Hi all. My first post on Club Lexus. If things go right, it won't be my last

Anyway, I've been looking to replace my 98 Lincoln Continental. Fine machine that's been babied since I took ownership 9 years ago. I feel that I am ready to move on from a FWD flagship to a RWD flagship that is known for its stellar reliability assuming it has been taken care of by its previous owner(s).

Found this LS430 for sale at the local Lexus dealership

http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Lexus/LS...2004826105311/

10 years old but not driven much if you look at the mileage. I don't drive a great deal myself on a yearly basis since everything is local. In the 9 years I owned my Lincoln, I have only accumulated about 85,000km on it.

So I ask you experts on this board that I have been lurking on for the last couple of days. Does this sound like a good car to you?

Here is the Carproof report: http://reports.carproof.com/main?id=...Qh2Hzemw%3d%3d

Carproof is a bit new to me but I was wondering why there are large gaps in the mileage. Could it just not be picked up by Carproof or were there really long periods of time without a service job done on the vehicle? Would hate to think it was the latter.

Dealer let me know that the Tilt Steering stopped working. Heard it's a common issue. They are going to repair it.

Thank you

 

I think the price is on the high side considering it is an 01. I've seen 03 and 04 LS430's go for that much. It looks fairy clean though and seems like a safe buy. Make sure you have a mechanic look the car over.

As far as the mileage gaps go, I'm guessing the previous owner either didn't get any service done or the car was serviced at a non-Lexus location. On my SC300's records, there are some pretty big gaps in my mileage because I had the car serviced by a third party shop. You may want to check with the dealer and see if the car came with any extra records.

 

ya cars in Canada are always expensive..just get one from States

 

That appears to be a base car - the first one I've ever seen. It doesn't appear to have perforated leather & cooled seats. Nor does it appear to have smartaccess as it has a normal ignition key tumbler. (Was SmartAccess available in 2001?)

 

yes almost as if it is a business fleet edition, very basic. I would keep looking if you wanted a few more bells and whistles. Still has that reliable build quality and power train though, but the price is steep for such a base model Lexus.

 

Ok thanks.

Was planning to look at it tomorrow to see what a Base LS is all about. I'm not overly big on tech gadgets, namely navigation. If it's still a big, quite and comfortable 'gentle giant', then I will be happy. That being said, I'm glad you guys verified that the price was a bit high. Cars up here are expensive and the dealers tend to mark up the 'locally owned / purchased' vehicles a fair bit. I might be able to talk them down.

 

$15K for a 11+ year old car with 75K miles? Seems like a lot to me unless in its in mint condition with perfect maint history. Even though it hasn't hit 90k yet, I would request a complete TB service be done before buying since its an 01. I'd also insist on a full Lexus inspection before the sale - pay particular attention to anything that ages - rubber seals on doors and windows, struts, hood and trunk supports, etc Take a look at how old the tires (date codes on sidewall) are including the spare - if tires are more than 6 years old they need to be replaced even if they have plenty of thread. Once cars are 10+ years old the condition varies a lot between one car and the next and so should the sales price. The price difference between a 10 year old low mile garage queen in perfect shape showing very little aging and a higher mile rougher worn interior car car would be thousands.

 

Thanks for the detailed response. LS430s are rarely on ad around my area. Really love their design. Some would say bland, I would say timeless.

According to the ad, there is a 153 point inspection done on the vehicle. Naturally I would request to see the results of this inspection. If a Lexus dealership can cut corners, then I have lost faith in every dealership, lol. I would also do what I can to find the maintenance records on it and find out if it was serviced as per the service guide's requirements.

Going to see it tomorrow morning.

 

I wonder if you can enter a Canadian car VIN on Lexus.com and see the service history like you can in the U.S. If not, the dealer should be able to print it for you. This would be in addition to carfax.

 

If it feels right to you then go for it. Looks like you really like the 430 and is happy with it the way it is (just make sure you truly don't want nav or ML sound now, gonna be hard to put that in later). I was going to suggest the Lexus service thing Caddy was talking about, but I think that's a US thing only (idk if they do the same kind of tracking in Can). Have you driven it yet? If not then it should be one of the smoothest/quietest engines and rides you've ever experienced, you're in for a treat

EDIT: The trim packages must be different in Canada, I see the car has heated seats and a headlamp washer, but nothing else extra. Also, this is the first 430 I've ever seen without a wood/leather steering wheel. I thought wood/leather wheel was std?

 

Ok so I checked it out. Vehicle was 2 owner and it was a buy in (Dealership bought it from elsewhere to sell out of their lot). Car looked great for its age. Very clean inside and out. Drove exceptionally well. Everything I imagined it would be. Felt better balanced than my Continental but I attribute that to its RWD architecture.

Checked out the inspection report. Everything passed. Oil and Air Filter were changed ---> $410 listed on the invoice. Labour alone was $297. What...

Only other thing was that one of the fog lights was cloudy. Not sure if its inside or outside the housing.

Oh and the building was as nice as they come. I was surrounded by too many millionaires and felt awkward as hell, lol. One couple bought 2 brand new vehicles.

 

Dealer inspection report means nothing. Check the service history that the dealer can provide you. Make sure all the electrical "gotchas" like mirrors and steering column adjustments work. If you buy it, make sure there is some warranty (even if it's only 30 days) that will cover the repair of anything you find that not working.

 

Coming from someone who had a 1997 Lincoln Continental (was my first car in high school), the LS430 is lightyears ahead in pretty much everything (though the V8 growl was nicer in the Conti). You will not be disappointed!

+10000 on getting the service records. My dealership voluntarily printed out the entire history for me. If the car has been in frequently for the same issues I would be wary...

 

"It should be one of the smoothest quietest rides you have ever experienced"
Ditto. I drove a 02 UL with 103k this weekend and compared to my 04 Prem with 154k miles it was like a wash machine, my car is like a coffin. The Kumho Platinum tires compared to my Goodyears where just junk and the UL was unimpressive. Just showed me the value of taking care of a car, buying premium tires and getting premium service. It was my first LS, other than mine, I have driven since I drove a slew of them 3 1/2 years ago. We got a couple of inches of snow and while my car drives real well in the snow I see why many of the members believe in snows, those Kumho's where dangerous.

 

Yeah, I am going to talk to the salesman and ask him if he can get me all the service history of the vehicle. I tried searching on the Canadian Lexus site for the VIN tool that helps you track service history but could not find it. Sad if it is only a US thing.

As for warranty, they do offer this