2013 Lexus GS350 Buy Questions
07-23-19, 07:26 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
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2013 Lexus GS350 Buy Questions
Hey guys, 1st post! Was wondering if you could help me out here!
2013-2015 Lexus GS350 F Sport is basically my dream car and was looking at a 2013 one at a Toyota Dealership. It’s priced at 22,300 with 50k miles which is very fairly priced. My problem is it has no service records on the CarFax. That’s usually a big no no for me but it is an official Toyota dealership offering it for sale with a 3,000 mile warranty. Smart buy or hard pass?
I’m looking for a forever car (try to run this thing to 300k if possible). How is your reliability holding up for anyone who owns the GS350? Thank you!
2013-2015 Lexus GS350 F Sport is basically my dream car and was looking at a 2013 one at a Toyota Dealership. It’s priced at 22,300 with 50k miles which is very fairly priced. My problem is it has no service records on the CarFax. That’s usually a big no no for me but it is an official Toyota dealership offering it for sale with a 3,000 mile warranty. Smart buy or hard pass?
I’m looking for a forever car (try to run this thing to 300k if possible). How is your reliability holding up for anyone who owns the GS350? Thank you!
07-23-19, 07:43 PM
#2
I would try going onto the Lexus' owners website and put in the VIN to see if you can see all the service records. I've done this on every Lexus I've acquired and found it VERY useful.
Don't be suckered into thinking that "Toyotas" be sold at Toyota dealerships are good buys. They are not necessarily so. Manheim is the largest used car auction countrywide and just about everyone in the used car business (including dealerships) get their cars there. Of course, Lexus will always try bid on Lexus.... but don't assume every Lexus at a particular Lexus dealership came from a trade-in.... Most do not. Even though a dealership take every trade in, they do not necessarily hold onto each one of them to sell (even if it's their house brand!). Dealerships always strategize on their inventory so they hold on to things that they can sell for a good price, vs. auctioning it off to get something out of it, which frees up cash for another more appealing car for them.
For example, a lot of people frown upon "out of state" vehicles thinking that there's something wrong with them. The truth is that all of these cars came from (most likely) the Manheim auction which runs auctions throughout the country including online auctions. Just for kicks, go on to a Lexus dealership and check out their used cars. Look at their CarFax and you'll quickly see that almost 50% of them ARE NOT from their area.
This is all normal in the used car industry. There is so much that the industry hides from us.
Good luck on your shopping. Worse come worse, you can always hire a mechanic to go inspect the car for you.
Don't be suckered into thinking that "Toyotas" be sold at Toyota dealerships are good buys. They are not necessarily so. Manheim is the largest used car auction countrywide and just about everyone in the used car business (including dealerships) get their cars there. Of course, Lexus will always try bid on Lexus.... but don't assume every Lexus at a particular Lexus dealership came from a trade-in.... Most do not. Even though a dealership take every trade in, they do not necessarily hold onto each one of them to sell (even if it's their house brand!). Dealerships always strategize on their inventory so they hold on to things that they can sell for a good price, vs. auctioning it off to get something out of it, which frees up cash for another more appealing car for them.
For example, a lot of people frown upon "out of state" vehicles thinking that there's something wrong with them. The truth is that all of these cars came from (most likely) the Manheim auction which runs auctions throughout the country including online auctions. Just for kicks, go on to a Lexus dealership and check out their used cars. Look at their CarFax and you'll quickly see that almost 50% of them ARE NOT from their area.
This is all normal in the used car industry. There is so much that the industry hides from us.
Good luck on your shopping. Worse come worse, you can always hire a mechanic to go inspect the car for you.
Last edited by azipod; 07-23-19 at 07:47 PM.
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Samu22 (08-05-19)
07-23-19, 07:53 PM
#3
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
I would try going onto the Lexus' owners website and put in the VIN to see if you can see all the service records. I've done this on every Lexus I've acquired and found it VERY useful.
Don't be suckered into thinking that "Toyotas" be sold at Toyota dealerships are good buys. They are not necessarily so. Manheim is the largest used car auction countrywide and just about everyone in the used car business (including dealerships) get their cars there. Of course, Lexus will always try bid on Lexus.... but don't assume every Lexus at a particular Lexus dealership came from a trade-in.... Most do not. Even though a dealership take every trade in, they do not necessarily hold onto each one of them to sell (even if it's their house brand!). Dealerships always strategize on their inventory so they hold on to things that they can sell for a good price, vs. auctioning it off to get something out of it, which frees up cash for another more appealing car for them.
For example, a lot of people frown upon "out of state" vehicles thinking that there's something wrong with them. The truth is that all of these cars came from (most likely) the Manheim auction which runs auctions throughout the country including online auctions. Just for kicks, go on to a Lexus dealership and check out their used cars. Look at their CarFax and you'll quickly see that almost 50% of them ARE NOT from their area.
This is all normal in the used car industry. There is so much that the industry hides from us.
Good luck on your shopping. Worse come worse, you can always hire a mechanic to go inspect the car for you.
Don't be suckered into thinking that "Toyotas" be sold at Toyota dealerships are good buys. They are not necessarily so. Manheim is the largest used car auction countrywide and just about everyone in the used car business (including dealerships) get their cars there. Of course, Lexus will always try bid on Lexus.... but don't assume every Lexus at a particular Lexus dealership came from a trade-in.... Most do not. Even though a dealership take every trade in, they do not necessarily hold onto each one of them to sell (even if it's their house brand!). Dealerships always strategize on their inventory so they hold on to things that they can sell for a good price, vs. auctioning it off to get something out of it, which frees up cash for another more appealing car for them.
For example, a lot of people frown upon "out of state" vehicles thinking that there's something wrong with them. The truth is that all of these cars came from (most likely) the Manheim auction which runs auctions throughout the country including online auctions. Just for kicks, go on to a Lexus dealership and check out their used cars. Look at their CarFax and you'll quickly see that almost 50% of them ARE NOT from their area.
This is all normal in the used car industry. There is so much that the industry hides from us.
Good luck on your shopping. Worse come worse, you can always hire a mechanic to go inspect the car for you.
07-23-19, 07:56 PM
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