whitels

Here's a question that I hope can get some factual clarification:

Is it possible that a perfectly used Lexus end up in a non-franchised dealer car lot aka Mr. Colorful Tie Used Cars?

Lexus dealers/buyers seem apprehensive, and I think rightly so, when what seems to be a perfect pre-owned low mileage Lexus is for sale at Joe Blow Luxury Imports.

Do these 3rd-party dealers have a shot at lease returns? Understand it is not only Lexus that offers leasing to brand new customers.

Anyone has an inside on this?

Appreciate much. I'm still looking for a nice GS4 while selling my LS privately.

portcityplaya

iTrader: (1)

It is perfectly feasible for a good Lexus to end up on a Non Lexus lot. It's just a matter of what auction it came from and if Joe Blow was willing to out bid the Lexus dealer. Sometimes folks just don't like the car and may trade it for let's say a Mercedes. Well the Lexus may be in great condition but the owner just didn't like it so now the used Lexus is on the Mercedes lot. It could happy. I personally like the peace of mind that came with the Lexus Certified stamp but that doesn't mean the car at another lot or even a private seller isn't as good. Just have it checked out. If you feel like spending the money, take it to a Lexus dealer and have him check the car out. They will tell you if they find anything wrong and how much it will cost to fix the problem. Just my 3 cents.

Lvangundy

When I was searhcing for my LS, I went to several 'joe schmoe' car dealers off major highways here in Socal.

Let me tell you, these dealers knew NOTHING about the cars, even one guy tried to sell me a SC250! HAH it was really a 93 ES300!

Most of them do not have any maintenance records and the few first gen LS's I looked at had high mileage - 160,000+ the asking prices were also too high.

My best tip is to try and find a car from a private party, and if possible from old people! Just make sure they have the service records (espeically for lexus) and have decent mileage.

A Lexus will last a long time, but try to buy a car with less than 100,000 miles. At that mark, ANY car starts to decrease in performance and value.

Lvangundy

how much do you want for your 96 LS by the way? ;-)

whitels

Ivangundy:
I am asking just $19.7 for it, with 70Kmi and ext. warranty through 100Kmi or Oct. 2005. More info at cars.com with a picture. Thanks for all the responses, by the way.

Since I have owned just Toyotas/Lexuses in most of my life, I have come to believe that in all likelihood, the quality remains the same whether it is a 20Kmi or 60Kmi - the only noticeable difference would be in how the steering feels less tight as it gets older. In my opinion, the older it gets, the better value it commands. But of course, there is a point where it plateaus just like any car.

What I'm saying is if there's not much difference between a 20Kmi GS and 60Kmi GS and you only intend to own it for four years, at which point the 60Kmi GS would have had about 110Kmi, then isn't it that the better value would be the 60Kmi GS because you're saving anywhere from $10-15K on the price outright?

On top of that, since the quality is such that there's not likely that much of a difference between a Lexus certified pre-owned and a private-party owned, then you can still pocket another $5K there (or maybe $3.5K since you'd want to buy a $1.5K ext. warranty, just in case.)

badboy_4fun_wa

I just bought my GS300 1998 35k miles for $24,500. Which was 3k-5k less then at a Lexus dealer. It is in mint shape and is a lease return from Cali with maintance records. The dealer has a reputation for selling top notch cars that are BMW's, Mercedes, Jags. They have been in the same location for 5 years and have no complaints with the Better Business.

Bottom line buy from a dealer you trust you want a Lexus because it is a great car. If you shop and look at car carefully you will soon know whether it is well cared for or not. Also you can pay to have it cerified or get a Lexus mechanic to look it over for you when you have decided it is the car you want! I prefer to buy from the original owner but I did find a great car at a great price.

IMO when buying lease returns you end up buying from a dealer. Some of these cars are the best low miles Lexus's you can find. My last lease return was an LS400 with 35k and I drove it to 130k with out one problem. Unfortunately it was wrecked recently and the insurance company totalled it with only 7k damage because of the high salvage value.....

Best of luck!!

theanimala

I think you can find a good car at one of the lots, but I know I wouldn't do it. I generally just find used car dealers to be of questionable ethics. Now, if it is a used car lot on a new car (non lex) dealer, then I would say you have a better chance of getting a good car.

I have a co-worker who purchased a 97 ES300 from a used car dealer. 2 days later he returned it because it was burning oil like crazy and needed major engine work. 4 months later and he is still waiting for his money to be returned, and the es300 is on the lot with a for sale sign...