johndoe10

Hi guys,
I just want to quickly say what an awesome forum this is.

Now down to business (sorry I don't ahve much time on this deal).

I am looking to purchase my first lexus. I am going between the LS 430/SC430... I know big difference, but I think I decided on the LS for it's practicality.

I am from the Northeast. I found a car frmo the mid-west (Illinois) Which I know is not as good as from the South... but what can you do?

I am looking to drive the car for along time since I love this car...
So here are the details:
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$24,000
Certified Pre-owned by Lexus 2004 LS430 with 55K miles.
Mark Levinson Package, Bluetooth, Navigation, Rear view camera, etc...

-Clean Carfax, the dealer claims that ALL of the maintenance on it was done at a Lexus Dealer every 5K miles starting from 5,000 and ending at 40,000.
-Oil Changes at 43,000 and 48,000
-Dealer installed new brakes and tires
-Dealer completed the 45K service as part of the Certification Procedure.
-----------------------------------
That's it. He said that he fixed all the nicks and scuffs in the wheels too which they don't really have to do as part of the CPO procedure.

What do you guys think?

***Here is the big problem, he would like me to pick it up before Thursday which is understandable. So I am thinking of just having it shipped here to NY.

Am I crazy to buy a car and have it shipped to me without ever test-driving that specific car? I mean it's a Lexus CPO and I love the LS and it was certified by lexus etc... What do you guys think? I really need help on this soon.

LSGarry

Well I would say as long as you have driven an LS430 of that vintage before and you are pleased with how it drives, all other things considered, I think you will be happy with the purchase without seeing it first. As I'm sure you have read in doing your searches of this forum, there aren't a lot of problems with the car and as long as you feel confident that the dealer is not giving you any BS and you have personally read the carfax report than I would say go for it. The price does seem a bit high IMHO but then it is a CPO with low miles.
Hope you get it.

johndoe10

Thank you LSGary!

Yes this seems l like a great car, it's just that I have never purchased blind like this before, especially a used car!

I noticed some tears in the leather from his pics, so I asked him to check it out for me please and then get back to me. He still did not reply...

Do you guys think that is a bit high? This is the lowest price that I have been able to find..

Oh and I am ONLY interested in CPO for the piece of mind so I understand that I will have to pay a little more... What do you think this car is worth?

Also, I was looking for an 06 LS430 CPO, but I can not pay more then $32,000. That is my MOST highest number that I can pay for an SC430 not including the taxes... But I haven't been able to find one, most are mid 30s... Any suggestions and/or advice?

Thanks so much guys for your help.

Jabberwock

I would never buy a car I did not personally see and inspect firsthand before buying. I live in Dallas but bought my car from a Chicago Lexus dealer (Woodfield Lexus). I put a 5 k refundable deposit on it, and bought a one way ticket ($275) up there (7 days later) and inspected the car before buying. I was fully prepared to walk away from the deal if it was a dud or trashed in any way and the dealer knew it so they had the car fully detailed inside and out when I got there.

With 55k on it and a 2004, your car could have a lot of interior wear and stink inside - no way to tell without in person inspection. .

jayclapp

On the other hand the car's interior could look virtually new. I have an 04 which currently has 56K miles and it could pass as a new car. It all depends on how it has been used and taken care of (a 350 lb driver will put much more wear on the seats than a 175 lb driver).

You really have to look at (and touch and sit in) the car to determine the condition. In my opinion, this car certainly shouldn't be showing tears in the seats. They should still look new.

tromly

Welcome to CL, no Lexus CPO's have tears in their seats !! Part of the CPO process is to fix all problems. LS seats should be in great condition if it's a CPO. Good Luck

V8_Fan

There are various grades of CPO's. $24K would be a fair price if the car was from the SW. Personally, I would only buy a car from CA/AZ/NV, as they use no road salt and it seldom rains. A CPO commands about a $2-2.5K premium over a non-CPO, but remember not all CPO's are equal. I've seen dealers sell vehicles that have been involved in accidents and still asked for a premium price. When I bought mine, my dealer (an award winning lexus dealer) had 3 white LSs, a 05ultra w/ 21.5K mi built in 6/05, a 06 custom luxury w/ 30K built in 9/05, and a 06 modern luxury w/ 30K built in 10/06. The newest car was in the worst condition of the three...evidence the PO was hard on the car, accelerator took lots of pressure to get the car moving (PO had a heavy foot, as the accelerator learns how the driver drives), curb rash on a wheel, some service on brakes refused. The custom luxury was in bettery condition, but showed wear & tear from CA freeway driving...lots of rock chips in the front bumper, tacky dark rear tint. The front bumper looked like it had been touched up by spray paint, and the dealer wouldn't have it resprayed. Third car was owned and driven in the CA desert (ie, retirement community), was garaged, and in immaculate/like-new condition. All three were priced about the same since the ultra was 1 yr older (in model years) than the 06s, albeit the better condition 06 was only built 3 months after the 05.

Going to the dealer, I figured I would likely buy the 06 modern luxury since it was the newest and was the only one still under the original factory warranty. I drove each vehicle on an identical 20 mile course in the neighborhoods where I frequently drive (and, thus, am familiar with how my current cars feel). In the end, I bought the car that was in the best condition, and that happenend to be the oldest of the 3 vehicles. BTW, the air ride suspension on the ultra feels almost the same as the non-air suspension (has just a hint of a "floaty" feel).

johndoe10

Thank you gentlemen.

Unfortunately, the dealer got back to me too late and I am flying out on vacation so no way for me to get a new car this year... I also agree that it's probably a bad idea to buy a used car without sitting in it... So I will just have to keep searching. Thanks again for your help, and Happy Holidays to everyone!

caddyowner

Jim makes a good point. Used cars are still used cars, despite the Lexus aura (not to be confused with a Saturn) and CPO hoopla. I imagine that new Lexus vehicles are more consistent than domestic cars, but once different owners use and abuse them, the differences emerge.

AlexusAnja

"CPO" is just a measuring stick of a certain level of quality (you know it won't have giant bent, bent rims, ripped leather, etc.) to expect from the vehicle, but it's not guarantee of being in VERY good condition or that it will meet you satisfaction. When shopping, I saw plenty of CPO that had minor paint damage (bird droppings not fixed, resulting in paint damage), touched up areas of paint, scratched wheels.

Again, site-not-seen, a CPO might have little noises that dealer thinks is okay, but you might not if you went to drive it. THe price to me, with that mileage for that price and CPO, it's probably Modern Luxury right? Not Custom Luxury. I would say fair price, not great.

As for SC430, beautiful car, but the two don't compare. LS430 you fit 5 comfortably, the SC430 rear seats can barely seat a dog, much less people. If you don't need to fit more than two, then consider the SC. If you EVER have passengers, don't even think about the SC, your passengers in back will damn you until the end of time.

Jabberwock

Agree on the SC430 - we looked at those seriously last summer. Great car but the backseat is a joke. My wife is a small person (5'6" and 120 lbs and she could not physically get in the back seat. I'd say it would be a problem for anyone older than 7 years old. Make no sense at all and kinda threw me off the SC.

V8_Fan

The rear seat in a SC should be nice & comfy for a dog. OTOH, my 4 ft something mother-in-law could probably fit in the back w/ leg/head room to spare.

The Lexus CPO tv commercial where they say something like 'not quite new, not quite used' can be interpretted many ways. Oh, BTW, lexus only requires that CPO's be sold with two keys. I got ripped on my first CPO ('03 LX, bought in early '06). I assumed it had all the keys, but upon delivery, the dealer only gave me ONE master key and one valet key (and the valet on that is useless since it doesn't even have a fob to remotely lock/unlock the doors). We were dismayed to find out that we had to shell out another $250 for a second master key immediately after having spent $46K out the door on a CPO! We felt like we were getting nickel-and-dimed! When I shopped for the LS, first thing I made sure was that every car under consideration had both master keys. Now that the guys at the dealer know that I've bought two top-of-the-line lexus vehicles from them in 3 years, I get better service.