coachld

I am almost certain of the responses to my question but I am all about due diligence before purchasing a used car and especially one with 220K.

Since riding in my father-in-law's LS430...I have been on the hunt for a 430 that I could afford but have never had any luck. I recently decided to sell my 03 Tahoe and find a non 4x4 wheel drive. There are not many LS's available for sale locally in general so really did not think I would find anything and had already made appts. to drive several other cars. Was fortunate enough to find a local ad for LS430. Owner is the second and has obviously taken very good care of the car. The car...cosmetically...is in as good or better condition then my wife's ES with 45K. Took it for a test drive and was blown away by the ride...despite having such high mileage.

The owner is looking for 7,900 and will include winter tires along with all seasons. The timing belt/water pump were replaced 20K ago. I am going to have an independent inspection done after he puts all season tires back on. If car comes back clean, do you think this would be a good purchase? I am a 50K driver and then typically like to move on to something else.

Thanks in advance,

L

caddyowner

Welcome! Frankly, since finances are a concern, I would look for something else that is reliable with lower mileage and within your budget. Any car with 200K+ miles is going to likely need freqpent repairs of electronic & mechanical stuff that simply wears out. Replacing this stuff on any premium car like a Lexus is not going to be cheap. Saving up for additional purchase funds and buying a LS with 100K (or more) fewer miles would also be worth considering.

JLAWS

For around $8500-$9K you could get one with 1/2 the mileage. I'd keep looking.

coachld

Thanks for feedback.

jlaw..not sure where you have seen an 01 with 110K for 9k but around these parts that kind odd car goes for 12k...maybe 11k without any options...and a UL would be more like 18k.

Bocatrip

I happen to agree with you. It's not easy to find a straight, well maintained early LS430 in the low 100K mileage range for under 10K. The nice, original cars go to dealers who price them in the teens for no other reason than affordability to those who are looking to step into an LS430. It's amazing how clean, original LS430s, even with heavy mileage are still bringing the low teens. If you do find one reasonably priced, you will need to jump on it without flinching before someone else gobbles it up. Everyone wants any clean LS430 for under 10K.

yuri.ber

iTrader: (7)

Prices for LS430's are on the rise now. A car with 115-125k miles is nowhere near 10k range, basically it's a an auction price. My car has 109k/mi and I was offered 14k by a dealer, just an example.
On topic now.
I would make an offer of 6500 if all mechanical AND electrical checked out. Make sure you check carfax, autocheck, lexus history and ask for receipts from the owner himself. Was the car repainted? If yes, why?
If you like the car after your mechanic gives the ok I recommend going to a lexus dealer and let them do a full inspection. Why? Because most mechanics simply don't know of all the options Lexus has and how they're properly operated. Got a link for that car? Post it here. You did not mention what options package the car was.
Trust me when bying an LS430 you need to do a chunk of work and research.

Brewmyown

An important factor is how many miles do you drive a year? If you drive 25K a year then I would say don't even consider a car with that many miles. My wife drive maybe 5K a year so when we just picked up an 06 MDX with 159K on it I wasn't concerned at all as it looked and ran great. That car will last her years at 5K a year.

I bought my 02 with 125K on it and even if I put 20K a year on it, it will last several more years.

coachld

Thanks for all the feedback....very helpful.

As for miles per year...it is one of the reasons that I am considering the car. I am a teacher and work about 10 minutes from home. I also coach football at another school which is less than 10 minutes from my home. The only time I am really on the road is for my son's baseball tournaments on the weekends or when we head up to my Dad's place...about 3 hours away.

Here is info from ad along with pic.

He is taking it today to put all season tires back on, change oil, and have an inspection. He is still o.k. with having me get it inspected.

Lexus Flagship Sedan the 2001 LS 430. This car is one of a kind! Black Cherry Pearl with factory Chrome 17" wheels, Navigation, Mark Levison sound system and Sport Suspension. I am the second owner of this car. Mile are due to extensive freeway travel both from the prior owner and myself. Gas mileage is tremendous with up to 30-mpg on the freeway and I average 24 in combined mpg, excellent for a 290 HP V8!
Copy and paste link to your browser to see value PRICED BELOW CLEAN TRADE IN!!!! http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2001/...dard-Equipment
Miles 221K don't let this scare you away excellent service at Lexus dealership and timing belt and water pump replaced at 196K

LSGarry

That car photo looks clean. You don't see that color that much.

His gas mileage claim seems high particularly in the high altitudes of Colorado and so what else is he exaggerating?

I agree that if you can get receipts, a clean bill of health from a Lexus dealer and CarFax, I'd grab it. I think the price is a bit high so I'd offer him 7K and put the extra money into savings for the inevitable things that will go wrong with the car at that high mileage. Then again, its an LS430 and they are engineered very well and use quality parts.

Good luck!

coachld

Thanks Garry. Cannot verify the 30mpg highway but did see combined 24.3 on dash when test driving.

Bocatrip

If you can buy this car anywhere near 7K and it checks out fine, you will be a hero if you buy it. It's a no brainer. Even if it turns out to give you more trouble than you anticipated, the car has pretty much depreciated to its max. What LS430 with any amount of miles will sell for that kind of money other than a beater? Once you are in that price range, anyone will step up to buy it. Good luck.

SJLS430

Sharp looking color and looks very nice with the chrome wheels. If I needed a car and only had $7,900 to spend I would buy it. The LS 430 motor is bullet proof with proper maintenance.

Bocatrip

Wait too long to pull the trigger and this car might be gone. It's still an LS430 for very little money.

JSDND1980

I think you should purchase the LS430 also. Try getting the price down if you can. Have you checked all the electricals? Do the windows and door locks work? When's the last time it had a brake job? How's the suspension? it's good that the timing belt and water pump have been done...that influenced me when I recently purchased my '04 with 114K miles for $ 14500. The color looks great, the wheels look great...go ahead and pull the trigger and good luck.

BMW7_LS430

Buy it after checking out with a reliable Lexus dealer.
Pay special attention to following itmes...

• Folding mirrors
• Automatic adjustment of mirrors
• Telescoping steering wheel functions
• Subwoofer and for that matter all speakers
• Rust & any water damage in past
• Audio and other controls from steering wheel
• Suspension

I am out of touch with pricing therefore can't provide much advice.