtually unchanged since 2006 and was an overpriced also-ran.
We have a C70 and are so glad we got it. "Also ran"... please. This car is great. Well built, fast enough (no it's not a speedster by any means). Easily the best car I've ever owned so far.
But no... not available anymore, sadly.
We have a C70 and are so glad we got it. "Also ran"... please. This car is great. Well built, fast enough (no it's not a speedster by any means). Easily the best car I've ever owned so far.
But no... not available anymore, sadly.
Weird market niche though. Luxury FWD convertible? Even Acura never produced anything that weird. VW sort of skirted that market with the $40K EOS, but those were basically rabbits.
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