YannG

Hello fellow Club Lexus Owners,

Currently looking to purchase a 03-06 LS430 and came across this one :

White 04 LS430
Mileage; 148,799
Color: White

Timing belt and waterpump done at 92k miles, clean Carfax report.

It is immaculate inside and out (from the pictures posted) and its advertised for $8,870 + dealer fees of $295.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...delCode1=LS430

Is this a good deal ? I would be driving around 5hr to go look at it / buy it.

Thanks
Yann

TriC

Given the mileage, it's a $7500 car IMHO.

Legender

That's a high price... dealer prices are almost higher.
I'd be looking at closer to 100k miles for that price.
Recently a sliver sport model, 2004 with only 92k miles on DFW CL for only $8900....
I would not drive an hour to go buy it, much less 5.

Little80

A 2005 blue on ecru custom with 70000 miles and Clean history plus service just sold in North Jersey last week for 8900 plus or minus. That was it's listed price .I would and should have jumped but it was blue but now im kicking myself. Cars in this area are usually priced higher than other areas.

texan_176

iTrader: (5)

How reputable the dealer is should matter when it comes to price. I have no idea if this is a good or bad dealership but keep in mind that new car dealerships (the good ones) that get trades that fail to meet their standards for a used car will send it to auction and those cars end up for sale at independent dealers. That does not mean every car for sale at an independent is a bad car but many are bad cars.

You have to research the dealer and it comes down to the bottom line of what your gut tells you when you deal with them. A pre-purchase inspection is a must if buying from anyone but a Lexus dealer that has been around a long time. When I lost my 05 to a flood I was ready to fly to Phoenix to buy a replacement 06 but the dealer made excuse after excuse for not taking the car to the local Lexus dealer for an inspection (at my expense). I spent only 15 minutes on the web to find horror stories about how they sold cars that had major problems soon after the customer purchased.

This car looks great but be careful and don't fall in love. In my experience it is worth paying the 10-15% premium to buy from a dealer that has been around for decades and is known for selling quality used cars. I got my replacement LS at the same Lexus dealer where I bought the first one. They were straight with me and told me about every defect found in their 200+ point inspection. I paid a little more than market value but not having to worry about getting ripped off was worth it.

All that said, in my area 100K miles 04-06 sell for around $11K so with that many miles this car is a little high but within reason. If you spend $14K you can get one with under 80K miles.

Romanova

$7500 TOPS and that is the out the door price. Too many other LS430s out there for a few bucks more with considerably less mileage.

YannG

got it! thanks guys ! I appreciate the quick responses!

Stu

Yes it's too much for a 13 year old car with that kind of mileage..... unless.you REALLY REALLY love the car. You'd have to really want one bad to drive five hours to look at one at this price !!!!

Johnhav430

Yeah I think too much....I wouldn't shy away from a new car dealer. My thoughts are the majority of cars our age will go to the used car dealers i.e. wholesaled. The above average specimens, the new car dealers will try to sell themselves as they come in as a trade (for a higher price). You can negotiate the price down, and potentially get a car in better condition. I like to think that new car dealers will sometimes "do the right thing," such as you drive off, and 2 hours later you notice something is busted (happened to me, driver door actuator). Also I'd prefer lower mileage, maybe closer to 100k, and less would be nicer....

Romanova

If you're close to a Lexus dealer, reach out to them and let them know what you're looking for. That's how I got my one owner, fully serviced 06 when they took it in on trade. Used car manager texted me as soon as it came in and that was that. You might have to be patient, but it is certainly worth considering.

YannG

Yeah thats a good idea!

I am still trying to haggle the price down to around 7600 but Im not that good at it !

Anyone In florida willing to go look at it ? Ill obviously pay

Thanks!

YannG

What do people think of this?

Ive never bought a car from craiglist, so a little wary...

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/cto...522824579.html

Romanova

Keep looking. Find the cleanest 04-06 you can find, preferably a southern car with service records. There are plenty of them out there, just be patient.

tallcaguy

Agree w/ the 7,500 estimate. It's def worth spending a little more to get a clean, low mileage car that's been well maintained. An LS listed on Craig's is usually lower quality or way overpriced. At least out here, LS owners usually trade their cars in. Good luck

TriC

It's true that there is a lot of junk on CL. However, there are some gems there too. I don't know how to post a link, but if you're interested in an Ultra, check out the one recently posted on the Akron/Canton (OH) CL. It's an '01 with less than 40,000 miles posed in a high line neighborhood. The asking price of $13,000 is way high, but the worst the seller can say is "no" to a reasonable offer of less than 5 figures.