Tzakiel

I'm in love with the LS, have been for several years now even as the generation of design changed. So I'm currently looking for a pre-owned ~2011 model. I am totally sold on the car... Built in Japan, such high quality and reliability. Just wondering about the following:

• It seems I can get a pretty good price on a 2011 LS with around 35k miles - around $45k or so. Does that seem about right? Any reason not to do this? I do want a car from that generation but don't really care about which year it is. Looking for black or white. It seems this might be the sweet spot of mileage and age.
• Ive never bought pre owned before, if the dealer is listing $45k what % can I expect to negotiate off that price, if anything?
• How worried should I be about scuffs on the leather or plastic? Can those be cleaned off reliably or should I assume if the dealer couldn't get them off, they aren't coming off ever?
• Any reason I should buy from a Lexus dealer "certified" vs a Euro Motorcars or similar type dealer?

Thanks, I really appreciate your help and advice. I can't wait to own an LS some day.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Looks like this guy's 2011 will soon be for sale - contact him - could be a win-win:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...h-dilemna.html

riknchar

[QUOTE=Tzakiel;8534954]I'm in love with the LS, have been for several years now even as the generation of design changed. So I'm currently looking for a pre-owned ~2011 model. I am totally sold on the car... Built in Japan, such high quality and reliability. Just wondering about the following:

• It seems I can get a pretty good price on a 2011 LS with around 35k miles - around $45k or so. Does that seem about right? Any reason not to do this? I do want a car from that generation but don't really care about which year it is. Looking for black or white. It seems this might be the sweet spot of mileage and age.
• Ive never bought pre owned before, if the dealer is listing $45k what % can I expect to negotiate off that price, if anything?
• How worried should I be about scuffs on the leather or plastic? Can those be cleaned off reliably or should I assume if the dealer couldn't get them off, they aren't coming off ever?
• Any reason I should buy from a Lexus dealer "certified" vs a Euro Motorcars or similar type dealer?

I went through the exact same logic when I purchased my 2011 LS460 SWB AWD last month. Mine was just coming off a 3-year lease, and had been religiously serviced (and documented) by the local Lexus dealer. It has 33K miles, and both the interior and exterior are basically showroom condition.

One of the big advantages of buying this specific year/mileage LS (as explained to me by the dealer) is that the car will probably hold great value for the next 3 years, if I should decide to trade it back in on a newer LS. His logic was that cars that he can Certify (CPO) are much more valuable, and he can certify my LS up to 6 years old and < 70K miles. My original plan was to drive the car for 3 years and trade it in at that point (when the dealer could still re-Certify it). Another advantage to buying a Lexus which is still under the original factory bumper-to-bumper warranty is that you can purchase the Platinum extended warranty for a pretty good price (~ $1800) to take the warranty all the way out to 8 years, if you plan to keep the car longer than 3 years.

However, I'm the person who is now considering doing a quick trade for a 2009 LS 600h that is available for a good price at the Kansas City Lexus store. I could make you a pretty good deal at this point on my 2011, if you think it would fit your needs. Let's chat off-line.

hjones4841

I paid $45K for a 2011 with 26K miles in December. Local Lexus dealer, CPO. Only thing it did not have is the Mark Levinson stereo. But it was spotless, so I could not resist. CPO gets you 36 months, 100K mile warranty. Also, they guarantee that all wearable things, like tires and brake rotors, have at least 63% life left in them.

Tzakiel

Thanks for replies so far. Can I ask you guys what the wiggle room was for % off what the dealer listed?

patgilm

In your price range I would get a LS600.

Persocon

I would recommend getting one through CarMax, yes their price is a little higher and is non-negotiable
but you can get their no-bull**** warranty 6 years (from your purchase date, not total time) up to 150,000 miles (total miles on vehicle) anywhere from $2200 to $3000, depends (the higher the warranty cost, they crappier the reliability of the vehicle, for example range rover 6 year/100,000mi is $3500) so I don't think the Lexus will be categorized in that class.
best thing about it is you can take the car to Lexus Dealer and that's only $50 deductible, they will cover no-bull****, even at Lexus labor rates.

There's been cases of 2 already proven, Engine replacements under that warranty, 1 is a RX-8, owner paid $50 deductible to go to dealer ($0 deductible if you go to carmax) and carmax warranty covered the rest.
2nd is a Pontic GTO engine replacement, at dealer as well, costing $13,000 they covered everything, even was nice enough to approve new hoses and belts.

Of course there are plenty of Land Rover owners that made their money back 4 fold with that warranty. It is the place to go if you want real warranty.

broken_tsi

iTrader: (1)

I would never recommend carmax for purchasing a car. I would always go to the cars dealer for a certified option and extend it. I am biased since I work for a dealership, but I see how we have bent over backwards for loyal customers and how many people have been taken advantage of by carmax. However, that just might be the one in our area.

Persocon

but carmax warranty covers for so much longer and so many miles more for so much cheaper.

1 air suspension strut is $1000 part, not even labor, 3 struts and you've made your money back,
there is simply no other place that has a longer/more miles no-bull warranty

dealer has extended warranty that last an additional 6 years(from time you buy)? covers up to 125,000 miles(total vehicle)?

CJITTY

I have 5yr/125k Lexus cpo warranty and i get free snacks, drinks and a 2014 loaner car and paid less for the car and the cpo wrap than carmaxs warranty...so why go carmax lol

Persocon

ok I guess it is possible to get such long/high miles warranty for cheap direct from lexus, but I doubt many people will be able to get such warranty direct from lexus for as cheap as what carmax offers. (the price I threw out is just an estimate based on an unreliable range rover warranty price of $3500, wouldn't suprise me if the lexus one is much cheaper)

I guess it is only worth it if the vehicle is a very unreliable one, such as range rovers, to make it worth buying from the much hated carmax

GregoryNP

Regarding Warranties. Lexus CPO are not transferrable. Are Carmax?
I bought a 2005 LS430 and extended the CPO to 125,000. Decided to trade in a year later for my CPO LS460. Lexus surprise...they prorated the extension even though it never kicked claiming it starts the day you buy it, not when the 3 year/100k ended.

CJITTY

Yes..this part is total BS about the prorate policy. Lexus should prorate beginning from the day 3/100 std cpo ends. That's the aggravating part for sure. Good point, forgot to mention that

Persocon

Yes carmax does send you a refund check for unused prorated leftover warranty, and it starts from the day you bought the warranty. (this is from actual customers as well)

there is a little trick though, if there is existing CPO warranty on the vehicle, carmax will make you use that up first, and if dealers want to say they can't reproduce the problem to avoid repair, then you're SOL, at least until the carmax warranty takes over after the existing expires.
So it's better to bring a vehicle in to the dealer without a CPO so they will bend over backwards to find problems for you because somebody else is paying for it (carmax), and this is the way to maximize it.

peteybabes

I still wouldn't trust carmax techs. . .

we've seen what happened to other members on this forum who used non-lexus techs even though they were "certified" to work on the car. . .