tcbted

I've just sold my 2000 ES300, and need to pick up either another ES or possibly my first choice, an LS430.

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to capture the pictures from this ad.

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/detai...6&adid=7611758

There are very few LS' for sale up here ... I'm trying to stay around $20k.
Dealer CPO cars start close to $30k, or I could go for a dealer CPO ES between $22k and $25k.

So, I'm guessing I could pick up this blue onyx LS for around $20k CDN.
That would be about $16 USD.

Before my ES, I drove a 2000 LS400, so I know what to look for.
Time is not on my side ... the car is 90 minutes away, and I need a car soon.

Any thoughts as to the value of this car would be much appreciated by the
LS experts around here.

So Philly1

OK

04 LS

Blue onyx

120,000 (Although with this car you cant really gauge by miles)

No Nav (ie base model)

Base model, 120,000 for 20k


Imo the only way i'd buy this is if it came with a free bumper to bumper warranty and gave me an unresistable deal on a trade in.

Mind you this is only my opinion

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

But It's around 16K US dollar though. Not bad of a price.

tcbted

Keep in mind guys, that these are Canadian figures.

So, it really has 70,000 miles (120 klms) for $16 USD.

I'm in a bind ... my cars go on Tuesday, and we need a car by Wed.
Normally, I would've found my car and traded in.
However, I did well by retailing my cars myself.
Who knew that I would sell two cars within 24 hours?
The power of advertising plus hitting the right price point, I suppose.

I'll only buy Lexus, and I live in a small town with nothing but domestics,
Honda's, Subaru's, Nissan, and Toyota ... so, I have to shop by Autotrader
from a distance.

My budget is $16k, and everthing else up available in Toronto gets me into an 02 or 03 for
$16k. (I live two hours from Toronto).
Other choice for $16k are a few 2005 ES300 premiums (wood wheel, etc).
They would have around 50,000 miles.
If I go for a Lexus CPO car, I could get a 2005 ES300 with 35,000 miles for
about $20,000 USD.

I may end up with an ES300 if I'm not satisfied with the blue 2004 LS430.
I went from a 2000 LS400 to a 2000 ES300 last year during the crazy high fuel prices ... and I soon regretted the choice.

Once you've owned an LS, the ES just doesn't quite measure up.

Here's the other 2004 available within my budget.
Converting to US figures, it works out as $16,700, and 82000 miles.
Weird color configuration ... grey over saddle.

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/detai...4&adid=7507078

drink300

I see your urgency, but purchasing a car so quickly sounds like a recipe for disaster and later dissatisfaction. Rent a car for a ferw days if necessary and give yourself some time to look and find the perfect car for you.

Steer away from the ES. Go for an older LS. I don't mean to disparage anyone's car, but a brand new ES cannot compare to a 4 year old LS. The LS is so refined, so smooth, so elegant. Even with some of the issues I've had, I have to say this car is in a class by itself when compared to other Lexus cars.

tcbted

Solid advice on jumping in too fast.
I have a backup car, my daughter's Maxima.

I would never jump at a compromise solution with a suspect car.
If I can't find one quickly, I'll likely opt for a CPO dealer based ES.

My reasoning is that very, very few LS430's pop up in the greater Toronto area.
I've watched them for months, and the selection is dismal.

An 05 ES is a nice improvement over my 2000 ES ... but I agree, it feels more "Toyota"
than "Lexus".

KILLERGS4

i don't think most of us knows the Canadian market very well. Most of us on this forum will tell you to get a loaded LS430, but it's seems hard to find in your price range... Tough choice...

KILLERGS4

i would recommend something like this, ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...3A1|240%3A1308 )
but i do understand you probably have to pay some extra taxes for export

tcbted

Nice example, Killer, on Ebay.

I don't need the extra UL toys, but I definitely understand their appeal.
That car is out of my range ... it would likely top out at close to $25 USD once it's
shipped, taxes, plus border duty. NAFTA free trade only applies to cars made in
North America, I'm afraid.
I'll check out the blue LS430 tomorrow night, and post my results.

Thanks for taking a look at this thread.

I8ABMR

not bad. How long have you been looking though.??? have you seen anything better/????

tcbted

I haven't seen anything better.
I'll see the Blue Onyx car on Tue. ... its getting rear brakes and a parking sensor replaced today.
For fun, I test drove two 2005 ES330's tonight.

No offence to people who drive them, but the cars didn't feel much better than my pristine 2000 ES300. They basically felt like a Camry ... not very fast, not overly smooth, and not particularly quiet at speed.

I'll post my experience tomorrow. I'm taking "Killer's" advice and renting a car tomorrow, and taking my time here.

wanderer99

Skip the ES - it's not even remotely an LS. Yes, it is very hard to find a good car in Canada - but you could be onto something here.

Canadian LS models are a total mix-up of US specs. The car you have linked to looks like a US base model. But it's got the headlamp washers and the leather on the doors\centre console\globebox. Only the Ultra and the CustomLux models in the US got those. These weren't even on the ModernLux packaged US cars.

In Canada for 2001 the Ultra model didn't get Navigation (and neither did Australia I believe). Instead these higher end cars had a Mark Levinson audio system that looks like the base model stereo. If you look at the pics of the audio system on this 04 car you'll see it has the Mark Levinson audio. It looks like the base audio system but it's not. Again, this was never available in the US I believe.

This car may have Laser Cruise, power door closers and semi aniline leather. You won't know until you check it out, or you feed the VIN to your local Lexus dealer to pull the build sheet.

wanderer99

The saddle interior model you linked to does seem to have the cutout for the laser cruise on the front lower left bumper. The interior also has more option buttons on the centre console, and also has the burnt interior wood trim. The audio again is marked as Levinson.

I'd bet that this car has the power door closers as well. That basically makes it a US CL spec car, just without the Navigation. It may also have an upgrade leather package, just like the CL cars.

I'd love to understand from Lexus Canada why they insist on having these weirdly configured models. I'm sure its for "different markets" or some such reason. I gave up trying to understand them years ago.

tcbted

Nice catch on the interior's, Wanderer.
The saddle car ... I completely missed the "fire edge" wood trim option ... cool!!
I see the extra buttons on the console.
I'll check out this car tomorrow as well.

I like the Blue Onxy car because the owner of the selling dealership used to manage a
Lexus dealership, then went into a family owned dealership. He knows the LS430 model quite well, and picked this one up as a Lexus lease return.

The saddle car is at one of those sleazy, wholesale dealerships ... not a strong candidate to build confidence.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

KILLERGS4

i like saddle car better myself... check it out.