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hi, if your thinking of the GS, search for a nice pre owned Ls460.
I just did a post on the Ls 4th gen forum about comparing my gs350 loaner and the Ls
but for the same gas mileage the v8 is tremendous and the ride and comfort is night and day
good examples can be found for 20k, but be selective and you will thank me.
one of the reasons that is not spoken is the crazy driving all over but in the north east having a big vehicle helps with safety as well
as fyi your IS looks great.
good luck
The LS is definitely a nice car, and the V8 is a great engine. I looked at one when I bought my 15 GS. The deciding factor for me was that I found the GS to be much more fun - tossing it into corners and having some fun with it. The LS is a more luxurious ride, if that's what you are looking for, but if you're looking for a sporty drive, the LS won't cut it.
Also on my mind is Boston/Cambridge parking and narrow city streets with winter chicanes. That leads me away from the LS, although I do love the idea. I also really appreciate the honest opinion of the ML sound system. I think that helps me open up my opportunities. Now just have to determine F-Sport v. non requirements .
Thanks to this thread, I'm sold on a 16'-18' GS350 AWD. The 450h is cool, but super hard to find around here.
Really just need to see what year features matter safety sense seems like a no brainer, and then F-Sport vs. non (and I'm leaning toward F-Sport) but I think they are less common in stock/trades, at least at my local dealers.
Also on my mind is Boston/Cambridge parking and narrow city streets with winter chicanes. That leads me away from the LS, although I do love the idea. I also really appreciate the honest opinion of the ML sound system. I think that helps me open up my opportunities. Now just have to determine F-Sport v. non requirements .
Thanks to this thread, I'm sold on a 16'-18' GS350 AWD. The 450h is cool, but super hard to find around here.
Really just need to see what year features matter safety sense seems like a no brainer, and then F-Sport vs. non (and I'm leaning toward F-Sport) but I think they are less common in stock/trades, at least at my local dealers.
All the safety features were made standard starting with the 2017 model year. They were optional on 2016s.
Also on my mind is Boston/Cambridge parking and narrow city streets with winter chicanes. That leads me away from the LS, although I do love the idea. I also really appreciate the honest opinion of the ML sound system. I think that helps me open up my opportunities. Now just have to determine F-Sport v. non requirements .
Thanks to this thread, I'm sold on a 16'-18' GS350 AWD. The 450h is cool, but super hard to find around here.
Really just need to see what year features matter safety sense seems like a no brainer, and then F-Sport vs. non (and I'm leaning toward F-Sport) but I think they are less common in stock/trades, at least at my local dealers.
Honestly the 14 or 16' year LS would do fine in Cambridge and Boston, the new LS is another story I have had times where I really don't like driving in the city. F-Sports are very hard usually look around Lease return time.
I signed, for the car I wanted, at the price I needed. I pick her up on Friday, Watertown Lexus was great to work with, as it had been in the past. Their service folks are great (shout out to Kim) and sales-folk are often more interested in retaining or building a relationship than exploiting a single sale. That said, you either go to pay or you go to work.
Here's how I did it:
Called and lined up an appointment this morning, I also needed a firm commitment from someone in business development/web sales that they would honor my early lease escape even on a used Lexus. I did have a flyer from Lexus corp they would wave payments on a NEW lease. Their quote was anything that's here today (so they wouldn't hunt down a used GS450h), and on-brand is eligible to get 3 payments waved. (Surprise, I have 4 payments outstanding but shhh). Then I show up and drive the GS. They (used shop) didn't seem to expect me, but whatever. That was nice, and I had a good conversation with my salesperson. He's a good guy, young but knowledgeable, and truthful in specs and the likely-hood of Android Auto coming. I use that as a lie to me now 'dont worry, it's coming next year' and I know your colors kind of question. Anyone in the area looking for a used Lexus should ask for Joesph Demoranville.
I let him know I didn't love a couple things about the car, interior middle seat space sucks for my family, Rioja Red clashes with my leather jacket, and the price was just too high, also no CPO (2017 and older only qualify). He said they gauge the area and market coupled with the rarity of a car and price firmly and fairly. Sure. But your sticker says $45k and the internet says $39,425. I also know from business development/web-dude there is up to $1000 in dealership coupon available for used-car sales to keep an existing customer happy. Sorry new to brand folk, it seems this really is loyalty bucks. New cars also have tons of Lexus discounts.
I then test drive a 2016 ES 300h (almost $10k cheaper btw). Actually, I was very impressed with the drive and feel of the 2016 ES! Only downside, and this was key, was lack of luxury option/packages on ANY of the 300h's they had. I casually say to my salesperson, for $38k I'd probably buy the GS, he says so would he (and I truly think he meant it). We move on to the ES, but I deride it's lack of all things GS. Okay, time to go home. He asks if I'll wait a moment before leaving to see if the sales manager wants to say hello... Obviously he does. We go over the cars, 300h vs GS. My argument is crystal clear: if I have to settle on the ES to get the room I want, I won't settle on the lack of options. The GS has the options, but is too much $$$. I've built a wedge. They can't add options to a cheaper ES to make me move, but they can drop the G$ price. I throw my pitch, $38k out the door, tax, title reg, fees, papers, etc. I'll even finance w/ you if you beat 4% on a 60 month. Zero down. I pose this as an open ended question: How can I take a color combo I don't love at a price I can't afford (car I want at the price I need)? By putting the open ended question to them I pivot the negotiation. How could I take a ES 300h, cheaply, without the options I must have in this compromise car? Again, open ended questions to them without a possible answer of purchase.
We wait...
We go back and forth two more times with rate sheets, what would it take for the GS today? What's my max payment option? How about doing that for 66 months? (Spoiler it's still: $700/mo, zero down, 60 months, <=4%). I spell it all out here. That's it. Then I say, meet $715/month that today, and you sir, sold a car. They can't, they shouldn't, they can't believe they would. They also need to eat the lease buyout on the IS @ $1800 in payments (lease end is April 2020). I do suspect they will keep, clean, and then sell my car at a profit which might be how this all was able to occur. IS was nice, but not perfect, and DID come in way under mileage. KBB says IS 250 Crafted Excellent condition = $24k-$25k, and my buyout today was $24449.
Finance dude, also kind and a no BS'r , was intrigued how this all happened. I don't know, and I don't care.
Well, they did sell, at my price. And that my friends, is my story.
Keep spinning,
-Tom
PS Obv real pics to come but here's the holdover comparison shot.
Last edited by Tspinning; 11-11-19 at 04:37 PM.
Reason: gramma' & spellin'
Good choice! Just don't forget that brilliant rim/tire insurance that you mentioned. I fly into BOS for meetings in Quincy and yalls roads are quite brutal!
11-11-19, 06:45 AM
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