Another Bay Area noob

6990 Views 13 Replies 4 Participants Last post by BigMikeISF, Dec 30, 2009

LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · Dec 27, 2009

Ahoy, F community!

I've been an IS F owner for three days, after my Maserati Spyder sucked up water and threw a rod. I was pretty sad about losing the Maserati for a while, but took it as a sign that it was time to give up the ragtop and add a rear seat (what little there is in the F). On a whim, I went by Stevens Creek Lexus because they had a new '09. A few hours later, they got it down to my price range and I was on my way.

So far, I've loved every second of driving the Lexus.

First question: does anyone have an opinion on the pre-paid scheduled maintenance Lexus offers? I think it's about $1,700 for three years' worth. After driving an Italian car, I don't really know what dealer service is supposed to cost anymore. The car is leased, so I will be going to the dealer for routine maintenance.

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BigMikeISF

· #2 · Dec 28, 2009

Welcome to the site and congrats on your new F

With regards to your question, I don't think Lexus offers any type of scheduled maintenance. I know that they give you your 1k and 5k checkups for free but I'm nearly positive your pre-paid scheduled maintenance is part of your dealership, not through Lexus.

What all does the maintenance in particular cover? That would be a big factor in the pricing. For example if it covers brakes, tires, oil changes, it would be worth the $1,700 (to replace the stock brake pads and rotors is about $1,200 alone). If it just includes oil changes, I think that's a little high. Any more specifics?

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2URGSE

· #3 · Dec 28, 2009

Welcome aboard.

Sorry to hear about your Maserati.........is that the Ferrari 4.2L V8?

Where abouts in the Bay Area?

There is some guy in a Maserati in my neighborhood..........leaves the car in 2nd gear while he drives around......you can hear his exhaust system for miles....

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 28, 2009

Thanks for the welcome!

BigMikeISF said:
I don't think Lexus offers any type of scheduled maintenance. I know that they give you your 1k and 5k checkups for free but I'm nearly positive your pre-paid scheduled maintenance is part of your dealership, not through Lexus.

What all does the maintenance in particular cover? That would be a big factor in the pricing. For example if it covers brakes, tires, oil changes, it would be worth the $1,700 (to replace the stock brake pads and rotors is about $1,200 alone). If it just includes oil changes, I think that's a little high. Any more specifics?

It is entirely possible that the pre-paid maintenance plan is offered by the dealership, as opposed to Lexus, but I specifically asked whether I would have to have the work done at the same dealership and the answer was no. I bought the car about 50 miles away from home and there are at least three dealers that are closer, so that's a big factor for me. As far as what it covers, I believe they follow the scheduled maintenance requirements in the book. I don't think the consumables are included, like brake pads or tires. It's basically all the oil changes (after the free 5K one) plus the mid-major services at 15K and 30K. I guess I should just find out how much the local dealerships charge for those.

One thing the dealer told me is that the pre-paid maintenance plan costs the same for all IS models, at least for now. I think it's more expensive for the GS and LS. Does anyone know whether the service charges are about the same for the F as for other IS models?

Peleg said:
Sorry to hear about your Maserati.........is that the Ferrari 4.2L V8?

Where abouts in the Bay Area?

I'm in San Francisco. Yes, the Maserati engine was essentially the same you'd find in the Ferrari F430. Same for the Cambiocorsa transmission. Some people have installed straight exhausts on those, making the noise level rather extreme. I kept it stock, partly out of concern for my neighbors.

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BigMikeISF

· #5 · Dec 28, 2009

LNL HUTZ said:
It is entirely possible that the pre-paid maintenance plan is offered by the dealership, as opposed to Lexus, but I specifically asked whether I would have to have the work done at the same dealership and the answer was no. I bought the car about 50 miles away from home and there are at least three dealers that are closer, so that's a big factor for me. As far as what it covers, I believe they follow the scheduled maintenance requirements in the book. I don't think the consumables are included, like brake pads or tires. It's basically all the oil changes (after the free 5K one) plus the mid-major services at 15K and 30K. I guess I should just find out how much the local dealerships charge for those.

One thing the dealer told me is that the pre-paid maintenance plan costs the same for all IS models, at least for now. I think it's more expensive for the GS and LS. Does anyone know whether the service charges are about the same for the F as for other IS models?

I figured it wouldn't cover such parts but it was worth a try in asking. Are you going to use your own oil or Lexus' (I'm assuming Lexus' since it's leased)? That would play a factor as well.

If it is such a far drive, it personally doesn't seem worth it. The price is also a little high (imo) for the services. The filter on the F is different than other IS models due to the F having a V8. The filter might be similar to other Toyota models such as the 5.7 v8 in the Tundra but I would recommend sticking with the filter and filter part number from Lexus.

It wouldn't surprise if the F charges were slightly more than regular IS models. Call or email the local dealerships to find out for sure though. Good luck and welcome again

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #6 · Dec 29, 2009

So I just went and looked at the actual paperwork I got on the pre-paid program. It's called Lexus Luxury Care and it is actually sold by Lexus Financial Services, so it would definitely be good at most, if not all dealerships. The cost is as follows: $1,685 for 3 years, $1,905 for 4, and $2,225 for 5 (SUVs and the LS are more). I guess I just need to add up the cost of the 10K, 15K, 20K, 25K, and 30K services, maybe factor in some inflation, and decide whether this is worthwhile.

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BigMikeISF

· #7 · Dec 29, 2009

LNL HUTZ said:
So I just went and looked at the actual paperwork I got on the pre-paid program. It's called Lexus Luxury Care and it is actually sold by Lexus Financial Services, so it would definitely be good at most, if not all dealerships. The cost is as follows: $1,685 for 3 years, $1,905 for 4, and $2,225 for 5 (SUVs and the LS are more). I guess I just need to add up the cost of the 10K, 15K, 20K, 25K, and 30K services, maybe factor in some inflation, and decide whether this is worthwhile.

Wow, never heard of the program but it is good to know! thanks for the info

Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 29, 2009

Yeah, I've got a call in to the nearest dealer for a quote on all the services that would be covered by the program and will update the thread with the calculations once I have all the numbers.

And thanks again for the warm welcome. This seems like a pretty good forum, if not the most active. I plan to make my contribution as I can. Before the F (and the Maserati), I was a long-time MR2 Spyder driver and one of the early members of Spyderchat.com. To this day, I think that was the best car forum ever, at least in its first three or four years.

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Flipside909

· #9 · Dec 29, 2009

LNL HUTZ said:
Ahoy, F community!

I've been an IS F owner for three days, after my Maserati Spyder sucked up water and threw a rod. I was pretty sad about losing the Maserati for a while, but took it as a sign that it was time to give up the ragtop and add a rear seat (what little there is in the F). On a whim, I went by Stevens Creek Lexus because they had a new '09. A few hours later, they got it down to my price range and I was on my way.

So far, I've loved every second of driving the Lexus.

First question: does anyone have an opinion on the pre-paid scheduled maintenance Lexus offers? I think it's about $1,700 for three years' worth. After driving an Italian car, I don't really know what dealer service is supposed to cost anymore. The car is leased, so I will be going to the dealer for routine maintenance.

Hey welcome to the club!

I don't think it's a bad deal, as it is a pretty comprehensive coverage. You pay up front and you don't have to worry about it later on. Some choose to pay as you go and some just go for it up front. Either way, as long as you follow the factory maintenance, you should have no problems with longevity of your ISF. Just follow the 5k service intervals that Lexus sets and you're good to go. I service my car religiously at every 5k service interval at my Lexus dealer.

BTW. What part of SF are you at? In the city or in the burbs?

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #10 · Dec 29, 2009

Flipside909 said:
What part of SF are you at? In the city or in the burbs?

I'm in the city. I pretty much cross it diagonally every day because I live near the ocean and work near Pier 39.

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Flipside909

· #11 · Dec 29, 2009

LNL HUTZ said:
I'm in the city. I pretty much cross it diagonally every day because I live near the ocean and work near Pier 39.

I love the city, it is definitely my first home. We should gather the Bay Area F owners and get a real meeting going one of these days!

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #12 · Dec 29, 2009

Once it gets warmer, I'd be happy to help coordinate a local rally. Nothing crazy and no douchy aggressive driving, just a friendly spirited drive. We did them semi-regularly with the MR2 crowd and I think I still have a few of the routes. My favorite was driving the levee roads in the Delta, but going up and down Mt. Hamilton in San Jose is also good, as are the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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LNL HUTZ

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 30, 2009

OK, back to the Lexus Luxury Care discussion. I'm starting to think that it's not worth the investment.

My nearest dealer just told me that they charge $69 for a lube job, $169 for a minor service (which sounds like a lube job plus a more thorough inspection, but not much else), $420 for the 15K service, and $610 for the 30K. If I were to forgo the minor services and just do oil changes at 10K, 20K, and 25K, the total cost is $207 (the 5K oil change already being on the house). Add to that the two mid-major services and the total is $1,237, well shy of the price of the pre-paid package. Even if you spring for the minor service every time instead of an oil change, the total cost only goes up by $300 and remains less than the up-front price.

The two unknown factors I see are:

1. Inflation. This would almost certainly be offset by not having to fork over $1,600 for service I won't have to pay for for months or years (i.e., present value of money).

2. Increased rates for servicing the IS-F if the dealers find that it requires a lot more work than other cars (it is, after all, still a relatively new model and quite different from every other car they see).

At this point, I don't see any compelling reason to buy the pre-paid plan. Any thoughts from the community?

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BigMikeISF

· #14 · Dec 30, 2009

I personally wouldn't do it but that's just my opinion. If you find it valuable and a good deal, than have at it but for the price, it doesn't seem worth it to me LNL HUTZ. It's ultimately up to you though. Good luck with your decision

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