About to buy a 2003 Sport Design...thoughts?
05-17-08, 12:30 PM
#31
Udel, the leather seems to be real smooth and soft. It is probably an optical thing as I cannot se Lexus change the leather for the color but it sure looks real high quality! By far the best looking interior that I have seen. They have blended the colors and wood perfectly!
05-18-08, 08:35 AM
#33
Well I went and drove the car yesterday and it didn't exactly go as planned, so I would greatly appreciate some more input from you guys.
1) He is really reluctant to move off his price of $17,999. Turns out he is upside down in his financing and owes $21K on the car still, and thinks he can realistically get $18K for it.
I told him KBB for it was $17,230 and I am not paying any more than that and even then I think its a generous offer because the car definitely has some chips on the front end, a few scratches on the rear bumper, the two big headlights at the front look kind of dull and like they might need to be replaced, and the previous owner repainted the car. He said that the lady who owned it before him had two kids who scratched up the car a bit and she repainted it before she sold it. My problem is that it seems like they did a half azzed job because the "Lexus" and "GS 300" emblems are clearly painted over and the sport design logos on the side are gone. There is a bit of orange peel present on the trunk lid as well. Also the Sport Design trunklid spoiler is gone.
Not dealbreaker stuff, and the paint still does look ok, but I am not even sure this car is worth $17K with all of those things.
2) When I drove the car the brakes felt grabby at low speeds...almost magnetic. Not like "brand new brakes grabby" but just oddly grabby. I got the car up to about 55-60-80mph on the highway and braked and there weren't any vibrations so I think the rotors are fine...is this how GSs feel? It just felt very different from my Camry.
3) Interior of the car is in great condition so no complaints there.
I guess to be honest with his reluctance to move off $18K and the small things that I found wrong I wouldn't even be interested in this car if it wasn't for the saddle leather. I've got to have a GS with it, or I won't buy one at all. I have searched for months for this color combination and this is the only one that I have found. Even then, am not going to pay him an additional $800 over KBB value when it probably isn't worth even that.
I sent him an email stating my position and the work that the car needed to have done but haven't heard back yet. Anyone have any advice or input?
Thanks so much.
1) He is really reluctant to move off his price of $17,999. Turns out he is upside down in his financing and owes $21K on the car still, and thinks he can realistically get $18K for it.
I told him KBB for it was $17,230 and I am not paying any more than that and even then I think its a generous offer because the car definitely has some chips on the front end, a few scratches on the rear bumper, the two big headlights at the front look kind of dull and like they might need to be replaced, and the previous owner repainted the car. He said that the lady who owned it before him had two kids who scratched up the car a bit and she repainted it before she sold it. My problem is that it seems like they did a half azzed job because the "Lexus" and "GS 300" emblems are clearly painted over and the sport design logos on the side are gone. There is a bit of orange peel present on the trunk lid as well. Also the Sport Design trunklid spoiler is gone.
Not dealbreaker stuff, and the paint still does look ok, but I am not even sure this car is worth $17K with all of those things.
2) When I drove the car the brakes felt grabby at low speeds...almost magnetic. Not like "brand new brakes grabby" but just oddly grabby. I got the car up to about 55-60-80mph on the highway and braked and there weren't any vibrations so I think the rotors are fine...is this how GSs feel? It just felt very different from my Camry.
3) Interior of the car is in great condition so no complaints there.
I guess to be honest with his reluctance to move off $18K and the small things that I found wrong I wouldn't even be interested in this car if it wasn't for the saddle leather. I've got to have a GS with it, or I won't buy one at all. I have searched for months for this color combination and this is the only one that I have found. Even then, am not going to pay him an additional $800 over KBB value when it probably isn't worth even that.
I sent him an email stating my position and the work that the car needed to have done but haven't heard back yet. Anyone have any advice or input?
Thanks so much.
05-18-08, 08:55 AM
#34
Well I went and drove the car yesterday and it didn't exactly go as planned, so I would greatly appreciate some more input from you guys.
1) He is really reluctant to move off his price of $17,999. Turns out he is upside down in his financing and owes $21K on the car still, and thinks he can realistically get $18K for it.
I told him KBB for it was $17,230 and I am not paying any more than that and even then I think its a generous offer because the car definitely has some chips on the front end, a few scratches on the rear bumper, the two big headlights at the front look kind of dull and like they might need to be replaced, and the previous owner repainted the car. He said that the lady who owned it before him had two kids who scratched up the car a bit and she repainted it before she sold it. My problem is that it seems like they did a half azzed job because the "Lexus" and "GS 300" emblems are clearly painted over and the sport design logos on the side are gone. There is a bit of orange peel present on the trunk lid as well. Also the Sport Design trunklid spoiler is gone.
Not dealbreaker stuff, and the paint still does look ok, but I am not even sure this car is worth $17K with all of those things.
2) When I drove the car the brakes felt grabby at low speeds...almost magnetic. Not like "brand new brakes grabby" but just oddly grabby. I got the car up to about 55-60-80mph on the highway and braked and there weren't any vibrations so I think the rotors are fine...is this how GSs feel? It just felt very different from my Camry.
3) Interior of the car is in great condition so no complaints there.
I guess to be honest with his reluctance to move off $18K and the small things that I found wrong I wouldn't even be interested in this car if it wasn't for the saddle leather. I've got to have a GS with it, or I won't buy one at all. I have searched for months for this color combination and this is the only one that I have found. Even then, am not going to pay him an additional $800 over KBB value when it probably isn't worth even that.
I sent him an email stating my position and the work that the car needed to have done but haven't heard back yet. Anyone have any advice or input?
Thanks so much.
1) He is really reluctant to move off his price of $17,999. Turns out he is upside down in his financing and owes $21K on the car still, and thinks he can realistically get $18K for it.
I told him KBB for it was $17,230 and I am not paying any more than that and even then I think its a generous offer because the car definitely has some chips on the front end, a few scratches on the rear bumper, the two big headlights at the front look kind of dull and like they might need to be replaced, and the previous owner repainted the car. He said that the lady who owned it before him had two kids who scratched up the car a bit and she repainted it before she sold it. My problem is that it seems like they did a half azzed job because the "Lexus" and "GS 300" emblems are clearly painted over and the sport design logos on the side are gone. There is a bit of orange peel present on the trunk lid as well. Also the Sport Design trunklid spoiler is gone.
Not dealbreaker stuff, and the paint still does look ok, but I am not even sure this car is worth $17K with all of those things.
2) When I drove the car the brakes felt grabby at low speeds...almost magnetic. Not like "brand new brakes grabby" but just oddly grabby. I got the car up to about 55-60-80mph on the highway and braked and there weren't any vibrations so I think the rotors are fine...is this how GSs feel? It just felt very different from my Camry.
3) Interior of the car is in great condition so no complaints there.
I guess to be honest with his reluctance to move off $18K and the small things that I found wrong I wouldn't even be interested in this car if it wasn't for the saddle leather. I've got to have a GS with it, or I won't buy one at all. I have searched for months for this color combination and this is the only one that I have found. Even then, am not going to pay him an additional $800 over KBB value when it probably isn't worth even that.
I sent him an email stating my position and the work that the car needed to have done but haven't heard back yet. Anyone have any advice or input?
Thanks so much.
05-18-08, 09:06 AM
#35
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MPLexus301, I didn't read this thread in depth, and if you covered some of the items that I'm about to suggest, then I apologize in advance:
-Have you run a carfax on the vehicle? For the most part it's just a great dealer sales device, but if an accident was reported on it that might have precipitated the paint job, you need to know about that.
-Did the seller provide any maintenance documentation?
-Would you be willing to take the vehicle to a Lexus dealership or capable independent technician to verify there are no mechanical issues or even to some degree, what other bodywork was done on the car, and what may have necessitated that bodywork?
You're spending a lot of money for the car, so make sure that you're getting every penny of that money's worth. I am glad to see reason is prevailing over emotion too, even though I know what it's like to really want something and sometimes overly compromising to get it. I really hope this works out for you; it's a gorgeous color combination and all, but do a little qualification before you make your investment.
-Have you run a carfax on the vehicle? For the most part it's just a great dealer sales device, but if an accident was reported on it that might have precipitated the paint job, you need to know about that.
-Did the seller provide any maintenance documentation?
-Would you be willing to take the vehicle to a Lexus dealership or capable independent technician to verify there are no mechanical issues or even to some degree, what other bodywork was done on the car, and what may have necessitated that bodywork?
You're spending a lot of money for the car, so make sure that you're getting every penny of that money's worth. I am glad to see reason is prevailing over emotion too, even though I know what it's like to really want something and sometimes overly compromising to get it. I really hope this works out for you; it's a gorgeous color combination and all, but do a little qualification before you make your investment.
05-18-08, 09:40 AM
#36
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repainted? it's usually a more serious problem than scratches, ha. It sounds like they went to Maaco for a quick paintjob and sell, I'd do that. Go to a dealer and test drive a GS3... 17250? I think he got ripped off, but don't get ripped off your self, because really... a paintjob usually signify a significant paintjob. P.S. Carfax dosn't always show the accident if it wasn't reported to the police. Get the car checked, but it sounds like a 16,000 car without knowing too much details.
05-18-08, 09:45 AM
#37
MPLexus301, I didn't read this thread in depth, and if you covered some of the items that I'm about to suggest, then I apologize in advance:
-Have you run a carfax on the vehicle? For the most part it's just a great dealer sales device, but if an accident was reported on it that might have precipitated the paint job, you need to know about that.
-Did the seller provide any maintenance documentation?
-Would you be willing to take the vehicle to a Lexus dealership or capable independent technician to verify there are no mechanical issues or even to some degree, what other bodywork was done on the car, and what may have necessitated that bodywork?
You're spending a lot of money for the car, so make sure that you're getting every penny of that money's worth. I am glad to see reason is prevailing over emotion too, even though I know what it's like to really want something and sometimes overly compromising to get it. I really hope this works out for you; it's a gorgeous color combination and all, but do a little qualification before you make your investment.
-Have you run a carfax on the vehicle? For the most part it's just a great dealer sales device, but if an accident was reported on it that might have precipitated the paint job, you need to know about that.
-Did the seller provide any maintenance documentation?
-Would you be willing to take the vehicle to a Lexus dealership or capable independent technician to verify there are no mechanical issues or even to some degree, what other bodywork was done on the car, and what may have necessitated that bodywork?
You're spending a lot of money for the car, so make sure that you're getting every penny of that money's worth. I am glad to see reason is prevailing over emotion too, even though I know what it's like to really want something and sometimes overly compromising to get it. I really hope this works out for you; it's a gorgeous color combination and all, but do a little qualification before you make your investment.
My job at the dealership also means two things...
1) I can get things like replacement headlights at cost and its not that big of a deal for me, even some paint and body work wouldn't be a huge deal.
2) I work with plenty of techs who are willing to take a look over the car for me, and I have told him that. I am just not going to bother with any of that yet if he still thinks he is entitled to $18K for the car.
05-18-08, 10:06 AM
#38
Honestly I would like to think that I will keep this car for a while which is why I have been so picky about color combinations and cars.
The 2nd gen GS is the first car I ever fell in love with as a kid. My next door neighbor got one in late 1997 when they came out- a black on black GS 400. I was 11 and thought it was the meanest looking and most beautiful car I had ever laid eyes on and that's the moment that I became a Lexus fan. Since then I've always loved the 2GS and it has turned into a love for the entire brand.
I turn 21 tomorrow actually and have reached a point where I can afford a 2GS. I would love a 430 especially since there isn't much of a difference in gas mileage, but the insurance is considerably more expensive and I love the saddle interior on the SD 300. I would also probably kill myself with 300hp to be honest.
I want to buy a sound car and I will probably own it for a while- many years to come. Mechanically and structurally this car seems sound but the paint needs a little work. At some point I wouldn't even really mind putting a little bit of money into the car to have it correctly repainted in a Lexus factory color like Black Onyx or Obsidian or something. Again, working at a dealership I get these kinds of perks.
P.S. what is the factory name for black on these year GSs?
The 2nd gen GS is the first car I ever fell in love with as a kid. My next door neighbor got one in late 1997 when they came out- a black on black GS 400. I was 11 and thought it was the meanest looking and most beautiful car I had ever laid eyes on and that's the moment that I became a Lexus fan. Since then I've always loved the 2GS and it has turned into a love for the entire brand.
I turn 21 tomorrow actually and have reached a point where I can afford a 2GS. I would love a 430 especially since there isn't much of a difference in gas mileage, but the insurance is considerably more expensive and I love the saddle interior on the SD 300. I would also probably kill myself with 300hp to be honest.
I want to buy a sound car and I will probably own it for a while- many years to come. Mechanically and structurally this car seems sound but the paint needs a little work. At some point I wouldn't even really mind putting a little bit of money into the car to have it correctly repainted in a Lexus factory color like Black Onyx or Obsidian or something. Again, working at a dealership I get these kinds of perks.
P.S. what is the factory name for black on these year GSs?
05-18-08, 01:56 PM
#44
Lexus Fanatic
