I'm in the Seattle, WA area and looking to buy a GX470. Want it as a tow-vehicle and also my daily driver. From looking around, it seems that the value of the GX bottom out around $12k at 200,000 miles. So I'm looking for that sweet spot of low miles to price.

Some examples of a good price/miles ratio
2006 - 12,000 miles @ $34K
2006 - 68,000 miles @ $23K
2003 - 78,000 miles @ $20K
2003 - 91,000 miles @ $17K
2003 - 134,000 miles @ $13k

What are some things to look for when buying a GX470?
What can break on this car?
I've seen some good deals on cars from Florida (but now in WA). What do I need to know if I were to buy a car that was previously used in FL?
If I get a very low miles car, what should I lookout for?

 

personally I look at the owner first and his garage and only after to a car :-)
my 2 cents
really happy with my GX470/07 with 58K km I'd sleep there :-)

 

Since you mentioned towing...

1. I would look for 2005 or newer. 2005 got extra hp under the hood and this will help with towing.
2. I would look for a used one without a tow package installed, or one that was never used for towing before. As you know, towing puts extra stress on AT/body/engine, so you don't want to buy a 100K+ miles truck that was used for towing all the time. Get a "virgin" one.
3. I have heard some horrible stories about cars from Florida sold in other states for cheap. Due to flooding/weather there, and less strict reporting laws, you may end up buying a car that was flooded/weather damaged and the carfax report may not even show it. I would never buy a car from this part of the country, unless i first go see it in person, get it fully inspected at the dealer and meet the real owner.
4. Most importantly, try to get a GX with some real, complete maintenance records, preferably from a dealer or good mechanic. These trucks are very well built and very reliable. They can last a very very long time but ONLY when maintained properly. We got our 2005 GX with 110k miles on. The owner had a binder with every single oil change and repair receipt inside. He had spent close to $5-6k in maintenance and repairs over the 110k miles he drove it. As a result, the truck today is rock solid and looks and drives like NEW! If you buy one without any maintenance records, you may end up spending a few thousand dollars before you bring it up to a solid condition...and you'll hate your truck.
5. And...don't forget that every 90k miles, there is timing belt service that must be done. Ask for solid proof that it was done, or be ready to spend $1000+ to do this service once you buy the GX. You can't take a chance with the Timing belt service.

Good luck!

 

washingtons state has the best car price in the country... stay there and buy there... i have always envied the folks there since their cars, new or used are always the lowest price... ur lucky, and those prices are pretty good

 

We just traded our GX470 2006 with 108K at Woodfield Lexus in Schaumburg, IL. The vehicle is in excellent condition and I believe it is already listed on their website. (The GX is totally loaded)

 

I went through the same thing you are going through. I live in MT and there is nothing up here. Finally found one in denver that lived up to my strick search criteria, I was nervous about putting down money over the phone for something I have never seen, but im glad I did. Just remeber it needs a documented timing belt done around 90-100k, otherwise i wouldn't worry about to much else after all it is a toyota. Plane tickets to major citys are cheep.. (Kayak.com)

 

I'm in Seattle and I purchased my 2004 GX 470 @ 93,000 miles for a little over $14K in cash back from a 'major' local dealership back in late July 2012. -- I've already put on 12K+ miles since then with only minor issues (i.e. front driver-side wheel bearing had to be replaced). At this point, I feel like I got a decent deal from them.

There's a lot of good tips & info already in this thread, but definitely make sure you get a complete maintenance record of the GX and possibly a list of all the TSB's done to it. The 90K Service, (if you're looking at the higher mileage ones) definitely be sure it was done since it includes the timing belt, and if not, factor that into your negotiating if you're looking at one.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Kermee

 

Thanks for all the tips. If all goes as planned I'll be getting a 03 with 98k with the timing belt recently done. It does not have a tow package so I'll need to add that on.

I did find a 04 with 103k for $15,000 but I'm sure it will need a timing belt so I'm going to pull the trigger on another one from a private listing off of Craigslist. http://www.frontlineautocentre.com/v...-door+suv.html
For what it's worth vinaudit gave this one a clean bill of health. I'm just not going to be buying it.

So I'll need to get a ski rack. I currently have a Yakima FatCat 4. I'll also need to figure out what's needed in order to tow. I'll also need a cargo liner and something to protect the middle seats when they are folded down.

 

We bought our 08 GX last fall from a private party.

52k miles and loaded minus the DVD, which I think is useless anyway due to the rapid advance of tech and cheap tablets.

We paid BB price.

There is a good selection of GX, it is a popular SUV. They are very expensive new, but its nice to let someone else eat that depreciation.

I think these trucks will do 200k no worries if you keep up with maintenance. Very solid truck for us so far.

We also use Yakima racks, just had to get adapters for the oval cross bars. Sold on Amazon, REI, etc.

The Weathertech products are very good quality. We use the cargo mat, expensive but worth it.

Good luck. And remember, pics are mandatory.

 

washington has the best prices for any car new or used... those are some very nice prices and those cars be gone in a flash if they were anywhere else

 

Funny thing is was searching for a 4runner v8 limited but the prices are the same so I figured I might as well get the Lexus